CDS Syllabus 2018 – Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the syllabus of CDS exam along with the notification. CDS syllabus provides details regarding the topics and sub-topics under different sections of English, General Knowledge and Maths. CDS 2018 syllabus for English Comprehension include jumbled sentence, fill in the blanks, to check the command over their English grammar. Elementary Mathematics includes topics like arithmetic, mensuration and basic mathematics. The CDS syllabus 2018 for General Awareness includes topics from history, geography and current affairs.
CDS exam is conducted into 2 stages- written and SSB for Personality cum Psychometric tests and Intelligence Interview. Candidates qualifying SSB are called for training programmes as per their merit and preference for Army, Navy and Air Force. The training programmes of selected candidates are conducted at the respective academies at at Indian Military Academy (IMA Dehradun), Indian Naval Academy (INA Ezhimala), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA Chennai). The detailed syllabus of CDS 2018 is given below. Candidates can check CDS syllabus 2018 to prepare for the exam in an organised way.
Highlights of CDS Syllabus 2018
The questions asked in CDS 2018 are from three subjects - English, GK, and Elementary Math.
CDS Syllabus 2018 for English
English Comprehension
Finding errors & omissions
Fill in the blanks
Jumbled Sentence
Sentence Correction, etc.
CDS Syllabus 2018 for General Knowledge - Current affairs or events like politics, sports, Indian economy, daily news, etc.
History of India and Geography
Books and their Authors
CDS Syllabus 2018 for Elementary Mathematics
Arithmetic: Number System
Natural numbers, Integers, Rational & Real numbers
Fundamental Operations addition, multiplication, division, subtraction, Square roots, fractions, Decimal
Unitary method, percentages, applications to simple & compound interest, profit and loss, ratio & proportion, variation, time & distance, time & work
Elementary Number Theory
Division algorithm
Prime and composite numbers
Tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11
Multiples and factors
Factorization Theorem
H.C.F. and L.C.M.
Euclidean algorithm, Laws of logarithms, Logarithms to base 10, Use of logarithmic tables
Geometry: Lines & angles
Plane & plane figures
Theorems on Properties of angles at a point, parallel lines, sides & angles of a triangle, (iv) congruency of triangles, concurrence of medians & altitudes, similar triangles, properties of angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle & square, loci, circles and its properties including tangents & normal
Algebra: Basic operation, Simple factors, Remainder theorem, HCF & LCM
Theory of polynomials, solutions of quadratic equations, relation between its roots & coefficients (only real roots be considered)
Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns’ analytical & graphical solutions
Simultaneous linear in equations in two variables & their solutions
Practical problems leading to two simultaneous linear equations or in equations in two variables or quadratic equations in one variable & their solutions
Set language & set notation, rational expressions & conditional identities, laws of indices
Trigonometry: Sine x, Cosine x, Tangent x when 0 < x < 90 Values of sin x, cos x & tan x, for x = 0, 30, 45, 60 & 90
Simple trigonometric identities and Use of trigonometric tables
Simple cases of heights & distances
Mensuration: Areas of squares, rectangles, triangle, circle and parallelograms
Areas of figures which can be split up into these figures (Field Book), lateral surface and volume of right circular cones & cylinders, surface area & Volume of spheres, surface area & volume of cuboids
Statistics: Collection & tabulation of statistical data
Graphical representation
Frequency polygons
Histograms, pie charts, bar charts, etc.
Measures of central tendency
**NOTE –The syllabus of CDS 2 for admission to Officers’ Training Academy has to appear for English and General Knowledge test.
CDS Exam Pattern 2018
Candidates who wish to appear for CDS 2 exam must know the CDS exam pattern 2018. CDS exam is pen and paper based exam where candidates have to appear in written exam. Candidates qualifying written exam are called by Service Selection Boards for SSB Interview of two stages. Stage I comprises of Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests are Picture Perception* Description Test (PP& DT) whereas stage 2 includes Interview, Group Testing Officers Tasks, Psychology Tests and the conference.
CDS Important Topics of last three years
Topics wise question distribution - General Knowledge
Topic | Number of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
History | 19 | Difficult |
Science | 27 | Easy (Concept based questions) |
Geography | 22 | Moderate (Analytical based questions) |
Ecology | 06 | Moderate (Fact based questions) |
Polity | 20 | Easy to Moderate |
Economy/Trade | 11 | Moderate (Fact based questions) |
Miscellaneous /Armed Forces | 15 | Moderate (Fact based questions) |
Topics wise question distribution- English
Topic | Number of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
Sentence Improvement | 20 | Easy |
Reading Comprehension | 23 (5 passages) | Easy to Moderate |
Synonyms | 8 | Moderate |
Antonyms | 7 | Easy |
One Word Substitution | 5 | Moderate |
Para-Jumble | 10 | Easy to Moderate |
Sentence-Jumble | 7 | Moderate |
Spot the Error | 20 | Easy |
Cloze Test | 20 | Easy |
Topics wise question distribution - Elementary Mathematics
Topic | Number of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
Mensuration | 14 | Easy |
Algebra | 7 | Easy to Moderate |
Mean-Median-Mode (Frequency Distribution Table) | 4 | Easy |
Time speed and Distance | 6 | Easy |
Number System | 20 | Easy to Moderate |
Simple interest/Compound interest | 5 | Easy |
Percentage | 2 | Easy |
Profit/Loss | 1 | Easy |
Mixture | 1 | Easy |
Time and Work | 3 | Easy |
Trigonometry | 14 | Moderate to Difficult |
Set Theory | 1 | Easy |
Clock | 2 | Easy |
Geometry | 20 | Easy to Moderate |
Structure of CDS 2018 Exam Pattern
For Admission to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy
Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
English | 2 Hours | 100 |
General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |
Elementary Mathematics | 2 Hours | 100 |
Total |
| 300 |
For Admission to Officers’ Training Academy:
Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
English | 2 Hours | 100 |
General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |
Important books to refer for CDS exam
Candidates can refer the books given below to prepare for CDS exam.
Best books for CDS Preparation
Subject | Books | Author |
English | Objective General Word Power Made Easy Grammar basics | S. P . Bakshi Normen Lewis
Wren and Martin’s |
Elementary Mathematics
| Quantitative Aptitude
| Dr. R. S. Aggarwal’s
|
General Knowledge
| Geography & History:NCERT (Std 6th-12th) Polity Economy International relations/events/diplomacy General Awareness Newspaper | NCERT (Std 6th-12th)
M laxmikant NCERT (11th-12th)
Pratiyogita Darpan
Manohar Pandey (Any leading newspaper) |
