UPSC CDS
Union Public Service Commission — Combined Defence Services
Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination is a national-level written test conducted twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select officers for the Indian Armed Forces. Candidates who clear the written exam are then assessed by the Services Selection Board (SSB) for their personality and leadership traits, followed by a medical examination, before final recommendation for training.
Successful candidates are admitted to one of four training academies based on their preference, merit, and the vacancies notified for that cycle: the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun; the Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala; the Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad; and the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), Chennai (for the Short Service Commission, open to both men and women). The exam is held under two notifications each year, commonly referred to as CDS I and CDS II, with the written test typically scheduled around April and September as per the UPSC annual calendar.
Overview / Key Highlights
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam level | Graduation level (national) |
| Mode of exam | Offline (pen and paper / OMR based) |
| Medium | English |
| Frequency | Twice a year (CDS I and CDS II) |
| Selection stages | Written exam, SSB Interview, Medical examination |
| Papers for IMA / INA / AFA | English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics |
| Papers for OTA | English and General Knowledge only |
| Negative marking | Yes (1/3 of the marks allotted deducted per wrong answer) |
| Official website | https://upsc.gov.in |
Selection Process
The CDS selection is a two-stage process. Stage I is the UPSC written examination. Candidates who qualify on the basis of the written test are summoned for Stage II, the SSB Interview, which is conducted by the Services Selection Board on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. The medical examination is undertaken for candidates who are recommended by the SSB. The stage-by-stage flow is given below.
- Stage 1 – Written Examination: Conducted by UPSC on a single day at designated centres. For IMA, INA and AFA the written test has three papers; for OTA it has two papers.
- Stage 2 – Declaration of Written Result: UPSC publishes the list of roll numbers of candidates who qualify for the SSB interview. For OTA candidates, only English and General Knowledge are considered.
- Stage 3 – SSB Interview: A five-day assessment conducted at one of the Service Selection Boards, covering intelligence tests, psychological tests (Thematic Apperception Tests, Word Association Tests, Situation Reaction Tests, Self-Description), Group Testing Officer tasks (group discussions, group planning exercise, group obstacles, command tasks), and a personal interview. The SSB is out of a total of 900 marks.
- Stage 4 – Medical Examination: Candidates recommended by the SSB undergo a medical examination at a designated military hospital to check physical and visual fitness.
- Stage 5 – Final Recommendation: The final merit list is prepared on the basis of total marks in the written exam plus SSB marks, and candidates are recommended to the respective academies.
Exam Pattern
The written exam is a multiple-choice (objective) paper. Each question carries 1 mark. Every wrong answer attracts a negative marking of one-third (0.33) of the marks allotted to that question, as per the pattern used in the previous cycle. Unanswered questions do not carry negative marks. Each paper has a duration of 2 hours. The paper-wise break-up is as follows (based on the pattern of the previous cycle, subject to change in the current notification).
| Academy / Course | Paper | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMA, INA, AFA | English | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| IMA, INA, AFA | General Knowledge | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| IMA, INA, AFA | Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| OTA (Men and Women) | English | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| OTA (Men and Women) | General Knowledge | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
Important notes: Candidates for IMA, INA and AFA must attempt all three papers. Candidates for OTA appear only in English and General Knowledge. The written marks for IMA/INA/AFA are counted out of a total of 300, while for OTA they are counted out of 200. UPSC may also fix minimum qualifying marks in each paper, so scoring well in every section matters.
Detailed Syllabus
The syllabus below follows the standard UPSC CDS syllabus that has been in force in recent cycles. Candidates must confirm the exact scope from the current year’s official notification.
