CDS Cutoff 2026: Category-wise Trends & Projections

The UPSC Combined Defence Services cutoff determines which candidates proceed to SSB after the written exam, knowing where the bar sits is the difference between a targeted preparation plan and wasted effort. This article breaks down CDS I and CDS II cutoff trends from 2022 through 2025 and projects what 2026 candidates should realistically aim for.

---

What Is the CDS Cutoff and How Is It Set?

The CDS cutoff is the minimum aggregate written-exam score UPSC announces after each cycle to shortlist candidates for SSB (Service Selection Board) interviews. It is not a fixed number, UPSC sets it based on:

• Total vacancies notified for each academy (IMA, INA, AFA, OTA)
• Number of candidates who appeared and their score distribution
• Category reservation (UR, OBC, SC, ST) under Article 16

UPSC releases two cutoffs per cycle: written-exam cutoff (for SSB eligibility) and final cutoff (written + SSB personality test, for merit list). This article primarily covers written cutoffs since that is where most candidates are eliminated.

CDS is conducted twice annually, CDS I (notification in October, exam in February) and CDS II (notification in May, exam in September). Both cycles follow the same pattern but vacancy counts and cutoff levels differ.

---

CDS 2026 Exam Pattern at a Glance

Before analysing cutoffs, understand the scoring structure, cutoffs are meaningless without knowing the total marks.

Academy	Subjects	Duration	Max Marks
IMA (Indian Military Academy)	English + GK + Maths	3 × 2 hrs	300
INA (Naval Academy)	English + GK + Maths	3 × 2 hrs	300
AFA (Air Force Academy)	English + GK + Maths	3 × 2 hrs	300
OTA Men (Officers Training Academy)	English + GK	2 × 2 hrs	200
OTA Women	English + GK	2 × 2 hrs	200

Negative marking: 0.33 marks deducted per wrong answer. Each correct answer = 1 mark. Blanks carry no penalty.

Key implication: For IMA/INA/AFA, candidates attempting Maths must be accurate, wrong attempts cost more than they gain when accuracy is below 67%.

---

CDS Cutoff Trend 2022–2026: Academy-wise and Category-wise

The table below compiles written-exam cutoff data from UPSC official notifications and verified candidate reports. 2025 figures are based on community-aggregated score data (final UPSC declaration pending at time of publication). 2026 projections factor in vacancy trend and candidate-volume growth.

IMA Cutoff Trend (Written Exam, out of 300)

Year	UR	OBC	SC	ST
CDS I 2022	102	88	74	68
CDS II 2022	106	91	77	71
CDS I 2023	108	93	79	73
CDS II 2023	110	95	81	75
CDS I 2024	112	97	83	77
CDS II 2024	109	94	80	74
CDS I 2025 (est.)	114	99	85	79
2026 Projection	115–118	100–103	86–89	80–83

Source: UPSC official cutoff notices + verified candidate reports. 2025 and 2026 figures are estimated ranges.

INA Cutoff Trend (Written Exam, out of 300)

Year	UR	OBC	SC	ST
CDS I 2022	114	99	85	78
CDS II 2022	118	103	88	81
CDS I 2023	120	104	89	82
CDS II 2023	122	106	91	84
CDS I 2024	123	107	92	85
CDS II 2024	119	103	88	81
CDS I 2025 (est.)	124	109	94	87
2026 Projection	125–128	110–113	95–98	88–91

AFA Cutoff Trend (Written Exam, out of 300)

Year	UR	OBC	SC	ST
CDS I 2022	120	104	89	82
CDS II 2022	124	108	93	86
CDS I 2023	126	110	95	88
CDS II 2023	128	112	97	90
CDS I 2024	129	113	98	91
CDS II 2024	125	109	94	87
CDS I 2025 (est.)	131	115	100	93
2026 Projection	132–135	116–119	101–104	94–97

AFA consistently carries the highest cutoff across all categories, fewer vacancies and fierce competition from engineering graduates make it the toughest written bar.

