Candidates who are aspiring to join the Indian Armed Forces through the National Defence Academy (NDA) or Combined Defence Services (CDS) can now apply from May 20, 2026 as the UPSC released NDA 2 & CDS 2 Recruitment 2026 Notification. The application link for both NDA II and CDS II is now activated and will remain active till June 9, 2026, by 6 PM. Following the application process, UPSC will conduct the NDA II and CDS II examinations on September 13, 2026.
The candidates’ selection for UPSC NDA II and CDS II admissions 2026 will be purely based on the written examination, SSB interview, medical test, and final merit list. Only the candidates who submit the NDA II & CDS II application form properly will participate in the selection exam. Further details related to UPSC NDA 2 & CDS 2 Recruitment 2026, such as eligibility, pay scale, and other selection processes, can be checked from the following sections.
Official UPSC Notification PDF 2026 Direct Link for NDA II & CDS II
The official notification PDF is now available for the NDA 2 and CDS 2 exams on the UPSC official website. The separate link to get the PDF is now available here. You can just click on the link below and check whether you are eligible or not for one of the exams from NDA 2 and CDS 2. These are prestigious and reputed jobs for candidates who want to serve their duty to the nation. So, check every detail carefully and then visit the official website for application submission.
Overview of UPSC NDA II & CDS II Notification 2026
For your convenience, we have provided you with an overview of this UPSC Notification 2026 released for NDA 2 and CDS 2 examinations. The following details are crucial; carefully check them.
| Particulars | NDA 2 2026 | CDS 2 2026 |
| Authority | UPSC | UPSC |
| Notification Release Date | 20 May 2026 | 20 May 2026 |
| Application Start Date | 20 May 2026 | 20 May 2026 |
| Mode of submission | Online | Online |
| Last Date to Apply | 09 June 2026 by 6 PM | 09 June 2026 by 6 PM |
| Exam Date | 13 September 2026 | 13 September 2026 |
| Mode of Exam | Offline | Offline |
| Official Website | www.upsc.gov.in | www.upsc.gov.in |
How to Apply for UPSC NDA 2 & CDS 2 Examination 2026?
To participate in these reputed NDA 2 and CDS 2 examinations, you have to complete your registration by following the steps below and then submit the application form with complete eligibility proving documents. Check out the steps below for a smooth experience:
- Go to the official UPSC website, i.e., www.upsc.gov.in.
- Find out the link available for “NDA 2 & CDS 2 Recruitment” and click.
- Complete your registration process, if not already done.
- Provide personal details and a valid mobile number and email ID to complete the OTR process.
- After that, the registration number and password will be sent to your registered email address.
- Use these credentials to log in and proceed further with the “Common Application Form”.
- Read the instructions and fill out the application form with all required details and documents.
- Upload the valid documents, scanned copies, signature and recent photograph.
- Now click on the submit, and a payment window will open.
- Pay the application fee as prescribed by UPSC in the official notification.
- After that, click on the final submit option and wait for the confirmation page.
- Download and take a printout of the confirmation page for further use.
Required Documents for UPSC NDA 2 and CDS 2 Application 2026
The following documents are crucial and must be provided by candidates at the time of online registration. You will have to upload these documents in scanned format and also keep them safe, as you have to provide them in original form at the time of the document verification process.
- Class 10 Marksheet/ Certificate
- Class 12 Marksheet/ Certificate
- Passport Size Photograph
- Candidate’s Signature
- Graduation Certificate (for CDS)
- Category Certificate
- Aadhar Card/ Number
- Valid Mobile Number and Email ID (for official use only).
UPSC NDA II & CDS II Recruitment 2026 Eligibility Details
Eligibility is the most important part of every recruitment. It becomes a candidate eligible for the available recruitment. If you are here and waiting to know your eligibility for UPSC NDA 2 & CDS 2 recruitment 2026, then check out the table below, which includes the educational details, age limits, application fee, and selection process.
UPSC NDA 2 2026 Eligibility Criteria
The table below shows you the detailed eligibility criteria for UPSC NDA 2 Recruitment 2026 as prescribed in the official notification.
| Eligibility Parameter | Details |
| Gender | Unmarried Male & Female candidates |
| Marital Status | Must remain unmarried during training |
| Nationality | Candidate must be: • Citizen of India OR • Subject of Nepal/Bhutan OR • Tibetan refugee who came before 1 Jan 1962, intending permanent settlement OR • Person of Indian origin migrated from specified countries for permanent settlement in India |
| Age Limit | Candidate must be born not earlier than 01 January 2008 and not later than 01 January 2011 |
| Educational Qualification – Army Wing | Passed/appearing Class 12 (10+2 pattern) from recognized board |
| Educational Qualification – Air Force, Navy & Naval Academy | Passed/appearing Class 12 with Physics & Mathematics |
| Candidates Appearing in 12th | Eligible to apply |
| Physical Standards | Must satisfy prescribed physical and medical standards by the Services Selection Board (SSB) |
| Tattoos | Permanent tattoos are allowed only on the inner forearm/hand, as per the rules |
| Height & Medical | As per the defence medical standards |
UPSC CDS 2 2026 Eligibility Criteria
To apply for UPSC CDS 2 Recruitment 2026, you need to check the following criteria and check whether you can apply or not for the vacancies.
