CDS Cut Off 2025: Expected Cutoff Marks for CDS Exam
Combined Defence Services Exam 2025 ( CDS )
Registration - 10 Dec '25 - 30 Dec '25
CDS Cutoff 2025: The authority will release the CDS 2 cut-off marks along with the final result. The selection of the candidates depends upon the UPSC CDS 2 cut-off, which gives an idea about the competition of an exam and the difficulty level. Various factors affect the cutoff, including the difficulty of the question paper, trends, etc. The cutoff marks for the CDS 2 2025 will be provided here once it is released. However, the candidates can check the expected cut-off marks for the CDS exam below. The candidates will be able to check their secured marks by comparing their responses against the questions asked in the exam with the CDS answer key. We have provided CDS's previous year cut-off also. These previous years' cut offs will also help candidates who are preparing for CDS exam. Find all about it in the information given below.
- CDS Cut off 2025
- CDS Exam Dates & Schedule
- CDS 2 2025 Expected Cut Off
- How to Check CDS Cut Off & Factors Determining it
- CDS Minimum Qualifying Marks
- CDS Cut off 2025 for SSB Interview
- CDS 1 Cut off 2025 for Final Selection
- Previous Years’ CDS Cut off Marks
- CDS Cut Off FAQs 2025
CDS Cut off 2025
UPSC releases CDS cut-off for the written exam and final selection after the completion of the recruitment process. CDS cutoff for the written exam is calculated based on the minimum qualifying marks in each subject and the minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate. The final CDS cutoff is decided based on the marks of the last recommended candidate. The minimum qualifying for each subject is 20 percent. Candidates need to secure separate qualifying marks in the written exam and SSB Interview. Based on the CDS cutoff, candidates are selected for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). Candidates are required to secure the cut-off marks separately in the written exam and SSB interview to be considered for final selection.
CDS Cut off for Written Exam
The cut off for the written exam is the minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidates. The written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA comprises English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics sections. The test paper for admission to OTA comprises two sections, English and General Knowledge. Total marks of the test for IMA, INA and AFA are 300 while it is 200 for OTA. Candidates are also required to secure the minimum qualifying marks in each subject, which is 20 per cent. UPSC prepares a list of candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written exam. Candidates who are declared successful in the written exam are called for intelligence and personality tests.
Related Links:
Commonly asked questions
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducted the CDS 2 exam 2025 on September 14, 2025, at various centres across the country. The CDS 2 2025 result was released on the official website. Candidates who appeared for the CDS 2 exam in 2025 can check their result. It was released in the PDF format containing the roll numbers of qualified candidates, which can be downloaded from the official website. The CDS result declaration process occurs in two stages: first, the written examination results will be released, followed by the final results, which include the SSB Interview.
Candidates can check the cut off marks for the CDS exam by visiting the official website at upsc.gov.in. The UPSC will release the cutoff according to the academy or course.
CDS Exam Dates & Schedule
Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of CDS 2025 exam
| Dates | Past Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| 09 Oct ' 25 | CDS 2 2025 Result |
| 28 Apr ' 25 | CDS 1 Result 2025 Released |
| 20 Sep ' 24 | CDS 2 Result 2024 |
CDS 2 2025 Expected Cut Off
After taking into consideration the topics asked, etc. we have provided the CDS 2 expected cut-off. It is disclosed to the students so that they can analyse their performance. The number of CDS 2 vacancy and the difficulty level of the exam plays an important role in deciding the expected cut-off. Candidates can check here:
| Academy | Ecpected Cut Off Written Exam |
|---|---|
| IMA (Indian Military Academy) |
130-120 |
| INA (Indian Naval Academy) |
105-120 |
| AFA (Air Force Academy) |
145-150 |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) men / women |
73-85 |
Commonly asked questions
The steps to check the CDS cut off marks is provided below:
- Visit at upsc.gov.in
- Click on the :Examination" tab
- Go to the "Cut Off Marks" dropdown menu.
- Click on the download link and save it for future reference
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducted the CDS 2 exam 2025 on September 14, 2025, at various centres across the country. The CDS 2 2025 result was released on the official website. Candidates who appeared for the CDS 2 exam in 2025 can check their result. It was released in the PDF format containing the roll numbers of qualified candidates, which can be downloaded from the official website. The CDS result declaration process occurs in two stages: first, the written examination results will be released, followed by the final results, which include the SSB Interview.
How to Check CDS Cut Off & Factors Determining it
CDS cut-off will be released online at upsc.nic.in. The methods to check the cut-off of CDS exam are given below:
- Visit the official website
- Go to the cutoff section from the 'Examination' tab
- Click the relevant link
- The course-wise CDS cut-off marks are displayed on the screen in PDF format
- Download the same and save the file
Factors Determining CDS Cut Off Marks
The cut off marks of CDS exam are determined based on the following factors:
- Number of vacancies
- Total number of appeared candidates
- The Difficulty level of the exam
Commonly asked questions
Yes, the examination authority will release the CDS Question Papers 2026 officially at upsc.gov.in. The question papers will be released in the form of PDF. Candidates can download the CDS question papers 2026 from this page also for free. The question papers will help candidates to check the difficulty level of the exam, questions asked, pattern changed or not, etc.
