Defence Exam Notifications 2026
A consolidated tracker of every officer-entry examination an Indian defence aspirant should know about — NDA, CDS/OTA, AFCAT, CAPF AC, Territorial Army, Coast Guard AC, TES and ACC. We track application windows, exam dates, vacancies, eligibility and selection stages — and link directly to The Cavalier's study material, current affairs, PYQs and coaching programmes for each exam. Bookmark this page; we update it whenever UPSC, IAF or the Indian Army release a new notification.
NDA — National Defence Academy
Conducted by UPSC twice a year. Class 12 students aiming to commission as officers in the Army, Navy or Air Force directly after school enter through NDA. The 2026 cycle has two rounds — NDA 1 (April) and NDA 2 (September).
UPSC will release the official NDA 2 2026 notification on 20 May 2026 at upsc.gov.in and upsconline.nic.in. Both male and female unmarried candidates born between 2 January 2008 and 1 January 2011 are eligible. The written exam is held in two sessions on the same day — Mathematics (300 marks) in the morning and General Ability Test (600 marks) in the afternoon. SSB Interview follows for shortlisted candidates.
- Eligibility: Unmarried, Indian citizen, age 16.5–19.5 years; Class 12 pass (Physics & Maths required for Navy/Air Force).
- Exam pattern: 2 papers — Maths (300 marks, 120 Qs) + GAT (600 marks, 150 Qs). Negative marking 1/3.
- Selection stages: Written → SSB Interview (5 days) → Medical Board → Merit list.
- Application fee: ₹100 (SC/ST and JCO/NCO/OR sons exempted).
The NDA 1 2026 written exam was held on 12 April 2026 across UPSC centres in India. Provisional Answer Key is now available on the UPSC portal. Candidates who appeared can verify their responses using their roll number, registration number, or date of birth. Cut-off and result announcement is expected over the coming weeks, followed by SSB Interview calls.
NDA Preparation Resources at The Cavalier
CDS / OTA — Combined Defence Services
For graduates aiming to commission as officers via IMA Dehradun, INA Ezhimala, AFA Hyderabad or OTA Chennai. Held twice a year by UPSC. CDS is the only direct entry through which women can pursue a commission via the OTA route.
CDS 2 2026 notification is expected in May 2026 on the UPSC website, with the written examination scheduled for 14 September 2026. The exam covers four academies — IMA Dehradun (Army PC), INA Ezhimala (Navy PC), AFA Hyderabad (Air Force PC), and OTA Chennai (Army SSC, open to women). Successful candidates undergo SSB Interview and Medical Board before final selection.
- Eligibility: Graduate (any stream for IMA/OTA; Engg for INA; PCM at 10+2 or B.E./B.Tech for AFA). Age 19–24 (IMA/INA/AFA), 19–25 (OTA).
- Exam pattern: 3 papers for IMA/INA/AFA (English, GK, Maths — 100 each); 2 papers for OTA-only (English + GK). Negative marking 1/3.
- Women candidates: Can apply only for OTA (Short Service Commission).
- Application fee: ₹200 (SC/ST and women exempted).
CDS / OTA Preparation Resources
AFCAT — Air Force Common Admission Test
Conducted twice a year by the Indian Air Force directly (not UPSC). Recruits graduates as officers in the Flying Branch, Ground Duty Technical, and Ground Duty Non-Technical streams. CPSS is mandatory for Flying Branch aspirants.
AFCAT 2 2026 notification is expected in June 2026 on afcat.cdac.in. The exam is held online over two days in two shifts each. Both men and women are eligible across Flying, Technical and Non-Technical branches under Short Service Commission (10 years extendable to 14). Selection is via written + AFSB; for Flying Branch, CPSS (Computerised Pilot Selection System) is a critical one-time-for-life test.
- Eligibility: Graduate (any stream with Maths & Physics in 10+2 for Flying, or engineering degree). Age 20–24 (Flying), 20–26 (Ground Duty).
