CDS 1 & 2 exam Date | Application Eligibility
We pleased to inform you about CDS Application 2024, CDS Exam, CDS Exam Dates, CDS 2 Exam Analysis 2023, CDS 2023 Exam Pattern, CDS Preparation Tips 2023, CDS Admit Card 2023, CDS Exam Answer Key 2023, CDS 2 exam, CDS 2 exam 2023 Application, CDS 1 & 2 Exam 2023 Tips, How to Apply for CDS 2 exam 2023, CDS 2 exam Eligibility, CDS Eligibility, CDS 2 Exam Analysis 2023, etc Can be seen on this Educative Page
The board granted the extension to compensate applicants for the inconvenience caused by the delayed service. Candidates who do not intend to take the CDS exam but have submitted an application may do so by clicking the application withdrawn link.
From January 18 to 24, 2023, the application withdrawal link will be activated on the official website. On April 16, 2023, the CDS 1 test will be held. The CDS 2 exam will be held on September 3, 2023, according to the CDS exam calendar. The application period will last from May 17 through June 6, 2023.
Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2023
Recently, UPSC announced the CDS 1 final result on November 21. A total of 164 have been declared qualified as per the CDS 1 final result. The final selection of candidates has been done based on the SSB interview and written exam. The result of the medical exam has not been taken into consideration for the declaration of the final result. The marks of the candidates will be made available after the declaration of the final result for the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).
What is CDS Exam?
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Defence Services Examination, also known as CDS, for the appointment of Commissioned Officers in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The exam is normally held twice a year, in February and September. Every year, a considerable number of people take the national-level defense admission exam. Candidates are chosen based on a written exam, followed by an SSB interview for IQ and personality testing. Shortlisted individuals are sent to the academies listed below based on their preferences and merit.
| Academy | State/City |
|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy | Dehradun |
| Indian Naval Academy | Ezhimala |
| Air Force Academy | Hyderabad |
| Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Men) | Chennai |
| Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Women) | Chennai |
What are CDS 1 & 2 Exams?
CDS 1 exam is conducted for the courses commencing at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala in January as well as Officers Training Academy, Chennai courses starting in April. CDS 2 exam is conducted for the courses commencing at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala in July, and Officers Training Academy, Chennai courses starting in October 2023.
Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2023 Exam Dates
Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of the CDS 2022 exam
| Dates | Upcoming Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| 18 Jan ’23 – 24 Jan ’23 | CDS 1 2023 Application Withdrawal |
| 16 Apr ’23 | CDS 1 2023 exam |
| 17 May ’23 – 6 Jun ’23 | CDS 2 Application |
| 17 May ’23 | CDS 2 Application Notification |
CDS 2023 Exam Highlights
To learn everything about the UPSC CDS exam, go over the highlights in the table below. CDS recruitment is open to both male and female candidates seeking admission to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy.
| Parameters | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of exam | Combined Defence Services Examination |
| Conducted by | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam level | National |
| Exam frequency | Twice a year (April and September) |
| Exam mode | Offline |
| Exam stages | Written exam and SSB Interview |
| Number of applicants | 2,343,43 (In CDS II 2020) |
| Number of appeared candidates | 1,182,50 (In CDS II 2020) |
| Exam fees | INR 200 for General and OBC male candidates Female, SC, ST candidates are exempted from fee payment |
| Exam timing | The time allotted to each paper such as English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics is two hours |
| Language of question paper | English and Hindi |
| No of questions | Elementary Maths: 100 General English: 120 General Knowledge: 120 |
| No.of papers | Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA): Three (English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics) Officers’ Training Academy (OTA): Two (English and General Knowledge) |
| Total marks | Written Exam IMA, INA and AFA: 300 OTA: 200 SSB Interview IMA, INA and AFA: 300 OTA: 200 |
| Marking scheme | One mark for the correct answer Third mark is deducted for wrong answers |
| Exam purpose | To select candidates as Commissioned Officers in Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force |
| Vacancies | Total 341 vacancies were announced for CDS I exam |
| No of test cities | More than 70 |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
| Contact number | 011-23385271/011-23381125/011-23098543 |
CDS Syllabus 2023
CDS Syllabus comprises topics from English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. The standard of CDS syllabus for Mathematics is of Class 10 standard, while for other subjects, it is of graduation level. Candidates can check the syllabus below.
