Joining the Indian Army: Officer Entries, Agniveer and Selection

There is no single "Indian Army exam". The Army recruits officers through one set of routes and soldiers (other ranks) through another, and within the officer routes the entry depends on whether you are applying after 10+2 or after graduation, and whether you are in a technical stream. Picking the wrong route — or not knowing a route exists — is the commonest mistake.

This guide maps the routes, who each suits, and how selection works. For live openings see defence vacancies open now; for the two graduate-level exams in detail see NDA and CDS; and for how the officer selection board works, see the SSB interview explained.

Officer entry after 10+2

Two routes take you in straight after school:

• NDA (National Defence Academy) — through the UPSC NDA exam, for unmarried candidates who have passed or are appearing in 10+2. It leads to three years at the NDA followed by a year at the Indian Military Academy and a permanent commission. It is the classic school-leaver officer route.
• TES (Technical Entry Scheme) — for 10+2 candidates with strong Physics, Chemistry and Maths marks who want an engineering path. There is no written exam: shortlisting is on 10+2 marks, followed directly by the SSB. It leads to a four-year engineering degree and a commission in a technical arm.

Officer entry after graduation

• CDS (Combined Defence Services) — through the UPSC CDS exam, for graduates. Men selecting the Indian Military Academy get a permanent commission; the Officers Training Academy route gives a Short Service Commission and is open to both men and women.
• TGC (Technical Graduate Course) and SSC (Tech) — for engineering graduates, entering technical arms; TGC leads to a permanent commission, SSC(Tech) to a short service commission. Shortlisting is on degree marks plus SSB, without a CDS-style written paper.
• JAG (Judge Advocate General) — for law graduates, a short service commission in the Army's legal branch.
• NCC Special Entry — for graduates holding an NCC 'C' certificate with the required grade, a short service commission without the CDS written exam.

The Agniveer route for other ranks

Soldiers (other ranks) now join under the Agnipath scheme as Agniveers, on a four-year enrolment. Recruitment runs through the Army's Agniveer process — an online common entrance test followed by a physical fitness and measurement test and a medical — across categories such as General Duty, Technical, Clerk/Store Keeper Technical and Tradesmen. A proportion of Agniveers are retained in regular service after the four years based on merit and vacancies. This is a different track from the officer entries above, with its own eligibility and no SSB.

What each route suits

Exact age bands, mark cut-offs and the number of vacancies differ by entry and change with each notification, so confirm them against the current official notification before applying rather than relying on a remembered figure.

Selection: the part the officer routes share

Every officer entry — whether you reach it through NDA, CDS, TES, TGC or a special entry — ends at the Services Selection Board (SSB), a five-day assessment of officer-like qualities, followed by a medical examination. The written exam (where there is one) only gets you to the SSB; the SSB decides the commission. The SSB interview guide explains what those five days test. The Agniveer route does not use the SSB; it uses a physical and written screening instead.

Permanent vs short service commission

The distinction matters for a career decision. A permanent commission is a full-length career to retirement; a Short Service Commission is an initial tenure (extendable, with options to opt for a permanent commission at defined stages in some arms). NDA, IMA-route CDS, TES and TGC lead to permanent commissions; OTA-route CDS, SSC(Tech), JAG and NCC special entry are short service commissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between NDA and CDS?

NDA is for 10+2 candidates and leads to the National Defence Academy; CDS is for graduates and leads to the IMA or OTA. Both are UPSC exams and both end at the SSB. See NDA and CDS for each in detail.

Can women join the Army as officers?

Yes — through CDS (OTA route), and NDA is now open to women as well, along with several other entries. The permanent-commission options for women have widened in recent years; check the current notification for the entries open in a given cycle.

Is there an Army entry without a written exam?

Yes. TES, TGC, SSC(Tech), JAG and NCC Special Entry shortlist on academic marks and the SSB, without a CDS-style written paper. NDA and CDS have a written exam first.

What is an Agniveer?

An Agniveer is a soldier enrolled under the Agnipath scheme for four years, recruited through a common entrance test, physical test and medical — a separate track from the officer entries, with a proportion retained in regular service afterwards.

In Summary

The Army takes officers in after 10+2 (NDA, TES) and after graduation (CDS, TGC, SSC-Tech, JAG, NCC special entry), and soldiers through the Agniveer scheme. Officer routes converge on the SSB; the written exam only gets you there. Match the route to your stage and stream, confirm the current eligibility in the notification, and start from the defence vacancies listing.

Sources

• Join Indian Army — Directorate General of Recruiting (joinindianarmy.nic.in)
• Union Public Service Commission — NDA and CDS examinations (upsc.gov.in)
• Agnipath scheme — Ministry of Defence (mod.gov.in / pib.gov.in)