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[UPSC] Civil Services Examination 2026 Notification Released — 1,056 Vacancies [SSC] CGL 2026 Online Applications Open — 7,500+ Group B & C Posts [RRB] Railway NTPC Centralized Notice Published (CEN 05/2026) — 11,558 Vacancies [IBPS] Probationary Officers (CRP PO/MT-XVI) — 3,955 Bank Officer Posts [IAF] Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT 02/2026) Officer Entry Open
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Conducting Body: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Frequency: Biannual

Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) Intelligence Hub 2026

UPSC CDS is conducted twice a year for admission to Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA).

Educational Eligibility

Degree of a recognized University (Engineering Degree required for INA/AFA).

⏳ Age Limits & Relaxations

19 to 24 years (IMA/INA/AFA), 19 to 25 years (OTA).

Selection Stages & Phases

Written Examination (Offline) -> SSB Interview (5-Day Testing) -> Document Verification & Medical Examination.

Candidates can access verified syllabus weightages and mock blueprints on the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) Portal.

Official Examination Scheme & Test Structure

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Subject / Test Section No. of Questions Maximum Marks Duration Negative Marking
English 120 Questions 100 Marks 120 Mins 0.33 marks
General Knowledge 120 Questions 100 Marks 120 Mins 0.33 marks
Elementary Mathematics 100 Questions 100 Marks 120 Mins 0.33 marks

Section-Wise Syllabus Breakdown & Topic Weightage

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Subject Area Topic Name Weightage Difficulty Tier
GK Defence & Current Events 35.0% Moderate
Math Geometry & Trigonometry 35.0% Moderate

Previous Year Cutoff Benchmarks & Trends

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Year Category Cutoff Marks Total Marks Qualifying Benchmark
2025 136.00 300.00 Verified Official
2025 128.00 300.00 Verified Official
2025 148.00 300.00 Verified Official
2025 102.00 200.00 Verified Official
2025 102.00 200.00 Verified Official
2025 136.00 300.00 Verified Official
2025 128.00 300.00 Verified Official
2025 148.00 300.00 Verified Official
2025 102.00 200.00 Verified Official
2025 102.00 200.00 Verified Official

Recommended Preparation Roadmap & High-Yield Strategy

Maintain consistent daily physical fitness alongside conceptual mastery of Elementary Mathematics and General Knowledge.
🎯 National Test Benchmarking & Cutoffs: To compare category-wise qualifying thresholds and multi-year cutoff trends, candidates can refer to the Government Job Recruitment analytical database.