The Indian Military Academy in Dehradun is the Army’s principal academy for Permanent Commission. There is no single “IMA exam.” You join IMA through one of several official pipelines—NDA, CDS, TES, TGC, ACC, or related service entries—then pass SSB and medicals. Below is the 2026 picture, drawn from UPSC gazettes and Army recruiting notifications. Always confirm the latest circular on upsc.gov.in and joinindianarmy.nic.in before you apply, because age windows and vacancies change with every course.
Chetwode Hall at IMA Dehradun is the academy’s ceremonial and academic heart. Cadets who complete training take the Antim Pag (final step) on the parade ground and are commissioned as Lieutenants.
What IMA is—and what it is not
IMA, established in 1932, trains officer cadets for the Indian Army. Its motto is Veerta aur Vivek (Valour and Wisdom). Successful cadets are commissioned as Lieutenants on Permanent Commission (PC), except where a scheme is explicitly Short Service Commission and trained elsewhere (mainly OTA Chennai).
Important distinctions for 2026:
- IMA vs OTA: IMA is the classic PC route. OTA Chennai trains Short Service Commission officers (men and women). Do not assume every Army officer notification leads to IMA.
- IMA vs NDA: NDA at Khadakwasla is a tri-service academy after Class 12. Army-wing NDA cadets then spend about one year at IMA before commissioning.
- Women at IMA: This is a live policy area. On 13 June 2026, President Droupadi Murmu reviewed IMA’s passing-out parade of the 158th Regular Course and 141st TGC. For the first time, women officer cadets—who had entered via NDA—were commissioned from IMA. UPSC NDA notifications now invite unmarried men and women. By contrast, official CDS IMA clauses in 2026 still specify unmarried male candidates. Women graduates who want an Army commission in the same cycle typically apply for OTA (SSC) through CDS, plus women-specific Army entries. Treat gender rules as course-specific, not generic.
The official routes into IMA in 2026
Think in terms of your current stage of education or service, not a single form.
| Route | Who it is for | Typical age band | Education | Written exam? | Where you train | Commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDA (Army wing) | After Class 12 | ~16.5–19.5 | 12th any stream for Army | UPSC NDA | 3 years NDA + ~1 year IMA | PC, Lieutenant |
| CDS → IMA (Direct Entry) | Graduates | 19–24 | Any recognised degree | UPSC CDS (English + GK + Maths) | ~12 months at IMA | PC, Lieutenant |
| 10+2 TES | PCM + JEE Mains | ~16.5–19.5 | 12th PCM, usually 60%+ and JEE appeared | No UPSC paper; shortlist then SSB | 3 years at CTW (CME Pune / MCTE Mhow / MCEME Secunderabad) + 1 year IMA | PC, Lieutenant + B.Tech |
| TGC | Engineers | 20–27 | BE/B.Tech in notified streams | No UPSC paper; cut-off + SSB | ~12 months at IMA | PC, Lieutenant |
| CDS NCC quota for IMA | Graduates with NCC ‘C’ (Army wing) | Same as CDS IMA | Degree + NCC service conditions | CDS written, then reserved vacancies | IMA with DE course | PC |
| ACC | Serving soldiers / equivalent | ~20–27 | 10+2; min ~2 years service | ACC written + SSB | 3 years ACC Wing + 1 year IMA | PC |
| Standalone NCC Special Entry | Graduates with NCC ‘C’ | 19–25 | Degree + min ‘B’ grade in ‘C’ cert | No written exam | Usually OTA Chennai (SSC), not IMA | SSC (not IMA PC) |
University Entry Scheme (UES) and some older technical graduate variants have been wound down. Do not plan around discontinued schemes.
Route 1: NDA, then IMA (the school-leaver path)
This is the main way Class 12 students reach IMA.
Eligibility (pattern used in 2026 notifications)
- Unmarried male or female.
- Age about 16½ to 19½; exact dates of birth are printed in each UPSC notice.
- Army wing: Class 12 pass or appearing, any stream.
- Navy / Air Force wings: Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Those wings do not send you to IMA.
2026 exam cycle (typical official calendar)
- NDA-I 2026: written exam 12 April 2026 (notification Dec 2025).
- NDA-II 2026: notification 20 May 2026, written exam 13 September 2026, course NDA 158th / INAC 120th from 1 July 2027. Vacancies in that notice: 394 total, of which Army wing 208 (198 men + 10 women).
Written pattern: Paper I Mathematics (300 marks, 2½ hours) + Paper II GAT (600 marks, 2½ hours). Negative marking applies. SSB is another 900 marks. Final merit combines written + SSB; medicals are qualifying.
