Exam Comparison

NDA vs CDS 2026

NDA 2026 is for 12th-pass unmarried male candidates (17.5–23 years) joining the Army, Navy, or Air Force before graduation; CDS 2026 is for graduates seeking permanent commission as officers in all three defence services.

Last updated: July 4, 2026

Parameter	NDA 2026	CDS 2026
Conducting Body	UPSC (Union Public Service Commission)	UPSC (Union Public Service Commission)
Full Form	National Defence Academy	Combined Defence Services
Eligibility	12th pass; age 17.5–23 years; unmarried males only	Graduate; age 19–25 years; males and females
Vacancies 2026	400 (approx per cycle)	459 (approx per cycle)
Exams Per Year	2 (NDA I & NDA II)	2 (CDS I & CDS II)
Exam Pattern	Maths (300) + GAT (600) = 900 marks written	English + GK + Maths (IMA/AFA) = 300 marks each
SSB Interview	Yes — mandatory 5-day SSB after written	Yes — mandatory 5-day SSB after written
Training	3-year NDA + 1-year IMA/NA/AFA training	1.5-year IMA / 1-year OTA training
Commission Type	Permanent Commission	Permanent Commission (IMA/NA/AFA), Short Service (OTA)
Starting Salary	₹56,100/month at Lieutenant level post-training	₹56,100/month at Lieutenant level
Women Eligible	No (males only)	Yes — for OTA (Short Service Commission)
Difficulty	High — Maths is elimination round	High — graduate-level GK and English

Choose NDA 2026 if…

Choose NDA if you are in 12th or just passed, unmarried, and want to join the armed forces early. NDA gives you officer training while completing graduation inside the academy.

NDA 2026 full details →

Choose CDS 2026 if…

Choose CDS if you are already a graduate or in the final year of graduation. CDS is open to both males and females and covers Army, Navy, Air Force, and OTA.

CDS 2026 full details →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is harder — NDA or CDS?▼

Both are competitive. NDA has a tough Maths paper (Class 11–12 level) that acts as an elimination round. CDS has higher English and GK standards at graduation level. The SSB Interview is equally challenging for both and is the true bottleneck.

Can I appear for both NDA and CDS?▼

Not simultaneously — you need to be 12th pass for NDA and a graduate for CDS. However, an NDA aspirant who misses NDA age eligibility can later appear for CDS after graduation.

Which gives a better career — NDA or CDS?▼

NDA offers a longer career since you join younger and get more years of service. CDS officers join later but have the same promotion structure. Seniority and promotion in the armed forces depend on merit and vacancies, not the entry route.

Are women eligible for NDA?▼

No. NDA is open only to unmarried male candidates. Women can join the Army, Navy, or Air Force as officers through CDS (for OTA Short Service Commission) or UPSC's dedicated notification for Women Military Police (Army).

More Comparisons

SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL 2026

SSC CGL 2026 requires a graduate degree with 15,000+ vacancies for Group B/C gazetted posts; SSC CHSL 2026 requires 12th pass with 3,000+ vacancies for Lower Division Clerk and Data Entry Operator posts.

IBPS PO vs SBI PO 2026

IBPS PO 2026 offers 6,715 vacancies across 11 public sector banks with a Prelims–Mains–Interview structure; SBI PO 2026 offers 1,500 vacancies at India's largest bank with a three-phase selection including a Group Exercise.

RRB NTPC vs RRB Group D 2026

RRB NTPC 2026 requires graduation or 12th pass for clerical and junior officer posts; RRB Group D 2026 requires only 10th pass or ITI and fills 22,195 trackman and helper vacancies — the largest Indian Railways recruitment.

UPSC IAS vs SSC CGL 2026

UPSC IAS (CSE) 2026 selects ~1,000 candidates for Group A gazetted officer posts like IAS, IPS, and IFS through a year-long 3-stage process; SSC CGL 2026 selects 15,000+ candidates for Group B/C posts in a faster 2-stage online exam.

CTET vs State TET 2026

CTET 2026 is a national-level teacher eligibility test conducted by CBSE valid for central government schools (KVS, NVS, Army Schools); State TET is conducted by individual states and is mandatory for teaching in that state's government schools.