The CDS cut off is the minimum qualifying marks that a candidate must secure in order to clear the exam and become eligible for the next stage of the selection process. The cut off marks for the CDS exam are determined by the UPSC which is the conducting authority for the exam. The CDS cut off marks are based on various factors such as the number of vacancies, the difficulty level of the exam, and the performance of the candidates in the exam. The cut off marks are different for each course and category of candidates. The candidates who score equal to or above the cut off marks are considered qualified for the next stage of the selection process, which may include the SSB interview and medical examination. It's important to note that the cut off marks for the CDS exam may vary each year depending on various factors. Candidates should also check the official notification and updates regarding the CDS cut off on the official website of the UPSC. Has context menu.

When will the CDS cut off be released?

The CDS (Combined Defense Services) cut off is usually released by the Union Public Service Commission UPSC after the declaration of the CDS exam result. The cut off marks are the minimum qualifying marks required by the candidates to clear the exam and become eligible for the next stage of the selection process. The exact date for the release of the CDS cut off may vary each year, as it depends on factors such as the number of candidates, the difficulty level of the exam, and other related factors. Generally, the CDS cut off is released a few weeks after the declaration of the exam result. However, the CDS cut off will be updated on the Shiksha CDS Cut off page as soon as it is released by the UPSC on their official website.

Is there any difference between CDS 1 and CDS 2 cut off?

Yes, there is a difference between the CDS 1 and CDS 2 cutoff. The CDS exam is conducted twice a year, and the cutoff marks for each session may vary depending on various factors such as the number of candidates, the difficulty level of the exam, and other related factors. The CDS 1 cutoff is usually released in the month of April/May, while the CDS 2 cutoff is released in the month of November/December. The cutoff marks for each session will depend on the number of vacancies available and the performance of the candidates in the exam. Candidates should note that the cutoff marks for each session may differ depending on various factors. Therefore, it is important to check the official notification and updates regarding the CDS cutoff for each session on the official website of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Is there any sectional cut off in CDS exam?

Yes, there is a sectional cut-off in the CDS exam. The CDS exam is conducted in two stages: the written exam and the interview. In the written exam, there are three sections: English General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Each section has a separate cut-off, which means that candidates must score the minimum qualifying marks in each section to be eligible for selection. The sectional cut-off may vary from year to year and is determined by the UPSC based on various factors such as the number of candidates, difficulty level of the exam, and availability of seats. The cut-off marks for each section are announced along with the result of the written exam. In addition to the sectional cut-off, there is also an overall cut-off for the written exam. Candidates must score the minimum qualifying marks in the overall exam to be eligible for the interview stage. The overall cut-off is also announced along with the result of the written exam. It is important for candidates to prepare and perform well in all sections of the CDS exam to meet the sectional and overall cut-off requirements and increase their chances of success.

What are the minimum qualifying marks for CDS written exam and SSB interview?

The minimum qualifying marks for the written exam and the SSB interview vary for each course in the CDS (Combined Defense Services) exam. The minimum qualifying marks are the minimum score that a candidate needs to obtain in order to be eligible for the next stage of the selection process. Here are the minimum qualifying marks for each course: 1. Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Officers' Training Academy (OTA): The minimum qualifying marks for each subject in the written exam is 20 per cent. The aggregate minimum qualifying marks in the written exam is 40 per cent 2. Indian Naval Academy (INA): The minimum qualifying marks for each subject in the written exam is 20 per cent. The aggregate minimum qualifying marks in the written exam is 40 per cent. 3. Air Force Academy (AFA): The minimum qualifying marks for each subject in the written exam is 20 per cent. The aggregate minimum qualifying marks in the written exam is 50 per cent. For the SSB interview, there is no fixed minimum qualifying marks, as the selection is based on the overall performance of the candidates in the interview. The SSB interview is designed to test the personality traits and suitability of the candidates for the respective course or post.

What is the weightage given to the CDS written exam and SSB interview in the final merit list?

The weightage given to the written exam and the SSB interview in the final merit list for the CDS exam varies for each course. Here is the approximate weightage given to the written exam and the SSB interview for each course: 1. Indian Military Academy (IMA): The written exam carries a weightage of 70 per cent and the SSB interview carries a weightage of 30 per cent. 2. Indian Naval Academy (INA): The written exam carries a weightage of 50 per cent and the SSB interview carries a weightage of 50 per cent. 3. Air Force Academy (AFA): The written exam carries a weightage of 50 per cent and the SSB interview carries a weightage of 50 per cent. 4. Officers' Training Academy (OTA): The written exam carries a weightage of 50 per cent and the SSB interview carries a weightage of 50 per cent It's important to note that the weightage given to the written exam and the SSB interview may vary slightly each year, and the exact weightage may be declared by the Union Public Service Commission UPSC in the official notification. Candidates should also check the official notification and updates regarding the CDS exam on the official website of the UPSC.

