The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the final results of the Combined Defence Services Examination (I) 2026, with 243 candidates making it to the merit list for admission to three prestigious defence training academies. UPSC CDS I Final Result 2026 was declared on Monday night. Lohitaksh Mahajan has emerged as the top-ranked candidate across all three merit lists. Applicants can access the results on the official UPSC website, upsc.gov.in
The results include candidates recommended for the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun, Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Ezhimala, Kerala, and Air Force Academy (AFA) in Hyderabad. Selection lists have been prepared based on performance in the written examination and interviews conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB) under the Ministry of Defence.
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According to the official notification, 155 candidates have qualified for the Indian Military Academy, 63 for the Indian Naval Academy and 25 for the Air Force Academy. UPSC has clarified that some candidates appear in more than one merit list, meaning the figure of 243 represents entries across the three lists.
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Mahajan secured the first position in the merit lists for all three academies. Lakshya Verma and Shubham Parmar secured the second and third positions, respectively, in the Indian Military Academy merit list.
The CDS I written examination was conducted on April 12, 2026, comprising three papers -- English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. Candidates who cleared the written stage were shortlisted for SSB interviews, which assessed their suitability for officer training in the armed forces.
UPSC has clarified that medical examination results were not considered while preparing the final merit lists. The candidature of recommended applicants remains provisional until the relevant defence authorities complete verification of their educational qualifications, date of birth and other essential documents.
Candidates must submit their original supporting certificates, along with attested photocopies, to the appropriate Army, Naval or Air Headquarters according to their first preference.
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Candidates can check and download the UPSC CDS I Final Result 2026 by following these steps:
- Visit the official UPSC website at https://upsc.gov.in.
- Find the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026 final result notification.
- Open the result PDF containing the names and roll numbers of recommended candidates.
- Use the search option to locate your name or roll number.
- Download the document and retain a copy for future reference.
Direct link to UPSC CDS I Final Result 2026 PDF: https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/FR-CDSE-I-2026-Engl-021126.pdf
The commission has further stated that candidates' marks will be uploaded to its website after the announcement of the final result for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) course under CDS I 2026.
For assistance regarding the examination or results, candidates can approach the UPSC Facilitation Counter on working days between 10 am and 5:30 pm. They can also contact the candidate helpdesk at 011-24041001 or 011-40303444 between 9 am and 8 pm on any day.
Candidates are advised to regularly visit the official UPSC website for further updates on the selection and admission process.
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