Overview

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) organizes the Combined Defence Services exam. This exam is held for the recruitment of eligible and aspiring applicants into the Indian Naval Academy, Officers Training Academy, Indian Air Force Academy and Indian Military Academy. The exam consists of two stages. The first stage of the exam is a written test after which the Service Selection Board (SSB) conducts an interview with the shortlisted aspirants to select the suitable aspirants. Desiring applicants can apply for the exam online through the official website. This exam is organized twice in a year.

UPSC CDS Exam Conducting Body: 

UPSC is the India's Premiere Employing Agency for All India Services and Group 'A' and 'B' officers for Central Services. Combined Defence Services exam is organized by Union Public Service Commission twice a year for the employment of eligible and desiring applicants into the Indian Defence.

UPSC CDS Exam  Important Dates:

UPSC CDS Exam  Selection Procedure:- The CDS Exam comprises of two stages: 

• Written Exam

• Interview

UPSC CDS Exam Pattern:

Written Exam:-The exam pattern for Indian Military Academy, Indian Air Force Academy, and Indian Naval Academy:

The Exam pattern for Officers Training Academy:

Note:- There is a provision of negative marking. 1/3 of the mark allotted to each question gets deducted for the wrong answer.

Interview:- The personal interview is conducted by the Service Selection Board (SSB). The SSB interview contains the following two stages:-

• Stage 1 - Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR): This test contains Picture Perception and Description Test (PP & DT). Candidates get shortlisted for the second stage as per their performance in the OIR test (PP and DT).

• Stage 2 - The shortlisted applicants from the above stage are called for this stage. This stage consists of Interview, Conference and Psychology Test Group Testing Officer Tasks.

Final Selection:- The final selection of the candidate depends on his/her performance in the written as well as in the interview. A medical test is also held to check the physical fitness of the applicants.

UPSC CDS Exam  Eligibility Criteria:- 

• Nationality: Must be a citizen of India,

• Age Limit: The age limit is as follows:

- For Indian Military Academy: 18 to 23 years.

- For Indian Naval Academy: 18 to 23 years.

- For Indian Airforce Academy: 20 to 24 years (Upper age limit for candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxable up to 26 years).

- For Officers Training Academy (Men): Unmarried Candidates (20-25 years)

- For Officers Training Academy (Women): Unmarried Candidates (20-25 years)

• Educational Qualification:- The minimum qualification required for the various wings of the army is as follows:-

- For Indian Military Academy- Graduation or Equivalent.

- For Indian Naval Academy- Graduation Degree in Engineering.

- For Indian Airforce Academy- B.tech or B.E./B.Sc with a 10+2 Certificate.

- For Officer's Training Academy(Women)- Graduation

- For Officer's Training Academy (Men)- Graduation

• Physical Standards: The candidates must be physically fit as per the physical standards notified by the officials or mentioned in the information bulletin on the website.

UPSC CDS Exam Syllabus: For the written exam, the syllabus is as follows:

- General Knowledge:

• Current Affairs

• History of India

• Geography of India

- Mathematics:

• Arithmetic

• Algebra

• Geometry

• Trigonometry

• Mensuration

• Statistics

UPSC CDS Exam FAQs:

Ques 1. How to apply for examinations held by the UPSC?

Ans. Applicants can apply online through the UPSC's website https://upsconline.nic.in

Ques 2. Which category is exempted in the examination fee?

Ans.  Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), Female candidates, and SC/ST categories belonging applicants are exempted from payment of Examination Fee.

Ques 3. What action the Commission can take in case of submission of false information by the applicants?

Ans. If any applicants found producing false information,  cheating, adopting various unfair means in the examination like impersonation etc., is liable to be disqualified and/or debarred from writing UPSC examinations as decided by the Commission. In this regard, a detailed stipulation is incorporated in the examination Notice.

Ques 4. Are requests for change of Centre/ Venue accepted?

Ans. No request for change of Centre/Venue is entertained. 

 Ques 5. What precautions should be taken by a candidate while filling up the Online Application Form? 

Ans. Please read the instructions carefully before filling up the Online Application Form. 

Ques 6. Difference between CDS and NDA Exam?

Ans. Where the NDA examinations recruit for the Army, Naval and Air Force whereas the CDS examinations are conducted for recruitment for IMA, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and OTA.

Ques 7. Does a candidate change optional after prelims in UPSC?

Ans. No.

Ques 8. What is the format of the scanned signature and photograph?

Ans. The scanned photograph and signature in the .jpg format. 

Ques 9. What should be the size of the scanned signature and photograph?

