UPSC CDS 2 2026 Notification Out for 451 Vacancies: Exam Date & Details

The Click to Download CDS 2 Notification 2026 (Official PDF) has been officially released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on 20th May 2026. Aspirants eyeing prestigious careers across various national defense academies can now review the comprehensive guidelines. The Combined Defence Service (CDS) Examination is conducted twice annually, and this particular notification governs courses commencing in July 2027.

For aspirants looking to plan their preparation efficiently, the UPSC Calendar 2026 provides a clear structural roadmap, while detailed prerequisite insights can be checked via the UPSC CDS 2026 Eligibility Criteria page. Make sure to reference previous test formats through the CDS Previous Year Question Paper PDFs- Click to Check portal.

CDS 2 2026 Overview & Important Dates

Registration for the CDS 2 2026 exam window remained open from 20th May to 9th June 2026. The offline written test is scheduled for 13th September 2026 (Sunday). Candidates can read through the specifics on the CDS Application Form 2026 - Click Here to Check Details page and study the core framework via the Check Detailed CDS Syllabus 2026 guidelines.

UPSC CDS 2 2026 Important Dates Table

Vacancies and Application Fee

The total vacancies available for the CDS 2 2026 cycle stand at 451. The breakdown across various academies is detailed below:

Regarding the application fee structure, most candidates are required to pay Rs. 200/-, while female, SC, and ST candidates are completely exempt.

Exam Structure and Marking Scheme

Each subject exam in the CDS has a duration of 2 hours. A negative marking penalty of 1/3 marks applies to incorrect answers in the written exam.

For Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy

For Officers’ Training Academy

CDS Physical Standards Checklist

Review the checklist below to ensure you meet the mandatory physical requirements before moving forward with medical screenings:

• The minimum acceptable height for male candidates is 157 cm.
• For the Navy candidates height is 157 cm, for the Air Force is 162.5 and for female candidates is 152 cm.
• Gorkhas and candidates belonging to the Hills of the North Eastern region of India, Garhwal and Kumaon, required a minimum height is 152 cm.
• Tribals from the Ladhakh Region and Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands' and Extra talented sports candidates minimum required rights is 155 Cm
• Body Mass Index (BMI) should be below 25.
• The ratio of the waist and hip should be below 0.9 for males and 0.8 for females.
• Waist Circumference should be less than 90 cm for males and 80 cm for females.

CDS Exam Centres Checklist

The CDS 2 written examination will be held across multiple designated cities nationwide. Refer to the checklist below:

• Agartala
• Agra
• Ajmer
• Ahmedabad
• Aizawl
• Aligarh
• Almora (Uttarakhand)
• Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh)
• Aurangabad
• Bengaluru
• Bareilly
• Bhopal
• Bilaspur
• Chandigarh
• Chennai
• Coimbatore
• Cuttack
• Dehradun
• Delhi
• Dharwad
• Dispur
• Faridabad
• Gangtok
• Gaya
• Gautam Buddh Nagar
• Ghaziabad
• Gorakhpur
• Gurgaon
• Gwalior
• Hyderabad
• Imphal
• Indore
• Itanagar
• Jabalpur
• Jaipur
• Jammu
• Jodhpur
• Jorhat
• Kochi
• Kohima
• Kolkata
• Kozhikode
• Leh
• Lucknow
• Ludhiana
• Madurai
• Mumbai
• Mysore
• Nagpur
• Navi Mumbai
• Panaji (Goa)
• Patna
• Port Blair
• Prayagraj (Allahabad)
• Puducherry
• Pune
• Raipur
• Rajkot
• Ranchi
• Sambalpur
• Shillong
• Shimla
• Siliguri
• Srinagar
• Srinagar (Uttarakhand)
• Thane
• Thiruvananthapuram
• Tiruchirapalli
• Tirupati
• Udaipur
• Varanasi
• Vellore
• Vijayawada
• Visakhapatnam
• Warangal

Salary Structure

Selected candidates joining the armed forces are compensated under structured pay levels:

Previous Cut Off Reference

To gauge preparation benchmarks, look at historical cut-off numbers from past cycles:

Next Steps for Candidates

Now that the application window has concluded, candidates should focus on intensive revision ahead of the 13th September 2026 written exam. Ensure that you track the release of your admit cards scheduled for September 2026, verify all allotted test center logistics, and prepare early for travel arrangements to avoid any last-minute delays.