NEW DELHI: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the provisional answer keys for the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy examination (NDA/NA II) 2026 and Combined Defence Services examination (CDS II) 2026.
Candidates wrote the examinations can now download the subject-wise answer key PDFs from the official website of the commission, upsc.gov.in.
The UPSC conducted the NDA, NA II and CDS II examinations on September 13, 2026, offline, in pen-and-paper (OMR-based) mode.
Candidates can directly download the provisional answer key without entering any login credentials. The final answer key will likely be released along with the results.
How to download UPSC NDA, CDS 2 answer key 2026
Step 1: Go to the official UPSC website, upsc.gov.in.
Step 2: Tap on the ‘What’s New’ section.
Step 3: Click on the latest notification for the NDA, NA II or CDS II provisional answer key.
Step 4: Select the examination you appeared for (NDA/NA or CDS).
Step 5: The answer key PDF will appear on the screen.
Step 6: Candidates can download and save the PDF to match it with their responses.
Subject- and question-wise answer keys available
For NDA and NA II 2026, UPSC has released provisional answer keys for two papers Mathematics (120 questions) and General Ability Test (GAT) (150 questions)
Meanwhile, for CDS II 2026, the provisional answer keys have been issued for the following three papers: English: 120 questions, General Knowledge (GK): 120 questions, Elementary Mathematics: 100 questions
NDA is conducted by the commission to provide aspiring undergraduate candidates admission to the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, while the CDS exam is conducted to recruit graduates into the Indian Armed Forces.
Candidates waiting for the results are required to regularly check the official website of the commission mentioned above for early updates.