Know this. OTA (Short Service Commission) needs only English and GK and is the only CDS entry open to women; many aspirants apply for both IMA and OTA to double their chances.
- Run by
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC); interviews by the Services Selection Boards (SSB)
- Admits you to
- Officer entry for graduates: Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun, Indian Naval Academy (INA) Ezhimala and Air Force Academy (AFA) Hyderabad for permanent commission, and the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) Chennai for Short Service Commission (men and women).
- Who can sit
- IMA and OTA: a degree from a recognised university. INA: B.Tech/B.E. or B.Sc with Physics and Mathematics. AFA: a degree with Physics and Mathematics at Class 12, or B.E. Age bands for a course starting in mid-2027: IMA and INA 19–24 (unmarried men); AFA 20–24 (up to 26 with a DGCA commercial pilot licence); OTA 19–25 (men, and unmarried women). Final-year students may apply.
- Pattern
- Pen-and-paper objective papers, 2 hours and 100 marks each. IMA, INA and AFA: English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics (Class 10 level). OTA: English and General Knowledge only. SSB interview carries the same marks as the written test (300 for IMA/INA/AFA, 200 for OTA). Wrong answers are penalised.
- When
- Twice a year: CDS (I) usually in April and CDS (II) usually in September.
- Limits
- No fixed attempt limit; the age bands decide how many tries you get.
Courses it leads to
Sources, checked 2026-09-28: www.upsc.gov.in · www.upsc.gov.in