CDS Exam 2025: Dates, Syllabus, Registration, and Preparation Tips

Prepare for Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam 2025 with essential dates, syllabus, registration details, and effective preparation tips

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CDS Exam Details

EaseToLearn is providing an exclusive interface for your COMBINED DEFENCE SERVICES EXAMINATION 2024. Get the latest updated CDS mock test series, CDS previous year question papers, CDS Question Bank, and  CDS Study material. Sign-up on Easetolearn CDS Course to get a Smart Learning which will help you in Time Management.

 

Easetolearn is the largest online learning platform that gives you the latest and updated exam details for your CDS 2024 examination. Candidates can get all the latest CDS Exam information like key dates, Eligibility requirements, Qualifications, Fee information, and application procedures, etc.

 

To Join the Online CDS Mock Test Series 2024: Click Here

 

Click Here for CDS II Official Notification 2024

 

OVERVIEW OF CDS EXAM DETAILS

 

UPSC COMBINED DEFENCE SERVICES (II) EXAM 2024-

 

UPSC-CDS (II) 2024 Exam applications can only be submitted online.

For office student recruitment in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the UPSC-CDS exam is conducted twice a year.

The Service Selection Board conducts interviews with candidates who pass the CDS written test, and if they are ultimately chosen, according on their merit score and list ranking, they then get assigned to one of the following institutes for orientation training:

 

  • Indian Military Academy, Dehradun
  • Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala
  • Air Force Academy, Hyderabad
  • Officers Training Academy, Chennai (Madras)
  • Officers Training Academy, Chennai SSC Women (Non-Technical)

 

Click Here to join CDS My Study Room

 

COMBINED DEFENCE SERVICES (II) EXAMINATION–IMPORTANT DATES

 

•Starting date of CDS 2 Application Form 2024 – 15 May, 2024 
•Last date to submit CDS 2 Application Form 2024 - 04 June, 2024
•Release of CDS 2 2024 Admit Card- To Be Notified
•Exam date of CDS 2 2024 – 01st September 2024
•Declaration of CDS 2 2024 Result- To Be Notified 

 

Women candidates are eligible for CDS OTA (Officers Training Academy, Chennai)

 

The first three institutes will offer permanent commission to those who register. Officers Training Academy graduates will receive a short service commission. When completing the online application forms, all applicants have to confirm their choices.

 

CDS 2 Vacancies 2024

 

Along with the official CDS 2 Notification 2024, fresh vacancies that will be filled through the CDS-II 2024 test for the course starting in May 2024 will be released. 459 openings for the Indian Air Force, Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Officer's Training Academy have been made public this year through CDS 2 Notification. Look at the distribution of vacancies.

 

CDS 2 2024 Vacancy

Name of the academy

Number of Vacancies

Indian Military Academy, Dehradun

100

Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala

32

Air Force Academy, Hyderabad

32

Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) SSC Men

276

Officers Training Academy, Chennai SSC Women

19

Total Vacancies

459

 

Note- Commission may decide to change the examination's date, which is stated above.

The number of vacancies shown above is descriptive and subject to change by Services H. Q. at any time.

 

Click Here For CDS 2024 Online Free Mock Test Series

 

CDS 2 Eligibility Criteria 2024

 

Candidates must fulfil the qualifying requirements in terms of nationality, age restriction, and educational background in order to apply for the CDS 2 exam 2024.

 

(a) Nationality : A candidate must be unmarried male/female and must 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 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
   (v) a person of Indian 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 and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
As long as the candidate falls under category (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) above, they must be someone in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been given by the Government of India.However, candidates who are Nepalese Gorkha subjects will not need a certificate of eligibility. 

 

CDS 2 Educational Qualification 2024 

 

ACADEMY

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

INDIAN MILITARY ACADEMY

Graduation Degree

Indian Naval Academy

B.E/B.Tech (10+2 with Physics & Maths)

Air Force Academy

Graduation, B.E/B.Tech (10+2 with Physics & Maths)

Officers’ Training Academy (Men)

Graduation Degree

Officers’ Training Academy (Women)

Graduation Degree

 

(i) For I.M.A. and Officers’ Training Academy-The applicant must hold a bachelor's degree in any field from a recognised college or its equivalent.

(ii) For Indian Naval Academy — The candidate must have obtained their engineering degree from a recognised college or institution.

(iii) For Air Force Academy — The candidate must have a bachelor's degree (with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level) from a recognised college or a bachelor's degree in engineering.

 

Graduates who have chosen the Army, Navy, or Air Force as their first choice must present proof of graduation or provisional certificates at the SSB on the day the SSB Interview starts.

 

The CDS exam is helped by taking an online practise test. You can test on a specific CDS syllabus topic. To access the CDS online mock test series- Click here.

 

 CDS 2 Age Limit 2024-

 

Academy

Age Limit

Indian Military Academy

19-24 Years

Indian Naval Academy

19-24 Years

Air Force Academy

20-24 Years

Officers’ Training Academy (Men)

19-25 Years

Officers’ Training Academy (Women)

19-25 Years

 

NOTE- Male candidates who have been divorced or widowed cannot be considered unmarried for the purpose of admission to the IMA/INA/AFA/OTA, Chennai courses, and as a result, they are not eligible for these courses.

