UPSC CDS Full Form
The full form of UPSC CDS is Combined Defence Services. It is a prestigious examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India.
The CDS exam serves as a gateway to rewarding careers in the military, including the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force officer ranks.
Successful candidates may get admission in institutions such as the Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers Training Academy (for both men and women).
UPSC CDS Exam Syllabus: Overview
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Name | Combined Defence Services (CDS) |
| Exam Conducted in A Year | Twice a Year |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Medium of Exam | Hindi or English |
| No. of Questions | IMA/INA/AFA – 300 OTA – 200 |
| Time Duration | 2 Hours for Each Paper |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd deducted for every wrong answer |
| Selection Process | Written Exam SSB Interview |
| Official Website | https://upsc.gov.in/ |
UPSC CDS Exam Pattern 2024
A) For IMA, INA, and AFA
| Subject | Time Duration | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 Hours | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |
| Mathematics | 2 Hours | 100 |
| SSB Test/Interview | 5 Days | 300 |
B) For the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) –
| Subject | Time Duration | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 Hours | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |
| SSB Test/Interview | 5 Days | 300 |
UPSC CDS Syllabus 2024
Syllabus For IMA, INA, and AFA
English
- Spotting Errors Questions
- Sentence Arrangement Questions
- Synonyms & Antonyms
- Selecting Words
- Ordering of Sentence
- Comprehension Questions
- Ordering of words in a sentence
- Fill in the blanks questions
- Idioms and Phrases
General Knowledge
- Economics
- Physics
- Current Affairs
- Politics
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- History
- Defence-related Award
- Geography
- Environment
- Sports
- Biology
- Cultural
- Book
- Statement
- True/False
- Algebra
- Basic Operations
- Simple factors
- Remainder Theorem
- H.C.F. & L.C.M.
- 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 inequations 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
- Arithmetic:
- Number System: Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real numbers.
- Fundamental Operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Square roots, Decimal fractions
- Unitary method
- Time and Distance
- Time and work
- Percentages
- Applications to simple and compound interest
- Profit and Loss
- Ratio and Proportion
- Variation
- 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
- H.C.F. and L.C.M.
- Euclidean Algorithm
- Logarithms to base 10
- Laws of logarithms
- Use of logarithmic tables
- 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
- Geometry:
- Lines and angles
- Plane and plane figures
- Theorems on Properties of angles at a point
- Parallel lines
- Sides and angles of a triangle
- Congruency of triangles
- Similar triangles
- Concurrence of Medians and Altitudes
- Properties of Angles
- Sides and Diagonals of a Parallelogram
- Rectangle and Square
- Circles and its properties including tangents and normals
- Mensuration:
- Areas of squares
- Rectangles
- Parallelograms
- Triangle and circle
- Areas of figures that 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
- Statistics:
- Collection and tabulation of statistical data
- Graphical representation frequency polygons, Histograms
- Bar charts, Pie charts etc
- Measures of central tendency
CDS Syllabus for OTA
English
- Sentence arrangementSpotting ErrorSelecting words
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Comprehension
- Ordering of Sentence
- Ordering of words
- Idioms and Phrases
- Fill in the blanks
General Ability Test
- Current Affairs
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Geography
- History
- Politics
- Sociology
- Economics
- Defence Related Awards
- Sports and Culture
- Environmental Science
UPSC CDS Exam Calender 2024
| Exam | Notification Date | Application Deadline | Written Exam Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDS 1 | December 20, 2023 | January 9, 2024 (6:00pm) | April 21, 2024 |
| CDS 2 | May 15, 2024 | June 4, 2024 | September 1, 2024 |
UPSC CDS Notification Date 2024
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the notification for the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2024 on December 20, 2023
UPSC CDS Registration 2024
The registration process for the UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2024 was January 9, 2024.
- Visit the official UPSC website: UPSC CDS 2024 Registration.
- On the homepage, click on “Examination” and then select “Active Examinations”.
- Look for the “Online Application For UPSC CDS 1 Exam” link.
- Follow the instructions to complete your application.
UPSC CDS Admit Card 2024
The UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2024 admit card has been released! You can download it from the official UPSC website. Here’s how:
- Visit the UPSC CDS 2024 Admit Card page.
- Enter your registration ID or roll number and date of birth.
- Click on submit to download your admit card.
The CDS 1 Exam is scheduled for April 21, 2024.
UPSC CDS Exam Date 2024
The UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2024 is scheduled to take place on April 21, 2024
UPSC CDS Result Date 2024
The Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) is expected to release the CDS result for the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2024 in the first week of May 2024
UPSC CDS Exam Fees 2024
| Category | Preliminary Exam Fee | Main Exam Fee | Personality Test (Interview) Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/OBC | ₹100 | ₹200 | No fee |
| SC/ST/PH/Female | Exempted (No fee) | Exempted (No fee) | No fee |
UPSC CDS Exam Eligibility 2024
- Age Limit, Gender & Marital Status:
- For IMA (Indian Military Academy): Unmarried male candidates born between 2nd January 1999 and 1st January 2004 are eligible.
- For Indian Naval Academy (INA): Unmarried male candidates born between 2nd January 1999 and 1st January 2004 can apply.
- For Air Force Academy: The age range is 20 to 24 years as of 1st January 2024. However, candidates with a valid and current Commercial Pilot License issued by DGCA (India) can be up to 26 years old (born between 2nd January 1997 and 1st January 2003).
- Nationality or Citizenship:
- Candidates must be either:
- A citizen of India, or
- A subject of Bhutan, or
- A subject of Nepal, or
- A Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
- A person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
- Candidates must be either:
- Educational Qualification:
- A Bachelor’s degree from a UGC-recognized university is necessary. Candidates appearing for the final exam of their degree are also eligible.
