CDS Eligibility for Every Academy

CDS eligibility by academy

The table below is the quickest way to see where you fit. Age is counted against the date the course begins, so UPSC prints exact birth date windows in every notification.

For the second sitting of the year the latest windows were, for example, births between 2 July 2003 and 1 July 2008 for IMA and INA, and between 2 July 2002 and 1 July 2008 for OTA. The first sitting shifts every window by six months.

Qualification rules in detail

Upsc cds eligibility for qualification is simpler than it looks:

• For IMA and OTA, any graduation recognised in India, or an equivalent qualification, is enough.
• INA asks for an engineering degree from a recognised university or institution.
• AFA accepts any degree if you studied physics and mathematics at 10+2 level, or a bachelor of engineering.
• Final year students can apply, but they must produce proof of passing by the date the notification fixes, which is linked to the SSB or the course start.
• Candidates with a pending backlog paper at the time of applying are not treated as final year students in the latest rules.

Nationality, attempts and marital status

You must be a citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee who came before 1 January 1962 to settle permanently, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from specified countries to settle in India. Non citizens other than Gorkha subjects of Nepal need a certificate of eligibility from the government.

The notification sets no separate cap on attempts; your age band is the real limit, and since the exam is held twice a year a graduate who starts at 19 can sit several times. Marriage is the rule people miss. Candidates must be unmarried, must not marry until training is complete, and a candidate who marries after applying is not taken in even if selected.

CDS physical eligibility

The medical board checks you only after the SSB recommends you, but it is worth knowing the minimums early.

Weight must match your height and age. Some hill and north eastern communities get lower height limits. AFA has the strictest eyesight rule, with limits on uncorrected vision and on spectacle power, and flying branch candidates also face leg and sitting height checks.

Eligibility for CDS exam if you are a woman

In the latest notification women can apply through the OTA short service commission non technical entry and must choose OTA as their only preference. They write English and General Knowledge, then face the same SSB. Women pay no application fee. Rules for women's entry into other academies have been discussed publicly, so read the current notification carefully rather than relying on what was true for an older batch.

Documents to keep ready

UPSC asks for proof only at specified stages, yet you will save stress by organising these now:

• Class 10 certificate or mark sheet showing your date of birth, which UPSC accepts as the age proof
• Degree certificate or provisional certificate, or final year marks with proof of passing later
• A valid photo ID, the same one you entered in the application
• Recent photographs matching UPSC's specification
• For AFA, class 12 mark sheet showing physics and maths, and a DGCA licence if you claim the higher age
• For widows or divorcees applying to OTA, the relevant death certificate or divorce decree

From eligibility to preparation

Once you know your entry, the papers follow. IMA, INA and AFA candidates write three papers, OTA candidates two. The topic lists and marking rules are on our CDS syllabus page, while those writing only English and GK can follow our separate guide to the CDS OTA syllabus.

Not yet a graduate? Compare the rules on the NDA eligibility page, or use our eligibility checker to match your age and degree against other defence and police exams.