CDS Full Form - What is the Full form of CDS Exam?

21 December,2022  |  By Brainwonders

The Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) is a twice-yearly examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for the purpose of recruiting eligible candidates into the Indian Naval Academy (INA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA). Candidates applying for admission to the CDS must meet certain criteria such as nationality, age limit, marital status, educational qualifications, and physical standards, as specified in the guidelines set forth by the UPSC.

The Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam is held twice a year, in February and November, to recruit candidates for prestigious officer posts in the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA). CDS 2023 will see three stages of written exams with medical examinations to follow. Candidates must demonstrate aptitude, integrity and mental ability at each stage in order to progress to the next. Those successful will be enrolled into one of the glorious institutions, enabling them to serve their country.

Every year, over 10 lakh candidates apply for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) Selection Process. The process includes an online Written Test and a subsequent SSB Interview with successful applicants also needing to pass Medical Tests. Those who demonstrate satisfactory performance in all of these stages are admitted into their respective academies. Applicants should note that the CDS Selection Process is highly competitive and requires dedication and commitment for success.

Table of Contents:

• CDS Full Form Overview.
• CDS exam dates 
• CDS Exam Syllabus
• CDS eligibility criteria
• CDS age limits
• CDS notification and application
• CDS admit card 2023
• CDS Exam centre 2023
• CDS preparation tips and tricks
• CDS answer key 2023
• CDS result 2023
• CDS final merit list
• CDS FAQs

CDS Full Form Overview

Exam Name	Combined Defence Service
Commonly known as	UPSC CDS Exam
Frequency of the exam	Twice a year
Conducted by	Union Public Service Commission
Stages of the exam	Written Exam SSB Interview Medical Examination
Official Website	upsc.gov.in

 

CDS Exam Dates 2023

CDS 1 Exam Date

CDS 1 Events	CDS Exam Dates
CDS Notification 2023	December 21, 2022
CDS 1 2023 Application Form	December 21, 2022 to January 10, 2023
CDS 1 2023 Exam	April 16, 2023

 

CDS 2 Exam Dates

CDS 2 Events	Dates
CDS 2 2023 Notification	May 17, 2023
CDS 2 2023 Application Form	May 17 to June 6, 2023
CDS 2 2023 Exam	September 3, 2023

 

CDS Exam Syllabus:

Subjects	Topics
English	Antonyms, synonyms, sentence improvement, comprehension, spotting errors, etc.
General Knowledge	Economics, current affairs, defense, Biology, Physics, chemistry, etc.
Elementary Maths	Arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, Geometry, mensuration, Statistics, etc.

 

Eligibility Criteria of CDS 2023

Age Limit Criteria	Academic Qualification
20-24 Years: Indian Military Academy (IMA)	IMA & OTA: Graduation Degree from a recognised University
20-22 Years: Indian Naval Academy (INA)	INA: Graduation in B.Sc. with Physics & Mathematics or Bachelor of Engineering
20-23 Years: Air Force Academy (AFA)	AFA: B.Sc. Graduate with Physics/Mathematics or Bachelor of Engineering
20-25 Years: Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)

 

CDS Age Limit

The CDS age limit as per CDS 1 and 2 exams is below.

CDS 1

• For the Indian Military Academy (IMA), unmarried male candidates born not earlier than January 2, 1999, and not later than January 1, 2004, are eligible to apply.
• For the Indian Naval Academy (IMA), unmarried male candidates born not earlier than January 2, 1999, and not later than January 1, 2004, are eligible to apply.
• Candidates applying for Air Force Academy should be between 20 to 24 years as on January 1, 2023. They must have been born not earlier than January 2, 1999, and not later than January 1, 2003
• For Officers' Training Academy (SSC Course for men), unmarried male candidates born not earlier than January 2, 1998, and not later than January 1, 2004, are eligible to apply.
• For Officers' Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course), candidates should be unmarried and born not earlier than January 2, 1998, and not later than January 1, 2004

CDS 2

• Candidates for IMA should be unmarried and must have been born not earlier than July 2, 1999, and not later than July 1, 2004
• Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than July 2, 1999, and not later than July 1, 2004, can apply for INA
• To apply for AFA, the age of candidates should be between 20 and 24 years as on July 1, 2022. They must have been born before July 2, 1999, and not later than July 1, 2003. The upper age limit of candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxed up to 26 yrs (i,e born not earlier than July 2, 1997, and not later than July 1, 2003)
• To apply for the OTA course (SSC Men), candidates must be unmarried and must have been born not earlier than July 2, 1998, and not later than July 1, 2004
• Unmarried women, issueless widows who have not remarried and issueless divorcees who have not remarried are eligible to apply. They must have been born before July 2, 1998, and not later than July 1, 2004.

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CDS Notification and Application 2023

CDS 01/2023 notification was released on December 21, 2022, and CDS 2/2023 notification will be released on May 17, 2023. The CDS notifications are released twice a year by UPSC. The notification dates and the CDS application form dates will be the same. The CDS notification consists of the important dates, eligibility criteria, steps to apply the syllabus, and detailed instructions related to CDS 2023. It is advisable to read the notification of CDS thoroughly before filling out the form.

