How to Use the CDS Age Eligibility Calculator
- Enter your date of birth.
- Set the reference (cutoff) date to the exact date printed in your CDS notification for your chosen academy — see the caveat below.
- Select your target academy: IMA/INA, AFA, or OTA.
- Click Check eligibility to see your exact age and whether it falls inside that academy's window.
Everything runs as plain JavaScript in your browser tab — nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.
CDS's Academy-wise Age Bands
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination feeds four different service academies, each with its own age window:
| Academy | Age band | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IMA (Indian Military Academy) | 19–24 years | Unmarried male candidates |
| INA (Indian Naval Academy) | 19–24 years | Unmarried male candidates |
| AFA (Air Force Academy) | 20–24 years | Flying branch; extendable to 26 for valid DGCA Commercial Pilot Licence holders (not modelled in this calculator) |
| OTA (Officers' Training Academy) | 19–25 years | Men and Women, Short Service Commission |
As with every exam in this family, the lower bound is inclusive and the upper bound is exclusive: a candidate who turns exactly 24 (for IMA/INA/AFA) or 25 (for OTA) on the reference date has already crossed that academy's limit.
Why the Reference Date Needs Your Attention
Like NDA, CDS does not use a single fixed calendar date every year. Age is reckoned against the course commencement date at the chosen academy, which is roughly six months to a year after the written exam. UPSC conducts two CDS cycles a year (CDS I and CDS II), each with its own reference date, and each academy's exact "born not earlier than / not later than" window is printed separately in the notification. This calculator's default cutoff date is a placeholder for the CDS II 2026 cycle; you must open the specific UPSC CDS notification PDF for your target academy and copy the exact reference date and birth-date window from it before trusting a result here.
No Category Age Relaxation
Like NDA, CDS grants no age relaxation for any reserved category — every candidate, regardless of category, must fall in the same academy-specific age window. Reservation at CDS shows up in seat allocation, not in the age criterion.
What Disqualifies You
- A date of birth outside the exact window printed for your chosen academy in your specific notification — even by a single day.
- Being married, for IMA and INA specifically (OTA accepts married candidates for its Short Service Commission entries; check the notification for exact marital-status rules per academy).
- Not holding the specific educational qualification each academy requires (a degree from a recognised university for IMA/OTA; an engineering degree for INA; a degree with Physics and Mathematics, or a B.E./B.Tech, for AFA).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to change the cutoff date myself? Because CDS's reference date is course-commencement-specific and differs between CDS I, CDS II, and each academy — there's no single fixed date this tool can safely hard-code across cycles and academies.
Do these age bands change often? The bands themselves (19–24 for IMA/INA, 20–24 for AFA, 19–25 for OTA) have been the long-standing CDS standard, but always confirm against the live notification since UPSC could revise them.
Does a Commercial Pilot Licence extend the AFA age limit? Yes, up to 26 years for candidates with a valid, current DGCA CPL — this calculator's AFA band (20–24) does not include that extension; check the notification directly if it applies to you.
Is this the official UPSC eligibility checker? No. This is an independent, browser-only estimate. Always cross-check your exact date of birth against the "born not earlier than / not later than" clause for your chosen academy in your specific CDS notification at upsc.gov.in.
Is my data stored anywhere? No. The check runs entirely in your browser; nothing is transmitted to a server.