Updated on Feb 11, 2025
Asmita
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will declare the CDS cut-off 2025 after the completion of the exam on the official website. However, the candidates can check the expected cut-off marks for the CDS exam below. The expected cut-off marks will help the candidates to get the probability of getting selected in the defence academies- IMA, INA, ANA, and OTA.
The CDS 2025 expected cut-off is calculated on various factors like the number of candidates taking the exam, the difficulty level of the CDS question paper, previous trends of the exam, the number of vacancies, etc. The candidates will be able to check their secured marks by comparing their responses against the questions asked in the exam with the CDS answer key.
CDS cut-off gives a clear picture of the difficulty level of the exam as well as the competition. We have provided CDS's previous year cut-off. These previous years' cut offs will also help candidates who are preparing for the CDS 2025 exam. Find all about it in the information given below.
CDS Cut off 2025
UPSC releases CDS cut-off for the written exam and final selection after the completion of the recruitment process. CDS cutoff for the written exam is calculated based on the minimum qualifying marks in each subject and the minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate. The final CDS cutoff is decided based on the marks of the last recommended candidate. After the release of the CDS cut off the CDS result is released. The minimum qualifying score for each subject is 20 percent. Candidates need to secure separate qualifying marks in the written exam and SSB Interview. Based on the CDS cutoff, candidates are selected for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). Candidates are required to secure the cut-off marks separately in the written exam and SSB interview to be considered for final selection.
CDS 2 2025 Expected Cut Off
After taking into consideration the difficulty level of the paper, we will provide CDS 2 expected cut-off in 2025. The expected cut-off will be disclosed to students so that they can analyse their performance. The number of CDS 2 vacancies and the difficulty level of the exam plays an important role in deciding the expected cut-off. Candidates can check below the CDS 2 expected cut-off:
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| IMA (Indian Military Academy) | Available Soon | Available Soon |
| INA (Indian Naval Academy) | Available Soon | Available Soon |
| AFA (Air Force Academy) | Available Soon | Available Soon |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) men | Available Soon | Available Soon |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) women | Available Soon | Available Soon |
CDS 1 2025 Expected Cut Off
After taking into consideration the difficulty level of the paper, we will provide the CDS 1 expected cutoff 2025. The expected cut-off is disclosed to students so that they can analyse their performance as well as know the chances of their selection for the next round. The number of CDS 1 vacancy and the difficulty level of the exam plays an important role in deciding the expected cut-off. Candidates can check below the CDS 1 expected cut-off for 2024.
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| IMA (Indian Military Academy) | 120 – 130 | 245 – 255 |
| INA (Indian Naval Academy) | 105 – 120 | 233 – 245 |
| AFA (Air Force Academy) | 145 – 150 | 268 – 270 |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) men | 73 – 85 | 162 – 170 |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) women | 74 – 85 | 164 – 170 |
How to Check CDS Cut Off?
CDS cut-off will be released online on the official website-upsc.nic.in. The steps to check the cut-off of CDS exam are given below:
- Visit the official website
- Go to the cutoff section from the 'Examination' tab
- Click the relevant link
- The course-wise CDS cut-off marks are displayed on the screen in PDF format
- Download the same and save the file
CDS Minimum Qualifying Marks
The minimum qualifying marks for the CDS exam will help the candidates establish a target to score good attempts for the CDS exam. The candidates must check the previous years' question papers to get a rough idea of the difficulty level of the paper. The minimum qualifying marks for the CDS 2 exam are given below in the table:
| Course | Written Result |
|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | |
| IMA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
| INA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
| AFA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
| OTA (Men) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
| OTA (Women) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) |
Factors Determining CDS Cut Off Marks
The cut off marks of CDS exam are determined based on the following factors:
- Number of vacancies
- Total number of appeared candidates
- The Difficulty level of the exam
CDS Cut off 2025 for Written Exam
The cut off for the written exam is the minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidates. The written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA comprises English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics sections. The test paper for admission to OTA comprises two sections, English and General Knowledge. Total marks of the test for IMA, INA and AFA are 300 while it is 200 for OTA. Candidates are also required to secure the minimum qualifying marks in each subject, which is 20 per cent. UPSC prepares a list of candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written exam. Candidates who are declared successful in the written exam are called for intelligence and personality tests.
