All About Combined Defence Services Exam - CDS

CDS stands for Combined Defence Services. It is an exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year(April and September) to recruit candidates for IMA (Indian Military Academy), INA(Indian Naval Academy), AFA (Air Force Academy), and OTA (Officers' Training Academy).While some people also refer CDS full form as Chief of Defence Staff, this rank is given to the head of the Indian Armed Forces

The selection process comprises written exam and SSB interview. The minimum educational qualification needed to appear for CDS exam is graduation from a recognised Indian university

Candidates must be permanently settled in India.
Candidates must be a graduate or in their final year of graduation.
The minimum age limit for the exam is 19 years.Candidates must be between 20-24 years old as of 1st January 2024.
The maximum age limit for the exam varies based on the academy: 25 years for the Air Force Academy, 24 years for the Indian Military Academy, and 25 years for the Naval Academy.
Female candidates are eligible for OTA.
Candidates must be medically fit and meet certain physical standards, such as minimum height requirements.
Candidates must be Indian citizens or meet certain nationality/citizenship criteria, which are listed in detail in the official notification.

CDS Syllabus comprises topics from English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics . The CDS OTA Syllabus has only 2 papers: General Knowledge and English. To successfully pass any government examination, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the syllabus. As such, we are providing the CDS Syllabus to assist candidates in their preparation.