At a Glance
- Post Name
- Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026
- Exam / Result Date
- 13 September 2026 (Sunday)
- Conducting Body
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
- Eligibility
- Bachelor's Degree (stream depends on academy applied for)
- Location
- All India
Quick Summary
UPSC released the CDS (II) 2026 exam time-table on 10 August 2026 — English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics papers on 13 September 2026. Check the exact schedule, marks distribution, and negative marking rules here.
UPSC released the official time-table for the Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 on 10 August 2026. The written exam will be held on 13 September 2026 (Sunday), with three papers — English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics — for candidates applying to IMA, INA, and AFA, spread across the full day at designated centres. This exam covers 451 tentative vacancies across four academies.
| Exam Name | Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Time-Table Released | 10 August 2026 |
| Written Examination Date | 13 September 2026 (Sunday) |
| Total Tentative Vacancies | 451 (IMA 100, INA 26, AFA 32, OTA 293) |
| Papers (IMA/INA/AFA) | English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics — 300 marks total |
| Papers (OTA) | English, General Knowledge — 200 marks total |
| Official Portal | upsc.gov.in |
Source: UPSC official time-table notice, dated 10 August 2026, and the CDS (II) 2026 notification dated 20 May 2026.
UPSC CDS (II) 2026 – Exam Day Time-Table
The Commission has fixed exact clock timings for each paper, with breaks built in between sessions. All timings follow Indian Standard Time (IST).
| Time (IST) | Subject | Subject Code |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | English | 11 |
| 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM | General Knowledge | 12 |
| 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Elementary Mathematics | 13 |
Candidates applying only for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) write just the first two papers — English and General Knowledge — and are free to leave after the 2:30 PM session, since Elementary Mathematics does not apply to the OTA course.
UPSC CDS (II) 2026 – Marks Distribution by Academy
The exam isn't identical for every candidate — how many papers you write, and how much weight the written exam carries against the interview, depends entirely on which academy you've applied to.
| Academy | Written Papers | Written Marks | SSB Interview Marks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy (IMA) | English, GK, Elementary Maths | 300 | 300 | 600 |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA) | English, GK, Elementary Maths | 300 | 300 | 600 |
| Air Force Academy (AFA) | English, GK, Elementary Maths | 300 | 300 | 600 |
| Officers' Training Academy (OTA) | English, GK | 200 | 200 | 400 |
Source: UPSC CDS (II) 2026 official notification, exam pattern section, dated 20 May 2026.
Negative Marking — What It Actually Costs You
Every paper is objective-type, set in both Hindi and English, and carries a strict negative marking rule: 1/3rd (0.33) of the marks allotted to a question is deducted for every wrong answer. Marking two or more options for the same question is treated exactly like a wrong answer and attracts the same penalty. Unattempted questions cost nothing.
In practical terms, if you guess blindly on 30 questions you're not sure about, the expected penalty works out to roughly 10 marks lost — enough to shift you below a cutoff that's often decided by single-digit margins. The single most effective adjustment most candidates can make isn't studying harder, it's simply skipping questions they're genuinely unsure of rather than guessing.
Academy-wise Eligibility Snapshot
- IMA & OTA: Bachelor's degree in any stream from a recognised university
- Indian Naval Academy: Bachelor's degree in Engineering
- Air Force Academy: Bachelor's degree in any stream, with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level — AFA candidates additionally undergo the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) as part of their SSB assessment, a requirement unique to this academy
How Tough Is the Cutoff, Realistically?
How to Download the UPSC CDS (II) 2026 Time-Table – Step by Step
- Visit the official UPSC website at upsc.gov.in.
- Click on "Examinations" and then "Time-Table."
- Locate "Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026" in the list.
- Open the PDF and note your exact paper timings.
- Download and save a copy for reference until your admit card is released closer to the exam date.
UPSC CDS (II) 2026 – What's Next
The time-table is not the admit card. UPSC will release the e-admit card separately closer to the exam date, downloadable only from the official candidate login on upsc.gov.in — no other website will host it. Once the written exam is conducted on 13 September 2026, qualifying candidates will be called for the SSB Interview, followed by a medical examination, before the final merit list is prepared based on combined written and SSB scores.
UPSC CDS (II) 2026 – Official Links
| Link | Portal |
|---|---|
| Exam Time-Table (PDF) | upsc.gov.in |
| Official Notification (PDF) | upsc.gov.in |
| Apply Online / Candidate Portal | upsconline.nic.in |
| Official UPSC Portal Homepage | upsc.gov.in |
