If your roll number is in this list, stop and take a breath — then get moving, because the next stage won’t wait for you. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has declared the CDS II 2026 written result, and 8,956 candidates have qualified for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview. The result came out on 19 October 2026, for the written exam held on 13 September 2026.
Now, a word of caution before you celebrate too hard: this is the written result, not the final merit list. It only means you’ve cleared the first gate. The SSB interview, medical examination, and final merit — all of that still lies ahead. But clearing a UPSC written exam is no small thing, and 8,956 out of the lakhs who sat it is a genuinely short list.
CDS II 2026 Result: Key Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Conducting body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam | Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 |
| Notification number | 11/2026-CDS-II |
| Written exam date | 13 September 2026 |
| Written result declared | 19 October 2026 |
| Candidates qualified | 8,956 |
| Vacancies (tentative) | 451 |
| Next stage | SSB interview, then medical examination |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
Where Those 451 Vacancies Sit
The 451 vacancies are tentative — the Service Headquarters can revise them before training places are allotted — and they spread across five courses: Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, 100; Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala, 26; Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad, 32; Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, men 275 and women 18. The IMA course is the 163rd (DE) course commencing July 2027, the INA course also commences July 2027, the AFA course is the 222 F(P) Pre-Flying Training Course commencing July 2027, and the OTA courses are the 126th SSC courses commencing October 2027.
Why does that breakdown matter to you? Because your SSB centre, your document requirements, and even your registration steps depend on which academy you put first. Candidates who chose the Army — IMA or OTA — as first preference need to register on the Army recruitment website, joinindianarmy.nic.in, to receive SSB call-up information. Don’t assume the call letter will just find you.
How to Check the CDS II Result
- Visit the official UPSC website, upsc.gov.in.
- Open the Written Results section (or the Active Examinations page).
- Find the link for the written result of the Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026.
- Open the result PDF — it lists roll numbers, not names — and search for your roll number.
- Save the PDF. You’ll want it handy for the SSB stage.
A quick note on the name-wise list: a name-wise version was also reported on 26 October 2026, after the roll-number list of 19 October. If you can’t find your roll number at first glance, check both, and double-check the digits — a single transposed digit has caused more panic than any actual result ever has.
What Happens Next: SSB and Beyond
Qualified candidates now face the SSB interview in two stages, Stage I and Stage II, followed by a medical examination. SSB detailing is staggered: IMA, Navy, and Air Force candidates are usually scheduled around February to March 2027, with OTA batches following by the second week of May 2027. The final merit list, expected in 2027, will be drawn up on written plus SSB performance.
And one practical detail worth keeping: UPSC has said the marks sheets for the OTA course will be made available on upsconline.nic.in within 15 days of the final result declaration, and will stay accessible for 30 days. Also note the document deadlines in the result notice — for IMA and INA, not later than 1 July 2027; for AFA, not later than 13 May 2027; and for the OTA SSC courses, not later than 1 October 2027. Candidature is provisional throughout, so keep your documents in order.
Getting Ready for SSB: A Practical Checklist
The SSB is nothing like a written exam, so preparation has to change gear completely. Start with the boring-but-essential part: documents. Keep your matriculation and graduation certificates, identity proof, the CDS written result printout, and any NCC or other certificates the SSB call-up letter asks for, in one file, originals plus photocopies. Candidates are often sent back over a missing document, and that is a wholly avoidable way to lose a chance.
Then the actual testing. Stage I is screening — a verbal and non-verbal intelligence test plus a picture perception and discussion test. Stage II runs over several days and covers psychology tests, group tasks, and a personal interview. None of this rewards last-minute cramming; it rewards being able to think clearly, speak plainly, and work in a group without either disappearing or dominating. If you have weeks before your SSB date, use them for mock group discussions and for honest self-review, not for memorising answers. And keep your physical fitness up — the medical examination follows the interview, and standards there are strict and non-negotiable.
One last thing: if your roll number is on the list, start the SSB paperwork today. The interview dates will come faster than you expect, and documents take longer to gather than anyone plans for.
Important Links
- UPSC Official Website – upsc.gov.in
- UPSC NDA II Result 2026 – 7,886 Qualify for SSB
- SBI PO Mains Result 2026 – 4,367 Shortlisted
- UPSSSC Stenographer Skill Test Result 2026
FAQs: UPSC CDS II Result 2026
How many candidates qualified in CDS II 2026?
8,956 candidates qualified in the written result for the SSB interview.
When was the CDS II 2026 written result declared?
On 19 October 2026, for the exam held on 13 September 2026.
Does the result PDF list names or roll numbers?
Roll numbers. A name-wise list was also reported later, on 26 October 2026.
What is the next stage after the written result?
The SSB interview (Stage I and Stage II), followed by a medical examination and a final merit list.
Do Army-first-preference candidates need to register anywhere?
Yes — on joinindianarmy.nic.in, to receive SSB call-up information.
