Table of ContentsClick to view all sections
- UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026: Overview
- What the Final Result Notice Says
- Academy-Wise Recommended Candidates
- Who Topped the CDS-I 2026 Merit Lists?
- How to Check the UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026 PDF
- What Happens After the IMA, INA and AFA Result?
- Important Dates for CDS-I 2026
- Understanding Vacancy and Recommendation Counts
- UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026: Important Links
- Final Takeaway
The UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026 is available for candidates considered for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA). The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) declared this result on 2 November 2026. It recommends 243 candidates based on their performance in the written examination and Services Selection Board (SSB) interviews. Candidates can check the result in the PDF published on the UPSC website.
Important: This result covers IMA, INA and AFA only. It is not the final result for the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). UPSC is to announce the OTA result separately, so OTA candidates should not use the three academy lists as an OTA result.
This article summarises what the notice covers, how the recommendation figures are divided, how to locate a name or roll number in the PDF, and which dates and next updates are relevant. For any individual result details or official instructions, use the UPSC notice and result PDF as the authoritative sources.
UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026: Overview
The Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026 has separate academy lists and result stages. The final result announced on 2 November applies to the IMA, INA and AFA courses shown below. The written examination took place earlier, and candidates who qualified at that stage proceeded to the SSB interview process. The final recommendation figures are not the same as the number of candidates who qualified in the written examination.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting authority | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Examination | Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026 |
| Advertisement number | 04/2026 |
| Written examination | 12 April 2026 |
| Written result | 8 May 2026 |
| Final result date | 2 November 2026 |
| Academies included | IMA, INA and AFA |
| Total candidates recommended | 243 |
| Basis of recommendation | Written examination and SSB interview |
| Result format | PDF on the UPSC website |
What the Final Result Notice Says
The notice reports recommendations for three academies and gives a separate count for each. In all, 155 candidates are recommended for IMA, 63 for INA and 25 for AFA, making a combined total of 243. The academy headings and course details matter when checking the PDF: a candidate should identify the correct list rather than relying on the total alone.
The recommendation follows the written examination and SSB interviews. The result PDF is the document to consult for the official names and other candidate details provided by UPSC. This article does not reproduce the complete lists; use the official document to verify a particular entry. A name or roll number should be checked against the correct academy section, since the result includes three distinct academy lists.
The announcement does not include OTA. UPSC has stated that the OTA final result will be announced separately. Therefore, the 243 recommendations in this notice represent the three academies named in it and should not be interpreted as the final recommendation count for every academy under CDS-I 2026.
Academy-Wise Recommended Candidates
The following figures distinguish written-examination qualifiers from candidates recommended in the final result. The two columns refer to different stages: qualifying in the written examination is not the same as appearing in the final recommendation list.
| Academy and location | Course | Qualified in written exam | Recommended in final result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun | 162nd (DE) Course | 2,601 | 155 |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala | Executive Branch General Service / Hydro Course | 770 | 63 |
| Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad | 221 F(P) Pre-Flying Training Course | 640 | 25 |
| Total | — | 4,011 | 243 |
The written result released on 8 May 2026 shortlisted 8,826 candidates for SSB interviews across the academies. The 4,011 figure shown in this table is the combined written-stage count for the IMA, INA and AFA lists covered by this final result. It is not the same as the 8,826 candidates shortlisted for SSB across the academies, and neither figure should be confused with the 243 final recommendations.
Reading the columns together helps avoid a common misunderstanding. The written-stage totals indicate how many candidates qualified in the written examination for the academy lists shown. The final column reports the recommendations in the result dated 2 November. The table does not provide a candidate-by-candidate explanation of the transition between stages; consult the official result PDF for its full lists and any accompanying notice details.
Who Topped the CDS-I 2026 Merit Lists?
Lohitaksh Mahajan secured the first rank in the merit lists for IMA, INA and AFA, according to the result information. Candidates looking for the complete academy-wise merit lists should refer to the official PDF. When checking rankings or a particular name, make sure the relevant academy heading is visible and that the entry is read in the context of that list.
The topper information is a summary, not a substitute for the official document. The PDF is the appropriate place to confirm the complete list and candidate details released by UPSC. If you are checking your own result, search for your roll number or name rather than relying on a summary of the first rank.
How to Check the UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026 PDF
The result is published as a PDF. Use the direct official link below, or open UPSC’s website and locate the notice through its What’s New page. The following steps can help you navigate the document and reduce the chance of checking the wrong academy list:
- Open the UPSC official website or go directly to the CDS-I 2026 final result PDF.
- Once the document opens, identify the section for the relevant academy: IMA, INA or AFA. This result does not contain the OTA final list.
- Use the PDF search function to look for your roll number or name. On most computers, Ctrl + F opens the search box; the exact controls can depend on the device or PDF viewer.
- Check the matching entry against the academy heading and the details shown in the document. Do not assume a search result belongs to the right list without checking its section.
- Save or download a copy of the PDF for reference, using the official document rather than an unofficial reproduction.
If the direct link does not open, visit the UPSC What’s New page and look for the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026 final result notice. A PDF search may not work in a browser or viewer that does not support text search. In that case, download the document and try opening it in a PDF reader. If a search returns no match, check that the name or roll number was entered correctly and that the relevant academy section is being searched.
These steps explain how to locate information in the published PDF; they do not add to or replace the official result. If an entry or instruction is unclear, refer to the UPSC notice and any official updates rather than relying on an interpretation of a search result.
