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Explore subject ↗2026 official source located
Source document: UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination II 2026 notice, Appendix I syllabus
Ten mapped written-paper headings from Appendix I. The English and General Knowledge subjects are intentionally broad in the official notice; detailed Mathematics subtopics remain in the PDF. OTA candidates do not take the Elementary Mathematics paper.
Check original source ↗UPSC · Combined Defence Services Examination II 2026 notice, Appendix I · Source year 2026 · Document date 2026-05-20 · Last reviewed 2026-09-28
Three objective papers of two hours each. The 2026 notice gives no fixed question count.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Minutes | Paper language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | — | 100 | 120 | English |
| General Knowledge | — | 100 | 120 | English and Hindi |
| Elementary Mathematics | — | 100 | 120 | English and Hindi |
| Total | — | 300 | 360 | — |
Officers' Training Academy candidates take English and General Knowledge only, not Elementary Mathematics. These are two separate two-hour objective papers.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Minutes | Paper language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | — | 100 | 120 | English |
| General Knowledge | — | 100 | 120 | English and Hindi |
| Total | — | 200 | 240 | — |
The two rows are alternatives: 300 marks for IMA/INA/AFA or 200 marks for OTA, equal to that academy's written maximum. They are not additive.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Minutes | Paper language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMA / INA / AFA · SSB | — | 300 | — | Not specified on linked page |
| OTA · SSB | — | 200 | — | Not specified on linked page |
UPSC · CDS II 2025 recommendation cut-offs · Exam cycle 2025 · Source published 2026-08-14
Academy-specific historical CDS II 2025 thresholds. IMA, INA and AFA written papers are out of 300 and final totals out of 600; OTA written papers are out of 200 and final totals out of 400. Each written subject also requires at least 20%. These are not CDS 2026 thresholds.
| Category | Marks |
|---|---|
| IMA | 124.11 |
| INA | 109.23 |
| AFA | 132.51 |
| OTA Men | 80.01 |
| OTA Women | 98.06 |
| Category | Marks |
|---|---|
| IMA | 249.61 |
| INA | 238.5 |
| AFA | 263.67 |
| OTA Men | 162.84 |
| OTA Women | 193.01 |