CDS Cut off 2025 for SSB Interview
SSB Interview is conducted for the qualified candidates of the written exam. The SSB Interview follows the two-stage selection process. Stage 1 comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT). Stage 2 comprises Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference. To qualify SSB Interview, candidates need to secure the minimum qualifying marks. The CDS cut-off for SSB Interview is decided out of 300 marks for IMA, INA, and AFA and 200 marks for OTA.
CDS 1 Cut off 2025 for Final Selection
The cutoff for final selection is decided based on the written exam and SSB Interview. CDS final cut-off is the marks secured by the last recommended candidates. Based on the final cutoff, candidates are selected for admission to the different courses.
CDS 2 2022 Cutoff
The candidates can check the CDS 2 2022 cut off below in the table:
| Name of the Academy | Written Result | Final Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 20 per cent | 126 marks | 249 |
| INA | 118 marks | 248 | |
| AFA | 136 marks | 258 | |
| OTA (Men) | 98 marks | 180 | |
| OTA (Women) | 98 marks | 179 | |
Previous Years’ CDS Cut off Marks
Candidates can check below CDS previous years' cut off for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
CDS 2 Cut off 2021
| Course | Written Result | Final Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | Minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 138 marks (i.e. 46 per cent) | 263 |
| INA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 132 marks (i.e. 44 per cent) | 256 |
| AFA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 148 marks (i.e. 49.33 per cent) | 270 |
| OTA (Men) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 102 marks (i.e. 51 per cent) | 183 |
| OTA (Women) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 102 marks (i.e. 51 per cent) | 184 |
CDS 1 2021 Cutoff
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 145 | 268 |
| INA | 136 | 260 |
| AFA | 158 | 281 |
| OTA (Men) | 107 | 189 |
| OTA(Women) | 107 | 191 |
CDS (I) 2020 Official Cutoff
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate* | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 130 | 250 |
| INA | 118 | 242 |
| AFA | 143 | 274 |
| OTA (Men) | 93 | 173 |
| OTA(Women) | 93 | 177 |
*Subject to a minimum of 20 per cent marks in each paper
Download here CDS (II) 2020 Official Cutoff
CDS 2 2019 Official Cut off
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each subject | Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 134 marks (i.e. 44.67 per cent) | 258 |
| INA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 122 marks (i.e. 40.67 per cent) | 245 |
| AFA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 148 marks (i.e. 49.33 per cent) | 272 |
| OTA (Men) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 95 marks (i.e. 47.5 per cent) | 176 |
| OTA(Women) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 95 marks (i.e. 47.5 per cent) | 179 |
CDS 1 2019 Official Cut off
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 116 | 242 |
| INA | 105 | 233 |
| AFA | 129 | 264 |
| OTA (Men) | 78 | 160 |
| OTA(Women) | 78 | 162 |
CDS 1 cut off 2018
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| IMA | 118 | 240 |
| INA | 98 | 225 |
| AFA | 138 | 279 |
| OTA(Men) | 69 | 154 |
| OTA(Women) | 69 | 150 |
*Subject to a minimum of 20 per cent marks in each paper.