- Exam pattern: 100 questions, 300 marks, 2 hours. +3 correct, −1 wrong. EKT for Tech aspirants — 50 Qs, 150 marks, 45 min.
- Selection: Written → AFSB (5 days) → CPSS & Medical (Flying) → Final commission.
- CPSS: One-time test for life — fail it and you cannot reattempt for any IAF Flying entry through any exam.
AFCAT Preparation Resources
CAPF AC — Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandant)
UPSC-conducted, once-a-year exam to recruit Assistant Commandants in BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB. Successful candidates are appointed as Group A Gazetted Officers under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
UPSC released the CAPF AC 2026 notification on 20 February 2026 with 349 tentative vacancies across BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB. The application window closed on 12 March 2026. The written examination is scheduled for 19 July 2026 (Sunday). Selection is in three stages — Written Test, Physical Standards Test (PST) & Physical Efficiency Test (PET), and Interview/Personality Test.
- Eligibility: Indian citizen, graduate from a recognised university, age 20–25 years (relaxations for reserved categories).
- Exam pattern: Paper I — General Ability & Intelligence (250 marks, MCQ); Paper II — General Studies, Essay & Comprehension (200 marks, descriptive).
- Salary: Pay Level 10 (₹56,100 starting) plus allowances. Group A Gazetted Officer.
- Forces: BSF · CRPF · CISF · ITBP · SSB.
CAPF AC Preparation Resources
Territorial Army (TA) — Officer Entry
A part-time officer commission for working professionals. The TA enables motivated graduates aged 18–42 — in jobs, business, or self-employment — to serve in the Indian Army as Lieutenants while continuing their civilian careers.
TA notifications are released by the respective TA Group Headquarters across 5 zones (Chandigarh, Lucknow/Patna, Kolkata/Shillong, Jaipur/Pune/Bengaluru/Hyderabad, Udhampur/Srinagar). Application forms are available free of cost from Employment Newspaper or the IndianArmy.gov.in portal. Candidates submit applications by post; shortlisted candidates are called for the Preliminary Interview Board (PIB) — written exam plus interview — followed by SSB and Medical Board.
- Eligibility: Indian citizen (M/F), age 18–42, graduate, gainfully employed (civilian); ex-service officers via separate ASB route.
- Written exam: Paper I — Reasoning + Elementary Maths (50+50 Qs, 100 marks); Paper II — GK + English (50+50 Qs, 100 marks).
- Qualifying: Minimum 40% per paper, overall 50%. Negative marking applies.
- Not eligible: Serving employees of Armed Forces, Police and Paramilitary.
Other Officer Entries
Beyond the four UPSC/IAF mainstream exams, the Indian Armed Forces recruit officers through several specialised routes — Coast Guard Assistant Commandant, Technical Entry Scheme (TES) for Class 12 PCM students, and others.
Notifications for Coast Guard AC are typically released twice a year by the Indian Coast Guard at joinindiancoastguard.gov.in. Stage I is a computer-based test; Stage II is a 5-day Preliminary Selection Board (PSB), Stage III is FSB (Final Selection Board), followed by medical and document verification.
TES is a non-UPSC direct entry for Class 12 students with Physics, Chemistry and Maths (minimum 60% aggregate). Selection is purely SSB-based — no written exam — followed by 5 years of training (1 year basic + 4 years engineering at CME Pune / MCEME Secunderabad / MCTE Mhow). Notifications by the Indian Army at joinindianarmy.nic.in.
The Army Cadet College Entry is a unique pathway that allows serving soldiers (JCOs and ORs) of the Indian Army to commission as officers. Selection is through a written exam, SSB Interview and medical examination. Successful candidates undergo 3 years of training at the Army Cadet College Wing of IMA Dehradun before commissioning.
Confused which exam fits you?
Walk into our academy in Rajouri Garden any working day for a free 30-minute counselling session. We'll map your eligibility across all officer-entry routes and recommend the shortest path to your commission.