How SSB dates work: there is no calendar
SSB dates are not published as a calendar by the Army, the Navy or the Air Force. Each service calls candidates individually: after the written result (NDA and CDS from UPSC, AFCAT from the Air Force) or a shortlisting (Navy direct entries and other technical entries), candidates register or log in, are allotted a board and a date, and receive a call-up letter that names the board and the reporting date and place. Everything below follows from that: the only official source of your SSB date is your own call-up letter, and the only official sources of the windows are the portals (joinindianarmy.nic.in, joinindiannavy.gov.in and the Air Force candidate portal) plus the UPSC notifications and result press notes. This page says what was published as of 21 October 2026, how each entry's call-up works, where the boards are and what the rules on dates and documents say. It states no batch dates, because none is published anywhere we could read; the only window in print is the NDA (II) 2026 notification's "likely" December 2026 to January 2027. The dates block on this hub, drawn from the same file as our exam dates page, carries the UPSC gates for NDA and CDS.
- UPSC's What's New page lists the written results of NDA and NA (II) 2026 (press note dated 9 October 2026; exam held 13 September 2026) and CDS (II) 2026 (press note dated 19 October 2026; 8,956 candidates qualified for the SSB). Qualified candidates are in the SSB registration and call-up stage.
- The NDA and NA (II) 2026 notification says the SSB interviews are likely to be held from December 2026 to January 2027, or as suitable to the Recruiting Directorate.
- The Navy's selection-procedure page carries the notice "SSC Jun 27 Course: call-ups for SSBs scheduled in Nov to Dec 26 issued. Login to download."
- NDA and NA (I) 2027 and CDS (I) 2027: notification 2 December 2026, apply by 22 December 2026, exam 11 April 2027, per the UPSC calendar for 2027.
- The Navy page also shows "10+2 B.Tech Cadet Entry Jan 27: call-ups for SSBs scheduled in Sep 26 issued", a batch that has already run.
- The Army portal (captcha wall) and the AFCAT portal (404 to our fetch) could not be read by us this week, so their current notices are not quoted here. Log in and read them yourself.
What is published today (21 October 2026)
| Item | Where | What it says | Verified by us |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDA and NA (II) 2026 written result | UPSC What's New | Press note dated 9 October 2026: qualified candidates register on joinindianarmy.nic.in within two weeks of the result; selection centres and SSB dates are allotted and sent to the registered e-mail ID. | Press note read 21 Oct 2026 |
| CDS (II) 2026 written result | UPSC What's New | Press note dated 19 October 2026: 8,956 candidates qualified for the SSB for IMA, INA, AFA and OTA. Army (IMA or OTA) first-choice candidates must register on joinindianarmy.nic.in to receive call-up information. | Press note read 21 Oct 2026 |
| Navy SSC Jun 27 course call-ups | Navy selection procedure | Call-ups for SSBs scheduled in November to December 2026 issued; log in to download. | Read 21 Oct 2026 |
| Army SSB registration windows for NDA (II) and CDS (II) 2026 | joinindianarmy.nic.in | For NDA (II) 2026 the UPSC press note sets registration "within two weeks of announcement of written result" (the result is dated 9 October 2026). We could not see a closing date on the portal itself, so we do not print one. Log in now if you are qualified. | Portal not read (captcha wall on 21 Oct 2026); rule read in the UPSC press note |
| Navy 10+2 B.Tech Cadet Entry Jan 27 call-ups | Navy selection procedure | Call-ups for SSBs scheduled in September 2026 issued; that batch is over, and the notice shows the Navy's batch-by-course pattern. | Read 21 Oct 2026 |
| AFCAT and AFSB call-ups | Air Force candidate portal | AFSB call letters through the candidate login. | afcat.cdac.in returned 404 to our fetch |
| CSE 2026 Personality Test | UPSC | Not announced. Last cycle ran 8 December 2025 to 27 February 2026 (see the UPSC interview dates page). | What's New read 21 Oct 2026; no item |
Call-ups by entry: NDA, CDS, AFCAT, Navy
The mechanism differs by entry because a different headquarters owns each. The table gives the owner, the portal and the usual sequence. Where we could not read the portal this week, the row says so.
