- Home
- Competition Exams
- CDS Exam
CDS 2 Exam 2024 - Admit card (Soon), Dates, Syllabus, Exam pattern, Result
Latest Update for CDS
- 09 May 2024:
- 12 Apr 2024:
- 20 Dec 2023:
Stay up-to date with CDS News
About CDS 2024
The Union Public Service Commission closed its CDS 2 2024 application form correction window on June 11, 2024. The CDS 2 application correction window was activated on June 5, 2024. The Commission closed the UPSC CDS 2 application form on June 4, 2024. The UPSC CDS 2 application form 2024 was released on May 15, 2024. Along with the application form, the exam authorities also released the UPSC CDS 2 notification 2024 in online mode. The UPSC CDS 2 exam 2024 is scheduled to be held on September 1, 2024.
Latest: UPSC announced the CDS 2 2023 final result on April 22, 2024 on the official website.
The CDS exam 2024 is conducted for candidates who wish to pursue their careers as commissioned officers in the Navy, Air Force and Army after graduation or candidates appearing in their final year. There are two stages in the CDS exam 2024 written exam followed by the SSB interview. Candidates who qualify written CDS exam 2024 are eligible for the Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview which includes Personality cum Psychometric tests and Intelligence interviews.
Candidates who clear the UPSC CDS exam 2024 selection process will have to undergo training programmes as per their merit and preference for Army, Navy and Air Force jobs. The training of selected candidates will be done at Indian Military Academy (IMA Dehradun), Indian Naval Academy (INA Ezhimala), Air Force Academy (Hyderabad), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA Chennai).
CDS 2024 Highlights
Full Exam Name | Combined Defence Services Examination |
Short Exam Name | CDS |
Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission |
Frequency of Conduct | 2 times a year |
Exam Level | Intermediate |
Languages | English, Hindi |
Mode of Application | Online |
Application Fee (General) | 100 Rs [Offline] +1 More |
Mode of Exam | Offline |
Mode of Counselling | Offline |
Exam Duration | 6 Hours |
Number of Seats | 459 Seats |
![Featured Image](https://cache.careers360.mobi/media/exam_pics/featured/Combined_Defence_Services_Examination.jpg)
CDS 2024 Important Dates
CDS (Session Sep 2024)
Upcoming Dates and Events
01 Sep, 2024
Exam | Mode: Offline
Past Dates and Events
05 Jun, 2024 - 11 Jun, 2024
Application Correction | Mode: Online
15 May, 2024 - 04 Jun, 2024
Application | Mode: Online
15 May, 2024
Advertisement | Mode: Online
Candidates must check the CDS exam eligibility criteria like age limit, educational qualification, marital status to be eligible for CDS exam 2024.
Nationality
Candidates applying for CDS exam 2024 must be
- an Indian citizen, or
- a Tibetan refugee (before January 1962), or
- a subject to Nepal or Bhutan, or
- Migrants from Pakistan, Burma, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, and Ethiopia or Vietnam Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, with the intention of permanently settling in India
Age
Academy | Age Limit |
IMA | Born not before January 2, 2001 and not later than January 1, 2006 |
INA | Born not before January 2, 2001 and not later than January 1, 2006 |
AFA | Born not before January 2, 2001 and not later than January 1, 2005 |
OTA (SSC Course for men) | Born not before January 2, 2000 and not later than January 1, 2006 |
OTA (SSC Women Non-Technical Course) | Born not before January 2, 2000 and not later than January 1, 2006 |
Educational Qualification martial status as per courses
Courses | Marital Status | Qualification |
Officers Training Academy (OTA - women, Non-Technical) | Unmarried and widow | Degree of a recognised university or equivalent |
Officers Training Academy (OTA - men) | Unmarried | Degree of a recognised university or equivalent |
Indian Naval Academy (NA) | Unmarried | Degree in Engineering from a recognised university/institution |
Indian Military Academy (IMA) | Unmarried | Degree of a recognised university or equivalent |
Air Force Academy (AFA) | Unmarried (Candidates above 25 can be married) | Degree of a recognised university (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering |
Mode of Application : Online
Mode of Payment : Net Banking | Credit Card | Debit Card | Other
UPSC closed the CDS 2 application form correction window on June 11, 2024. The CDS 2 application correction window was activated on June 5, 2024. The Commission released the CDS 2 application form on May 15, 2024 and closed it on June 4, 2024. Candidates have to complete the One-Time Registration and then proceed to apply for the UPSC CDS exam 2024. The commission will the application form correction link for CDS 21 exam for a certain time period.