Why are the cut off marks for AFA more than IMA and INA?

The cut off marks for Air Force Academy (AFA) are usually higher than the cut off marks for Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Indian Naval Academy (INA) due to the higher level of competition and the specialised nature of the Air Force Academy. Here are some reasons why the cut off marks for AFA are generally higher: 1. Specialised training: The Air Force Academy is a specialised training institute for the Indian Air Force, and the training provided there is different from the training provided at IMA and INA. Therefore, the selection process for AFA is more stringent, and the cut off marks are usually higher. 2. Technical knowledge: The AFA requires candidates to have a good understanding of technical concepts, which adds to the difficulty level of the exam. As a result, the cut off marks for AFA are usually higher than those for IMA and INA. 3. Limited seats: The number of seats available at AFA is limited compared to IMA and INA, which means that the competition for admission to AFA is higher. This also contributes to the higher cut off marks for AFA.

Does the difficulty level of CDS exam affect the CDS cutoff?

Yes, the difficulty level of the CDS exam affects the CDS exam cut off. If the CDS exam difficulty level is easy to moderate in comparison of previous session then the CDS cut off will be higher than the previous cut off. If the CDS difficulty level of the exam is moderate to difficult in nature in comparison to the previous session then the CDS cut off will be lower than the previous cut off. However, the CDS cut off depends on the other factors also. The CDS cut off does not depend only on the CDS cut difficulty level. It also depends upon the other parameters like number of candidates taken the exam, exam pattern, etc. Therefore, the candidates are advised to prepare for the exam accordingly and does not rely only on the difficulty level exam for the CDS cut off.

How CDS exam expected cut off marks are determined?

Expected cut off marks for the CDS (Combined Defense Services) exam are determined based on various factors such as the number of vacancies, the difficulty level of the exam, and the performance of the candidates in the exam. Here are some of the factors that are taken into consideration while determining the expected cut off marks for the CDS exam: 1. Number of vacancies: The expected cut off marks for the CDS exam will depend on the number of vacancies available for the respective course or post. If the number of vacancies is high, the expected cut off marks may be lower, and vice versa. 2. Difficulty level of the exam: The expected cut off marks will depend on the difficulty level of the exam. If the exam is more difficult, the expected cut off marks may be higher, and vice versa. 3. Previous year cut off marks: The previous year cut off marks are taken into consideration while determining the expected cut off marks for the CDS exam. The expected cut off marks may be similar to the previous year cut off marks or may vary slightly depending on the factors mentioned above. 4. Performance of the candidates: The performance of the candidates in the exam is also taken into consideration while determining the expected cut off marks. If the overall performance of the candidates is good, the expected cut off marks may be higher, and vice versa.

Is the CDS merit list prepared on the basis of CDS cut off?

The merit list for the CDS exam is prepared based on the marks obtained by the candidates in the written exam and the performance in the SSB interview. The cut off marks for the written exam are used as a qualifying criterion to shortlist candidates for the SSB interview, and the final merit list is prepared based on the marks obtained in both the written exam and the SSB interview. The marks obtained by the candidates in the written exam are used to determine the eligibility of the candidates for the SSB interview. Only those candidates who score equal to or above the cut off marks in the written exam are considered eligible for the SSB interview. The final merit list is prepared based on the marks obtained by the candidates in both the written exam and the SSB interview. Therefore, while the CDS cut off marks are an important criterion for shortlisting candidates for the SSB interview, the final merit list is prepared based on the overall performance of the candidates in both the written exam and the SSB interview.

CDS Cut Off 2025: Expected Cutoff Marks for CDS Exam

Q: How to check CDS cut off?

The CDS (Combined Defense Services) cutoff is usually released by the Union Public Service Commission UPSC after the declaration of the CDS exam result. The cutoff marks are the minimum qualifying marks required by the candidates to clear the exam and become eligible for the next stage of the selection process. Here are the steps to check the CDS cutoff: 1. Visit the official website of the UPSC 2. Click on the "Exam" tab on the homepage. 3. Select "Active Examinations" from the dropdown menu. 4. Click on the link for "CDS Exam" from the list of active examinations. 5. Click on the "Cutoff" link under the "Result" tab. 6. The cutoff marks for the CDS exam will be displayed on the screen. 7. Download and save the cutoff for future reference. Alternatively, candidates can also check the CDS cutoff on other reliable sources, such as news websites or coaching institute websites.