| Subjects | Topics |
|---|---|
| English | Antonyms, Sentence improvement, Comprehension, Synonyms, Spotting Errors, etc. |
| General Knowledge | Economics, Current Awareness, Defence, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, etc. |
| Elementary Maths | Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, and Statistics, etc. |
CDS Exam Pattern 2023
CDS exam pattern 2023 is divided into a written exam and SSB Interview. The written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA comprises three sections: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. The test paper for admission to OTA comprises two sections: English and General Knowledge. Each section is held for two hours. The total marks of the test for IMA, INA, and AFA are 300, while it is 200 for OTA. The SSB Interview for IMA, INA, and AFA carries 300 marks each while it is 200 marks for OTA. The SSB Interview procedure consists of two stages: I and II. Stage I of SSB Interview comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT) and Interviews, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and Conferences.
CDS Preparation Tips 2023
Lakhs of candidates appear for CDS exam every year, therefore, the competition is high. Candidates need to prepare well to ace the exam. Here are a few tips and tricks on how candidates can prepare for the exam:
- Understand the exam pattern and syllabus
- Solve previous years’ question papers to know the types of questions asked in the exam and difficulty level
- Lay emphasis on the important topics
- Make a proper timetable and follow that diligently
- Clear the basic concepts of Maths from the high school books
CDS Books 2023
The subject-wise books for CDS 2023 is given below.
CDS Books for General Awareness
| Books | Author |
|---|---|
| General Awareness | Manohar Panday (Arihant Publications) |
| Manorama Yearbook | Philip Mathew |
| Pratiyogita Darpan (Magazines) | Pratiyogita Darpan Editorial Team |
| Newspapers | Hindu, The Indian Express, The Economic Times |
CDS Books for English
| Books | Author |
|---|---|
| Objective General English | S P Bakshi (Arihant Publications) |
| High School English Grammar & Composition | Wren and Martin |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
CDS Books for Maths
| Books | Author |
|---|---|
| Mathematics for C.D.S. | R S Aggarwal |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | R S Aggarwal |
| Pathfinder for CDS | Arihant Publications |
CDS Admit Card 2023
CDS admit card 2023 will be released online by UPSC. The admit card is released on the official website for all the registered candidates. Candidates can access their admit cards by logging in with either the registration number or roll number.
CDS Exam Day Guidelines
While appearing for the CDS exam, candidates need to follow the exam day guidelines given below:
- Candidates should carry their admit cards along with one photo identity proof (original and photocopy) to the exam centre
- Candidates are allowed to carry a clipboard or hardboard, black ball pen to the exam center
- Sheet for doing rough work is provided by the invigilator
- Candidates should not bring books, notes, loose sheets, electronic or any other type of calculators, mathematical and drawing instruments, log tables, stencils, slide rules, test booklets, and rough sheets
- Mobiles, Bluetooth, pagers, or any other communication devices are not allowed inside the premises of the exam center
CDS Exam Analysis 2023
CDS exam analysis 2023 will be made available to candidates after the gets over. CDS exam analysis 2023 will help candidates to know the section-wise difficulty, overall difficulty, number of good attempts, expected cutoff, weightage of topics and many more. Candidates can check below the previous years’ CDS exam analysis.
CDS 1 Exam Analysis 2023
The CDS 1 exam analysis will be shared below after the conduction of the exam. However the CDS 1 exam analysis has been given below for the candidates. The paper of CDS 1 2022 was moderate. The overall difficulty level of the General Knowledge and English sections was moderate. Students found the English paper to be tough while GK was easy. The Mathematics paper was easy, however, it was lengthy and calculative.
CDS Answer Key 2023
CDS answer key is released within a few hours after the exam is conducted. The answer keys for Maths, GK and English are released for all sets of test booklets-A, B, C, and D. Using the answer keys, candidates can calculate their probable scores. The official CDS answer key is released after the completion of the recruitment process.
CDS 1 Answer Key 2023
The CDS 1 answer key 2023 will be released for A, B, C, and D by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). UPSC CDS 1 exam will be conducted on April 16, 2023. The answer key will be released within a few hours after the exam is concluded. The exam will be conducted in various cities in India. A large number of candidates will appear in the CDS 1 exam to be recruited in the IMA, INA, IAF, and OTA. The candidates who will qualify for the CDS 1 exam will undergo rigorous training and come out as an officer in defense services
CDS Question Papers 2023
CDS question papers 2023 question papers will be released by UPSC a few days after the exam is conducted. The question papers are released in PDF form for all the sets of test booklets of Maths, English, and GK. Candidates can also raise objections against the question papers through Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep).
