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The Union Public Service Commission administers the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) to recruit Commissioned Officers for the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. Tests are normally administered twice a year, in February and September. Every year, a considerable number of candidates take the national-level defence entrance test. Candidates are chosen based on a written exam, followed by an SSB interview for IQ and personality testing.
The CDS announcement has been published in order to select applicants for admission to INA, IMA, AFA, and OTA. The notification is available in PDF format on the UPSC's official website. The announcement covers information regarding the test, such as eligibility requirements, the application procedure, crucial dates, training process, remuneration, selection process, etc.
Candidates must fulfil the Union Public Service Commission's qualifying requirements for defense recruiting. Check the detailed eligibility (nationality, education, age, marital status, and gender) from the list below:
The CDS Syllabus includes subjects such as English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. The standard for Mathematics Syllabus is of Class 10 level, whereas for other courses its graduation level. The syllabus is available below for candidates to review:
The CDS Syllabus includes subjects such as English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. The standard for Mathematics Syllabus is of Class 10 level, whereas for other courses its graduation level. The syllabus is available below for candidates to review:
CDS - I:
Notification | 22nd December, 2021 |
Application Process | 22nd December, 2021 – 11th January, 2022 |
Admit Card | 2nd week of March, 2022 |
Exam | 10th April, 2022 |
CDS – II:
Notification | 18th May, 2022 |
Application Process | 18th May – 14th June, 2022 |
Admit Card | First Week of August, 2022 |
Exam | 4th September, 2022 |
The three-stage selection process is specified in the Combined Defence Service notification. Candidates will be chosen based on a written examination and then shortlisted for an interview. It will be used to assess applicants' intelligence as well as their personalities. The CDS Recruitment board will undertake a three-stage procedure, which will involve a written test, Viva-Voce, and document verification, on the basis of which the selection will be decided.
After the entire selection procedure is completed, the CDS cut off is released. Minimum qualifying marks in each subject and minimum aggregate marks are used as the cut-off for the written test. The ultimate CDS cut-off is determined by the marks of the most recently suggested applicant. Each topic requires a minimum of 20% to pass. Candidates can see below the CDS I cut-off from the previous year:
Written Exam (Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate) | Final Exam (Marks of last recommended candidate) | |
IMA | 130 | 250 |
INA | 118 | 242 |
AFA | 143 | 274 |
OTA (Men) | 93 | 173 |
OTA(Women) | 93 | 177 |
The Combined Defence Services Examination- II will be held in a number of locations. While completing out their CDS- 2 application form, the individual must select their desired centre.
Agartala | Dharwad | Kochi | Rajkot |
Agra | Dispur | Kohima | Ranchi |
Ajmer | Faridabad | Kolkata | Sambalpur |
Ahmedabad | Gangtok | Kozhikode | Shillong |
Aizawl | Gaya | Leh | Shimla |
Aligarh | Gautam Buddh Nagar | Lucknow | Siliguri |
Almora (Uttarakhand) | Ghaziabad | Ludhiana | Srinagar |
Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) | Gorakhpur | Madurai | Srinagar (Uttarakhand) |
Aurangabad | Gurgaon | Mumbai | Thane |
Bengaluru | Gwalior | Mysore | Thiruvananthapuram |
Bareilly | Hyderabad | Nagpur | Tiruchirapalli |
Bhopal | Imphal | Navi Mumbai | Tirupati |
Bilaspur | Indore | Panaji (Goa) | Udaipur |
Chandigarh | Itanagar | Patna | Varanasi |
Chennai | Jabalpur | Port Blair | Vellore |
Coimbatore | Jaipur | Prayagraj (Allahabad) | Vijayawada |
Cuttack | Jammu | Puducherry | Visakhapatnam |
Dehradun | Jodhpur | Pune | Warangal |
Delhi | Jorhat | Raipur |
Q1. Is the CDS given online?
Ans. No, the CDS is administered offline or on paper mode.
Q2. How many papers are in the CDS ?
Ans. According to the CDS syllabus, there are two papers: paper 1 and paper 2. Both papers are given in two separate sessions on the same day.
Q3. How many CDS test retakes are permitted?
Ans. There is no restriction to the number of CDS exam tries. Candidates who meet the specified age restriction may apply for the test.
Q4. Do PhD holders have an edge in the CDS ?
Ans. PhD holders can apply for CDS even if they have less than 55 percent in MSc, but they must have at least 50 percent in aggregate.
Q5. What if a candidate consistently wears spectacles? Are they going to be considered for CDS?
Ans. Except for the Air Force, candidates who wear spectacles are eligible for other CDS categories. You must not use spectacles on a regular basis if you want to join the Air Force.
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