| Entry | Who calls you | Portal | Sequence | Status of our check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDA and NA (Army, Navy, Air Force wings) | IHQ of MoD (Army), ADG Recruiting, as nodal agency (Navy officer selection page); Air Force candidates who qualify the SSB and are willing also take the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) at the selection centre (NDA notification) | joinindianarmy.nic.in | UPSC written result; register on the Army portal within two weeks; selection centre and date allotted and sent by e-mail; report. | Portal not readable; sequence from the UPSC press note of 9 Oct 2026 |
| CDS: IMA and OTA | Army headquarters | joinindianarmy.nic.in | UPSC written result; register on the Army portal to receive call-up information; call-up; report to an Army selection centre. | Portal not readable; rule from the UPSC press note of 19 Oct 2026 |
| CDS: INA (Naval Academy) | Naval headquarters | joinindiannavy.gov.in | UPSC written result; the CDS (II) 2026 notification says Navy candidates can download call letters from joinindiannavy.gov.in, or e-mail the Navy, three weeks after the results. | Navy site readable; the INA notice for this cycle not seen on the pages we read |
| CDS: AFA (Air Force Academy) | Air headquarters | careerindianairforce.cdac.in (named in the UPSC press note) | UPSC written result; AFSB call letter through the Air Force candidate login; CPSS for flying. | Portal home opened; candidate pages not read |
| AFCAT (flying, ground duty) | Air headquarters | Air Force candidate portal | AFCAT result; AFSB call letter through the login; report. | afcat.cdac.in returned 404; not re-checked |
| Navy direct entries (SSC courses, 10+2 B.Tech, and others) | Naval headquarters | joinindiannavy.gov.in | Shortlist on marks; call-up letters issued in batches by course (for example, SSC Jun 27 course call-ups for November to December 2026 SSBs, issued per the Navy page); log in to download. | Read 21 Oct 2026 |
Two practical points. First, the window to register after a UPSC result is short: two weeks for NDA (II) 2026, per the press note. Check the portal the day the result is listed on UPSC What's New, not a week later. Second, a CDS candidate who qualifies for several courses does not sit several boards: the CDS (II) 2026 notification says the SSB result holds good for every course the candidate qualified for in the written exam, whichever service HQ conducts it. NDA, CDS, AFCAT and Navy direct entries are separate selections, so a candidate in more than one can receive more than one call-up.
The centre list: Navy boards verified, Army and IAF as published
Navy boards (verified on the Navy's Instructions for SSB page, 21 October 2026)
| Board | Address | Telephone (as listed) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 SSB, Bangalore | Selection Centre South, Cubbon Road, Bangalore 560042 | 080-25588065 |
| 33 SSB, Bhopal | Selection Centre Central, Sultania Infantry Line, Bhopal 462018 | 0755-2732035 |
| NSB Visakhapatnam | 9-IRSD Area, next to Material Organisation, Visakhapatnam 530008 | 0891-2815012 |
| SSB Kolkata | Chhota Nadir Road, Down Town Diamond Harbour, South 24 Parganas 743331 | 031-74255791 |
The Navy page says a representative from the SSB will be present at the railway station for reception and that, in case of any difficulty, candidates should contact the MCO (Movement Control Office) of the Bhopal, Bangalore, Visakhapatnam or Kolkata railway station. It also lists an email address for each board's call-up officer and a general officer-entry address; copy those from the official page rather than from here, because they change. Bhopal and Kolkata list a second telephone number, and Bangalore, Bhopal and Visakhapatnam a fax number, on the same page; the Navy asks for date-change applications to be faxed to the call-up officer.
Army selection centres and Air Force selection boards (as published by the boards; not re-checked this week)
We could not read the Army or Air Force portals this week, so the list below is the one published by those services and widely repeated, not re-checked by us. Confirm the board named on your own call-up letter.
| Service | Centre | City |
|---|---|---|
| Army | Selection Centre East | Prayagraj (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh |
| Army | Selection Centre Central | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh |
| Army | Selection Centre South | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Army | Selection Centre North | Kapurthala, Punjab |
| Army | Selection Centre (Jalandhar) | Jalandhar, Punjab |
| Air Force | 1 AFSB | Dehradun, Uttarakhand |
| Air Force | 2 AFSB | Mysuru, Karnataka |
| Air Force | 3 AFSB | Gandhinagar, Gujarat |
| Air Force | 4 AFSB | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
| Air Force | 5 AFSB | Guwahati, Assam |
Each Army selection centre houses several numbered boards, and the Navy's 12 SSB and 33 SSB sit within the Bengaluru and Bhopal selection centres respectively, as the Navy's addresses show. The NDA notification says the two-stage procedure runs at Selection Centres, Air Force Selection Boards and Naval Selection Boards alike; the five-day procedure page covers it.