After NDA: Army cadets complete three years at Khadakwasla, then about one year of Army-specific pre-commission training at IMA, then the Antim Pag and commission as Lieutenant (PC).
Why choose NDA for IMA: earliest start, joint-service foundation, no degree required before entry, and now an open door for women into IMA after NDA.
Route 2: CDS Direct Entry into IMA (the graduate path)
This is the standard civilian graduate route directly onto an IMA Direct Entry (DE) course.
Eligibility from UPSC CDS (I) 2026 gazette language
- IMA: unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2 January 2003 and not later than 1 January 2008.
- Degree of a recognised university or equivalent. Final-year students may apply if they produce proof of passing by the date fixed for that course (for IMA in that cycle, on or before 1 January 2027).
- Nationality: citizen of India, or subject of Nepal, or specified category of persons of Indian origin who migrated with intent to settle in India (eligibility certificate rules apply).
CDS-II 2026 followed the same academy-wise logic with dates shifted by six months (exam 13 September 2026). IMA vacancies in CDS-I 2026 were of the order of 100, including reserved seats for NCC ‘C’ (Army wing) holders. Exact numbers are provisional and change every notification.
CDS written exam for IMA (not OTA-only)
| Paper | Duration | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 2 hours | 100 | 100 |
OTA candidates skip Mathematics. If IMA is your first choice, you must write all three papers. There is negative marking. Apply only at upsconline.nic.in. Fee is typically ₹200; women and SC/ST candidates are exempt.
After the written result: IMA-first-choice candidates register on joinindianarmy.nic.in to receive SSB dates. Then: SSB → medical board → merit list → joining letter for the IMA DE course (January or July intake).
Training: TGC-143 documentation put IMA pre-commission training at about 12 months. Direct Entry courses follow the same academy calendar. Stipend during training is in the Pay Level 10 band (notifications have cited about ₹56,100–₹56,400 a month). On commissioning you become a Lieutenant.
Route 3: 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme (TES)
TES is for unmarried men who want a sponsored B.Tech plus Permanent Commission, and who will spend their final training year at IMA.
Typical 2026 conditions (TES-56 / similar cycles)
- Unmarried male.
- Age 16½–19½ on the course commencement date (example: as on 1 January 2027, born between 1 July 2007 and 1 July 2010).
- Class 12 PCM with aggregate often 60% or above, and appeared in JEE (Mains) of the relevant year.
- Apply only on joinindianarmy.nic.in. No UPSC written exam.
Selection: shortlisting on 12th PCM / JEE profile → five-day SSB → medical → merit → joining letter.
Training in current TES notifications: about four years total—three years integrated military + engineering training at a Cadet Training Wing (CME Pune, MCTE Mhow, or MCEME Secunderabad), then one year at IMA. Commission as Lieutenant with an engineering degree. Stipend is paid in the IMA year. TES and NDA applicants in the same season must follow the Army’s “common candidate” medical rules so they are not examined twice unnecessarily.
TES is the right comparison with NDA if you are a PCM student: NDA is broader and joint-service; TES is Army-technical and does not use a UPSC paper.
Route 4: Technical Graduate Course (TGC)
TGC is the engineer’s direct ticket to IMA.
- Unmarried men, 20–27 years on the notified date (TGC-144 used 20–27 as on 1 January 2027; TGC-143 used 20–27 as on 1 July 2026).
- BE/B.Tech in streams listed in that advertisement (civil, mechanical, computer science, electrical & electronics, and other notified branches). Final-year students can apply if they produce the degree by the cut-off date and stay above the published percentage cut-off.
- Apply on joinindianarmy.nic.in. Shortlisting is academic; there is no CDS-style written exam.
- SSB + medical + merit.
- Pre-commission training: about 12 months at IMA. Same stipend and Lieutenant rank on passing out.
Vacancies are small (TGC-143 was notified around 30 posts). Competition is among already-shortlisted engineers, so SSB and medicals decide the list.
Route 5: NCC—two different doors
Do not mix these up.
A. NCC vacancies inside CDS (can be IMA)
If you hold NCC ‘C’ Certificate (Army wing), have the required Senior Division service (commonly not less than three academic years), and have not been discharged from NCC for more than 24 months as on the CDS application last date, you can compete for reserved IMA vacancies through the CDS exam. You still write CDS.