CDS 2 Cut off 2018
| Marks of last qualified candidate | Written Result | Final Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | Minimum aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 116 marks (i.e. 38.67 per cent) | 242 |
| INA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 102 marks (i.e. 34 per cent) | 228 |
| AFA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 131 marks (i.e. 43.67 per cent) | 253 |
| OTA (Men) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 80 marks (i.e. 40 per cent) | 162 |
| OTA (Women) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 80 marks (i.e. 40 per cent) | 163 |
CDS 1 Cut off 2017
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| IMA | 125 | 249 |
| INA | 118 | 241 |
| AFA | 144 | 268 |
| OTA (Men) | 82 | 163 |
| OTA (Women) | 82 | 164 |
CDS 2 Cut off 2017
| Marks of last qualified candidates | Written Result | Final Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | Minimum aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 120 marks (i.e. 40 per cent) | 244 |
| INA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 111 marks (i.e. 37 per cent) | 237 |
| AFA | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 135 marks (i.e. 45 per cent) | 260 |
| OTA (Men) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 86 marks (i.e. 43 per cent) | 167 |
| OTA (Women) | 20 marks (i.e. 20 per cent) | 86 marks (i.e. 43 per cent) | 171 |
CDS 1 Cut off 2016
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | |
| IMA | 72 | 214 |
| INA | 63 | 217 |
| AFA | 123 | 249 |
| OTA (Men) | 68 | 150 |
| OTA (Women) | 68 | 157 |
CDS 2 Cut off 2016
| Marks of last qualified candidate | Written Result | FinalResult | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying marks in each Subject | Minimum aggregate marks of last qualified candidate | Marks of last recommended candidate | ||||
| IMA | 20 | marks | (i.e. | 20 per cent) | 105 marks (i.e. 35 per cent) | 227 |
| INA | 20 | marks | (i.e. | 20 per cent) | 90 marks (i.e. 30 per cent) | 225 |
| AFA | 20 | marks | (i.e. | 20 per cent) | 135 marks (i.e. 45 per cent) | 258 |
| OTA (Men) | 20 | marks | (i.e. | 20 per cent) | 72 marks (i.e. 36 per cent) | 157 |
| OTA (Women) | 20 | marks | (i.e. | 20 per cent) | 72 marks (i.e. 36 per cent) | 159 |
FAQs CDS Cut off 2025
Does the difficulty level of the CDS exam affect the CDS cutoff?
Yes, the difficulty level of the CDS exam affects the CDS exam cut off. If the CDS exam difficulty level is easy to moderate in comparison of previous session then the CDS cut off will be higher than the previous cut off. If the CDS difficulty level of the exam is moderate to difficult in nature in comparison to the previous session then the CDS cut off will be lower than the previous cut off. However, the CDS cut off depends on the other factors also. The CDS cut off does not depend only on the CDS cut difficulty level. It also depends upon the other parameters like number of candidates taken the exam, exam pattern, etc. Therefore, the candidates are advised to prepare for the exam accordingly and not rely only on the difficulty level exam for the CDS cut off.
How are the CDS exam expected cut off marks determined?
Expected cut off marks for the CDS (Combined Defense Services) exam are determined based on various factors such as the number of vacancies, the difficulty level of the exam, and the performance of the candidates in the exam. Here are some of the factors that are taken into consideration while determining the expected cut off marks for the CDS exam: 1. Number of vacancies: The expected cut off marks for the CDS exam will depend on the number of vacancies available for the respective course or post. If the number of vacancies is high, the expected cut off marks may be lower, and vice versa. 2. Difficulty level of the exam: The expected cut off marks will depend on the difficulty level of the exam. If the exam is more difficult, the expected cut off marks may be higher, and vice versa. 3. Previous year cut off marks: The previous year cut off marks are taken into consideration while determining the expected cut off marks for the CDS exam. The expected cut off marks may be similar to the previous year cut off marks or may vary slightly depending on the factors mentioned above. 4. Performance of the candidates: The performance of the candidates in the exam is also taken into consideration while determining the expected cut off marks. If the overall performance of the candidates is good, the expected cut off marks may be higher, and vice versa.
Is the CDS merit list prepared on the basis of CDS cut off?
The merit list for the CDS exam is prepared based on the marks obtained by the candidates in the written exam and the performance in the SSB interview. The cut off marks for the written exam are used as a qualifying criterion to shortlist candidates for the SSB interview, and the final merit list is prepared based on the marks obtained in both the written exam and the SSB interview. The marks obtained by the candidates in the written exam are used to determine the eligibility of the candidates for the SSB interview. Only those candidates who score equal to or above the cut off marks in the written exam are considered eligible for the SSB interview. The final merit list is prepared based on the marks obtained by the candidates in both the written exam and the SSB interview. Therefore, while the CDS cut off marks are an important criterion for shortlisting candidates for the SSB interview, the final merit list is prepared based on the overall performance of the candidates in both the written exam and the SSB interview.
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