CDS Eligibility 2025, Check Education, Age Limit & Physical Standards

CDS Eligibility 2025: The UPSC published the CDS 2025 Eligibility criteria along with the CDS Notification 2025 on the official website. To be eligible to apply for the CDS Exam, candidates must meet the CDS 2  2025 Eligibility Requirements, which include Nationality, Educational Qualifications, Age, Marital Status, and Physical fitness standards.

CDS Eligibility 2025

The Union Public Service Commission conducts the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination twice yearly, in April and September. This examination serves as a platform for recruitment by the Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy. Candidates undergo a written test and an interview to get selected for the Indian Armed Forces through CDS.

Candidates who qualify for the CDS Selection Process will be invited to the appropriate Academies based on merit and preference. The UPSC has established specific CDS Eligibility Criteria 2025, and Interested Applicants are advised to read the entire article to understand the Age Limit and other Eligibility Requirements specified by the UPSC for the CDS Exam. Candidates must read this article to know everything important related to CDS Eligibility 2025, including Nationality, Educational Qualification, Age, Marital Status, and Physical Standards.

CDS Eligibility 2025 Overview

The CDS Exam 2025 is one of the most sought-after examinations as it provides an opportunity for candidates aspiring to join any of the three armed forces of India. Meeting all the Eligibility requirements is essential for a candidate to be considered eligible for the CDS exam. However, there are specific CDS Eligibility Criteria for recruitment in each of the three Indian Academies. Please refer to the table below for an overview of the CDS 2 Eligibility 2025.

CDS Eligibility 2025

The Union Public Service Commission publishes the CDS Eligibility Criteria for the Combined Defence Services Exam (CDS) along with the official Recruitment Notification. It is essential for interested candidates to carefully understand the CDS Eligibility Criteria before filling out the CDS Application Form , as those who do not meet the specified parameters will be disqualified from the examination. To ensure final selection, candidates must fulfill all the CDS eligibility requirements, including:

• CDS Age limit
• CDS Educational Qualification
• CDS Medical conditions
• CDS Nationality

To assist you in determining your eligibility for the CDS Exam, we have provided a detailed explanation of all the parameters for CDS Eligibility below.

CDS Eligibility Requirements

To effectively prepare for the CDS Exam, Candidates must prefer to CDS Syllabus . For CDS Exam, men and women both are eligible to apply with certain required conditions. Before applying for the CDS Exam, candidates should take note of the following crucial aspects.

• Applicants must have a permanent residence in India.
• Candidates must have completed their studies or be in their final year or semester.
• The Minimum Age Requirement for CDS Exam is 19 years.
• Women Candidates are eligible to apply for OTA only.
• Candidates need to be in suitable physical condition.
• Eligibility for OTA is restricted to unmarried females, widows who have not remarried, and divorcees who have not remarried, provided they possess the necessary divorce documents. Only unmarried male candidates are eligible for IMA, INA, and AFA.

CDS Eligibility 2025 for IMA, INA, AFA & OTA

Candidates who are applying for the examination must verify that they meet all the CDS Eligibility Requirements for admission. Admission at every stage of the examination will be strictly provisional and depends on meeting the specified eligibility requirements.

The issuance of an Admission Certificate to a candidate does not signify that the Commission has definitively approved their candidature. The verification of eligibility conditions, concerning the original documents, will only be conducted after the candidate has qualified for the interview/Personality Test. Below, we have provided the qualifications necessary for CDS 2 2025.

CDS Eligibility 2025 Age Limit

Candidates should meet the minimum and maximum CDS Age Limit requirements for IMA, INA, OTA, and Air Force Academy. The minimum age should be 18 years, and the maximum age limit should be 25 years. It depends on the academy-wise age limit criteria. A table is provided with detailed information on CDS Age Limit 2025. 

CDS Educational Qualification 2025

The UPSC has specified Educational Requirements for the CDS Examination. Aspiring candidates must fulfill these requirements, proving their eligibility. Specifically, candidates need to be graduates from a recognized university to meet the educational criteria. The following instructions for candidates must be noted:

CDS Medical Standard Requirements

Along with the CDS Eligibility Requirements, candidates who are interested in the exam must be in good medical health to be considered eligible for the Indian Army. Every candidate needs to familiarize themselves with the medical conditions that could pose hindrances to their journey. Certain health conditions make a person ineligible for the CDS Exam, and those are as follows:-

• Overweight/Underweight condition
• Under-sized chest
• Piles
• Wax accumulation in the ears
• Deviated nasal septum
• Tonsillitis
• Gynaecomastia
• Varicocele
• Hydrocele/Phimosis

As per the CDS Eligibility Criteria, candidates must be in good medical and mental condition. They would be required to provide a detailed medical examination report to demonstrate their medical status before being allowed to proceed further in the CDS Recruitment Process.

CDS Eligibility 2025 Nationality

Candidate eligibility for the CDS exam is based on nationality and citizenship requirements. Candidates who wish to take the CDS examination must be

• Any person who was an Indian citizen, a subject of Nepal
• a subject of Bhutan
• or a Tibetan refugee who had made a permanent abode in India before January 1, 1962

With the aim of permanently settling in India, people of Indian descent came from countries such as Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Zaire, Zambia, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, East African republics of Uganda, and Vietnam. Candidates who fall under categories 2, 3, 4, and 5 must show the hiring organisation a valid eligibility certificate issued by the Government of India.

CDS Eligibility 2025 for Female Candidates

CDS Height and Weight Standards

CDS Physical Standards for Males - Army & Navy

CDS Physical Standards for Males - Air Force

CDS Physical Standards for Females

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