The "Combined Defence Services"Examination (CDS) is conducted twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment into the Indian Military Academy,officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Indian Air Force Academy. The Notification for the examination is usually released in the months of October and June, and the examinations are conducted in February and November respectively. Only unmarried graduates are eligible to sit for the exam. Successful candidates are admitted into the respective Academies after an interview conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB).

 

 Eligibility

Nationality: A candidates must either be:

(i) a Citizen of India, or

(ii) a subject of Bhutan, or

(iii) a subject of Nepal, or

(iv) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st January, 1963 with the intention of permanently setting in India, or

(v) a person of India origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently setting in India. Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii),

(iv) and (v) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Govt of India

Certificate of eligibility will, however, not be necessary in the case of candidates who are Gorkha subjects of Nepal

A candidates in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination provisionally subject to the necessary certificate being given to him/her by the Govt. before declaration of result by UPSC

 

AGE LIMITS, SEX AND MARITAL STATUS

i) For Indian Military Academy (IMA): Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 02nd January 1993 and not later than 1st January 1998 only are eligible

ii) For Indian Naval Academy (INA): Unmarried Male candidates born not earlier than 2nd January 1993 and not later than 01st January 1998 only are eligible

iii) For Air Force Academy (AFA) - Age: 20 to 24 years as on 01st January 2017 i.e. born not earlier than 02nd January 1993 and notlater than 01 January 1997 (Upper age limit for candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxable upto 26 yrs. i.e. born not earlier than 02nd January 1991 and not later than 01st January 1997) only are eligible

Note: Candidate below 25 years of age must be unmarried

iv) For Officers Training Academy (SSC Course for Men): Male candidates (married or unmarried) born not earlier than 02nd January 1992 and not later than 01st January 1998 only are eligible

v) For Officer Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course): Unmarried Women, issueless widows who have not remarried and issueless divorces (in possession of divorce documents) who have not remarried are eligible

They should have been born not earlier than 02nd January, 1992 and not later than 01st January 1998 are eligible

 

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

i) For Indian Military Academy / Officers’ Training Academy: Degree from a recognized university or equivalent

ii) For Indian Naval Academy: Bachelor of Engineering

iii) For Air Force Academy: Degree of a recognized University with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level or Bachelor of Engineering

Graduates with first choice as Army/Navy/Air Force are to submit proof of graduation provisional certificate on the date of commencement of the SSB interview at the SSB

For CDS exam, applicants can be from any stream but for entry to Air Force and Navy, candidates should have studied physics and maths up to Class 12

Candidates who are studying in the final year degree course and have yet to pass the final year degree examination can also apply but they will be required to subject proof of passing the degree examination to reach the Army Head Quarter/Rtd CDSE Entry, West Bloc III, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066

Candidates appearing at the degree or equivalent examination are also eligible to compete. Such candidates will be required to submit the proof of passing the requisite qualifying examination by a date to be specified in the Commission’s Notice for the Examination.

PHYSICAL STANDARDS

Candidates should be physically fit as per the physical standards for admission to the Combined Defence Services Examination.

Candidates should know about the Exam pattern for Combined Defence Services Examination (I) 2016

 

Exam Pattern

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is going to conducts Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination for recruitment of various vacancies under Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers Training Academy. The exam pattern of UPSC CDS details given below.

 

1. Written Exam:
i. Written Exam consists of Objective Type questions and time duration 2hrs and maximum marks is 100 for each subject.
ii. For the candidates who are appearing for Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air force Academy written test comprising of English, General Knowledge and Elementary mathematics subjects and for candidates who are appearing for officers training academy the written test comprising of English and General Knowledge.
iii. Candidates who are declared successful in the written exam will be detailed for intelligence and personality test at the Service Selection Board based on their preference, by the respective service HQ.

 

(A) For Admission to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy:

• Subject                         Duration                     Maximum Marks

1. English                          2 Hours                            100

2. General Knowledge      2 Hours                            100

3. Elementary Mathematics       2 Hours                    100

 

(B) For Admission to Officers’ Training Academy:

• Subject                           Duration                          Maximum Marks

1. English                                   2 Hours                               100

2. General Knowledge               2 Hours                               100

 

The maximum marks allotted to the written examination and to the interviews will be equal for each course. i.e the maximum marks allotted to the written examination and to the interviews will be 300, 300, 300 and 200 each for admission to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers Training Academy respectively.

The papers in all the subjects will consists of objective type questions only. The question papers of General Knowldege and Elementary Mathematics will be set bilingually in Hindi as well as English.

In the question papers, wherever necessary, questions involving the metric system of Weighs and Measures only will be set.

 

2. Interview/ Personality Test: The candidates who are selected in written test are called for interview. The SSB procedure consists of two stage selection process-Stage I and Stage II. Only those candidates who clear the stage I are permitted to appear for Stage II.
a. Stage I comprises of Officers Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests are Picture Perception Description Test (P&DT). The candidates will be shortlisted based on combination of performance in QIR Test and PP and DT.
b. Stage II comprises of Interview, Group Testing Officers Tasks, Psychology Tests and the conference. These testes are conducted over 4 days .
The personality of candidate is assessed by three different assessors viz. the interviewing Officer (IO), Group Testing Officer (GTO) and the Psychologist. There are no seperate weightage for each test. The marks are allotted by assessors only after taking into consideration the performance of the candidate holistically in all the test

 

How to Apply

• Go to the UPSC site.

• . Click on Online Application and then on CDS I Exam.

• Now fill the form after reading all the instructions.

• The information should be correct or in details.

• Upload your scanned passport sized photograph on the given space for photograph.

• Pay the application fees of Rs.200/- via Net Banking or Credit/Debit Card. Take a printout of the filled form. 

 

Syllabus

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is going to conducts Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination for recruitment of various vacancies under Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers Training Academy. The CDS syllabus details is given below.

 

PAPER – 1: ENGLISH:
The question paper will be designed to test the candidates’ understanding of English and workmanlike use of words.

 

PAPER – 2: GENERAL KNOWLEDGE:
General Knowledge including knowledge of current events and of such matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. The Paper will also include questions on History of India and Geography of a nature which Candidate should be able to answer without special study.

 

PAPER – 3: ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS: 
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.

 

Exam Centers

• AGARTALA

• GANGTOK

• PANAJI (GOA)

• AHMEDABAD

• HYDERABAD

• PATNA

• AIZAWL

• IMPHAL

• PORT BLAIR

• ALLAHABAD

• ITANAGAR

• RAIPUR

• BANGALORE

• JAIPUR

• RANCHI

• BAREILLY

• JAMMU

• SAMBALPUR

• BHOPAL

• JORHAT

• SHILLONG

• CHANDIGARH

• KOCHI

• SHIMLA

• CHENNAI

• KOHIMA

• SRINAGAR

• CUTTACK

• KOLKATA

• THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

• DEHRADUN

• LUCKNOW

• TIRUPATI

• DELHI

• MADURAI

• UDAIPUR

• DHARWAR

• MUMBAI

• VISHAKHAPATNAM

• DISPUR

• NAGPUR