Is the CDS exam online or offline?

The CDS exam is conducted in two stages, the written exam and the SSB interview. The CDS exam is an offline exam conducted in pen paper-based format. The CDS marking scheme, negative marking, total marks, exam timing, and the paper pattern for the IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA are available on this page for the CDS exam.

What documents do I need to carry to the CDS exam centre?

Candidates need to carry the following documents to the CDS exam centre 1. CDS Admit Card 2. Photo ID Proof 3. Two passport size photographs

Can I choose any exam centre for the CDS exam?

No. The commission released the notification for the CDS 1 exam 2026 on Dec 10, 2025. Candidates can apply for the designated exam centres across India as mentioned in the notification. The list of exam centers has been mentioned in the notification. Exam centres are allotted on a first-apply-first-allot basis to the candidates. Also, some centres have a limited capacity and, once filled, are no longer available for selection.

Can a candidate apply for CDS 2026 offline?

No, candidates can't apply for the CDS 2026 exam offline. The authority will activate the CDS application link on the official website. It is important for a candidate to first complete the One-Time Registration (OTR) on the website of UPSC before proceeding with the CDS application form.

When was the CDS 1 2026 notification and application form released?

The Union Public Service Commission released the CDS 1 2026 notification on December 10, 2025. The CDS 1 application form 2026 was available from December 10 to December 30, 2025.

CDS Exam Centres 2026: Check CDS 1 State-Wise Exam Cities List

By Shikha Goyal, Assistant Manager

CDS Exam Centres 2026: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will release the CDS 1 2026 exam centres along with the CDS 1 notification on December 10, 2025. The written exam will be conducted in more than 70 cities spread throughout the country in two shifts. The application process dates will be from December 10 to 30, 2025. The CDS 1 exam will be conducted on April 12, 2026. Further, the CDS 2 exam willl be held on September 13, 2026

Candidates are required to enter their preferences for CDS exam centres 2026 while submitting the application form. Candidates can choose only one exam city at the time of filling up the CDS 1 application form. CDS exam centres are allotted to candidates on a first-apply-first-allot basis. The details regarding the exam cities are mentioned on the CDS admit card. Read below for more details on the exam centres of CDS 2026.

Table of contents

CDS Exam Centres 2026
CDS Exam Dates & Schedule 2026
Important Points Related to CDS Exam Centres 2026
CDS Notification 2026
CDS Exam Centre 2026 FAQs

CDS Exam Centres 2026

The exam cities for the CDS exam is provided below. Candidates who will appear for the exam can check below the exam centre list.

Agartala	Ghaziabad	Navi Mumbai
Agra	Gorakhpur	Panaji (Goa)
Ajmer	Gurgaon	Patna
Ahmedabad	Gwalior	Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair)
Aizawl	Hyderabad	Prayagraj (Allahabad)
Aligarh	Imphal	Puducherry
Almora (Uttarakhand)	Indore	Pune
Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh)	Itanagar	Raipur
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Aurangabad (Maharashtra)	Jabalpur	Rajkot
Bengaluru	Jaipur	Ranchi
Bareilly	Jammu	Sambalpur
Bhopal	Jodhpur	Shillong
Bilaspur (Chhatisgarh)	Jorhat	Shimla
Chandigarh	Kargil	Siligudi
Chennai	Kochi	Srinagar
Coimbatore	Kohima	Srinagar (Uttarakhand)
Cuttack	Kolkata	Thane
Dehradun	Kozhikode (Calicut)	Thiruvananthapuram
Delhi	Leh	Tiruchirappalli
Dharamshala	Lucknow	Tirupati
Dharwad	Ludhiana	Udaipur
Dispur	Madurai	Varanasi
Faridabad	Mandi	Vellore
Gangtok	Mumbai	Vijayavada
Gaya	Mysore	Vishakhapatnam
Gautam Buddh Nagar	Nagpur	Hanumakonda (Warangal Urban)

CDS Exam Dates & Schedule 2026

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of CDS 2026 exam

Dates	Past Exam Dates
13 Sep ' 26	CDS 2 Exam Date 2026
20 May ' 26	CDS 2 Notification 2026
20 May ' 26 - 09 Jun ' 26	CDS 2 Application Process 2026
View More Past Events (16)

Important Points Related to CDS Exam Centres 2026

A few important points related to CDS exam centres are given below:

Allotment of CDS exam centres is done on the first-apply-first-allot basis
Once the capacity of a particular CDS exam centre is attained, the same is frozen
In such a case, candidates are allotted to the next available centres
Candidates are advised to fill out the application form early to get their preferred CDS exam centres
There is a ceiling on the number of candidates allotted to each exam centre except Chennai, Delhi, Dispur, Kolkata, and Nagpur
The examination authority does not entertain any request for a change in CDS exam centres after the final submission of the CDS application form
Candidates are advised to choose the exam centres carefully
The details related to the CDS exam centre such as an address, centre code, venue, and time are mentioned on the CDS admit card

Read More:

CDS Notification 2026

The CDS 1 notification 2026 will be published on December 10. Candidates who will be interested in applying online are advised to go through the information bulletin carefully. The last date to apply is December 30.

CDS Exam Centre 2026 FAQs

Refer CDS Centre 2026 FAQs Here

Q: Will the UPSC notify candidates about the exact centre location for CDS exam?

Yes, the UPSC will release the CDS admit card a few days before the exam. The admit card will consist of the exact address and name of the exam centre.

Q: What are the prohibited items in the CDS exam centre?

There are some of the items that candidate can not take with themselves while giving the CDS examination. Such items are mobile phones, laptops, tablets, calculators, etc. That is electronic items are not allowed. If any of the candidate found with such items in the exam centre then he or she will not be allowed to sit in the exam.

Q: What were the exam dates for CDS 2025 exam?

The CDS 2 2025 application and notification was released on May 28, 2025. The application window was opened till June 20, 2025. The exam was conducted on September 14, 2025. On the other hand, the CDS 1 2025 application form and the notification was released on December 11, 2024 and the last date to apply was January 1, 2025. The CDS 1 exam was conducted on April 13, 2025.