578 Students Q&A

Exam On - 13 Apr '25

Updated on Jan 28, 2025 16:54 IST

By Shikha Goyal, Assistant Manager

CDS Cutoff 2025: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will declare the CDS cut-off 2025 after the completion of the exam on the official website. However, the candidates can check the expected cut-off marks for the CDS exam below. The expected cut-off marks will help the candidates to get the probability of getting selected in the defence academies- IMA, INA, ANA, and OTA.

The CDS 2025 expected cut-off is calculated on various factors like the number of candidates taking the exam, the difficulty level of the CDS question paper, previous trends of the exam, the number of vacancies, etc. The candidates will be able to check their secured marks by comparing their responses against the questions asked in the exam with the CDS answer key.

CDS cut-off gives a clear picture of the difficulty level of the exam as well as the competition. We have provided CDS's previous year cut-off. These previous years' cut offs will also help candidates who are preparing for CDS 2025 exam Find all about it in the information given below.

CDS Cut off 2025

UPSC releases CDS cut-off for the written exam and final selection after the completion of the recruitment process. CDS cutoff for the written exam is calculated based on the minimum qualifying marks in each subject and the minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate. The final CDS cutoff is decided based on the marks of the last recommended candidate. After the release of the CDS cut off the CDS result is released. The minimum qualifying for each subject is 20 percent. Candidates need to secure separate qualifying marks in the written exam and SSB Interview. Based on the CDS cutoff, candidates are selected for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). Candidates are required to secure the cut-off marks separately in the written exam and SSB interview to be considered for final selection.

CDS 2 2025 Expected Cut Off

After taking into consideration the difficulty level of the paper, we will provide CDS 2 expected cut-off in 2025. The expected cut-off will be disclosed to students so that they can analyse their performance. The number of CDS 2 vacancy and the difficulty level of the exam plays an important role in deciding the expected cut-off. Candidates can check below the CDS 2 expected cut-off:

Academy	Written Exam	Final Exam
IMA (Indian Military Academy)	Available Soon	Available Soon
INA (Indian Naval Academy)	Available Soon	Available Soon
AFA (Air Force Academy)	Available Soon	Available Soon
OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) men	Available Soon	Available Soon
OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) women	Available Soon	Available Soon

CDS 1 2025 Expected Cut Off

After taking into consideration the difficulty level of the paper, we will provide the CDS 1 expected cutoff 2025. The expected cut-off is disclosed to students so that they can analyse their performance as well as know the chances of their selection for the next round. The number of CDS 1 vacancy and the difficulty level of the exam plays an important role in deciding the expected cut-off. Candidates can check below the CDS 1 expected cut-off for 2024.

Academy	Written Exam	Final Exam
IMA (Indian Military Academy)	120 – 130	245 – 255
INA (Indian Naval Academy)	105 – 120	233 – 245
AFA (Air Force Academy)	145 – 150	268 – 270
OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) men	73 – 85	162 – 170
OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) women	74 – 85	164 – 170

How to Check CDS Cut Off?

CDS cut-off will be released online on the official website-upsc.nic.in. The steps to check the cut-off of CDS exam are given below:

Visit the official website
Go to the cutoff section from the 'Examination' tab
Click the relevant link
The course-wise CDS cut-off marks are displayed on the screen in PDF format
Download the same and save the file

CDS Minimum Qualifying Marks

The minimum qualifying marks for the CDS exam will help the candidates establish a target to score good attempts for the CDS exam. The candidates must check the previous years' question papers to get a rough idea of the difficulty level of the paper. The minimum qualifying marks for the CDS 2 exam are given below in the table:

Course	Written Result
Course	Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject
IMA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)
INA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)
AFA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)
OTA (Men)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)
OTA (Women)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)

Factors Determining CDS Cut Off Marks

The cut off marks of CDS exam are determined based on the following factors:

Number of vacancies
Total number of appeared candidates
The Difficulty level of the exam

CDS Cut off 2025 for Written Exam

The cut off for the written exam is the minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidates. The written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA comprises English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics sections. The test paper for admission to OTA comprises two sections, English and General Knowledge. Total marks of the test for IMA, INA and AFA are 300 while it is 200 for OTA. Candidates are also required to secure the minimum qualifying marks in each subject, which is 20 per cent. UPSC prepares a list of candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written exam. Candidates who are declared successful in the written exam are called for intelligence and personality tests.

Related Links:

CDS Cut off 2025 for SSB Interview

SSB Interview is conducted for the qualified candidates of the written exam. The SSB Interview follows the two-stage selection process. Stage 1 comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT). Stage 2 comprises Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference. To qualify SSB Interview, candidates need to secure the minimum qualifying marks. The CDS cut-off for SSB Interview is decided out of 300 marks for IMA, INA, and AFA and 200 marks for OTA.