B. Standalone NCC Special Entry
2026 Army notices for NCC Special Entry (for example the 124th / 125th courses) are SSC Non-Technical, age 19–25, graduation plus minimum ‘B’ grade in NCC ‘C’, no written exam, SSB only. Training is at OTA Chennai for about 49 weeks. That is a commission, but it is not the IMA PC course. Women appear in some NCC SSC cycles; IMA CDS seats remain a separate male-only clause unless a future gazette changes it.
If your only goal is IMA, NCC helps most as a CDS IMA reserved vacancy, not as the standalone SSC form.
Route 6: Serving soldiers—ACC (and related service entries)
Civilians cannot use ACC.
Army Cadet College is a wing on the IMA campus for serving personnel (Army, and in some cycles Navy/Air Force/TA as notified).
Typical conditions:
- Age about 20–27 on the course date.
- Minimum two years’ service.
- Education at least 10+2.
- Medical category SHAPE-1, clean discipline record, commanding officer’s recommendation.
- Limited attempts (often three).
- Written exam (twice a year) → SSB → medical → merit.
Training is three years at ACC Wing (JNU bachelor’s degree—science or humanities) plus about one year with an IMA regular course. In June 2026, 73 cadets of ACC 127th course received degrees in Chetwode Hall and were scheduled to join IMA in July 2026.
Other in-service paths (SCO, PC Special List) exist for JCOs/OR with longer service. Those courses may train at IMA or OTA Gaya depending on the notification. They are not civilian entries.
Selection after the form: SSB, medical, merit
Almost every IMA-bound scheme ends in the same three filters.
1. Services Selection Board (five days)
Centres include Allahabad (Prayagraj), Bhopal, Bengaluru, Jalandhar and others as allotted.
- Stage I (Day 1): Officer Intelligence Rating tests and PPDT (picture perception and discussion). Many candidates are screened out here.
- Stage II: Psychology (TAT, WAT, SRT, self-description), GTO outdoor tasks (group planning, obstacles, command tasks, lecturette), and a personal interview. Conference on the last day.
SSB looks for Officer Like Qualities—initiative, cooperation, courage, social adaptability, determination—not coaching-centre scripts. Recommendation rates are low. A recommendation is not a job offer; medical and merit still follow.
2. Medical standards (Army / IMA graduate entries)
Standards differ slightly for 10+2 entries (NDA/TES) and graduate entries (CDS/TGC/NCC). Approximate Army officer benchmarks used in current medical tables:
- Height (men, IMA/graduate Army): about 157 cm, with relaxations (often to 152 cm) for Gorkhas and candidates from specified hill regions of the North-East, Garhwal and Kumaon; other island/tribal relaxations appear in the appendix of each notice.
- Chest (men): minimum expansion 5 cm; expanded chest commonly cited around 81 cm.
- Weight: proportional to height and age using the official charts—not a single kilogram figure.
- Vision (graduate Army / IMA): uncorrected often allowed up to 6/60, corrected 6/6, myopia typically within about −3.5 D, hypermetropia about +3.5 D, colour perception CP-II. LASIK may be permitted for graduate entries under strict conditions; it is not permitted for NDA/TES-type 10+2 entries.
- 10+2 vision is tighter (myopia often capped near −2.5 D, LASIK not permitted).
Permanent rejection grounds include (among others) specified spinal and limb deformities, certain skin and ENT diseases, uncontrolled medical conditions, and undeclared previous discharge from a service academy. A 2026 Delhi High Court case involving a CDS candidate who had been medically withdrawn from NDA underlines a practical point: do not conceal prior medical withdrawal or hospitalisation. Suppression itself can end the case even if the current board might have discussed the old injury.
Unfit candidates can usually seek a Review Medical Board within the time printed on the unfit letter (often around 42 days—follow the letter, not memory).
3. Merit list and joining letter
Merit is generally written marks (where applicable) + SSB marks, among medically fit candidates, limited by vacancies and choice of academy. Then Recruiting Directorate issues joining instructions. Typical documents: call letter, government photo ID, original Class 10 (DOB), Class 12 and degree certificates/marksheets, NCC certificate if claimed, risk bond, parent/guardian bond, and any provisional-admission deposit if the degree is still pending.
Pre-joining fitness that IMA joining instructions have historically expected includes running, push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups and rope work. Arrive already fit; the academy will not ease you in.
Life and money at IMA, then after commissioning
During training
- Stipend around ₹56,100 per month (Level 10 stipend; some technical notices quote ₹56,400).
- Food, accommodation, and training kit are provided. If you are withdrawn for reasons other than medical or causes beyond your control, you can be asked to refund the cost of training at the weekly rate then in force.
