Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially published the provisional answer key for the Combined Defence Services Examination (II) 2026 under Advertisement No. 11/2026-CDS-II. The nationwide written examination was conducted on 13 September 2026 across various centers to recruit 451 commissioned officers for the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers' Training Academy. Candidates who appeared for the exam can now cross-verify their responses against the official question-wise answer keys and compute their estimated scores ahead of the written results.
Important Dates
| Event |
Date |
| Online Application Start Date |
20/05/2026 |
| Online Application Last Date |
11/06/2026 (06:00 PM) |
| Last Date to Pay Fees |
11/06/2026 (06:00 PM) |
| Admit Card Release Date |
As Per Schedule |
| Written Examination Date |
13/09/2026 |
| Answer Key Release Date |
16/09/2026 |
| Post Update Date |
16-09-2026 |
| Result Declaration Date |
As Per Schedule |
Application Fees
| Category |
Fee |
| General / OBC / EWS |
Rs. 200/- |
| SC / ST / Female |
Rs. 0/- (Exempted) |
Applicants deposited the non-refundable examination fee through online payment facilities including Net Banking, Visa, MasterCard, RuPay Debit or Credit Cards, and UPI gateways. Female applicants and candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were exempted from paying any fee.
Objection Details & Answer Key Info
Candidates who participated in the examination can review the provisional keys for English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. UPSC accepts candidate representations regarding question validity and provisional answers through its Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep) within seven days of the exam date.
Academy-Wise Vacancy & Eligibility Details (Total: 451 Posts)
| Academy / Post Name |
Total Posts |
Eligibility Criteria |
| Indian Military Academy (IMA) |
100 |
Bachelor's Degree in any stream from a recognized University or equivalent institution. |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA) |
26 |
Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from a recognized University or Institution. |
| Air Force Academy (AFA) |
32 |
Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from a recognized University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering. |
| Officers' Training Academy (OTA) |
293 |
Bachelor's Degree in any stream from a recognized University or equivalent institution. |
Age Limit (As on 01/07/2027)
- Minimum Age: 19 Years (IMA, INA, OTA) / 20 Years (Air Force Academy)
- Maximum Age: 24 Years (IMA, INA, AFA) / 25 Years (OTA)
- Age Relaxation: Applicable in accordance with official commission rules detailed in the recruitment notification.
Selection Process
- Stage 1: Written Examination (Objective multiple-choice question format for English, GK, and Elementary Mathematics; OTA candidates appear for English and GK only).
- Stage 2: SSB Interview (5-day comprehensive intelligence and personality assessment including psychological tests, group tasks, and personal interview).
- Stage 3: Medical Examination at designated military base hospitals.
- Stage 4: Final Merit List based on combined marks of the written exam and the SSB interview.
How to Check UPSC CDS II Answer Key 2026 for 451 Post Answer Key
- Go to the official UPSC web portal at https://upsc.gov.in/.
- Locate the "Examinations" dropdown on the homepage and click on "Answer Keys", or check the "What's New" circulars section.
- Select the link titled "Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 - Provisional Answer Key".
- Open the subject-wise PDF link corresponding to your question paper code (Series A, B, C, or D).
- Compare your marked responses with the official key, calculate your score applying negative marking, and save the PDF file for future verification.
Important Links
Other Useful Links
FAQs
When was the UPSC CDS II Answer Key 2026 released?
UPSC published the provisional answer key on 16 September 2026 following the written examination held across India on 13 September 2026.
What is the official website to download UPSC CDS II answer keys?
Candidates can access official answer keys and circulars directly from the UPSC portal at upsc.gov.in.
Is there negative marking in the UPSC CDS II written examination?
Yes, a penalty of one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to each question is deducted for every incorrect response across all test papers.
How many total vacancies are available under UPSC CDS II 2026?
A total of 451 vacancies are distributed across IMA (100), INA (26), AFA (32), and OTA (293) training institutions.
What are the sectional qualifying marks for UPSC CDS 2?
Candidates generally need to secure a minimum qualifying score of 20% in each individual paper alongside meeting the overall aggregate cut-off marks.
What educational qualification is required for Air Force Academy?
Candidates must hold a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level, or a Bachelor of Engineering degree.
How can candidates submit objections against the CDS answer key?
Objections must be submitted online through the official UPSC Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep) within the specified timeframe following the exam.
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