UPSC Announces April 2026 Dates for NDA and CDS Examinations NEW DELHI — The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially releas...
UPSC Announces April 2026 Dates for NDA and CDS Examinations
NEW DELHI — The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially released the schedule for two of its major defence recruitment examinations: the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (I) 2026, and the Combined Defence Services Examination (I) 2026. Both exams are set to take place on April 12, 2026, conducted in offline mode at centers nationwide.
Detailed Exam Schedule
The commission has structured the day to accommodate papers for both exams in distinct shifts:
NDA & NA Exam (I):
Mathematics: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
General Ability Test: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
CDS Exam (I):
English: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
General Knowledge: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Elementary Mathematics: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Vacancy Breakdown
The recruitment drive aims to fill 394 vacancies in the NDA and NA wings. The intake allows for 370 male and 24 female candidates across the following branches:
| Branch | Vacancies |
| Army | 208 |
| Air Force | 120 |
| Navy | 42 |
| Naval Academy | 24 |
Strict Candidate Guidelines
The UPSC has issued strict protocols for the examination day. Candidates are permitted to use black ballpoint pens only for marking answers on the OMR sheets; pencils and pens of other colors are prohibited. The commission warned that errors in encoding the Roll Number or Test Booklet Series Code on the OMR sheet will result in immediate rejection. Aspirants are also reminded that negative marking is applicable for incorrect answers in the objective-type papers.