- Marriage is not permitted during training. Candidates below 25 must be unmarried at entry; even eligible married candidates (where a scheme allows age 25+) do not get married accommodation at the academy.
On commissioning as Lieutenant (PC)
- Pay matrix Level 10: ₹56,100–₹1,77,500.
- Military Service Pay, Dearness Allowance, kit, transport, and posting-specific allowances (field, high altitude, counter-insurgency, etc.).
- Rough CTC often cited in Army officer notices: about ₹17–18 lakh a year at the starting end, plus free medical care for self and dependants, CSD, leave travel, and a defined pension/terminal-benefit structure for PC officers.
- Career progression is time-scale plus selection: Lieutenant → Captain → Major → Lt Colonel, then selection grades to Colonel and above.
PC from IMA is a full career to retirement age of the rank, subject to promotion boards and medical category. That is the structural difference from SSC at OTA.
Physical and academic preparation that actually matches the filters
Written exams (NDA / CDS)
- NDA Maths is Class 11–12 plus speed. GAT is English, GK, science and current affairs.
- CDS Maths for IMA is elementary but time-tight (arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mensuration, statistics). English rewards grammar and comprehension. GK rewards static polity/history/geography plus defence and current affairs.
- Solve official previous papers under timed conditions. UPSC does not require coaching; it does require accuracy under negative marking.
SSB
- Build real OLQs: team sport, NCC or adventure activity, college societies, reading newspapers so you can discuss issues, not slogans.
- Practise PPDT and lecturette with honest feedback. Psychology answers should be consistent with who you are; invented “ideal officer” stories collapse in conference.
- Outdoor fitness matters in GTO. A useful pre-SSB standard many academies recommend: 2.4 km run, push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, and comfort with obstacles.
Medical
- Get a private dental, ENT, ophthalmic (including colour vision and refraction), and orthopaedic check early—especially if you have had LASIK, a fracture, or squint.
- For NDA/TES, do not plan on LASIK as a workaround.
- Keep BMI in the official height-weight band. Last-minute weight cuts damage medicals and SSB stamina.
Documents and honesty
- Date of birth is the Class 10 certificate. UPSC and the Army will not “correct” age later.
- Final-year students must track the degree-submission deadline for that exact course. Missing it cancels a merit rank.
- If you are already in government or Armed Forces service, inform your department / commanding officer and carry NOC to SSB.
A practical 2026 calendar (verify each notice)
| Window | What usually opens | Who should watch |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 – Jan 2026 | CDS-I and NDA-I notifications / exams in April 2026 | Graduates (IMA) and Class 12 (NDA) |
| Apr–Jun 2026 | TGC / TES windows; CDS-II and NDA-II notifications (May 2026) | Engineers, PCM 12th, next graduate cycle |
| Jun–Sep 2026 | CDS-II and NDA-II exams (13 Sep 2026 in the 2026 calendar) | Same |
| Year-round after written results | SSB slots, medicals, merit, Jan/Jul IMA intakes | Recommended candidates |
| Serving soldiers | ACC written ~Feb and ~Aug cycles | In-service only |
Courses at IMA typically commence around January and July. A CDS exam in April feeds a January course the following year; a September exam feeds a July course. Plan 12–18 months from form to first day in Dehradun.
Choosing the right door
- Class 11–12, any stream, want Army PC as early as possible: NDA Army wing, then IMA. Women who want IMA should treat NDA as the proven 2026 path.
- Class 12 PCM with JEE and a technical career in mind: apply both NDA and TES. Accept whichever merit and medical come first; follow the common-candidate medical rules.
- Any-degree graduate, 19–24, unmarried man: CDS with IMA as first choice, and write Mathematics.
- Engineer, 20–27: TGC plus CDS IMA in the same season if age allows. More irons in the fire, one SSB skill set.
- NCC ‘C’ Army wing graduate: CDS for IMA reserved vacancies; use standalone NCC Special Entry only if you accept OTA/SSC.
- Serving soldier with 10+2: ACC first; keep SCO/PC(SL) as backup per your length of service.
Do not apply to IMA and OTA as if they were the same career. PC from IMA and SSC from OTA differ in tenure, promotion horizon, and academy culture.
Official sources to bookmark
- Indian Army officer entries and joining instructions: joinindianarmy.nic.in
- UPSC NDA and CDS notifications, e-admit cards, results: upsc.gov.in and upsconline.nic.in
- Directorate General of Recruiting updates: official Army recruiting social handles and the same Army portal