English
- Spotting of errors in sentences and phrases
- Sentence improvement and sentence completion
- Synonyms and antonyms
- One-word substitution
- Idioms and phrases
- Ordering of words and rearranging sentences (para-jumbles)
- Fill in the blanks and cloze passages
- Reading comprehension passages
- Active and passive voice
- Direct and indirect (reported) speech
- Prepositions, conjunctions and articles
- Subject-verb agreement and tenses
General Knowledge
- Current affairs and national / international events
- History of India: ancient, medieval and modern periods
- Indian freedom struggle and post-independence developments
- Indian polity: Constitution, Parliament, judiciary and governance
- Indian geography: physical, economic and social geography
- World geography and environmental issues
- Indian economy: planning, budgeting, banking and industry
- General science: physics, chemistry and biology at Class 10-12 level
- Basics of computers and information technology
- Sports, awards, honours and books
- Defence-related knowledge and organisations of the armed forces
- Important days, persons, places and institutions
- Everyday observations and scientific temper
Elementary Mathematics
- Number system: HCF, LCM and decimals
- Percentages, profit and loss and discount
- Ratio and proportion, partnership
- Simple and compound interest
- Averages, ages and mixtures
- Time and work, pipes and cisterns
- Time and distance, trains, boats and streams
- Basic algebra: identities and simplification
- Linear and quadratic equations and factorisation
- Trigonometry: ratios, standard angles, identities and heights and distances
- Geometry: lines, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons and circles
- Mensuration: areas and volumes of plane and solid figures
- Statistics: mean, median, mode, frequency distribution, histograms and ogives
- Probability: basic concepts and simple problems
Marking Scheme
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Marks per question | 1 mark for each correct answer |
| Negative marking | 1/3 mark deducted for each incorrect answer (as per previous cycle) |
| Unanswered questions | No marks deducted |
| Total marks (IMA / INA / AFA) | 300 (three papers of 100 each) |
| Total marks (OTA) | 200 (two papers of 100 each) |
| Qualifying marks | UPSC may fix minimum qualifying marks per paper; figures from previous cycles suggested roughly 20-25% per paper (tentative) |
| Cut-off factors | Number of vacancies, difficulty of papers, candidate profile and the total (written + SSB) performance |
Eligibility Criteria
Educational Qualification
| Academy | Required Qualification |
|---|---|
| IMA | A degree of a recognised university or equivalent |
| INA | A degree in Engineering of a recognised university / institution (as per the official notification) |
| AFA | A degree of a recognised university (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or a Bachelor of Engineering |
| OTA | A degree of a recognised university or equivalent |
Age Limits (based on the previous cycle)
| Academy | Age Limit (as on the 1st of January of the year of the course) |
|---|---|
| IMA | 19 to 24 years |
| INA | 19 to 24 years |
| AFA | 20 to 24 years |
| OTA (Men) | 19 to 25 years |
| OTA (Women) | 19 to 25 years |
Other Conditions
- Nationality: A candidate must be a citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal / Bhutan, or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from specified countries. Relaxation for the last two categories is subject to eligibility certificate requirements.
- Marital status: Unmarried candidates only. A widow or divorced woman is eligible for OTA in certain cases; a male divorcee or widower is treated as not unmarried.
- Number of attempts: There is no restriction on the number of attempts as long as the candidate is within the age limit.
- Physical standards: Candidates must meet the prescribed height, weight and visual standards, checked at the medical examination stage.
Application Process & Fees
The application is submitted online on the UPSC portal https://upsconline.nic.in. The application window usually opens on the day the notification is released and remains open for about three weeks. Candidates must register, fill in their personal and educational details, select exam centre preferences, upload a scanned photograph and signature, pay the fee, and submit. After submission, an application correction window is usually provided. Candidates are advised to apply early because exam centres are allotted on a first-apply-first-allot basis, and a centre may be frozen once it reaches capacity.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Application fee | Rs 200 for General / OBC / EWS candidates (based on the previous cycle) |
| Fee exemption | Women candidates and SC / ST / PwBD candidates are exempted from paying the fee |
| Mode of payment | Online payment or cash deposit in any State Bank of India branch |
| Admit card | e-Admit Card downloadable from the UPSC website, usually around 2-3 weeks before the exam |
Salary / Pay Scale
Officers selected through CDS are commissioned as Lieutenant (in the Army and Navy) or Flying Officer (in the Air Force) on successful completion of training. During training at the academy, cadets receive a stipend (around Rs 56,100 per month basic in recent cycles, tentative). On commissioning, the officer is placed in the pay level applicable to the rank, which carries a basic pay of about Rs 56,100 per month as per the 7th Central Pay Commission for the entry-level officer rank, plus rank pay and allowances such as Military Service Pay, Dearness Allowance, and Grade Allowances. The in-hand salary at the entry level is typically in the range of Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 per month depending on the posting and allowances (approximate figure, based on the previous cycle). The pay rises progressively with rank, going up to the highest levels for senior officers.