Documents Required While Filling CDS Application Form
- Active Email – ID
- Matriculation certificate
- Scanned signature
- Scanned photograph
- One photo identity proof like an Aadhar card/ Voter card/ PAN card/ Passport/ Driving license
Steps to Fill UPSC CDS Application Form
Open the UPSC official website - upsc.gov.in.
Click on the ‘Apply Online link’ available on the web page.
Online One-Time Registration (OTR)- If the applicants are not completed the One Time Registration, They have to complete it by providing some basic details such as personal and contact details.
Login by using valid login credentials Email ID and OTP/Password or Mobile number and OTP/Password or OTR ID and OTP/Password.
Candidates have to fill out the UPSC CDS 2024 application form in two parts which include filling in other details, fee payment, uploading of scanned documents, signature, photo identity card document and selection of preferred exam centre.
Check all the details furnished in the UPSC CDS application form 2024 thoroughly and edit the details if needed.
Once submitted, Applicants will not be able to make changes to their UPSC CDS application form 2024.
After submission, a registration number will be generated. Candidates have to download it as a pdf file and take a printout for future reference.
CDS Application Fee
Category | CDS Application Fee |
General & OBC | Rs. 100 |
SC, ST & Female Candidates | No Fee |
Application Fees
Category | Quota | Mode | Gender | Amount |
---|---|---|---|---|
OBC, General | Offline, Online | Male | ₹ 100 |
English
General knowledge
Elementary mathematics
Arithmetic |
---|
Number system-natural numbers, integers, rational, and real numbers |
Fundamental operations, addition, substraction, 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 |
Elementary number theory-division algorithm |
Prime and composite numbers |
Tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 11 |
Multiples and factors |
Factorisation theorem |
H.C.F. and L.C.M. |
Euclidean algorithm |
Logarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms, use of logarithmic tables |
Algebra |
---|
Basic operations, simple factors, remainder theorem, H.C.F., L.C.M., theory of polynomials, solutions of quadratic equations, relation between its roots and coefficients (only real roots to be considered) |
Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns-analytical and graphical solutions |
Simultaneous linear inequations in two variables and their solutions |
Practical problems leading to two simultaneous linear equations or inequations in two variables or quadratic equations in one variable and their solutions |
Set language and set notation, rational expressions and conditional identities, laws of indices |
Trigonometry |
---|
Sine ×, cosine ×, Tangent × when 0° < × < 90° values of sin ×, cos × and tan ×, for × = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°, simple trigonometric identities |
Use of trigonometric tables |
Simple cases of heights and distances |
Geometry |
---|
Lines and angles, plane and plane figures, theorems on (i) properties of angles at a point, (ii) parallel lines, (iii) sides and angles of a triangle, (iv) congruency of triangles, (v) similar triangles, (vi) concurrence of medians and altitudes |
Theorems on (vii) properties of angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle, and square, (viii) circles and its properties including tangents and normals, (ix) loci |
Mensuration |
---|
Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangle, and circle |
Areas of figures which can be split up into these figures (field book), surface area and volume of cuboids, lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders, surface area and volume of spheres |
Statistics |
---|
Collection and tabulation of statistical data, graphical representation frequency polygons, histograms, bar charts, pie charts etc. |
Measures of central tendency |
To score well in the written exam of CDS, candidates must know the preparation tips and strategies. Candidates must know the importance of solving the previous years’ question papers, timely revision, time management, etc. which are the key elements of preparation.
UPSC prescribes the CDS exam pattern in the official notification. There are two stages in the CDS exam 2024- written and SSB interviews. The written CDS exam 2024 is conducted in pen and paper mode. As per the CDS exam pattern, candidates who apply for Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Indian Military Academy courses have to appear for three subjects - English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics while candidates who have opted for Officers' Training Academy have to appear for two subjects – English and General Knowledge.