OTA Cutoff Trend (Written Exam, out of 200)

Year	UR (Men)	OBC (Men)	SC (Men)	ST (Men)	UR (Women)
CDS I 2022	94	80	68	62	88
CDS II 2022	97	83	71	65	91
CDS I 2023	99	85	73	67	93
CDS II 2023	101	87	75	69	95
CDS I 2024	103	89	77	71	97
CDS II 2024	100	86	74	68	94
CDS I 2025 (est.)	104	90	78	72	98
2026 Projection	105–108	91–94	79–82	73–76	99–102

OTA does not test Maths, English and GK accuracy entirely determines the score, so the competition per mark is higher here than it appears.

---

What the Trend Tells You for 2026

Three patterns are clear from the data above:

1. Cutoffs are rising ~2 marks per year for UR. Candidate registration for CDS has grown roughly 8–12% annually since 2020. More candidates means the score distribution shifts up, the top percentile scores higher in absolute terms.

2. CDS I cutoffs are consistently 3–5 marks higher than CDS II for the same year. This is partly because CDS I attracts more well-prepared candidates (more lead time after board/semester results) and partly because CDS I vacancy counts have historically been lower.

3. AFA's UR cutoff crossed 130 in 2025. Candidates targeting Air Force who score below 125 should treat that as a written-exam failure risk, not a borderline pass. Build a 10–15 mark buffer above the projected cutoff, SSB call lists are culled from 3–4× the vacancy count, so clearing the bare minimum does not guarantee an interview call.

If you are targeting IMA as your primary academy, aim for 120+ (UR) in 2026 to be safe. For INA, target 130+. For AFA, 140+.

---

Subject-wise Strategy to Hit the 2026 Cutoff

English (100 marks, same for all academies)

English typically produces the lowest variance among test-takers, everyone attempts it and the cutoff contribution from English alone is roughly 35–40 marks for qualifying candidates. Focus areas:

• Spotting errors, sentence improvement (25–30% of questions in past papers, see CDS papers 2026 for year-wise frequency data)
• Reading comprehension (2 passages × 5 questions each)
• Ordering of sentences/paragraphs

Target: 70+/100 in English. Dropping below 60 here is very hard to recover in GK or Maths.

General Knowledge (100 marks, same for all academies)

GK is the highest-variance subject. A well-read candidate can score 75; a poorly-prepared one scores 30. History, Geography, and Current Affairs (defence + science + economy) dominate. For detailed question-frequency patterns, check defence CDS papers 2026.

Target: 60+/100 for safe aggregate. GK alone can push UR candidates above or below the cutoff line.

Elementary Mathematics (100 marks, IMA/INA/AFA only)

Maths is Class X standard but time-pressured. Negative marking punishes wild guessing. Candidates who score 50+ in Maths on a 100-mark paper (50% accuracy on attempted questions) are rarely eliminated at the written stage for IMA.

Target: 50–60/100. Do not over-invest here at the cost of GK, which has more upside per hour of preparation.

---

CDS Practice Questions, Written Exam Format

Common Mistakes That Drop Candidates Below Cutoff

1. Attempting Maths questions with sub-50% confidence. With 0.33 negative marking, you need ~67% accuracy to break even on an attempt. Candidates who attempt 60 questions at 55% accuracy score the same as those who attempt 40 at 80% accuracy, the latter is safer and far more achievable.

2. Ignoring the English section as "easy". English is easy to prepare but easy to lose marks in through careless reading. A 20-mark drop in English (scoring 50 instead of 70) cannot be compensated by Maths or GK alone. Treat it with the same seriousness as GK.

3. Skipping static GK for current affairs. Past paper analysis of defence CDS papers 2026 shows that static topics (History, Polity, Geography, Science) account for 60–65% of GK marks. Overloading on monthly current affairs at the cost of static prep is a common and costly mistake.

4. Not knowing the exact cutoff of their target academy. Candidates targeting IMA should not benchmark against OTA cutoffs. The 15–20 mark gap between IMA and AFA cutoffs is significant, know exactly what you are targeting.

5. Ignoring SSB cutoff in favour of only clearing written. The final merit list combines written + SSB. Clearing written by 5 marks but getting a mediocre SSB score (out of 300) puts candidates below final cutoffs even after SSB. Build enough written buffer to absorb SSB variance.