Official Links & PDFs
The following are the official pages you should use for notifications, the exam scheme, admit cards and results. Note: the UPSC website is JavaScript-based and the exact PDF URLs change every cycle, so always locate the current-year notification from the official website.
- UPSC Official Website – main portal for all UPSC examinations
- CDS Examination page on UPSC – notifications, scheme, vacancies and results
- UPSC Annual Examination Calendar – tentative CDS I and CDS II dates
- UPSC Previous Question Papers – official CDS question papers of earlier years
- UPSC Cut-off Marks – official cut-off / minimum qualifying marks
- UPSC Online Application Portal – apply for the current cycle here
The detailed notification PDF (containing the vacancy-wise break-up, full eligibility conditions and the exam scheme) is published on the UPSC website whenever the application window opens. Download and read it carefully before applying. Since direct PDF links change every cycle, the CDS page and the notification link on upsc.gov.in are the most reliable place to obtain the official PDF.
Preparation Tips & Strategy
- Master the pattern first: Solve at least two years of official CDS question papers from the UPSC website to understand the exact question style and difficulty.
- Build accuracy in Mathematics: Elementary Maths is scoring but time-bound. Practise speed calculations daily and revise formulas for percentage, ratio, interest, mensuration and trigonometry.
- Strengthen English fundamentals: Revise grammar rules, practise spotting errors, cloze tests and vocabulary daily; read editorials to improve comprehension speed.
- Keep General Knowledge current: Read a good newspaper and a monthly current affairs compilation; revise history, polity, geography and science from Class 10-12 NCERT textbooks.
- Attempt full-length mock tests: Simulate the 2-hour paper with 100 questions to build time management and get used to negative marking; aim to reduce careless errors.
- Do not guess randomly: Since 1/3 mark is deducted for a wrong answer, attempt only questions you are reasonably sure about, and leave genuinely unknown ones blank.
- Prepare for SSB early: If you clear the written exam, the SSB is decisive. Work on communication skills, group discussion practice, current affairs for interviews, and physical fitness.
- Maintain fitness throughout: The medical and physical standards are strict; keep up regular exercise, running and a healthy routine right from the application stage.
FAQs
Q: How many times is the CDS exam conducted in a year?
A: The CDS exam is conducted twice a year by UPSC, under two notifications commonly called CDS I and CDS II. The written tests are usually scheduled around April and September, subject to the UPSC annual calendar.
Q: Which papers do I need to write for the OTA course?
A: Candidates applying for OTA (Short Service Commission, men and women) appear in only two papers – English and General Knowledge – each of 100 marks.
Q: Is there negative marking in the CDS written exam?
A: Yes. Based on the previous cycle, 1/3 of the marks allotted to a question is deducted for every wrong answer. Unanswered questions do not attract any penalty.
Q: Are women eligible to apply for the CDS exam?
A: Women candidates are eligible to apply for the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) courses under the Short Service Commission. They are not eligible for IMA, INA or AFA through CDS.
Q: What is the application fee for CDS?
A: The fee is around Rs 200 for General, OBC and EWS candidates, based on the previous cycle. Women candidates and SC / ST / PwBD candidates are exempted from paying the fee.
Q: Are there a limited number of attempts for CDS?
A: No, there is no restriction on the number of attempts. A candidate can appear as long as they satisfy the age limit and other eligibility conditions for the course applied to.
Closing Pointer
The Combined Defence Services Examination is a prestigious gateway to a career as a commissioned officer in the Indian Army, Navy or Air Force. Since UPSC revises the scheme, vacancies and eligibility details with every notification, always follow the official UPSC website and the current-year notification for the latest updates, and plan your preparation around the official syllabus and previous-year papers.