Ans. The size should be as follows:

• For photograph 140 pixels height by 110 pixels width

• For signature 110 pixels height by 140 pixels width

Ques 10. What details is to be retained by a candidate after the successful submission of my form?

Ans. The application is submitted then the applicant must take a print out of the submitted application form and keep the same for future reference. The candidates are also advised to keep their fee payment proof which might be required by the commission in case of any discrepancy.

Ques 11. Are candidates with arts/humanity stream degree eligible to apply?

Ans. Applicants with a graduation degree from any stream are eligible but they can only apply for Army.

Ques 12. How many attempts are allowed to applicants for appearing in CDS exams?

Ans. No, such information is mentioned in CDS notification or on the UPSC website. 

 Ques 13. Is there any specific percentage required to apply for the exam?

Ans. No. Candidates must secure passing marks to apply for the CDS exam.

Ques 14. Are female candidates eligible to apply for the CDS exam?

Ans. Yes, Female (unmarried) candidates are eligible to apply for CDS but only for the Officers Training Academy (OTA).

Ques 15. Can a candidate appear in the final year of the graduation apply for the exam?

Ans. Yes.

Conclusion: UPSC organizes this exam for various vacancies. This exam presents a good chance for eligible and aspiring applicants to get these jobs. Aspirants must take the advantage of this opportunity by preparing well for the exam. The team of estudentbook wishes you all the best for your upcoming future.

Eligbility

UPSC CDS Eligibility Criteria:- 

• Nationality: Must be a citizen of India,

• Age Limit: The age limit is as follows:

- For Indian Military Academy: 18 to 23 years.

- For Indian Naval Academy: 18 to 23 years.

- For Indian Airforce Academy: 20 to 24 years (Upper age limit for candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxable up to 26 years).

- For Officers Training Academy (Men): Unmarried Candidates (20-25 years)

- For Officers Training Academy (Women): Unmarried Candidates (20-25 years)

• Educational Qualification:- The minimum qualification required for the various wings of the army is as follows:-

- For Indian Military Academy- Graduation or Equivalent.

- For Indian Naval Academy- Graduation Degree in Engineering.

- For Indian Airforce Academy- B.tech or B.E./B.Sc with a 10+2 Certificate.

- For Officer's Training Academy(Women)- Graduation

- For Officer's Training Academy (Men)- Graduation

• Physical Standards: The candidates must be physically fit as per the physical standards notified by the officials or mentioned in the information bulletin on the website.

UPSC - CDS Exam (II) Selection Procedure

UPSC CDS Selection Procedure:- The CDS Exam comprises of two stages: 

• Written Exam

• Interview

The selection of the candidates purely depends on merit which is based on the performance in the above-mentioned rounds.

UPSC - CDS Exam (II) Application Process

UPSC - CDS Exam Application Process:

The application form can only be filled in online mode. Applicants who are eager to apply for the test can apply in online mode through the official website. The applicants must fill the application form correctly, as sometimes there is no provision of correcting the application form after the submission. To apply for the exam the applicants are required to have a mobile number, date of birth, and an email id. The steps required to follow while filling the form are as follows:

• Go to the official website and after that click on Apply Online.

• Then click on the New Registration in the application page and then click on the register button of the page.

• Applicant is now required to fill the form and provide some basic information like the applicant’s name, parent’s name, date of birth, mobile number, email id etc.

• Now, the applicant must click on the submit button to submit the online registration form. All the applicants will be issued with a registration ID for the exam.

• So, now the applicant is required to login with the provided registration ID, date of birth, and password to complete the registration process.

• Now the applicant is required to upload a photograph and signature. The photo must be of white color or light color background. The least photograph resolution required is 100 by 120 pixels in WH. The signature should be only in blue or black ink on a white sheet. The scanned copy of the applicant’s signature should be in jpg format.

• Now the applicant must login with the registered ID and password to complete the part 2 of the application form.

• After filling the application form the applicant must preview the entire application form to look for any mistakes.

• Now click on the Final Submit button to complete the online application form. 

• The last step is the payment of the application fee for the exam. The applicant must make the payment to apply successfully. The payment can be made in online mode or as suggested by the organization.

• After the payment is made the applicant must submit the application form to complete the online application form process. The applicant must keep a printout of the application form for future use.

UPSC - CDS Exam (II) Syllabus

UPSC CDS Exam Syllabus: For the written exam, the syllabus is as follows:

- General Knowledge:

• Current Affairs

• History of India

• Geography of India

- Mathematics:

• Arithmetic

• Algebra

• Geometry

• Trigonometry

• Mensuration

• Statistics

UPSC - CDS Exam (II) Results

UPSC - CDS Exam Results

The applicant can check the result on the official website when the result is declared. The applicant is required to follow these steps to check the result:-

• Go to the official website.

