Defence
Union Public Service Commission
UPSC CDS (II) 2026 Syllabus & Exam Pattern
UPSC CDS (II) 2026
Updated 23 Jul 2026
Download Syllabus PDF
Written Examination (objective, each paper 2 hours):
For IMA, INA and AFA:
• English — 100 marks
• General Knowledge — 100 marks
• Elementary Mathematics — 100 marks (matriculation level)
For Officers' Training Academy (OTA):
• English — 100 marks
• General Knowledge — 100 marks
SSB Interview / Intelligence & Personality Test:
• Two-stage selection (OIR + PPDT screening, then psychology tests, GTO tasks and personal interview over 4 days) — 300 marks (200 for OTA)
Negative marking of one-third applies in the written papers. Final merit lists are prepared academy-wise from written + SSB totals, followed by medicals.
For IMA, INA and AFA:
• English — 100 marks
• General Knowledge — 100 marks
• Elementary Mathematics — 100 marks (matriculation level)
For Officers' Training Academy (OTA):
• English — 100 marks
• General Knowledge — 100 marks
SSB Interview / Intelligence & Personality Test:
• Two-stage selection (OIR + PPDT screening, then psychology tests, GTO tasks and personal interview over 4 days) — 300 marks (200 for OTA)
Negative marking of one-third applies in the written papers. Final merit lists are prepared academy-wise from written + SSB totals, followed by medicals.