The authority (UPSC) will release the CDS answer key for the written examination on the official website.
CDS Minimum Qualifying Marks
The candidates must check the last years' question papers to get a rough idea of the difficulty level of the paper. The minimum qualifying marks for the CDS 2 exam are given here:
| Course | Written Result |
|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | |
| IMA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
| INA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
| AFA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
| OTA (Men) |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
| OTA (Women) |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
Commonly asked questions
As per the students' feedback, the overall difficulty level and good attempts of CDS 1 2025 exam are mentioned below:
| Exam paper | Overall Difficulty Level | Good attempts |
| English | Moderate | 87-93 |
| GK | Moderate | 85 to 90 |
| Maths | Moderate | 70-80 |
Yes, the English section of the CDS exam is scorable if it is prepared properly. Usually the difficulty level of the exam is moderate.
CDS Cut off 2025 for SSB Interview
SSB Interview is conducted for the qualified candidates of the written exam. The SSB Interview follows the two-stage selection process. Stage 1 comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT). Stage 2 comprises Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference. To qualify SSB Interview, candidates need to secure the minimum qualifying marks. The CDS cut-off for SSB Interview is decided out of 300 marks for IMA, INA, and AFA and 200 marks for OTA.
Commonly asked questions
The syllabus of Mathematics consists of Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, and Statistics.
General Knowledge section test awareness of current events and general knowledge of the candidates. Important topics include history of India, Geography, Current Affairs, Indian Polity, Economy, Science and Technology, Defence news, etc.
CDS 1 Cut off 2025 for Final Selection
The cutoff for final selection is decided based on the written exam and SSB Interview. CDS final cut-off is the marks secured by the last recommended candidates. Based on the final cutoff, candidates are selected for admission to the different courses.
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Commonly asked questions
CDS full form is the Combined Defence Services Examination. While some people also refer CDS full form as Chief of Defence Staff, this rank is given to the head of the Indian Armed Forces. It is conducted twice a year in April and September. It is a national-level exam conducted to recruit candidates for officer posts. The selection process comprises written exam and SSB interview. The minimum educational qualification needed to appear for CDS exam is graduation from a recognised Indian university.
It is important for a candidate to clear basics and concepts. Questions asked in this section are of Class 10 standard. Candidates can check below CDS Maths books that will help in the preparation:
- Mathematics for CDS by RS Aggarwal
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Aggarwal
- Pathfinder for CDS by Arihant Publications
Previous Years’ CDS Cut off Marks
Candidates can check below for 2024.
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| IMA (Indian Military Academy) |
120 – 130 |
245 – 255 |
| INA (Indian Naval Academy) |
105 – 120 |
233 – 245 |
| AFA (Air Force Academy) |
145 – 150 |
268 – 270 |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) men |
73 – 85 |
162 – 170 |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) women |
74 – 85 |
164 – 170 |
The candidates can check the CDS 2 2022 cut off below in the table:
|
Name of the Academy |
Written Result |
Final Result |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject |
Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate |
Marks of last recommended candidate |
|
| IMA |
20 per cent |
126 marks |
249 |
| INA |
118 marks |
248 |
|
| AFA |
136 marks |
258 |
|
| OTA (Men) |
98 marks |
180 |
|
| OTA (Women) |
98 marks |
179 |
|
Candidates can check below CDS previous years' cut off for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
CDS 2 Cut off 2021
| Course | Written Result | Final Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | Minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
138 marks (i.e. 46 per cent) |
263 |
| INA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
132 marks (i.e. 44 per cent) |
256 |
| AFA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
148 marks (i.e. 49.33 per cent) |
270 |
| OTA (Men) |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
102 marks (i.e. 51 per cent) |
183 |
| OTA (Women) |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
102 marks (i.e. 51 per cent) |
184 |
CDS 1 2021 Cutoff
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA |
145 |
268 |
| INA |
136 |
260 |
| AFA |
158 |
281 |
| OTA (Men) |
107 |
189 |
| OTA(Women) |
107 |
191 |
CDS (I) 2020 Official Cutoff
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate* |
Marks of last recommended candidate |
| IMA |
130 |
250 |
| INA |
118 |
242 |
| AFA |
143 |
274 |
| OTA (Men) |
93 |
173 |
| OTA(Women) |
93 |
177 |
*Subject to a minimum of 20 per cent marks in each paper
Download here CDS (II) 2020 Official Cutoff
CDS 2 2019 Official Cut off
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each subject |
Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate |
Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 134 marks (i.e. 44.67 per cent) | 258 |
| INA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 122 marks (i.e. 40.67 per cent) | 245 |
| AFA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 148 marks (i.e. 49.33 per cent) | 272 |
| OTA (Men) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 95 marks (i.e. 47.5 per cent) | 176 |
| OTA(Women) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 95 marks (i.e. 47.5 per cent) | 179 |
CDS 1 2019 Official Cut off
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 116 | 242 |
| INA | 105 | 233 |
| AFA | 129 | 264 |
| OTA (Men) | 78 | 160 |
| OTA(Women) | 78 | 162 |
CDS 1 cut off 2018
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| IMA |
118 |
240 |
| INA |
98 |
225 |
| AFA |
138 |
279 |
| OTA(Men) |
69 |
154 |
| OTA(Women) |
69 |
150 |
*Subject to a minimum of 20 per cent marks in each paper.