| Eligibility Parameter | IMA | INA | AFA | OTA (Men) | OTA (Women) |
| Full Form | Indian Military Academy | Indian Naval Academy | Air Force Academy | Officers Training Academy | Officers Training Academy |
| Educational Qualification | A graduation in any discipline | Engineering Degree | Graduation with Physics & Maths at 10+2 OR an Engineering Degree | A graduation in any discipline | A graduation in any discipline |
| Gender | Male | Male | Male | Male | Female |
| Marital Status | Unmarried | Unmarried | Below 25 yrs unmarried; married allowed above 25 in some cases | Unmarried | Unmarried / Issueless Widow / Issueless Divorcee |
| Age Limit | 19–24 yrs | 19–24 yrs | 20–24 yrs | 19–25 yrs | 19–25 yrs |
| DOB Range | 01 Jul 2003 – 01 Jul 2008 | 01 Jul 2003 – 01 Jul 2008 | 01 Jul 2003 – 01 Jul 2007 | 01 Jul 2002 – 01 Jul 2008 | 01 Jul 2002 – 01 Jul 2008 |
Vacancies of UPSC NDA II & CDS II 2026 Exams
As mentioned in the official notification, the complete vacancy distributions of UPSC NDA 2 and CDS 2 2026 are mentioned in the following tables. As stated in the official notification, the number of vacancies provided below for NDA 2 and CDS 2 is tentative and may be changed by the organising authority at any stage of the selection process. So, keep visiting the official UPSC website for the latest updates.
For UPSC NDA II 2026 Vacancy
The approximate UPSC NDA 2 2026 Vacancies to be filled based on the result are mentioned in the table below. These may be subject to change at any stage of the selection process by the authority.
| Wing/Academy | Male | Female | Total |
| Army | 198 | 10 | 208 |
| Navy | 37 | 5 | 42 |
| Air Force – Flying | 90 | 2 | 92 |
| Air Force – Ground Duty (Tech) | 16 | 2 | 18 |
| Air Force – Ground Duty (Non-Tech) | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry) | 21 | 3 | 24 |
| Total | 370 | 24 | 394 |
For UPSC CDS II 2026 Vacancy
The total number of CDS II 2026 vacancies to be filled based on the results is mentioned in the table below. These are tentative and may be changed at any stage of the selection process.
| Academy | Vacancies |
| Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun | 100 |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala | 26 |
| Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad | 32 |
| Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai (Men) | 276 |
| Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai (Women) | 17 |
| Total | 451 |
UPSC NDA 2 & CDS 2 2026 Application Fee
To appear in the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy examination II 2026 or to appear in the Combined Defence Services Examination II 2026, candidates are required to pay the application fee as mentioned in the table below.
| Category | NDA II 2026 Application Fee | CDS II 2026 Application Fee |
| General | Rs 100/- | Rs 200/- |
| OBC | Rs 100/- | Rs 200/- |
| ST | Exempted | Exempted |
| SC | Exempted | Exempted |
| Female (All Category) | Exempted | Exempted |
NOTE: Candidates can either use the net banking of any bank or use a Visa/ Master/ RuPay Credit/ Debit Card/ UPI to make the payment.
NDA II & CDS II 2026 Selection Process
The selection of eligible candidates will be based on written examination, SSB interview, Medical Test, and final merit list. All the stages are mandatory to qualify, and if candidates fail in any of the selection stages, they will be eliminated from this recruitment process. So carefully prepare for the examination according to the given syllabus and exam pattern.
Conclusion
The online application portal for registration and filling out the application form online for UPSC NDA II & CDS II 2026 is now activated. The application form can be filled by any candidate between the prescribed dates, i.e. May 20, 2026 and June 9, 2026, by 6 PM.
If you are a first-time user on the UPSC website, then you need to generate a URN (Universal Registration Number), which is common for all the examinations of the commission. Check the eligibility details before submitting the application form, and note that the Aadhar card remains a must-have document for any verification and authentication at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can submit the application form to appear in the UPSC NDA 2 & CDS 2 Exam 2026 from May 20, 2026.
The last date to apply for NDA II and CDS II recruitment will be June 9, 2026, by 6 PM.
Yes, if you have the required eligibility as described for the specific exam in their official notification, you are eligible to submit an application form.
Candidates must pass their Class 12 examination from a recognised board. Class 12 appearing candidates are also eligible.
Only candidates with a graduation degree can apply for the vacancy.
For NDA, candidates need to pay Rs 100/-, while for CDS II, you need to pay Rs 200/-. Other reserved categories (SC & ST) and female candidates are exempt from paying any application fee.
