The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially announced the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026 result on May 8, 2026. Thousands of defense aspirants who appeared for the written examination on April 12, 2026, can now check their qualifying status. A total of 8,826 candidates have successfully cleared the written stage and have made it to the merit list. This recruitment drive aims to fill 451 vacancies across prestigious academies like the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).
Candidates who took the CDS-I 2026 examination can download the official Name-Wise and Roll-Number-Wise Result PDF directly from the official UPSC portal. Those whose names and roll numbers appear on this merit list are now provisionally qualified to appear for the highly coveted Service Selection Board (SSB) Interview. Aspirants are advised to keep their application registration numbers and roll numbers handy to seamlessly check their performance.
UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026: Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Release Date | 10 December 2025 |
| Online Apply Start Date | 10 December 2025 |
| Online Apply Last Date | 30 December 2025 (Till 6:00 PM) |
| Written Examination Date | 12 April 2026 |
| Provisional Answer Key Release | 16 April 2026 |
| Result Declaration Date | 08 May 2026 |
| SSB Interview Dates | To be notified later |
Application Fee Details
- General / OBC Candidates: ₹200/-
- SC / ST Candidates: Exempted (₹0/-)
- Female Candidates (All Categories): Exempted (₹0/-)
- Note: Fees were paid online via Net Banking, Debit/Credit Card, or offline via SBI Bank Challan.
UPSC CDS-I Notification 2026: Age Limits
The age limits for the UPSC CDS 1 Exam depend entirely on the academy the candidate is applying for. Note: Candidates must be unmarried to apply.
- Indian Military Academy (IMA): 19 to 24 Years (Born between Jan 2, 2003, and Jan 1, 2008).
- Indian Naval Academy (INA): 19 to 24 Years (Born between Jan 2, 2003, and Jan 1, 2008).
- Air Force Academy (AFA): 20 to 24 Years (Born between Jan 2, 2003, and Jan 1, 2007).
- Officers’ Training Academy (OTA – Men & Women): 19 to 25 Years (Born between Jan 2, 2002, and Jan 1, 2008).
- Age Relaxation: Candidates holding a valid Commercial Pilot License issued by DGCA get relaxation up to 26 years for the Air Force Academy.
UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026: Vacancy Details
The UPSC Combined Defence Services (I) Examination 2026 has been conducted to recruit for a total of 451 Posts. (Note: Defense recruitments under UPSC CDS do not have standard caste-based reservation quotas (UR/OBC/SC/ST); vacancies are strictly allocated Academy-wise).
Eligibility Criteria by Academy
| Academy Name | Educational Eligibility |
|---|---|
| IMA (Indian Military Academy) | Passed / Appearing Bachelor’s Degree in any stream from a recognized University. |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) | Passed / Appearing Bachelor’s Degree in any stream from a recognized University. |
| INA (Indian Naval Academy) | Passed / Appearing Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from a recognized University/Institution. |
| AFA (Air Force Academy) | Bachelor’s Degree in any stream with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level OR Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering. |
Academy-Wise Vacancy Details
| Academy / Course | Number of Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun | 100 |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala | 26 |
| Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad | 32 |
| Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), Men | 275 |
| Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), Women | 18 |
| Total Vacancies | 451 |
UPSC CDS-I Result 2026 & Cut-Off Marks
The Union Public Service Commission has published the CDS 1 Result as a comprehensive PDF file containing the roll numbers and names of the 8,826 candidates qualified for the SSB Interview stage. Because UPSC CDS results are declared centrally for all of India, there are no region-wise or state-wise links. Candidates can download the master PDF directly from the UPSC result portal.
Please note: UPSC releases the official cut-off marks and candidate scorecards only after the final SSB Interview and medical exams are concluded. All necessary download links are provided in the single Important Links section at the bottom of this page.
How To Check & Download UPSC CDS-I Result 2026
Follow these exact technical steps to check your qualifying status on the official UPSC portal:
- Open your web browser and visit the official website of the Union Public Service Commission at upsc.gov.in.
- On the homepage, look at the right-side menu and click on the “Written Results” tab.
- Click on the link titled “Written Result: Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026”.
- A new page will load containing a link to a PDF file. Click on the PDF icon to download the merit list.
- Open the downloaded PDF document on your device.
- Press Ctrl + F (on a computer) or use the search icon (on a mobile device) and enter your Roll Number or Name.
- If your details are highlighted in the document, congratulations! You have successfully qualified for the SSB Interview. Save the PDF for future reference.
UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026: Mode Of Selection
The selection process for the Combined Defence Services is rigorous and takes place in multiple stages to ensure only the best candidates make it to the armed forces:
- Stage 1: Written Examination: An offline (Pen and Paper) OMR-based test containing subjects like English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics (Maths is excluded for OTA applicants).
- Stage 2: SSB Interview / Personality Test: A 5-day extensive assessment covering psychological tests, group tasks, and a personal interview for candidates who pass the written exam.
- Stage 3: Document Verification: Authentication of original mark sheets, degrees, ID proofs, and NCC certificates (if applicable).
- Stage 4: Medical Examination: A strict medical and physical fitness test conducted by the Board of Service Medical Officers.
Important Links for UPSC CDS-I 2026
| Important Link / Action | Direct Link |
|---|---|
| Download CDS-I Name-Wise Result PDF | Click Here |
| UPSC Official Written Results Portal | Click Here |
| Download CDS-I Official Notification PDF | Click Here |
| Official UPSC Website | Click Here |
UPSC CDS-I Result & Answer Key 2026: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question: When was the UPSC CDS-I 2026 result declared? Answer: The UPSC CDS 1 Result 2026 was officially declared by the commission on May 8, 2026.
Question: How can I check my CDS 1 2026 result? Answer: You can check your result by visiting the official UPSC website (upsc.gov.in), navigating to the “Written Results” section, downloading the CDS-I 2026 Result PDF, and searching for your Roll Number or Name within the document.
Question: I cleared the written exam. What is the next step? Answer: Candidates who successfully clear the written exam must register themselves on the respective recruiting directorate websites (e.g., joinindianarmy.nic.in) within two weeks to receive their call-up letters for the 5-day SSB Interview.
Question: When will the UPSC CDS 1 2026 scorecards and cut-off marks be released? Answer: UPSC strictly releases the exact cut-off marks and individual candidate scorecards on its portal only after the entire selection process (including the SSB Interviews and final merit list compilation) is completely finalized.
Question: Will I receive my result via post or email? Answer: No, the Union Public Service Commission does not send individual results via post or email. The result is only published online in a combined PDF format on the official UPSC website.
Meta Description: UPSC CDS-I Result 2026 is out now! Download the official CDS 1 name-wise merit list PDF, check your qualifying status, cut-off marks, and SSB interview details here.
