Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) holds the Combined Defence Services Examination, prominently known as UPSC CDS Exam, for those candidates who are willing to pursue their career in any of the defence services of India. In nutshell, the commission conducts the examination for recruiting worthy and appropriate candidates for defence services of the nation. Candidates desirous to serve their nation by joining Indian Military Academy (IMA), Naval Academy, Air Force Academy or Officers’ Training Academy are required to appear for the test. The UPSC CDS Exam is one of the basic tools of measuring the aspirant’s abilities of joining any of the aforesaid defence academies. Applicants wishing to appear for the exam must inquire about the eligibility for appearing in the exam. Eligibility for UPSC CDS Exam is given below.
UPSC Combined Defence Services Exam Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for the UPSC CDS Exam, also known as Combined Defence Services Examination, depends upon, which defence academy the candidate wants to appear for. All defence academies have different eligibility conditions for offering employment to the candidates. The eligibility conditions are discussed below.
Indian Military Academy (IMA)
- Candidates desirous to appear for Indian Military Academy must have completed 19 years of age. Candidates of more than 24 years of age are not eligible.
- In terms of education, candidates having a degree from a recognized university or equivalent are eligible to apply.
Naval Academy
- Aspirants wishing to join Naval Academy must possess a Bachelor of Science (B Sc) degree with Physics & Mathematics or a Bachelor's degree in Engineering i.e. Bachelor of Engineering (BE).
- Candidates must have completed 19 years of age at the time of applying for the academy. Candidates above 22 years are not eligible for the Naval Academy.
Air Force Academy
- Candidates must have reached the age of 19 years and must not have crossed 23 years of age.
- The job seeker must have either Bachelor of Science (B Sc) degree with Physics & Mathematics or a Bachelor's degree in Engineering i.e. Bachelor of Engineering (BE).
Officers' Training Academy (OTA)
- Candidates must acquire a degree from a recognized university or equivalent.
- The age bar for the candidates lies between 19 years to 25 years.