CDS Exam Pattern – Written Exam
Structure of CDS exam pattern for admission to Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Indian Military Academy.
Subject | Maximum Marks | Duration |
Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 2 hours |
English | 100 | 2 hours |
General Knowledge | 100 | 2 hours |
Structure of exam pattern for admission to Officers’ Training Academy
Subject | Maximum Marks | Duration |
General Knowledge | 100 | 2 hours |
English | 100 | 2 hours |
CDS Exam Pattern – SSB Interview
Stages | Tests | |
Stage-I | Screening Test | Verbal and non-verbal tests. PPDT |
Stage-II | Psychological Test | Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Word Association Test (WAT) Situation Reaction Test (SRT) Self Description Test (SD) |
Group Testing Officers Test | GD GPE PGT HGT IOT Command Task Snake race/ Group Obstacle Race Individual lecture FGT | |
Personal Interview | ||
Conference |
Union Public Service Commission will issue the UPSC CDS 2 exam 2024 admit card in online mode. The CDS 2 admit card 2024 is available for download at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can download the CDS exam admit card till the examination date. In order to download the CDS admit card 2024, candidates can either log in through roll number or registration number. The admit card of the CDS exam is available for candidates who have successfully filled and submitted the application form.
Details on CDS Admit Card 2024
- Candidate’s name
- Scanned signature and colour photograph
- Registration number
- Candidate’s category
- Examination date
- Reporting time
- Address of examination centre
- Examination timing
CDS 2024 Exam Centers
State | City |
---|---|
Tripura | Agartala |
Gujarat | Ahmedabad |
Mizoram | Aizawl |
Uttar Pradesh | Allahabad |
Bareilly | |
Lucknow | |
Karnataka | Bangalore |
Dharwad | |
Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal |
Punjab | Chandigarh |
Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
Madurai | |
Odisha | Cuttack |
Sambalpur | |
Uttarakhand | Dehradun |
Delhi | Delhi |
Sikkim | Gangtok |
Telangana | Hyderabad |
Manipur | Imphal |
Rajasthan | Jaipur |
Udaipur | |
Jammu and Kashmir | Jammu |
Srinagar | |
Assam | Jorhat |
Kerala | Kochi |
Thiruvananthapuram | |
Nagaland | Kohima |
West Bengal | Kolkata |
Maharashtra | Mumbai |
Nagpur | |
Goa | Panaji |
Bihar | Patna |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
Jharkhand | Ranchi |
Meghalaya | Shillong |
Himachal Pradesh | Shimla |
Andhra Pradesh | Tirupati |
Visakhapatnam | |
Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
Documents Required at Exam
- Admit card
- Aadhar card
- Voter card
- PAN card
- Passport
- Driving license
- Any other photo ID card issued by the state/central government
UPSC releases the official answer key of CDS 2 exam. CDS 2 answer key is available subject wise for all test booklets. Candidates can check the number of correct and incorrect answers marked by them with the help of answer key. There are some coaching institutes who release the unofficial answer key after the completion of the CDS exam 2024 on the same day.
Union Public Service Commission will announce the result of CDS 2 exam in PDF format on the official website. Candidates have to secure qualifying marks as prescribed by UPSC to qualify the written exam. Candidates who qualify for the written CDS exam are eligible to appear for an SSB interview.
The CDS 2 exam result for the CDS written exam and final CDS result are declared separately. The final result of CDS is calculated by adding the marks secured by candidates in written as well as SSB Interview.
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will release the cut off of CDS exam 2024 separately for the written exam and final. Candidates who score equal or more than cutoff released by UPSC for written exam are eligible SSB Interview. The CDS cut off marks of written test for is calculated out of the total score of 300 for INA, IFA and IMA, and 200 for OTA (Men & Women). The final cut off will be released in by UPSC later.
The selection process of CDS exam 2024 is of two stages - written exam and SSB interview. In the first stage - CDS written exam, candidates are required to appear in three papers for admission in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force and two papers for admission in Officers’ Training Academy.