• Select and click on the result tab.

• Then click on the result link.

• Then download the result PDF file.

UPSC - CDS Exam (II) Exam Pattern

UPSC CDS Exam Pattern:

Written Exam:-The exam pattern for Indian Military Academy, Indian Air Force Academy, and Indian Naval Academy:

The Exam pattern for Officers Training Academy:

Note:- There is a provision of negative marking. 1/3 of the mark allotted to each question gets deducted for the wrong answer.

Interview:- The personal interview is conducted by the Service Selection Board (SSB). The SSB interview contains the following two stages:-

• Stage 1 - Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR): This test contains Picture Perception and Description Test (PP & DT). Candidates get shortlisted for the second stage as per their performance in the OIR test (PP and DT).

• Stage 2 - The shortlisted applicants from the above stage are called for this stage. This stage consists of Interview, Conference and Psychology Test Group Testing Officer Tasks.

Final Selection:- The final selection of the candidate depends on his/her performance in the written as well as in the interview. A medical test is also held to check the physical fitness of the applicants.

UPSC - CDS Exam (II) Admit Card

UPSC - CDS Exam Admit Card:

The admit cards for the exam are issued by the UPSC in online mode. The applicants can download the admit card on the official website. The applicants are able to download the admit card by using details such as registration number and date of birth. The steps required to download the admit card is as follows:

• Go to the official website.

• Click on the admit card tab on the page.

• Click on the related website link.

• Now click on the link available for downloading the admit card then enter the required details asked like roll number, registration id and date of birth.

• Click on the search button.

• View, download, and print the admit card.

Download UPSC - CDS Exam (II) Sample Papers

• Stage2 Download
• Stage1 Download
• Stage1 Download
• Stage1 Download
• Stage1 Download
• Stage1 Download

UPSC - CDS Exam (II) Fee

UPSC CDS Exam Fee:

The payment fee details are given below:

• General - Rs. 200/-

• BC/OBC - RS. 200/-

• SC/ST/Women - Exempted

• Payment Mode - Offline or Online through Debit card/Credit card/Net Banking etc.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

UPSC CDS Exam FAQs:

Ques 1. How to apply for examinations held by the UPSC?

Ans. Applicants can apply online through the UPSC's website https://upsconline.nic.in

Ques 2. Which category is exempted in the examination fee?

Ans.  Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), Female candidates, and SC/ST categories belonging applicants are exempted from payment of Examination Fee.

Ques 3. What action the Commission can take in case of submission of false information by the applicants?

Ans. If any applicants found producing false information,  cheating, adopting various unfair means in the examination like impersonation etc., is liable to be disqualified and/or debarred from writing UPSC examinations as decided by the Commission. In this regard, a detailed stipulation is incorporated in the examination Notice.

Ques 4. Are requests for change of Centre/ Venue accepted?

Ans. No request for change of Centre/Venue is entertained. 

 Ques 5. What precautions should be taken by a candidate while filling up the Online Application Form? 

Ans. Please read the instructions carefully before filling up the Online Application Form. 

Ques 6. Difference between CDS and NDA Exam?

Ans. Where the NDA examinations recruit for the Army, Naval and Air Force whereas the CDS examinations are conducted for recruitment for IMA, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and OTA.

Ques 7. Does a candidate change optional after prelims in UPSC?

Ans. No.

Ques 8. What is the format of the scanned signature and photograph?

Ans. The scanned photograph and signature in the .jpg format. 

Ques 9. What should be the size of the scanned signature and photograph?

Ans. The size should be as follows:

• For photograph 140 pixels height by 110 pixels width

• For signature 110 pixels height by 140 pixels width

Ques 10. What details is to be retained by a candidate after the successful submission of my form?

Ans. The application is submitted then the applicant must take a print out of the submitted application form and keep the same for future reference. The candidates are also advised to keep their fee payment proof which might be required by the commission in case of any discrepancy.

Ques 11. Are candidates with arts/humanity stream degree eligible to apply?

Ans. Applicants with a graduation degree from any stream are eligible but they can only apply for Army.

Ques 12. How many attempts are allowed to applicants for appearing in CDS exams?

Ans. No, such information is mentioned in CDS notification or on the UPSC website. 

 Ques 13. Is there any specific percentage required to apply for the exam?

Ans. No. Candidates must secure passing marks to apply for the CDS exam.

Ques 14. Are female candidates eligible to apply for CDS exam?

Ans. Yes, Female (unmarried) candidates are eligible to apply for CDS but only for the Officers Training Academy (OTA).

Ques 15. Can a candidate appearing in the final year of the graduation apply for the exam?

Ans. Yes.