Date selection, changes and absence
- Allotment. For NDA (II) 2026 the UPSC press note says selection centres and SSB dates are allotted and sent to your registered e-mail; the NDA notification also tells candidates to log on to the Army or Navy portal for their centre and date, and Air Force first-choice candidates to register on joinindianarmy.nic.in "for AFSB and date selection". If the portal offers you a choice, take the date that leaves you time to prepare the spoken tasks, not simply the earliest.
- Changing the date. The NDA notification says requests for postponing the interview are considered only in exceptional circumstances, if administratively convenient, with Army Headquarters as the sole deciding authority, and go to the Administrative Officer of the selection centre that sent the call letter (the CDS notification says "very genuine circumstances"). The Navy's Instructions for SSB page says a date change is allowed only in exceptional cases and a change of venue is not allowed.
- Missing the date. No official page we read promises a fresh date. If a genuine emergency arises, write to the board before the reporting date with documents.
- Repeat attempts. A candidate who was not recommended can apply again through a later notification while still eligible. The NDA notification says travelling allowance is paid only for the first SSB for a type of commission, and that a candidate for the flying branch takes the CPSS only once: the grade from the first test holds for every later Air Force board, and a candidate who fails it cannot apply for the flying branch through NDA again.
- Clashing call-ups. If two boards fall on the same dates, write to both boards at once; any change is at their discretion.
What to carry and the travel refund
From the Navy's Instructions for SSB page, read in full on 21 October 2026. Army and Air Force call letters list the same categories; your own letter is the final word.
| Category | Navy instruction |
|---|---|
| Reporting | At the railway station named in the call-up letter, at the date and time printed; SSB representatives receive candidates there. |
| Documents | Original matriculation and BE or B.Tech degree certificate or mark sheet; ten passport-size unattested photographs; a printout of the call letter; a risk certificate signed by a parent or guardian stating that the candidate attends with their consent and at their own risk. |
| Clothing | One pair of white PT shoes; two pairs each of white socks, white shorts and white T-shirts; two pairs of formal trousers and shirts in a sober colour. |
| Travel | 3-tier class rail fare, to and fro, refunded on production of tickets, for candidates attending the SSB for the first time for a particular type of commission. |
| Date and venue | Date change only in exceptional cases; venue change not allowed. |
For the UPSC entries, the notifications add two points. The NDA and NA (II) 2026 notification says every candidate called for the SSB must carry the original matriculation certificate (or equivalent), and that candidates who clear Stage II submit original certificates of date of birth and 10+2 with a photocopy each; the CDS (II) 2026 notification asks for the matriculation certificate and the degree or provisional degree with mark sheets. Both say candidates attend at their own risk and that a parent or guardian (CDS: the candidate) signs a certificate to that effect.
Add from experience, not from any official page: a photocopy set of every document, a pen and a small notebook, and the PIQ facts written out in advance so that the form you fill on day one matches what you will say in the interview (see the IO questions page on the consistency rule).
The next UPSC gates: NDA (I) and CDS (I) 2027
For candidates who are not in the current SSB cycle, the next entry points are fixed by the UPSC examination calendar for 2027: the NDA and NA (I) 2027 and CDS (I) 2027 notifications are issued on 2 December 2026, applications close on 22 December 2026, and the written exam is on 11 April 2027, per the UPSC calendar. The SSBs for those papers follow the written results. The Navy's officer selection-procedure page gives a tentative pattern of SSBs in August to September after NDA (I) and September to October after CDS (I), so a candidate sitting on 11 April 2027 should expect a call-up in the second half of 2027, with no date to plan around until the result notice appears. The dates block on this page updates from the same source as the hub, so the rows will change when UPSC publishes the next notice. For the civil services board, the CSE 2027 notification is on 13 January 2027 with applications closing 2 February and the prelims on 23 May 2027, per the same calendar; the UPSC interview hub carries that side.
A weekly check you can do in five minutes
- Open UPSC What's New and search the page for "Defence" and "Civil Services". A new written result or interview schedule appears there first.
- Log in to the portal of every entry you have applied for (Army, Navy, AFCAT). Call-ups appear in the login, not on the public pages.
- Read the Navy's Instructions for SSB once a month for changes to the documents and reporting lists.
- Keep an e-mail address and a mobile number active that you check daily; the UPSC press note says SSB dates are sent to the registered e-mail ID, and the Navy's officer selection page says shortlisted INET candidates are told by e-mail or SMS.
- While you wait, spend the time on the spoken tasks: the lecturette and GD topics, the IO questions, and a weekly mock on the AI mock interview and in a group discussion room.
Every official link used on this page, with its verification status, is listed on the official resources page.