Union Public Service Commission Will Close Combined Defence Services 1 Applications Today

New Delhi: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)will close the application window for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) 1, 2026 examination today, December 30, at 6 pm. Eligible candidates can submit their applications through the official website upsconline.nic.in.

Once the application process concludes, UPSC will issue the admit cards a few days before the examination, which is scheduled to be held on April 12, 2026.

Application Fee

• General and OBC (Male) candidates: ₹200

• SC/ST, Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), and Female candidates: Exempted

• The fee must be paid online only.

How to Apply

1. Visit the official UPSC website at upsc.gov.in.

2. Click on “CDS 1 2026 Registration.”

3. Complete Part I registration by entering the required details.

4. Proceed to Part II, where candidates must select the examination centre, upload documents, and make the fee payment (if applicable).

5. Submit the form and download the confirmation page for future reference.

About the Examination

The UPSC CDS 1, 2026 exam will be conducted in offline (pen-and-paper) mode, with question papers available in Hindi and English.

For admission to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA), the examination will consist of three papers:

• English: 100 marks, 2 hours, 120 questions

• General Knowledge: 100 marks, 2 hours, 120 questions

• Elementary Mathematics: 100 marks, 2 hours, 100 questions

A negative marking of one-third of the marks assigned to a question will apply for each incorrect answer.

For the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), candidates will appear for two papers only:

• English: 100 marks, 2 hours

• General Knowledge: 100 marks, 2 hours

The total marks for OTA will be 200, and the exam will also be held in offline mode with bilingual question papers.