The CDS (Combined Defence Services) Exam is a national-level exam conducted by UPSC twice a year. Here we have detailed information about the CDS 1 2026 Notification and Admit Card. As per the latest UPSC calendar 2025 CDS Exam is going to be held on 12th April 2026. All the eligible graduates are suggested to join Target Defence Academy for their best preparation. Many students applied for the CDS exam, and now they are waiting for the CDS admit card. UPSC has released the CDS 1 2026 Admit Card on its official website in the first week of April 2026. Aspirants can download the CDS Admit Card 2026 from the link given below.
CDS Admit Card 2026
Overview:
CDS Exam is conducted to recruit officers in the Indian armed forces through the IMA, IFA, INA, and OTA. UPSC has released the admit card of CDS 1 2026 in the first week of April 2026. All the aspirants waiting for their CDS admit card 2025 and the written exam are advised to prepare accordingly. TDA Campus is the best institute for their written and SSB Classes. Detailed information on CDS Exam 2026 is given below:
All about the CDS Exam:
| Conducting Organization | UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) |
| Exam Name | CDS (Combined Defence Services) |
| Exam Level | National Level |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Frequency | Twice in a Year (April & September) |
| Exam Phases | Written Test & SSB Interview |
| Type of Questions | Objective Type |
| Language of Question Paper | Hindi and English |
| Total Marks | IMA, INA and AFA – 300 OTA – 200 |
| Time | Two hours for each section of the test |
| Official website | www.upsc.gov.in |
Important Dates for CDS 1 2026:
| Events | CDS 1 2026 |
| Notification Date | 10 Dec 2025 |
| Online Application Start Date | 10 Dec 2025 |
| Application End Date | 30 Dec 2025 |
| Admit Card Release Date | First week of April 2026 (Expected) |
| Exam Date | 12 April, 2026 |
| Result Date | To be Notified |
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| 5 Days SSB Interview Procedure | NDA 1 2026 Admit Card Release Date |
Steps to Download CDS Admit Card 2026:
Step 1: Visit the official website upsc.gov.in to download the CDS admit card.
Step 2: Click on the Link (E-Admit card Combined Defence Services Exam) on the Homepage.
Step 3: Log in with your Roll Number or Registration Number and Date of birth.
Step 4: Your admit card will be visible on your screen, then click on the Download button to download your Admit card and the Print button to print your Admit card.
Documents Required Along With CDS Admit Card 2026
Candidates need to carry the following documents while appearing for the exam:
- Photo-identity proof (Passport, Driving License, Voter ID, Aadhar card, College/School ID card)
- Printout of CDS admit card
- Three to four passport-sized photographs
CDS Exam Centre 2026
Candidates for the CDS exam can check the venue on the CDS admit card. Here, we’ve mentioned the Exam cities where the CDS 1 2026 Exam will be held.
| Agartala | Agra | Ajmer |
| Ahmedabad | Aizawl | Aligarh |
| Almora (Uttarakhand) | Anantpur (Andhra Pradesh) | Aurangabad (Maharashtra) |
| Bengaluru | Bareilly | Bhopal |
| Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) | Chandigarh | Chennai |
| Coimbatore | Cuttack | Dehradun |
| Delhi | Dharamshala | Dharwad |
| Dispur | Faridabad | Gangtok |
| Gaya | Gautam Buddh Nagar | Ghaziabad |
| Gorakhpur | Gurgaon | Gwalior |
| Hyderabad | Imphal | Indore |
| Itanagar | Jabalpur | Jaipur |
| Jammu | Jodhpur | Jorhat |
| Kargil | Kochi | Kohima |
| Kolkata | Kozhikode | Leh |
| Lucknow | Ludhiana | Madurai |
| Mandi | Mumbai | Mysore |
| Nagpur | Navi Mumbai | Panaji (Goa) |
| Patna | Port Blair | Prayagraj (Allahabad) |
| Puducherry | Pune | Raipur |
| Rajkot | Ranchi | Sambalpur |
| Shillong | Shimla | Siligudi |
| Srinagar | Srinagar (Uttarakhand) | Thane |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Tiruchirapalli | Tirupati |
| Udaipur | Varanasi | Vellore |
| Vijayawada | Vishakhapatnam | Hanumakonda (Warangal Urban) |
Important Full Forms:
CDS: Combined Defence Services
IMA: Indian Military Academy
INA: India Naval Academy
IFA: Indian Airforce Academy
OTA: Officers Training Academy
UPSC: Union Public Service Commission