- Physical and Medical Qualification:
- Candidates must meet the prescribed physical and medical standards set by the UPSC.
UPSC CDS Exam Center 2024
| CDS 1 Exam Centres List 2024 | ||
| Agartala | Ghaziabad | Panaji (Goa) |
| Agra | Gorakhpur | Patna |
| Ajmer | Gurgaon | Port Blair |
| Ahmedabad | Gwalior | Prayagraj (Allahabad) |
| Aizawl | Hyderabad | Puducherry |
| Aligarh | Imphal | Pune |
| Almora (Uttarakhand) | Indore | Raipur |
| Anantpur (Andhra Pradesh) | Itanagar | Rajkot |
| Aurangabad (Maharashtra) | Jabalpur | Ranchi |
| Bengaluru | Jaipur | Sambalpur |
| Bareilly | Jammu | Shillong |
| Bhopal | Jodhpur | Shimla |
| Bilaspur (Chhatisgarh) | Jorhat | Siligudi |
| Chandigarh | Kochi | Srinagar |
| Chennai | Kohima | Srinagar (Uttarakhand) |
| Coimbatore | Kolkata | Thane |
| Cuttack | Kozhikode (Calicut) | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Dehradun | Leh | Tiruchirapalli |
| Delhi | Lucknow | Tirupati |
| Dharamshala | Ludhiana | Udaipur |
| Dharwad | Madurai | Varanasi |
| Dispur | Mandi | Vellore |
| Faridabad | Mumbai | Vijayavada |
| Gangtok | Mysore | Vishakhapatnam |
| Gaya | Nagpur | Warangal |
| Gautam Buddh Nagar | Navi Mumbai | |
UPSC CDS Exam Duration
| Exam | Duration |
|---|---|
| IMA, INA, and AFA | 2 hours each |
| OTA | 4 hours |
UPSC CDS Salary Structure
| CDS Salary & Pay Scale | ||
| CDS Ranks | CDS Pay Scale | Pay Level |
| Lieutenant | Rs 56,100/ to 1,77,500/ Per month | Level 10 |
| Captain | Rs 61,300/ to 1,93,900/ Per month | Level 10B |
| Major | Rs 69,400/ to 2,07,200/ Per month | Level 11 |
| Lt Colonel | Rs 1,21,200/ to 2,12,400/ Per month | Level 12A |
| Colonel | Rs 1,30,600/ to 2,15,900/ Per month | Level 13 |
| Brigadier | Rs 1,39,600/ to 2,17,600/ Per month | Level 13A |
| Major General | Rs 1,44,200/ to 2,18,200/ Per month | Level 14 |
| Lieutenant General HAG Scale | Rs 1,82,200/ to 2,24,100/ Per month | Level 15 |
| HAG+Scale | Rs 2,05,400/ to 2,24,400/ Per month | Level 16 |
| VCOAS/Army CDR/ Lieutenant General (NFSG) | Rs 2,25,000/ (fixed) Per month | Level 17 |
| COAS | Rs 2,50,000/ (fixed) Per month | Level 18 |
UPSC CDS Cut Off 2023
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|
| IMA (Indian Military Academy) | 120 – 130 | 245 – 255 |
| INA (Indian Naval Academy) | 105 – 120 | 233 – 245 |
| AFA (Air Force Academy) | 145 – 150 | 268 – 270 |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) men | 73 – 85 | 162 – 170 |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) women | 74 – 85 | 164 – 170 |
UPSC CDS Previous Year Question Paper
| Question Paper 2018 | Question Paper 2019 |
| Question Paper 2020 | Question Paper 2021 |
| Question Paper 2022 | Question Paper 2023 |
UPSC CDS Answer Key 2023
| Answer Key 2018 | Answer Key 2019 |
| Answer Key 2020 | Answer Key 2021 |
| Answer Key 2022 | Answer Key 2023 |
UPSC CDS Post List
- Lieutenant in the Indian Army
- Sub-Lieutenant in the Indian Navy
- Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force
Best Books for UPSC CDS Exam 2024
Best CDS English Books
| Best Books for CDS English Language | ||
| Books | Author | Description |
| Objective General English | S.P. Bakshi (Arihant Publications) | Best for Beginner, Solved examples & Exercises to Practice along with detailed theory. |
| High School English Grammar & Composition | Wren and Martin | Good book with proper rules and applications mentioned in detail |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis | One Stop solution for Vocabulary |
Best Books for CDS General Knowledge
| Best Books for CDS General Knowledge | ||
| Books | Author | Description |
| General Awareness | Manohar Panday (Arihant Publications) | This book covers Indian History, Indian Polity, Geography, Indian Economy along with the current affairs |
| Manorama Yearbook | Philip Mathew | Effective & recommended book for preparing General Awareness |
| Pratiyogita Darpan (Magazines) | Pratiyogita Darpan Editorial Team | Covers complete news along with practice set & CDS previous year papers |
| Newspapers | Hindu, The Indian Express, The Economic Times | This is a must. Reading regularly will help you to stay updated with all the topics relevant for the exam |
| Best Books for CDS Maths | ||
| Books | Author | Description |
| Mathematics for C.D.S. | R.S. Aggarwal | This Maths book if focussed on the topics which are frequently in CDS examination. It covers all the topics which has high weightage with proper solved examples, practice sets etc. |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | R.S. Aggarwal | This book is best to clear various topics of maths from basics as it has many solved examples (different varieties of questions) along with practice sets (simple & tough both). |
| Pathfinder for CDS | Arihant Publications | Another CDS Maths book followed by many aspirants which covers entire syllabus of maths which has to be covered for this subject |
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