CDS 1 2026 Exam Date Out: Check how to prepare and more
The Commission will conduct the CDS 1 exam on April 12, 2026 in offline mode across country. The application process was held between December 10 to 30, 2025. Read here to know more.
CDS 1 Exam Date 2026: Union Public Service Commission has announced the exam date for the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026. The Commission will conduct exam on April 12, 2026. The exam will be held in three shifts in a single day.
There is a total of 451 vacancies. The application dates were from December 10 to 30, 2025. CDS 2 application will commence from May 20, 2026. The last date to apply for CDS 2 exam is June 9, 2026. The CDS 2 exam will be held on September 13, 2026.
CDS Preparation Tips 2026
Commonly asked questions
The CDS 2026 exam dates were released by the authority. In the last month of the preparation, candidates should focus more on revision of all the important topics. Give test regulary. Revise and update yourself with current affairs. Maintain physical and mental health. Take proper sleep. Revise and practice previous year question papers. Also, focus on time management, etc.
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.
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 |
Just like any other exam for CDS 1 exam also students need to have a proper preparation strategy. The students should know about exam pattern and syllabus. Also it is advisable to solve previous year question papers and mock test to improve accuracy and speed. How long you need to prepare for exam depends on your speed. Once, you cover 70% of syllabus, you can move to mock test and crack this entrance exam in one years.
To prepare well you need time management and learn to complete paper in given time. You must follow a regular study routine, devote six to eight hours daily for preparation and take time for weekly revision.
Keep the fundamentals clear rather than just mugging up formulas, focus on important topics. According to CDS pattern, the written test is of 300 marks and OTA of 200 marks. SSB Interview for AFA, INA, and IMA is for 300 marks each. The question papers are both in English and Hindi. The duration of test is two hours for each section.
CDS Exam Pattern for IMA, INA and AFA include English, General Knowledge, and Elemantary Mathematics of 100 marks each for 2 hours duration. For OTA (Officers Training Academy), there are two papers English and General Knowledge of 100 marks each.
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