Documents Required at Counselling
- Call letter
- Matriculation/secondary school examination certificate or equivalent
- Degree/provisional degree certificate/marks sheet
General Information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question:How to check CDS marks?
Answer:
The CDS marks can be checked from the official website. The CDS marks are released after declaration of final result.
Question:What are passing marks for CDS exam?
Answer:
The written exam of CDS is conducted for 300 marks and candidates must score a minimum of 20% of the total marks i.e. 60. Candidates need to qualify in all three papers of the CDS exam.
Question:What is the salary offered to candidates selected through CDS exam?
Answer:
The cadets are paid Rs. 56,100 per month. During training, they get a stipend of Rs. 6000 OTA while Rs 12,000 per month in IMA, INA and Air Force academy.
Question:Can girls apply for CDS exam?
Answer:
Yes, girls too can apply for CDS exam. Girls are considered for OTA and allotted Short Service Commission in non-Technical cadre.
Question:What is the educational qulification required for the CDS exam?
Answer:
Bachelors degree is must to apply for the CDS examination.
Question:What is the age limit to apply for the CDS exam?
Answer:
Candidates between the age group of 20 years to 24 years can apply for the CDS exam.
Question:When will the CDS 2 2024 application be released?
Answer:
UPSC released the CDS 2 application form online on May 15, 2024.
Question:What is the CDS 2 exam date?
Answer:
CDS 2 written exam will be conducted by UPSC on September 1, 2024
Questions related to CDS
Sir my date of birth is 3 May 2003.....I want to know that....how many attempts I have left for CDS IMA Date: 25 July 2024
Hello,
For CDS (Combined Defence Services) exam conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) for admission to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), the eligibility criteria regarding age are as follows:
- Age Limit :
- Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd January 2001 and not later than 1st January 2006 are eligible.
Since your date of birth is 3rd May 2003, you fall within the eligible age range for the CDS exam.
- Number of Attempts :
- There is no restriction on the number of attempts for the CDS exam as long as you meet the age criteria.
Therefore, you have as many attempts as you need until you cross the upper age limit (which is usually around 24 years for CDS IMA, but it's always best to check the latest notification from UPSC for any changes).
As of now, based on your age, you are eligible to appear for the CDS exam and have multiple attempts remaining.
Good luck with your preparations!
my dob is 03/13/2001 and i will finish my graduation in 2023 will i be eligible for cds ota in 2026???
Hello,
Age Criteria for CDS OTA:
- For Officers Training Academy (OTA) : Candidates must be unmarried and between 19 and 25 years old. The specific birth date range for a given year of examination is usually mentioned in the official notification by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Age Eligibility:
For the CDS exam conducted in 2026, considering the typical cutoff dates:
- For CDS OTA 2026 : You should be born between January 2, 2001, and January 1, 2007, to be eligible (this range might slightly vary each year, so it’s best to check the official notification for the exact dates).
Given your date of birth (March 13, 2001), you will be 25 years old in March 2026. Thus, you will fall within the eligible age range for the OTA in 2026.
Educational Qualification:
- You will complete your graduation in 2023, which satisfies the educational requirement for the CDS exam (a bachelor's degree from a recognized university).
So, Based on the information provided, you will be eligible to apply for the CDS OTA in 2026, given your age and educational qualifications.
Hope it helps you!
MY DATE OF BIRTH IS 17TH DECEMBER 2001. AM I ELEGIBLE FOR CDS 1 2025 (IMA)?
Hey there,
The age limit to appear in the Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam is a minimum of 18 years and a maximum of 25 years. Additionally, you must be unmarried for some segments like Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for Men) and have completed your graduation before appearing for the CDS exam.
Given your date of birth is December 17, 2001, you will be eligible to appear for the CDS 2025 exam for segments like Air Force Academy and Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for Men) but you won't be eligible for segments like Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Indian Naval Academy (INA) because these segments require the age between 18 years to 23 years and by the time of CDS exam in 2025 your age will be more than 23 years. So, you won't be able to appear for IMA and INA.
If you need more information on any topic, feel free to ask your questions.
Thank you, and best wishes for your future!