CDS 2 2025: UPSC releases admit cards, check syllabus & timings
New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the admit card for the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) II 2025. Candidates who registered for the exam can now download their hall tickets from the official website — upsc.gov.in
The e-admit card was issued on September 4, 2025. The CDS 2 exam will be conducted on September 14, 2025, in offline mode across designated centres. UPSC has clarified that no hard copy of the admit card will be sent by post, and candidates without it will not be allowed to enter the examination hall.
Details on the CDS 2 2025 admit card
The admit card carries essential information such as:
- Roll number and application number
- Candidate’s name and father’s name
- Photograph and signature
- Test centre details
- Category
- Date, time, and reporting schedule
- Exam day instructions
Candidates must carefully read the guidelines printed on the admit card and keep a printed copy for the exam as well as for future reference.
Steps to download the admit card:
- Visit upsc.gov.in
- Click on the link: ‘e-Admit Card Combined Defence Services II 2025’
- Read the instructions and proceed
- Log in using either Registration Number & Date of Birth, Roll Number & Date of Birth, or Name, Father’s Name & Date of Birth
- Download and print the admit card
CDS 2 2025 exam schedule
- English: 9 am – 11 am
- General Knowledge: 12.30 pm – 2.30 pm
- Elementary Mathematics: 4 pm – 6 pm
For IMA, INA, and AFA aspirants, all three papers (English, GK, Mathematics) are mandatory. OTA candidates will appear only for English and GK. Each paper carries 100 marks and will be objective in nature.
Marking scheme:
- Correct answer: +1 mark
- Wrong answer: –0.33 mark
- Unanswered: No penalty
Syllabus highlights
- English: Antonyms, synonyms, comprehension, sentence improvement, error spotting
- General Knowledge: Current affairs, defence, geography, history, polity, economics, science
- Mathematics: Arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mensuration, statistics
Exam day guidelines
- Admit card is compulsory for entry
- Candidates must reach the venue at least 10 minutes before gate closure
- Electronic gadgets, including calculators and mobile phones, are prohibited
- No candidate will be allowed to leave before the exam ends
- COVID-19 protocols like masking and distancing remain in place
- The admit card should be retained until the recruitment process concludes
Allowances for selected candidates
Successful candidates joining defence services through CDS 2 2025 will be entitled to benefits such as Flying Allowance, Dearness Allowance, HRA, Field Area Allowance, Kit Maintenance, High Altitude and Siachen Allowance, Uniform Allowance, free rations, transport, and children’s education allowance.
About the CDS exam
The UPSC conducts the Combined Defence Services Examination twice every year to recruit Commissioned Officers for the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. CDS II 2025 is the second session of the year, open to eligible graduates aspiring for a career in defence.
Candidates are advised to visit the official website regularly for updates, notices, and further instructions.