NICL Administrative Officer AO Final Result 2026

The UPSC CDS 1 2025 Final Result for the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) was officially declared on December 29, 2025. A total of 535 candidates (473 men and 62 women) were recommended for the 123rd Short Service Commission (SSC) course for men and the 37th SSC course for women.

As of today, January 8, 2026, the UPSC has recently released the individual marks of the recommended candidates on its official website.

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Detailed Syllabus for UPSC CDS 2025/2026

The CDS exam is divided into two categories: IMA, INA, AFA (requires three papers) and OTA (requires two papers). Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the topics.

1. English (Common for all)

This paper tests your understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. It contains 120 questions (100 marks).

• Grammar: Parts of speech, Tenses, Voice (Active/Passive), Narration (Direct/Indirect), Subject-Verb Agreement.
• Vocabulary: Synonyms & Antonyms, Idioms and Phrases, One-word substitutions, Homonyms.
• Comprehension: Reading passages to test the ability to understand and interpret text.
• Sentence Structure: Sentence Improvement, Spotting Errors, Cloze Tests, Para Jumbles (Ordering of Sentences).

2. General Knowledge (Common for all)

This section tests awareness of current events and everyday observations. It contains 120 questions (100 marks).

• History: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Indian History (Special focus on the Indian Freedom Struggle).
• Geography: Physical, Social, and Economic Geography of India and the World.
• Polity: Indian Constitution, Fundamental Rights, Parliament, Judiciary, and Panchayati Raj.
• General Science: Basic Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Class 10 level).
• Economics: Indian Economy, Five-year plans, Budget, and Banking.
• Current Affairs: National and International events, Sports, Awards, and Defense-related news (last 6-8 months).

3. Elementary Mathematics (Not for OTA)

This paper is only for candidates joining the Indian Military, Naval, or Air Force Academy. It contains 100 questions (100 marks).

• Arithmetic: Number System, HCF/LCM, Percentages, Profit & Loss, Ratio & Proportion, Time & Work, Time & Distance, Simple & Compound Interest.
• Algebra: Polynomials, Quadratic equations, Remainder Theorem, HCF/LCM of polynomials.
• Trigonometry: Sine, Cosine, Tangent, Trigonometric identities, Heights and Distances.
• Geometry: Lines and angles, Triangles (congruence and similarity), Circles (tangents and chords), and Parallelograms.
• Mensuration: Area and Volume of 2D/3D shapes (Cylinders, Cones, Spheres, Cuboids).
• Statistics: Data collection, Histograms, Pie charts, Bar charts, Measures of Central Tendency (Mean, Median, Mode).

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Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

Academy	Subjects	Total Marks	Duration
IMA, INA, AFA	English + GK + Mathematics	300	2 Hours each
OTA	English + GK	200	2 Hours each

• Mode: Offline (OMR based).
• Negative Marking: -0.33 (1/3rd mark) is deducted for every incorrect answer.
• SSB Interview: Candidates who pass the written exam undergo a 5-day personality and intelligence test.

The UPSC has officially released the CDS 1 2025 Final Marks following the OTA final result declaration on December 29, 2025.

For the CDS exam, there are two types of cut-offs: the Sectional Cut-off (to pass each individual paper) and the Aggregate Cut-off (to qualify for the SSB interview or final selection).

1. Sectional Cut-off (Mandatory)

To be eligible for any academy, you must score at least 20% in each subject.

• English: 20 Marks (out of 100)
• General Knowledge: 20 Marks (out of 100)
• Elementary Mathematics: 20 Marks (out of 100)

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2. CDS 1 2025 Official Cut-off Marks

Below are the aggregate marks for the last qualified candidates in the written exam and the final marks (Written + SSB) for the last recommended candidates.

Academy	Written Exam Cut-off (Out of 300/200*)	Final Selection Cut-off (Out of 600/400*)
IMA (Indian Military Academy)	120	244
INA (Indian Naval Academy)	100	230
AFA (Air Force Academy)	128	250
OTA (Men)	87*	168*
OTA (Women)	87*	168*

Note: OTA aggregate is calculated out of 200 for the written exam and 400 for the final result, as Mathematics is not a requirement for this academy.

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3. Factors Influencing the Cut-off

The UPSC determines these marks based on several variables each year:

• Difficulty Level: The 2025 Mathematics paper was rated as “Moderate to Tough,” which kept the IMA/INA/AFA cut-offs relatively stable compared to previous years.
• Number of Vacancies: Higher vacancies in the OTA (SSC Course) often result in a slightly lower aggregate cut-off compared to the AFA.
• Performance: The overall average score of all appearing candidates.

4. How to Check Your Individual Marks

Since the final results are out, you can now download your individual scorecard:

1. Visit the official website: upsc.gov.in.
2. Go to the “Examination” tab and select “Marks Information.”
3. Look for “Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2025” and enter your Roll Number and Date of Birth.