Home » CDS Exam » CDS Age Limit 2025

CDS Age Limit 2025 for Male and Female Candidates

Aspirants who are looking forward to the upcoming CDS Exam 2025 must check complete details of CDS Age Limit 2025 for both female and Male candidates here.

Sakshi Gupta Published On December 11th, 2024 Leave a comment

Table of Contents

The age limit for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination plays a crucial role in determining the eligibility of candidates aspiring to join the Indian Armed Forces. Check out details on CDS Age Limit 2025 in this article.

CDS Age Limit 2025

CDS Age Limit: For recruitment into one of the three Indian Armed Forces, candidates must pass the Combined Defence Forces (CDS) Exam. The candidate who meets all CDS eligibility requirements, despite different eligibility requirements for recruitment in the three Indian Academies, will be eligible for the CDS Exam 2025.

Age Limit for CDS Exam 2025

The age limit for the CDS Exam 2025 depends on the specific Academy and entry scheme you choose. The age limit is calculated as of January 2nd of the year of the examination. Every year, thousands of students compete for the highly regarded CDS exam. For those who wish to join the army and serve their country, this is a great opportunity. The challenge for candidates is growing every year, so this year’s candidates must leave no stone untouched in their preparation for CDS. Check here for complete information about CDS Eligibility Criteria in detail.

CDS Exam Age Limit 2025

CDS Exam Age Limit 2025: The age limit for both males and females for the CDS 2025 Exam is shown here for your reference.

Academy	Age Limit
Indian Military Academy	19-24 Years
Indian Naval Academy	19-24 Years
Air Force Academy	20-24 Years
Officers’ Training Academy (Men)	19-25 Years
Officers’ Training Academy (Women)	19-25 Years

CDS Exam Age Limit, Sex and Marital Status

Category	Details
For IMA	Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd January 2001 and not later than 1st January 2006 only are eligible.
For Indian Naval Academy	Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd January 2001 and not later than 1st January 2006 only are eligible
For Air Force Academy	Age: 20-24 years on January 1st, 2025 (born January 2nd, 2001 – January 1st, 2005) Pilots with valid DGCA licenses: 20-26 years (born January 2nd, 1999 – January 1st, 2005) Marital Status: Unmarried preferred, marriage not allowed during training Above 25 and married? You can apply, but no family housing or off-campus living permitted during training
For Officers’ Training Academy	To be eligible for the Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for men), unmarried male applicants must be born between January 2nd, 2000 and January 1st, 2006. To be eligible for the Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course), Unmarried women, issueless widows who have not remarried and issueless divorcees (in possession of divorce documents) who have not remarried are eligible and they must be born between January 2nd, 2000 and January 1st, 2006,

CDS Age Limit for Female

For the CDS Exam 2025, the age limit for female candidates depends on the chosen training academy and course:

CDS Age Limit for Female
Officers Training Academy (OTA) – SSC Women Non-Technical Course	Minimum Age: 19 years Maximum Age: 25 years Additional Requirement: Unmarried status, or widow/divorcee without dependent children (with proof of divorce documents)
Other Academies	Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA): As of now, female candidates are not eligible for IMA, INA, and AFA through the CDS Entry Scheme.

CDS Age Limit for Male

For male candidates in the CDS Exam 2025, the age limit depends on the desired academy and entry scheme:

CDS Age Limit for Male
Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA)	Minimum Age: 20 years Maximum Age: 24 years Exception: Holders of valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence by DGCA (India) have an extended age limit of 25 years.
Officers Training Academy (OTA)	Minimum Age: 19 years Maximum Age: 25 years

CDS Age Limit 2025 FAQs

What is the maximum age for CDS?

Candidates must fit into the UPSC CDS age limit criteria to be allowed to appear for the exam. The age limit for the Indian Air Force Academy is 20-24 years. Certain age relaxation shall be given to some candidates.

Can 25 years old apply for CDS?

In CDS, the maximum age limit is 25 yrs. For OTA, the direct entry form comes in the name of TGC in which you will get options for PC (permanent commission) and SC (Short service commission). All SC officers do their training at OTA. Regd AFCAT, the max age limit is 26 but you should not exceed 26 yrs at the time of training.

Can I apply for CDS at the age of 27?

As per the CDS 1 eligibility criteria, applicants wanting to appear for the CDS 1 exam should be graduates and between the age group of 19 to 25 years.

What is CDS and its eligibility?

CDS full form is the Combined Defense Services exam and is conducted twice a year to select candidates for Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy. The selection process for the CDS exam comprises a written exam and an SSB interview.

Which is better CDS or NDA?

The CDS written exam is easier than the NDA written exam. But in the case of SSB, the recommendation of candidates is tougher in CDS as compared to NDA.

What is the salary of a CDS officer?

According to the salary of CDS, candidates who join the Combined Defense Services (CDS) as Lieutenant get a pay of Rs. 56,100 - Rs. 1, 77,500 per month.

About the Author

Sakshi Gupta

Author

I, Sakshi Gupta, am a content writer to empower students aiming for UPSC, PSC, and other competitive exams. My objective is to provide clear, concise, and informative content that caters to your exam preparation needs. I strive to make my content not only informative but also engaging, keeping you motivated throughout your journey!