Combined defence services examination 2025: Everything you need to know before applying

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has invited applications for the Combined Defence Services (CDSE) Examination (I), 2025.  

CDSE (I), 2025 to be conducted by UPSC on 13^th April, 2025, is for admission to the following courses: (i) Indian Military Academy, Dehradun - 160^th (DE) Course commencing in January 2026 [including 13 vacancies reserved for NCC `C’ Certificate (Army Wing) holders] – 100 vacancies (ii) Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala - Course commencing in January, 2026 Executive Branch (General Service)/Hydro [including 06 vacancies for NCC ‘C’ Certificate (Naval Wing) holders] – 32 vacancies (iii) Air Force Academy, Hyderabad - (Pre-Flying) Training Course commencing in January, 2026 -No. 219 F(P) Course [including 03 vacancies reserved for NCC ‘C’ Certificate (Air Wing) holders through NCC Special Entry] – 32 vacancies (iv) Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) 123^rd SSC (Men) (NT) (UPSC) Course Commencing in April, 2026 - 275 vacancies (v) Officers Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) 37^th SSC Women (NT) (UPSC) Course commencing in April, 2026- 18 vacancies (Total 457 vacancies). Women candidates are being considered only for Short Service Commission at OTA. 

Educational Qualifications: (i) For I.M.A. and Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai — Degree of a recognised University or equivalent (ii) For Indian Naval Academy— Degree in Engineering from a recognised University/Institution (iii) For Air Force Academy—Degree of a recognised University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering.

Details related to Nationality, Age Limits, Sex and Marital Status are given in the Notification at http://upsc.gov.in (Examination > Active Examinations)

Physical Standards: Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2025 as per guidelines given in Appendix-IV of the Notification.

Scheme of Examination: The Competitive examination comprises: (a) Written examination (b) Interview for intelligence and personality test of such candidates as may be called for interview at one of the Services Selection Centres. 

For Admission to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy, the examination will have three papers- English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. For Admission to Officers’ Training Academy, the examination will have 2 papers- English and General Knowledge. The papers in all the subjects will consist of objective type questions only. There will be penalty (Negative Marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the Objective Type Question Papers. The question papers (Test Booklets) of General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics will be set bilingually in Hindi as well as English. Candidates are not permitted to use calculator for answering objective type papers (Test Booklets). They should not therefore, bring the same inside the Examination Hall. Details of the written examination, the time allowed and the maximum marks allotted to each subject are given in the notification. The standard of the papers in Elementary Mathematics will be of Matriculation level. The standard of papers in other subjects will approximately be such as may be expected of a graduate of an Indian University. Syllabus is given in the Notification. 

The SSB procedure consists of two stage Selection process - stage I and stage II. Only those candidates who clear the stage I are permitted to appear for stage II. The details are given in the Notification.

Application: Applications can be submitted online at https://upsconline.gov.in/ up to 6 pm on 31.12.2024. A candidate is required to specify clearly in respective column of the Online Application the Services for which he/she wishes to be considered in the order of his/her preference. Since women candidates are eligible for OTA only, they should give OTA as their first and only preference.

Application fee: Female/SC/ST candidates are exempted from payment of application fee. Others are required to pay a fee of Rs. 200/- either by remitting the money in any Branch of SBI by cash, or by using Visa/Master/Rupay Credit/Debit Card/UPI Payment or by using internet banking facility of any Bank. ‘Pay by Cash’ mode option will be deactivated at 11:59 pm on 30.12.2024. However, applicants who have generated their Pay-in slip before it is deactivated may pay at the counter of SBI Branch during banking hours on the closing date. Such applicants who are unable to pay by cash on the closing date, may pay online using Debit/Credit Card/UPI Payment or internet Banking Payment mode by 6 pm on 31.12.2024.

For details, visit http://upsc.gov.in