CDS Admit Card 2023

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will be releasing the admit cards for its upcoming CDS 1 2023 examination 15 days prior to the examination date. Applicants can download their admit cards from the official website of UPSC.

The written exam of the Combined Defence Services (CDS) comprises three papers for aspirants seeking to join either Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) or Air Force Academy (AFA). Candidates seeking admission to Officers Training Academy (OTA) will only need to appear for two papers. 

The CDS admit card will contain all vital information such as the applicant's name, roll number, registration number, address of the examination centre, reporting time on the day of the exam, and a list of guidelines that must be strictly adhered to during the exam. It is mandatory to bring along a valid ID proof along with the admit card for verification purposes upon reaching the examination venue.

Recommended Read: What is the Full Form of UPSC? All About UPSC Exam

CDS Exam Centre 2023

The CDS exam is conducted across various exam centres in India. From the following table, aspirants can check the exam centre of CDS:

CDS Exam Centres 

Agartala	Ahmedabad	Aizawl	Bengaluru	Bareilly
Bhopal	Chandigarh	Chennai	Cuttack	Dehradun
Delhi	Dharwad	Dispur	Gangtok	Hyderabad
Imphal	Itanagar	Jaipur	Jammu	Jorhat
Visakhapatnam	Kochi	Kohima	Kolkata	Lucknow
Madurai	Mumbai	Nagpur	Panaji (GOA)	Patna
Port Blair	Prayagraj	Raipur	Ranchi	Sambalpur
Shillong	Shimla	Srinagar	Thiruvananthapuram	Tirupati
Udaipur	--	--	--	--

 

CDS Full Form: Know Preparation Tips & Tricks

Cracking the CDS exam requires a structured, rigorous preparation strategy. 

1. Aspiring candidates should fully understand the exam pattern and syllabus, become familiar with previous years' question papers and challenge themselves to cover all topics given in the syllabus. 
2. Furthermore, it is essential that they strive to master their understanding of each topic. 

Following these steps can ensure they are well-prepared for the rigours of the CDS exam.

CDS Selection Process

The CDS Selection Process requires prospective candidates to complete a rigorous assessment process consisting of an online Written Test followed by an SSB Interview. Successful completion of both stages will determine eligibility for the final merit list.

CDS Written Exam

For Admission to Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA)

Subjects	Maximum Marks	Duration
General Knowledge	100	2 Hours
English Language	100	2 Hours
Elementary Mathematics	100	2 Hours
Total	300	6 hours

For Admission to Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)

Subjects	Maximum Marks	Duration
General Knowledge	100	2 Hours
English Language	100	2 Hours
Total	200	2 hours

 

CDS SSB Interview

Candidates who pass the CDS written examination will be invited to participate in the SSB Interview round. This is a two-stage process.

Stage 1 of the interview consists of an Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) test and a Picture Perception* Description Test (PP&DT). Success on both tests is required for advancement to the second stage. 

Stage 2 of the interview consists of an individual interview, group testing officer tasks, psychology tests, and a conference over a four-day period. After each stage, the candidate's performance will be evaluated by a panel of officers. Those that successfully complete both stages of the interview will be awarded their commission as an officer in the armed forces.

CDS Answer Key 2023

The unofficial answer key is released by various coaching institutes on the day of the Exam, while the official answer key of CDS is released on the official website of UPSC. Candidates preparing for the CDS exam can match the answer key and the questions from the Exam and spectate their chances of qualification.

CDS Result 2023

The CDS Exam result is released online on the official website. Only the qualifying candidates can proceed to the next stage of the Exam. The results are released in PDF format and have the list of all the short-listed candidates from different academies with their roll numbers.

CDS Final Merit

The final merit lists are released after the completion of the recruitment process. The merit list is released in PDF format and contains the name of all the qualifying candidates along with their roll numbers.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - CDS Full Form - What is the Full form of the CDS Exam?

Q1: What is the salary of a CDS officer?

Ans: A CDS officer can expect a salary between INR 15600-39100 depending on the position and level of the officer.

Q2: What is the frequency of the CDS exam?

Ans: CDS is conducted twice a year by UPSC.

Q3: How many levels are there in a CDS exam?

Ans: There are three levels in a CDS exam: written Exam, SSB, and Medical test,

Q4. What is the eligibility of the CDS exam?

Ans: The Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy (AFA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) (for both men and women) all have an age limit of 19-24 years, with the exception of OTA which has a limit of 19-25 years. All applicants must adhere to these age guidelines in order to be considered for a place within one of the academies.

Q5. What is the CDS selection process?

Ans: The CDS selection process consists of two rounds: an online written test and an SSB interview. Candidates who successfully complete both rounds will be considered for the final merit list. Those who are deemed qualified by both tests will then undergo a comprehensive assessment to determine their suitability for the program. Once the assessment has been completed, the final merit list will be released. Applicants who have met or exceeded all requirements for selection will then be notified of their successful admission to the CDS program.

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