Exams Info

The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam is conducted twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select eligible candidates for admission to various defence academies in India. The CDS exam is conducted in three stages: a written examination, a Service Selection Board (SSB) interview, and a medical examination.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Nationality: Candidates must be citizens of India or subject of Nepal, Bhutan or Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India.
• Age Limit: Candidates must be between 19 to 25 years old as of the first day of the month in which the course is due to commence.
• Educational Qualification: Candidates must have completed a degree from a recognized university or equivalent for Indian Military Academy and Officers Training Academy, and for Air Force Academy candidates must have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a degree from a recognized university with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level.

Application Process:

• Application Form: The application process is conducted online through the UPSC website. Candidates have to fill in the online application form with their personal and educational details, upload their photograph and signature, and pay the application fee.
• Application Fee: The application fee for the CDS exam is Rs. 200 for general candidates, while SC/ST candidates and sons of serving/ex-servicemen are exempted from the fee.
• Admit Card: The admit card for the CDS exam is made available for download on the UPSC website approximately 3 weeks before the exam date.

Exam Pattern:

• Written Exam: The CDS exam consists of three papers - English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics.
  1. The English paper carries 100 marks, the General Knowledge paper carries 100 marks, and the Mathematics paper carries 100 marks.
  2. The exam duration for each paper is 2 hours.
  3. The English paper covers topics such as comprehension, synonyms, antonyms, and grammar.
  4. The General Knowledge paper covers topics such as current affairs, history, geography, and general science.
  5. The Mathematics paper covers topics such as algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, and statistics.
• SSB Interview: Candidates who clear the written exam are called for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview.
  1. The SSB interview consists of two stages - stage I and stage II.
  2. Stage I includes the Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT).
  3. Stage II includes Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests and Conference.
  4. The SSB interview carries 300 marks in total.
  5. The final selection is based on the candidate's performance in both the written exam and SSB interview.
• Medical Examination: Candidates who clear the SSB interview have to undergo a medical examination to check if they are medically fit for the course.

Exam Syllabus:

The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment into the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers' Training Academy (OTA). Here is the complete syllabus for the CDS exam:
For admission to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy:

• English Language: The questions will be designed to test the candidates' understanding of English and workmanlike use of words.
• General Knowledge: The questions in this section will cover current events, history of India and geography.
• Elementary Mathematics: (a) Arithmetic: Number System, Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real numbers, Fundamental operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Square roots, Decimal fractions. (b) Unitary method: Time and distance, time and work, percentages, applications to simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, variation. (c) Elementary Number Theory: Division algorithm. Prime and composite numbers. Tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11. Multiples and factors. Factorisation Theorem. HCF and LCM. Euclidean algorithm. Logarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms, use of logarithmic tables. (d) Algebra: Basic Operations, simple factors, Remainder Theorem, HCF, LCM, Theory of polynomials, solutions of quadratic equations, relation between its roots and coefficients (Only real roots to be considered). Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns—analytical and graphical solutions. Simultaneous linear equations in two variables and their solutions. Practical problems leading to two simultaneous linear equations or inequations in two variables or quadratic equations in one variable & their solutions. Set language and set notation, Rational expressions and conditional identities, Laws of indices. (e) Trigonometry: Sine ×, cosine ×, Tangent × when 0° < × < 90° Values of sin ×, cos × and tan ×, for × = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° Simple trigonometric identities. Use of trigonometric tables. Simple cases of heights and distances. (f) Geometry: Lines and angles, Plane and plane figures, Theorems on (i) Properties of angles at a point (ii) Parallel lines, (iii) Sides and angles of a triangle, (iv) Congruency of triangles, (v) Similar triangles, (vi) Concurrence of medians and altitudes, (vii) Properties of angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle and square (viii) Circles and its properties including tangents and normals, (ix) Loci. (g) Mensuration: Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangle and circle. Areas of figures which can be split up into these figures (Field Book), Surface area and volume of cuboids, lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders, surface area and volume of spheres.

For admission to Officers' Training Academy:

• English Language: The questions will be designed to test the candidates' understanding of English and workmanlike use of words.
• General Knowledge: The questions in this section will cover current events, history of India and geography.

Note: The standard of the papers in Elementary Mathematics will be of Matriculation level. The standard of papers in other subjects will be of graduation level

Candidates must prepare thoroughly for all the topics mentioned in the syllabus to qualify for the CDS exam. It is advisable to refer to the official website of the UPSC for the most updated and detailed

Important Dates:

• Notification: The notification for the CDS exam is usually released in October and June.
• Application Dates: The online application process starts a few weeks after the notification is released and remains open for approximately 4-5 weeks.
• Admit Card: The admit card for the CDS exam is made available for download on the UPSC website approximately 3 weeks before the exam date.
• Exam Date: The CDS exam is generally held in the months of February and November.
• Result: The result of the written exam is usually declared within 1-2 months after the exam date. The final result is declared after the SSB interview.

Note: Candidates are advised to visit the official website of UPSC for detailed information and updates on the CDS exam.

Defence CDS Previous Year Papers- Free Solved Papers PDF Download

Given below in the table are the detailed Defence CDS Previous Years Papers with Solutions. Attempt the Papers to know about the type of questions asked and the difficulty level to upscale your Defence CDS Exam Preparation 2023.