The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has extended the deadline for application submission for the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (NDA, NA) II 2026 and the Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination II 2026. Those candidates who have not registered themselves can submit their application on or before 6 pm on 11th June 2026. The registration for both NDA II and CDS II examinations started from 20th May 2026. The last date to complete the entire online application through the official UPSC portal has been extended. Both the examinations will be conducted on 13th September 2026.
The extension will be applicable to all the eligible candidates applying for admission to different defence training academies through NDA II and CDS II recruitment examinations.
What is the new UPSC NDA II and CDS II application deadline
As per the latest notification on this, the last date to submit online applications and fees has been extended to 11th June 2026 till 6 pm for NDA II and CDS II examinations, as communicated by UPSC.
The move is welcomed by candidates who couldn’t finish their registrations before the earlier deadline. People are urged to submit their applications before the deadline so as to prevent any last-minute glitches in the registration process. The commission has stated that the examinations will be conducted on the 13th of September 2026. Admit cards will be released prior to the date of the examinations.
How many vacancies in UPSC NDA II 2026
Recruitment for NDA II 2026 has been announced by UPSC for 394 vacancies in different wings of the armed forces.
It boasts of 208 vacancies in the Army wing, 42 posts in the Navy, and 120 in the Air Force. In addition, 24 vacancies have been announced for the Naval Academy.
Applicants who have passed or are appearing for Class 12 from a recognised board are eligible to apply for the army wing. Candidates whose class 12 is for physics, chemistry and mathematics can apply for the Air Force and Naval wings. According to the eligibility condition, the birthdate should lie between 1st January 2008 and 1st January 2011. Both the dates are included.
What are the CDS II 2026 vacancies and eligibility criteria
There are a total of 451 vacancies for the CDS II 2026 exam to be researched in various defence academies. Out of these, there are 100 vacancies in the Indian Military Academy (IMA), 32 vacancies in the Air Force Academy (AFA), 26 vacancies in the Indian Naval Academy (INA) and 293 vacancies in the Officers Training Academy (OTA).
The educational requirements differ depending upon the academy. Aspirants applying for IMA and OTA must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from any recognised university, while aspirants applying for the Naval Academy must have an engineering degree.
Those applying to the Air Force Academy must have a bachelor’s degree and must have studied physics and mathematics up to the 10+2 level. According to UPSC, candidates born not earlier than July 1, 2003, and not later than July 1, 2008, are eligible to appear for CDS II. With the NDA II and CDS II 2026 application deadlines extended, this is one last chance for aspirants who want to join the armed forces to complete their registration on time.
Also Read: WBCAP Merit List 2026 Released at wbcap.in: Check Seat Allocation Status and Admission Schedule
Radhika is a journalist with two years of experience covering education, competitive exams, and student-focused developments. She reports on exam notifications, results, admissions, scholarships, and academic policies, helping students stay updated with important information.
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