UPSC CDS II Exam Schedule 2026

UPSC CDS II Exam Schedule 2026 — a admit card release — is summarised below. The key figures are an application window closing 11 June 2026 and a fee of ₹200 for unreserved candidates. Everything below — dates, eligibility, fee and the official links — is set out in the order you will need it.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts central civil services and specialist recruitment. UPSC timelines and criteria are rarely relaxed, and only upsc.gov.in should be treated as authoritative for the application, admit card and result.

Applications open on 20 May 2026 and close on 11 June 2026, giving candidates 23 days to complete the process. The 23-day window is comfortable, though last-day traffic still causes portal failures every cycle — applying in the first half avoids it. A correction window is listed (As per Schedule), so errors in the submitted form can be fixed within that period rather than by re-applying. The exam is currently shown for 13/09/2026; treat this as provisional until the admit card confirms it.

The age limit runs from 20 to 24 years for unreserved candidates. That is a 4-year band, so candidates near either edge should confirm the exact cut-off date the notification measures age against — it is usually a fixed reference date, not the date you apply. On qualifications, the notification states: Bachelor Degree in Any Stream with Physics & Math in 10+2 Level. If your degree is an equivalent under a different name, look for the equivalence clause in the official PDF before paying the fee — a form rejected for a qualification mismatch is not usually refundable.

SC / ST / Female is exempt from the application fee under this notification. All fee-paying categories are charged the same ₹200. Payment is accepted via debit card, credit card, net banking, and offline bank challan. Pay only through the official portal linked on this page; the fee is normally non-refundable once the form is submitted.

Check the admit card for the three things candidates most often get wrong: the reporting time (typically well before the exam time), the exact centre address, and the list of permitted items. Carry a printed copy plus the photo ID named on the card — a digital copy on a phone is not accepted at most centres.