UPSC CDS Cut Off 2026: Check CDS 1 & CDS 2 Previous Year Cut Off Marks

CDS Previous Year Cut Off In CDS exams, cutoffs are the minimum qualifying marks that are needed to qualify for respective academies. These cutoff marks help candidates analyze how many marks are required in order to be declared qualified for written examination and SSB interview. Understanding the CDS previous year cutoff is essential for candidates to prepare for each and every stage in a better manner. UPSC generally releases the CDS cutoff marks after the final results are published. The UPSC CDS exam is held for recruiting candidates for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA.

UPSC CDS Previous Year Cutoff

The UPSC administers the Combined Defense Service (CDS) twice every year for admission to different academies like the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA) for both men and women. Cutoffs are released separately for written marks and SSB interviews. These marks help defense aspirants analyze the level of preparation they need to qualify for their respective academies and prepare a strategy according to their needs.

CDS Qualifying Marks

Candidates need to score a minimum of 20% in each and every subject in order to be successfully qualified for written examination and further stages of selection. The standard is the same across all exam cycles and academies.

CDS Previous Year Cutoff (ear-Wise Data)

Below are the cutoffs for the written examination and final exam, including SSB interview marks for CDS 1 and 2 as declared by the commission on its official website.

CDS 1 Cutoff 2025

Check table below for Previous Year Cutoff as declared by UPSC for CDSE 1 exam 2025

CDS 1 & 2 Cutoff 2024

Check the CDS 1 & 2 previous year cutoff marks below

CDS 1 2024

CDS 1 and 2 Cutoff 2023

Below is the official cutoffs for CDSE 1 and 2 Exam 2023

CDS 1 2023

CDS 1 and 2 Cutoff 2022

Candidates can check the official cutoff for CDS 1 and 2 2022 in the table below

CDS 1 2022

CDS 1 and 2 Cutoff 2021

Check below for cutoff of CDS 1 and 2 exam 2021

CDS 1 2021

Factor Influencing CDS Previous Year Cutoffs

There are several factors that influence the cutoff for the UPSC CDS exam. This factor plays a crucial role in deciding the final cutoff for all academies. Every year many defence aspirants prepare for the CDS exam. Some of these factors are listed below.

• Number of Vacancies & Difficulty Level of Exam

• Number of Candidates Appearing and their individual performance

• Category and Academy Preference

• Paper-wise Subject Strength of Candidates 

• Changes in the syllabus can influence the cutoff; therefore, you should refer to the official notification for a detailed syllabus.

CDS previous-year cut-off marks provide in-depth understanding of the competition level in the examination. Candidates preparing for the CDS 2026 exam should keep in mind that they need to score a little bit higher than the previous year cutoff in order to improve their chances of selection. An effective strategy is needed for written exam subjects like English General Knowledge and Elementary mathematics that can help candidates clear both CDS 1 and CDS 2 exams.