 

CDS 2 EXAMINATION SCHEME 2024

 

The CDS 2 Competitive examination comprises:

(a) CDS Written examination

(b) CDS Interview for intelligence and personality test of such candidates as may be called for interview at one of the Services Selection Centres.  

The subjects of the CDS written examination as follows:


For Admission to CDS Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy:—


1. English
2. General Knowledge
3. Elementary Mathematics


For Admission to CDS Officers Training Academy:-


1. English
2. General Knowledge 

 

HOW TO APPLY FOR CDS 2 2024 APPLICATION FORMS:

 

Candidates must use the website to submit their online CDS application forms.

Detailed instructions are available on the above-mentioned UPSC website

A CDS application cannot be submitted in any other way.

 

CDS Application Fee 2024:

 

You can pay the application fees both offline and online.

The exam fee may be paid in cash at any SBI branch, online through the bank's net banking service, or with any VISA, Mastercard, credit card, or debit card.

 

Category

Fees (In INR)

General/OBC

200

SC/ST/Sons of JCOs, NCOs, ORs

Nil

 

CDS EXAMINATION CENTERS 2024:

 

More than 70 places offer the CDS exam. Choosing a desired exam city is a requirement for candidates when filling out the application. Candidates are assigned exam locations according to the first-to-apply rule. Below is a list of the cities hosting CDS exam.

 

Agartala

Ghaziabad

Panaji (Goa)

Agra

Gorakhpur

Patna

Ajmer

Gurgaon

Port Blair

Ahmedabad

Gwalior

Prayagraj (Allahabad)

Aizawl

Hyderabad

Puducherry

Aligarh

Imphal

Pune

Almora (Uttarakhand)

Indore

Raipur

Anantpur (Andhra Pradesh)

Itanagar

Rajkot

Aurangabad

Jabalpur

Ranchi

Bengaluru

Jaipur

Sambalpur

Bareilly

Jammu

Shillong

Bhopal

Jodhpur

Shimla

Bilaspur

Jorhat

Siligudi

Chandigarh

Kochi

Srinagar

Chennai

Kohima

Srinagar (Uttarakhand)

Coimbatore

Kolkata

Thane

Cuttack

Kozhikode (Calicut)

Thiruvananthapuram

Dehradun

Leh

Tiruchirapalli

Delhi

Lucknow

Tirupati

Dharwad

Ludhiana

Udaipur

Dispur

Madurai

Varanasi

Faridabad

Mumbai

Vellore

Gangtok

Mysore

Vijayawada

Gaya

Nagpur

Vishakhapatnam

Gautam Buddh Nagar

Navi Mumbai

Warangal

 

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION OF CDS 2 2024 -

 

Click Here for CDS II Official Notification 2024

https://upsc.gov.in/ 

 

FAQs on Combined Defence Service Examination 2024

 

  1. Q: What is the Combined Defence Service (CDS) Examination?
    • A: The CDS Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of candidates into the Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers' Training Academy.

 

  1. Q: How often is the CDS Examination conducted?
    • A: The CDS Examination is generally conducted twice a year, typically in April and November.

 

  1. Q: What are the eligibility criteria for the CDS Examination?
    • A: The eligibility criteria include age limits, educational qualifications, and nationality requirements. The specific criteria vary for different academies.

 

  1. Q: What academies are covered under the CDS Examination?
    • A: The CDS Examination covers the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers' Training Academy (OTA).

 

  1. Q: What is the selection process for the CDS Examination?
    • A: The selection process includes a written examination, followed by an interview process conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB). Different academies have different selection criteria.

 

  1. Q: Can female candidates apply for the CDS Examination?
    • A: Yes, female candidates can apply for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) under the CDS Examination.

 

  1. Q: What are the subjects covered in the CDS written examination?
    • A: The CDS written examination includes papers on English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics for certain academies.

 

  1. Q: Is there negative marking in the CDS Examination for incorrect answers?
    • A: Yes, there is negative marking for incorrect answers in the objective-type questions of the CDS Examination.

 

  1. Q: How can I apply for the CDS Examination?
    • A: Candidates can apply online through the official UPSC website when the notification is released. The application process involves filling out the online application form and paying the required fee.

 

  1. Q: What is the age limit for the CDS Examination?
    • A: The age limit varies depending on the academy and the course. Candidates should check the official notification for specific age criteria.

 

  1. Q: What is the training duration at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) and other academies?
    • A: The training duration varies for different academies. For example, the training duration at IMA is typically one year.

 

  1. Q: What is the official website for CDS Examination updates and notifications?
    • A: The official website of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) (https://www.upsc.gov.in/) provides information and updates related to the CDS Examination.
#Note: The information provided above is just an indicative information of what is provided, and available. We make no such claim about the accuracy and reliability of this information. For more accurate/current information, please visit or contact the concerned institute/college/authorities.