What Happens After the IMA, INA and AFA Result?
Candidates recommended in these lists are considered for the specified courses at IMA, INA and AFA. The earlier written-result notice listed the courses as commencing in January 2027. The information available for this result does not provide a joining date, reporting instructions or a document-verification schedule. Candidates should not treat the course commencement month in the earlier notice as a substitute for individual instructions.
- Read the official result PDF carefully for any conditions connected with the recommendation.
- Watch for further instructions from the relevant service headquarters or academy.
- Use official notices for updates on dates and procedures; the current result information does not specify a reporting schedule.
- Keep the academy distinction in mind: the 243 recommendations cover IMA, INA and AFA, while the OTA final result is separate.
- Check the official UPSC website for the marks sheets and cut-off information, which are stated to follow the OTA final result.
A recommendation in this result and a later instruction are separate pieces of information. The result PDF establishes the published recommendation list, while further updates may provide details not included in the available result information. No joining date or verification timetable should be inferred from the figures in the result table.
Important Dates for CDS-I 2026
| Event | Date or status |
|---|---|
| CDS-I 2026 written examination | 12 April 2026 |
| Written result; 8,826 candidates shortlisted for SSB | 8 May 2026 |
| Final result for IMA, INA and AFA | 2 November 2026 |
| Marks sheets and cut-off marks | After the OTA final result |
| IMA, INA and AFA courses commence | January 2027, as listed in the earlier written-result notice |
The dates show the sequence reported in the available information: the written examination was held first, its result followed, and the final result for the three named academies was declared later. The table also distinguishes a confirmed result date from items described by a future status or schedule. In particular, marks sheets and cut-off marks are stated to follow the OTA final result, rather than being given a separate calendar date here.
Understanding Vacancy and Recommendation Counts
The total vacancies reported for all academies are 451, while this result recommends 243 candidates for IMA, INA and AFA. Those numbers describe different scopes. The reported vacancy total includes OTA seats, whereas the result announced on 2 November covers only IMA, INA and AFA. Consequently, subtracting or comparing these totals without accounting for the separate OTA result can give a misleading impression of what this notice covers.
In the same way, the written-stage figures and final recommendations should not be treated as interchangeable. The academy-wise table lists 4,011 written-examination qualifiers for the three lists covered here, while the final column contains 243 recommendations. The separate figure of 8,826 refers to candidates shortlisted for SSB interviews across the academies after the written result. Each number describes a different stage or coverage group.
For a candidate, the most useful approach is to start with the scope of the notice, then find the appropriate academy section and check the published entry. For an overall count, use the totals as labelled: 243 recommendations in this result, and 451 total vacancies reported across all academies. The available information does not provide a breakdown of all vacancies by academy in this notice, so no such allocation should be inferred from the recommendation counts.
UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026: Important Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| CDS-I 2026 final result PDF (IMA, INA and AFA) | Download result PDF |
| UPSC What’s New | View official notices |
| UPSC official website | Visit UPSC |
The direct result link leads to the PDF for IMA, INA and AFA. If you cannot access it, use the UPSC website or the What’s New page to locate the notice. Check that the document title and academy coverage match the result you intend to review.
Final Takeaway
The UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026 announced on 2 November recommends 243 candidates across IMA, INA and AFA: 155 for IMA, 63 for INA and 25 for AFA. The official PDF contains the academy lists. Open the correct section and check your name or roll number against the details shown. Candidates looking for OTA should wait for the separate OTA final result and follow UPSC updates for subsequent notices, including information about marks sheets and cut-off marks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is the UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026 out?
Yes. UPSC declared the final result for IMA, INA and AFA on 2 November 2026. The result is available as a PDF on the UPSC website.
Q2. When was the UPSC CDS-I Final Result 2026 declared?
The final result for the three academies covered by this notice was declared on 2 November 2026. The written examination was held on 12 April 2026, and the written result was released on 8 May 2026.
Q3. How many candidates are recommended in the CDS-I 2026 final result?
The result recommends 243 candidates in total: 155 for IMA, 63 for INA and 25 for AFA. These figures relate to the final result lists in this notice.
Q4. Does this result include OTA candidates?
No. The result announced on 2 November covers IMA, INA and AFA only. UPSC is to announce the OTA final result separately, so this notice should not be treated as the OTA result.
Q5. Where can I download the CDS-I 2026 final result PDF?
Use the official UPSC result PDF. You can also visit the UPSC What’s New page or the UPSC website to locate the notice.
How can I check my name or roll number in the result?
Open the PDF, go to the relevant academy list and use the PDF search function to look for your name or roll number. Confirm that the matching entry is under the correct academy heading. If search does not work in your viewer, download the file and try again in a PDF reader.
What was the CDS-I 2026 written examination date?
The written examination was held on 12 April 2026. UPSC released the written result on 8 May 2026, shortlisting 8,826 candidates for SSB interviews across the academies.
Who topped the IMA, INA and AFA merit lists?
Lohitaksh Mahajan secured the first rank in the merit lists for all three academies, according to the result information. Consult the official PDF for the complete academy-wise lists.
When are marks sheets and cut-off marks expected?
The available schedule states that marks sheets and cut-off marks will be released after the OTA final result. It does not specify a separate date here, so check UPSC’s official updates for publication details.
When are the IMA, INA and AFA courses scheduled to commence?
The earlier written-result notice listed the courses as commencing in January 2027. The information available for this final result does not provide a joining date, reporting instructions or a document-verification schedule.
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