CDS 1 Cut off 2025 for Final Selection

The cutoff for final selection is decided based on the written exam and SSB Interview. CDS final cut-off is the marks secured by the last recommended candidates. Based on the final cutoff, candidates are selected for admission to the different courses.

Related Links:

CDS 2 2022 Cutoff

The candidates can check the CDS 2 2022 cut off below in the table:

Name of the Academy	Written Result		Final Result
Name of the Academy	Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject	Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	20 per cent	126 marks	249
INA		118 marks	248
AFA		136 marks	258
OTA (Men)		98 marks	180
OTA (Women)		98 marks	179

Previous Years’ CDS Cut off Marks

Candidates can check below CDS previous years' cut off for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

CDS 2 Cut off 2021

Course	Written Result		Final Result
Course	Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject	Minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	138 marks (i.e. 46 per cent)	263
INA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	132 marks (i.e. 44 per cent)	256
AFA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	148 marks (i.e. 49.33 per cent)	270
OTA (Men)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	102 marks (i.e. 51 per cent)	183
OTA (Women)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	102 marks (i.e. 51 per cent)	184

CDS 1 2021 Cutoff

Academy	Written Exam	Final Exam
	Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	145	268
INA	136	260
AFA	158	281
OTA (Men)	107	189
OTA(Women)	107	191

CDS (I) 2020 Official Cutoff

Academy	Written Exam	Final Exam
	Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate*	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	130	250
INA	118	242
AFA	143	274
OTA (Men)	93	173
OTA(Women)	93	177

*Subject to a minimum of 20 per cent marks in each paper

Download here CDS (II) 2020 Official Cutoff

CDS 2 2019 Official Cut off

Academy		Written Exam	Final Exam
	Minimum qualifying marks in each subject	Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	134 marks (i.e. 44.67 per cent)	258
INA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	122 marks (i.e. 40.67 per cent)	245
AFA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	148 marks (i.e. 49.33 per cent)	272
OTA (Men)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	95 marks (i.e. 47.5 per cent)	176
OTA(Women)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	95 marks (i.e. 47.5 per cent)	179

CDS 1 2019 Official Cut off

Academy	Written Exam	Final Exam
	Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	116	242
INA	105	233
AFA	129	264
OTA (Men)	78	160
OTA(Women)	78	162

CDS 1 cut off 2018

Academy	Written Exam	Final Exam
IMA	118	240
INA	98	225
AFA	138	279
OTA(Men)	69	154
OTA(Women)	69	150

*Subject to a minimum of 20 per cent marks in each paper.

CDS 2 Cut off 2018

Marks of last qualified candidate	Written Result		Final Result
Marks of last qualified candidate	Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject	Minimum aggregate marks of last qualified candidate	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	116 marks (i.e. 38.67 per cent)	242
INA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	102 marks (i.e. 34 per cent)	228
AFA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	131 marks (i.e. 43.67 per cent)	253
OTA (Men)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	80 marks (i.e. 40 per cent)	162
OTA (Women)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	80 marks (i.e. 40 per cent)	163

CDS 1 Cut off 2017

Academy	Written Exam	Final Exam
IMA	125	249
INA	118	241
AFA	144	268
OTA (Men)	82	163
OTA (Women)	82	164

CDS 2 Cut off 2017

Marks of last qualified candidates	Written Result		Final Result
Marks of last qualified candidates	Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject	Minimum aggregate marks of last qualified candidate	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	120 marks (i.e. 40 per cent)	244
INA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	111 marks (i.e. 37 per cent)	237
AFA	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	135 marks (i.e. 45 per cent)	260
OTA (Men)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	86 marks (i.e. 43 per cent)	167
OTA (Women)	20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent)	86 marks (i.e. 43 per cent)	171

CDS 1 Cut off 2016

Academy	Written Exam	Final Exam
Aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	72	214
INA	63	217
AFA	123	249
OTA (Men)	68	150
OTA (Women)	68	157

CDS 2 Cut off 2016

Marks of last qualified candidate	Written Result					FinalResult
Marks of last qualified candidate	Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject				Minimum aggregate marks of last qualified candidate	Marks of last recommended candidate
IMA	20	marks	(i.e.	20 per cent)	105 marks (i.e. 35 per cent)	227
INA	20	marks	(i.e.	20 per cent)	90 marks (i.e. 30 per cent)	225
AFA	20	marks	(i.e.	20 per cent)	135 marks (i.e. 45 per cent)	258
OTA (Men)	20	marks	(i.e.	20 per cent)	72 marks (i.e. 36 per cent)	157
OTA (Women)	20	marks	(i.e.	20 per cent)	72 marks (i.e. 36 per cent)	159