UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026 – 451 vacancies | Apply Online
UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026 | Examination Notice No. 4/2026 CDS-I | Central Govt Jobs
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) invites applications from eligible candidates for the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026, for admission to various courses at the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy. The total number of vacancies is 451.
Hence candidates are suggested to be aware of the important date, mode of application and other related information for the posts.
Details of UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026
Name of Post: Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026 [Including SSC Women (Non-Technical) Course]
No of Post: 451
Detailed of Vacancy:
- Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun – 162nd Course: 100 (includes 13 for NCC ‘C’ Certificate Army holders)
- Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala: 26 (includes 06 for NCC Naval & 01 for Hydro)
- Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad – 221 F(P) Course: 32 (includes 03 for NCC ‘C’ Certificate Air holders)
- Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), Chennai – SSC (Men) Course: 275
- Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), Chennai – SSC Women (NT) Course: 18
Qualification:
- For IMA and OTA Courses: A degree from a recognized university or equivalent.
- For Indian Naval Academy: A degree in Engineering from a recognized university/institution.
- For Air Force Academy: A degree from a recognized university (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or a Bachelor of Engineering.
- Candidates appearing in the final year/semester of their degree can also apply.
Age limit (as on 1st January 2027):
- Indian Military Academy (IMA): 19 to 24 years
- Indian Naval Academy (INA): 19 to 22 years
- Air Force Academy (AFA): 20 to 24 years
- Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) – Men: 19 to 25 years
- Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) – Women: 19 to 25 years
Mode of Selection: The recruitment process will consist of a Written Examination conducted by UPSC, followed by Intelligence and Personality Test (SSB Interview) and Medical Examination conducted by the Ministry of Defence.
Centres of Examination: The examination will be held at various centres across India as per UPSC’s list.
| Sl No | Centres | Sl No | Centres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agartala | 42 | Kochi |
| 2 | Agra | 43 | Kohima |
| 3 | Ajmer | 44 | Kolkata |
| 4 | Ahmedabad | 45 | Kozhikode (Calicut) |
| 5 | Aizawl | 46 | Leh |
| 6 | Aligarh | 47 | Lucknow |
| 7 | Almora (Uttarakhand) | 48 | Ludhiana |
| 8 | Anantpur (Andhra Pradesh) | 49 | Madurai |
| 9 | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar [Aurangabad (Maharashtra)] | 50 | Mandi |
| 10 | Bengaluru | 51 | Mumbai |
| 11 | Bareilly | 52 | Mysore |
| 12 | Bhopal | 53 | Nagpur |
| 13 | Bhubaneswar | 54 | Nashik |
| 14 | Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) | 55 | Navi Mumbai |
| 15 | Chandigarh | 56 | Panaji (Goa) |
| 16 | Chennai | 57 | Patna |
| 17 | Coimbatore | 58 | Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) |
| 18 | Cuttack | 59 | Prayagraj (Allahabad) |
| 19 | Dehradun | 60 | Puducherry |
| 20 | Delhi | 61 | Pune |
| 21 | Dharamshala | 62 | Raipur |
| 22 | Dharwad | 63 | Rajkot |
| 23 | Dispur | 64 | Ranchi |
| 24 | Faridabad | 65 | Sambalpur |
| 25 | Gangtok | 66 | Shillong |
| 26 | Gaya | 67 | Shimla |
| 27 | Gautam Buddh Nagar | 68 | Siliguri |
| 28 | Ghaziabad | 69 | Srinagar |
| 29 | Gorakhpur | 70 | Srinagar (Uttarakhand) |
| 30 | Gurugram | 71 | Surat |
| 31 | Gwalior | 72 | Thane |
| 32 | Hyderabad | 73 | Thiruvananthapuram |
| 33 | Imphal | 74 | Tiruchirapalli |
| 34 | Indore | 75 | Tirupati |
| 35 | Itanagar | 76 | Udaipur |
| 36 | Jabalpur | 77 | Varanasi |
| 37 | Jaipur | 78 | Vellore |
| 38 | Jammu | 79 | Vijayawada |
| 39 | Jodhpur | 80 | Visakhapatnam |
| 40 | Jorhat | 81 | Hanumakonda (Warangal Urban) |
| 41 | Kargil |
Application Fee:
Candidates (excepting Female/SC/ST candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay a fee of Rs. 200/- (Rupees Two Hundred Only) by using Visa/Master/Rupay Credit/Debit Card/UPI Payment or by using internet banking facility of any Bank.
Important Date for UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026:
- Opening date of submission of online application: 10.12.2025
- Last date of submission of online application: 30.12.2025 (up to 6:00 PM)
- Date of Examination: 12.04.2026
How to apply for UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026:
Interested candidates are required to apply online only through the official website: https://upsconline.nic.in before the last date, 30.12.2025. The application involves a four-module process including Account Creation, Universal Registration (generating a URN), Common Application Form (CAF), and the Examination-Specific module.
Job seekers can find the exact job by typing and prefixing Jobshints in front of the job title — Jobshints UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026 OR simply type and search Jobshints UPSC CDS on Google.
Job seekers are also suggested to visit the website — www.jobshints.com or type and search Jobshints Central Govt Jobs on Google for regular updates of various jobs.
Candidates are suggested to read the official advertisement from the link(s) given below:
- Advertisement for UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026: Click here
- Online Application: Apply here
- UPSC website: https://upsc.gov.in
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FAQs – UPSC CDS-I Recruitment 2026
1. What is the mode of application?
Ans: Online only at https://upsconline.nic.in.
2. When is the last date to apply online?
Ans: 30.12.2025 (up to 6:00 PM).
3. Who are eligible to apply?
Ans: Graduates or final-year students meeting specific age and educational criteria for each academy.
4. What is the total number of vacancies?
Ans: 451 vacancies (tentative).
5. When is the exam date?
Ans: The written examination is scheduled for 12th April 2026 (tentative).
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