CDS 2 Cut off 2018
| Marks of last qualified candidate | Written Result | Final Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | Minimum aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
116 marks (i.e. 38.67 per cent) |
242 |
| INA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
102 marks (i.e. 34 per cent) |
228 |
| AFA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
131 marks (i.e. 43.67 per cent) |
253 |
| OTA (Men) |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
80 marks (i.e. 40 per cent) |
162 |
| OTA (Women) |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
80 marks (i.e. 40 per cent) |
163 |
CDS 1 Cut off 2017
| Academy |
Written Exam |
Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| IMA |
125 |
249 |
| INA |
118 |
241 |
| AFA |
144 |
268 |
| OTA (Men) |
82 |
163 |
| OTA (Women) |
82 |
164 |
CDS 2 Cut off 2017
| Marks of last qualified candidates | Written Result | Final Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | Minimum aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
120 marks (i.e. 40 per cent) |
244 |
| INA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
111 marks (i.e. 37 per cent) |
237 |
| AFA |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
135 marks (i.e. 45 per cent) |
260 |
| OTA (Men) |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
86 marks (i.e. 43 per cent) |
167 |
| OTA (Women) |
20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
86 marks (i.e. 43 per cent) |
171 |
CDS 1 Cut off 2016
| Academy |
Written Exam |
Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate |
Marks of last recommended candidate |
|
| IMA |
72 |
214 |
| INA |
63 |
217 |
| AFA |
123 |
249 |
| OTA (Men) |
68 |
150 |
| OTA (Women) |
68 |
157 |
CDS 2 Cut off 2016
| Marks of last qualified candidate | Written Result | FinalResult | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | Minimum aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | ||||
| IMA |
20 |
marks |
(i.e. |
20 per cent) |
105 marks (i.e. 35 per cent) |
227 |
| INA |
20 |
marks |
(i.e. |
20 per cent) |
90 marks (i.e. 30 per cent) |
225 |
| AFA |
20 |
marks |
(i.e. |
20 per cent) |
135 marks (i.e. 45 per cent) |
258 |
| OTA (Men) |
20 |
marks |
(i.e. |
20 per cent) |
72 marks (i.e. 36 per cent) |
157 |
| OTA (Women) |
20 |
marks |
(i.e. |
20 per cent) |
72 marks (i.e. 36 per cent) |
159 |
Other Defence Exam Cutoffs:
| NDA Cutoff | AFCAT Cutoff |
CDS Cut Off FAQs 2025
Commonly asked questions
Candidates can download the UPSC CDS 2026 recommended marks by following the steps given below:
- Go to the official website
- Click on the CDS 2026 recommended marks link
- Click on the PDF link
- The recommended marks PDF will appear on the screen
- Download it and save it for later use
Yes. In the CDS exam there is a negative marking. One-third mark will be deducted for an incorrect answer. No mark will be deducted for unanswered questions.
CDS Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 weeks ago
Here are the list of some of the books which can help candidates in their preparation.
- High School English Grammar & Composition Edition by Wren and Martin
- Objective General English by SP Bakshi
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- English Grammar & Composition by S.C Gupta
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
The authority released a total of 453 vacancies for the CDS 2 exam 2025 for admission to the Indian Air Force, Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy for courses.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
It is recommended to the candidates to reach the CDS exam centre at least one hour prior to the reporting time. The CDS exam centre allotment is done on a first-apply-first-allot basis.
C
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, the English section of the CDS exam is scorable if it is prepared properly. Usually the difficulty level of the exam is moderate.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
Candidates can check the cut off marks for the CDS exam by visiting the official website at upsc.gov.in. The UPSC will release the cutoff according to the academy or course.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
The steps to check the CDS cut off marks is provided below:
- Visit at upsc.gov.in
- Click on the :Examination" tab
- Go to the "Cut Off Marks" dropdown menu.
- Click on the download link and save it for future reference
I
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Yes. In the CDS exam there is a negative marking. One-third mark will be deducted for an incorrect answer. No mark will be deducted for unanswered questions.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The CDS exam is conducted in an offline mode that is in a pen-paper mode. The exam consists of objective type questions and need to mark their answers in an OMR sheet.
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, the CDS 2 application last date to apply was extended to June 20 from June 17, 2025. A one-time extension was provided by the commission. The application correction window was opened from July 7 to July 9, 2025.
S
Contributor-Level 6
UGC NET 2025 Dec Application 7 Oct '25 - 7 Nov '25
What are the best books for the English subject for CDS preparation?