CDS 2 Expected Cutoff 2026: Check IMA, INA, AFA, OTA Expected Marks and Safe Score

The CDS 2 Expected Cutoff 2026 is now a key focus for candidates who appeared in the UPSC CDS 2 exam 2026 on September 13. The written examination was conducted in three shifts for admission to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).

The CDS 2 cutoff 2026 will be released officially by UPSC after the selection process. However, based on the latest CDS 2 exam analysis, previous-year cutoff trends and the overall competition, candidates can use the expected range to estimate their chances of qualifying for the CDS 2 SSB interview 2026.

CDS 2 Expected Cutoff 2026: Academy-Wise Marks

The latest expected cutoff estimates place the CDS 2 2026 cutoff at around 122–126 marks for IMA, 106–112 for INA and 130–136 for AFA. OTA has a separate 200-mark written examination.

These figures are expected CDS cutoff marks, not the official cutoff. The actual cutoff may change depending on the difficulty level of the paper, number of candidates, vacancies and overall performance.

CDS 2 Cutoff 2026: Previous Year Trend

The previous-year cutoff provides a useful benchmark for candidates estimating their CDS 2 safe score 2026. UPSC's official CDS 2 2025 cutoff was 124.11 for IMA, 109.23 for INA and 132.51 for AFA. For OTA, the cutoff was 80.01 for men and 98.06 for women.

The trend shows that the cutoff can vary considerably between examination cycles, particularly for INA and OTA. Therefore, candidates should not treat the previous year's marks as a fixed qualifying score.

CDS 2 Safe Score 2026: How Many Marks Are Good?

Candidates should aim above the expected cutoff rather than targeting the borderline range. A score of around 130+ for IMA, 115+ for INA and 140+ for AFA could provide a better margin, although the actual safe score depends on the final difficulty and competition.

For OTA, candidates targeting the CDS 2 OTA cutoff 2026 should preferably aim above 90 marks, while women candidates may need to target a higher score considering the previous cutoff trend.

CDS 2 Minimum Qualifying Marks 2026

Apart from the academy-wise cutoff, candidates must also satisfy the minimum qualifying requirement in individual subjects. The minimum qualifying marks are 20% in each subject.

For IMA, INA and AFA, candidates appear for English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics, while OTA candidates appear for English and General Knowledge. The aggregate cutoff is applied separately for each academy.

What After CDS 2 Cutoff 2026?

Candidates who clear the CDS 2 written cutoff 2026 will be shortlisted for the next stage of the selection process. They will have to appear for the CDS 2 SSB Interview 2026, followed by the required medical examination.

Aspirants who believe they are close to the expected cutoff should start their CDS SSB preparation 2026 rather than waiting for the official result. The written marks alone do not guarantee final selection, as candidates must also qualify the SSB and medical stages.

Candidates can also use the CDS 2 Score Calculator 2026 to calculate their estimated written score based on correct and incorrect answers.

CDS 2 Expected Cutoff 2026 FAQs