CDS Result 2023
UPSC CDS 1 result 2023 will be announced in May 2023. CDS 2 result 2023 will be announced in September 2023. The result will be made available in PDF form on the official website. CDS result in PDF displays the roll numbers of qualified candidates. Candidates who secure the qualifying marks in the written exam are selected for SSB Interview.
CDS Cutoff 2023
CDS cut-off is released after the completion of the entire selection process. The cutoff for the written exam is calculated based on the minimum qualifying marks in each subject and the minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate. The final CDS cutoff is decided based on the marks of the last recommended candidate. The minimum qualifying for each subject is 20 percent.
CDS Mock Test 2023
The candidates who are preparing for the CDS exam must take mock tests while preparing for the exam. Preparing for the CDS exam with the mock test can help the candidates to increase their accuracy and speed in the exam. The candidates should follow the tips given below to practice with mock tests:
- Take the CDS mock tests in exam conditions. The exam condition will help the candidates to get habitual of the exam pressure
- Analyze the topics in the mock tests that are difficult in nature
- Work hard on topics that are difficult in nature
- Focus on the repeated topics that are in the mock test
- Practice for speed and accuracy with the mock tests
CDS 2023 Vacancies
CDS vacancies are announced along with the official notification for IMA, INA, OTA, and AFA. The CDS vacancy-break up is given below for 2022.
CDS 1 2023 Vacancies
A total of 341 vacancies were announced for CDS 1 2023. The vacancy break-up is given below.
| Academy | No. of Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy, Dehradun154th (DE) Course commencing in January 2023 [including 13 vacancies reserved for NCC `C’ Certificate (Army Wing) holders] | 100 |
| Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala Course commencing in January 2023 Executive Branch (General Service)/Hydro [including 03 vacancies for NCC ‘C’ Certificate (Naval Wing through NCC Special Entry ) holders ]. | 22 |
| Air Force Academy, Hyderabad (Pre-Flying) Training Course commencing in January 2023 i.e. No. 213 F(P) Course [including 03 vacancies are reserved for NCC `C’ Certificate (Air Wing) holders through NCC Spl. Entry] | 32 |
| Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) 117th SSC (Men) (NT) (UPSC) Course commencing in April 2023 | 170 |
| Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) 117th SSC (Men) (NT) (UPSC) Course commencing in April 2023 | 17 |
| Total | 341 |
CDS 2 Exam Analysis 2023
CDS 2 exam analysis will be shared below for the candidates after the CDS 2 exam is concluded for the year 2023. However, the CDS 2 exam analysis 2022 has been given for Maths, GK, and English. The overall difficulty levels of both English and GK papers remained moderate to difficult. GK questions were asked from international events. CDS 2 Maths paper was easy. Maximum questions were asked from Trigonometry, Mensuration, and Geometry. Watch the video on the CDS 2 exam analysis 2022.
CDS 2 Vacancies 2023
The CDS 2 vacancies are yet to be announced for the year 2023. Candidates can check the vacancy details of CDS 2 for the year 2022 in the table below:
| Department | Number of Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy, Dehradun | 100 |
| Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | 22 |
| Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | 32 |
| Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) | 169 |
| Officers Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) | 16 |
| Total | 339 |
How many candidates cleared the CDS exam?
The candidates can check the year-wise list of the candidates who have qualified in the written exam of CDS:
| Exam | Number of Candidates Qualified |
|---|---|
| CDS 1 2022 | 6622 |
| CDS 2 2021 | 6845 |
| CDS 1 2021 | 6552 |
| CDS 2 2020 | 6727 |
| CDS 1 2020 | 7081 |
CDS 2023 Career Growth
The candidates who will join Indian Defence after clearing CDS and completing training get promotions in several years. The degree of promotion and time period has been given below for the candidates who are aspiring for the CDS exam 2023:
- Captain – Two years of commissioned service
- Major – Six years of commissioned service
- Lieutenant Colonel – Thirteen years of commissioned service
- Colonel – Fifteen years of commissioned service
- Colonel (TS) – Twenty-six years of commissioned service
- Major General – Twenty-five years of commissioned service
- Brigadier – Twenty-three years of commissioned service
- Lieutenant General – Twenty-eight years of commissioned service
- General – No restrictions
- Lieutenant – Promotion only after completion of training