Army Cadet College CEE January 2027: Apply Dates, RUID, Eligibility and Exam Pattern

Updated: 11 November 2026 | Defence career route | Serving personnel must confirm service-specific eligibility through official Army channels.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, has opened registration for the Common Entrance Examination for Army Cadet College (ACC), January 2027. The examination is intended for eligible serving Army personnel seeking the prescribed route from the ranks to commissioned-officer training, subject to the Indian Army’s selection and eligibility policies. The Army Cadet College Wing is located at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.

The notice covers ACC (10+2)-136, SCO Series 61/Medical Non-Technical and ACC (Graduate)-136 entries. This is not a general civilian NDA/CDS application. Candidates must have the relevant service channel, Army Education Directorate details and the Randomised Unique Identity (RUID) required for registration.

Official application portal: NTA ACC CEE. Read the ACC January 2027 Information Bulletin and the 6 November registration notice before proceeding.

ACC CEE January 2027: dates at a glance

The exam is a three-hour computer-based test (CBT), bilingual in English and Hindi. The bulletin says the examination is conducted twice yearly, in January and July. Dates are described as tentative and may be changed by NTA.

Entry types and eligibility: check the service-specific rules

• ACC (10+2)-136: the bulletin states Higher Secondary/equivalent or Class XII appearing as the educational qualification. Age, service, quota, subject combination and other eligibility conditions remain governed by the existing Army policies and applicable selection rules.
• ACC (Graduate)-136: a graduate degree/equivalent or final-year appearance is listed as the educational qualification; age and service conditions are as promulgated by the Recruiting Directorate.
• SCO Series 61: qualification and age requirements are prescribed by the Recruiting Directorate. The bulletin directs applicants to the applicable service policy.
• Medical Non-Technical (MED NT): the relevant qualification/age provisions are prescribed by DGAFMS.

Do not infer that the civilian Class XII or graduation requirement alone makes a person eligible. The ACC route is for eligible serving Army personnel, and the Army’s quota, category, age, service, medical and selection conditions apply. If an applicant’s name, service particulars or RUID is not in the Army Education Directorate’s records, the NTA form may not permit progression.

RUID and Army Education Directorate: the critical registration step

The bulletin describes a validation sequence. The Army Education Directorate generates a RUID for eligible candidates whose complete details have been received through the prescribed channel. Applicants are expected to use the mobile number registered with the Army Education Directorate during online registration. After OTP verification, the application system generates an application number and asks for the RUID. The registered mobile number and RUID are checked against the Directorate’s records before the candidate can complete the form.

If a RUID has not been received, or the mobile number/RUID mismatch prevents access, the candidate should contact the Army Education Directorate through the official service channel. Do not try another person’s number or submit multiple application forms to bypass validation.

Examination pattern and marking

The January 2027 bulletin describes a computer-based objective examination with 150 questions and 300 marks. Each correct response earns two marks; an incorrect response attracts a deduction of 0.50 mark. The stated minimum qualifying score is 100. The examination is bilingual (English/Hindi) and candidates can choose up to two examination cities in order of preference, although NTA may allot another city for administrative or logistical reasons.

For ACC (10+2)-136 and SCO-61/Medical NT, the six parts listed are Reasoning, Mathematics, General Knowledge, English, General Science and Humanities, with 25 questions each. The graduate ACC entry uses the three subjects prescribed in its scheme. Candidates should check the exact paper/entry table and syllabus in the bulletin because the entry types are not interchangeable.

Application steps and document discipline

1. Confirm the service entry type and eligibility with the prescribed Army authority; obtain/verify RUID and the registered mobile number.
2. Open only the NTA ACC CEE portal and read the information bulletin.
3. Complete online registration, OTP verification and RUID validation. Retain the application number and password.
4. Enter education and other particulars; select two convenient examination cities; upload photograph and signature in the required format.
5. Photograph must be in civil dress. The bulletin expressly states that a photograph in uniform will lead to automatic cancellation of candidature. The live photograph and scanned passport-size photograph must meet the specified face visibility, background and file-size rules.
6. Pay the category-wise application fee online and confirm that the confirmation page is generated. General/Unreserved/OBC/OBC-NCL fee is ₹1,150; SC/ST fee is ₹950. The late fee is ₹500 additional, uniformly over the applicable category fee.
7. Save the confirmation page and check the portal/email for city intimation and admit-card updates.

Only one application should be submitted. The notice says final-submission particulars cannot be changed except through the limited correction facility during its specified dates. Do not send corrections by post, fax, WhatsApp or email; NTA will not accept them through those channels.

Training location and selection: understand the stages

The Army Cadet College Wing is situated at IMA, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Its training aims to develop leadership, discipline, professional competence and personality for military officership. NTA’s role is limited to registration, conduct of the entrance test, answer-key processes and result compilation. The Stage-I result is shared with the ADG Army Education Directorate for the next selection stage; clearing the written examination alone is not a final commission or appointment.

Static GK and exam relevance

• IMA: Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Uttarakhand; an important institution for officer training.
• NTA: autonomous testing agency under the Ministry of Education; here it conducts the test on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
• Service-to-officer route: ACC is distinct from NDA (entry after school), CDS (graduate entry examination) and AFCAT (Air Force entry). Do not mix their eligibility or selection rules.
• Defence administration: the Army Education Directorate and Recruiting Directorate govern service eligibility and candidate records; NTA administers the examination stage.

Official links and candidate checklist

• NTA ACC CEE January 2027 application portal
• Official information bulletin
• NTA registration-opening notice
• NTA main website
• Defence & Police Exams Preparation Hub
• UPSC & State PSC Preparation Hub

Before submitting: confirm your Army-authorised entry and RUID, use the Directorate-registered mobile number, upload a civil-dress photograph, review the category/fee and preserve the confirmation page. Applications close 30 November at 9 p.m.; fee payment closes at 11:50 p.m. The late window is 1–3 December. This guide is for navigation; the Army’s rules and the NTA bulletin control eligibility and selection.