The Union Public Service Commission has released the official cut-off marks for the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) II, 2019. These cut-off marks include academy-wise minimum qualifying marks for the written test as well as the final marks after SSB interview. With the release of this document, candidates can now clearly understand how much they needed to score for selection to IMA, INA, AFA and OTA during the 2019 recruitment cycle.
I am covering this topic because CDS is one of the most competitive defence exams in India, and thousands of aspirants depend on previous years’ cut-off trends to plan their preparation. Many candidates preparing for CDS 2025 and 2026 look at older cut-offs to get an idea of the written exam difficulty level, the variation in academy-wise requirements, and how interview marks affect the final merit list.
Since UPSC releases these cut-offs only after completion of the entire recruitment process, it becomes important to present this information in a clear and easy way so that aspirants can use it effectively. My aim here is to provide fact-based details, practical insights, and a simple explanation that can help students compare their performance and set realistic score targets for future attempts.
About CDS (II) 2019 Examination
CDS is conducted twice a year by UPSC for recruitment to:
- Indian Military Academy (IMA)
- Indian Naval Academy (INA)
- Air Force Academy (AFA)
- Officers’ Training Academy (OTA – Men and Women)
The exam consists of a written test followed by the SSB interview round. Each academy has different cut-off marks depending on the number of vacancies, the difficulty of the paper, and the overall performance of candidates.
How to Download CDS (II) 2019 Cut-off PDF
Aspirants can easily download the official PDF from the UPSC website. Follow these steps:
- Open the UPSC official website
- Go to the “Examinations” or “Cut-off Marks” section
- Find Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2019
- Click on the PDF link given for cut-off marks
- Save the document for future reference
- Take a printout if you prefer keeping it with your study notes