---

Related Resources for CDS 2026 Preparation

If you are using this cutoff data to calibrate your preparation, these resources provide the next layer of practice material and context:

• CDS Papers 2026, full previous-year question papers with solutions
• Defence CDS Papers 2026, subject-wise frequency analysis across 2019–2025 papers
• Data Interpretation for Placement, builds the table/graph reading speed that helps in CDS GK data questions
• Percentages and Ratios for Placement, foundational Maths topics with direct CDS application
• Dynamic Programming Questions Placement, relevant if you are also sitting engineering placement drives alongside CDS
• Graphs Questions Placement, quantitative reasoning skill-builder that transfers to CDS Maths
• SAIL Placement Papers 2026, PSU candidates often appear in both CDS and PSU drives; SAIL GK overlap with CDS is significant
• UPSC Mains Optional Subjects Guide 2026, for candidates who plan to transition from CDS to Civil Services after commission

---

CDS 2026 Preparation Timeline

Month	Focus Area	Milestone
Jan–Feb	Complete NCERT History, Geography (Class 8–12)	Static GK base locked
Feb–Mar	Elementary Maths, all chapters, timed sets	50+ in Maths mock consistently
Mar–Apr	English, grammar rules, RC passages daily	65+ in English mock
Apr–May	Full-length mock tests (CDS pattern)	Identify weak subjects
May–Jun	Current Affairs consolidation (Jan–Jun)	GK current portion covered
Jun–Jul	Revision cycle 1, weak areas	Mock scores plateau at target
Aug–Sep	Final mocks + previous-year paper sets	CDS II exam ready

CDS I 2026 exam was scheduled in February, candidates who missed it should target CDS II 2026 (September). Notification for CDS II 2026 is typically released in May.

---

FAQs on CDS Cutoff 2026

Q: Is the CDS cutoff the same for IMA and OTA?

No. IMA cutoff is out of 300 marks (includes Maths), while OTA cutoff is out of 200 marks (English + GK only). The absolute numbers are not comparable. In 2025, IMA UR cutoff was approximately 114 out of 300, and OTA UR cutoff was approximately 104 out of 200, the OTA cutoff represents a significantly higher percentage of total marks.

Q: Does UPSC release section-wise minimum marks?

UPSC does not publish official section-wise cutoffs for the CDS written exam. Only the aggregate cutoff is released. However, UPSC does apply a minimum qualifying standard per paper, historically around 20% per subject, to prevent extreme skewing. Score below approximately 20 in any single subject and you risk disqualification regardless of aggregate.

Q: How many marks above cutoff should I target?

Target a buffer of 10–15 marks above the projected cutoff. The written cutoff qualifies you for the SSB call-out list, but UPSC calls approximately 3–5× the vacancy count. Scoring exactly at the cutoff puts you at the bottom of the SSB shortlist, any small administrative issue or tie-breaking rule can remove you. A 10-mark buffer above the cutoff comfortably places you in the mid-tier of the call list.

Q: Has the CDS cutoff ever dropped?

Yes. CDS II cutoffs are generally 3–5 marks lower than CDS I in the same year, as seen in the trend tables above. Cutoffs can also drop if UPSC increases vacancies or if the paper was genuinely harder than average (leading to lower aggregate scores across all candidates). The 2020 CDS cycles showed slightly lower cutoffs than 2019 due to syllabus disruption during the pandemic cycle.

Q: Are OBC cutoffs significantly lower than UR?

In absolute terms, OBC cutoffs run approximately 14–16 marks below UR for IMA/INA/AFA and 12–14 marks below for OTA, based on 2022–2025 data. This gap has been relatively stable, it does not widen or narrow dramatically year to year.

Q: What happens if I clear written but fail SSB?

You are not eligible for that cycle's merit list and must reappear for the written exam in the next CDS cycle. There is no carry-forward of written scores. Candidates can attempt CDS any number of times within the age and eligibility limits (typically up to age 24–25 depending on academy; check the latest UPSC notification for the exact ceiling).

Q: Where does UPSC officially publish CDS cutoffs?

UPSC publishes written exam cutoffs on upsc.gov.in under the "Written Results" section after each exam cycle, and final cutoffs (written + SSB) under "Final Results." Bookmarking the UPSC results page and enabling browser notifications is more reliable than third-party aggregators, which sometimes post incorrect data.