Each year, more than 5 lakh candidates appear for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), with only 7,000 to 9,000 managing to clear it. If you’re planning to take the CDS exam in 2025, here’s everything you need to know about the CDS exam pattern and syllabus.
The CDS Recruitment 2025 exam is a national-level test organized by UPSC to recruit commissioned officers for various positions across:
To succeed, it’s essential to understand the updated UPSC CDS exam pattern. This article provides detailed information about the exam structure, syllabus, and marking scheme.
Every year UPSC attempts to recruit candidates for the officer posts of INA, IMA, OTA, and AFA. By formulating the CDS Exam Pattern, UPSC ensures that the selected candidates have the necessary basic level of knowledge and skills.
Here is an overview of the CDS exam 2025 in tabular format:
Exam Name | Combined Defense Service (CDS) |
Conducted By | Union Public Service Commission |
Frequency of the Exam | Twice a Year |
Stages of Exam | Written Exam, SSB Interview, Medical Examination |
Official Website | https://www.upsc.gov.in/ |
To improve your chances of qualification, go through the complete exam pattern of CDS Recruitment 2025.
There are three stages you will have to clear if you wish to qualify for Combined Defence Services. Listed below are also the CDS exam 2025 changes:
Keep checking the official website of UPSC for the latest updates on the CDS exam pattern of 2025.
The CDS exam pattern consists of three papers:
The CDS OTA Exam Pattern includes only English and General Knowledge papers.
Here is the CDS OTA Exam Pattern, with various subjects and their weightage, in tabular format:
Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
English | 2 hours | 100 |
General Knowledge | 2 hours | 100 |
*1/3rd of the total mark will be deducted for each wrong answer
CDS Paper | English | Mathematics | GK |
---|---|---|---|
Maximum Marks | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Marks for Correct answer | +1 marks for each correct option | +1 marks for each correct option | +1 marks for each correct option |
Marks deducted for an Incorrect answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer |
The CDS Exam pattern involves negative markings for each wrong answer that you attempt. This makes it crucial for you to understand the CDS Exam marking scheme if you wish to clear the exam successfully.
Here is a table showing the total marks and deductions for negative marking for each paper of the CDS Exam:
CDS Paper | Maximum Marks | Marks for Each Correct Answer | Negative Marking |
English | 100 | +1 | 0.33 |
General Knowledge | 100 | +1 | 0.33 |
Elementary Mathematics | 100 | +1 | 0.33 |
Candidates should follow the below instructions to fill the OMR sheet very carefully as these sheets are evaluated on the machine and any violation of these instructions can result in a reduction of scores. After receiving the CDS 2025 OMR Answer Sheet, candidates have to check, if it is numbered at the bottom. If it is not numbered, it has to be replaced by a numbered one by the officials.
The following points should be kept in mind while filling CDS answer sheet:
Clearing the CDS exam is the first step toward joining the Combined Defence Services of India. Before appearing for the exam, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of the CDS exam syllabus and pattern. Familiarize yourself with all the key details, including the exam structure and marking scheme. A thorough grasp of the CDS exam pattern will help you strategically plan your preparation and approach the exam with confidence. Be sure to review all the points provided above to ensure you’re well-prepared for the challenges ahead.
Ans. There are 3 sections in the CDS Exam – English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. If you are attending the CDS OTA Exam, you will have only 2 sections – English and General Knowledge.
Ans. You have to achieve at least 20 marks (out of 100) in each section if you wish to clear the CDS exam.
Ans. The maximum mark that you can achieve in each section of CDS is 100. If you are attending CDS for INA, IMA, and AFA, you can achieve a total maximum marks of 300 (3 sections of 100 each). For CDS for OTA, the total maximum marks are 200 (2 sections of 100 each).
Ans. The level of difficulty of the CDS exam depends entirely on your level of preparation. Give it some time and put in all your efforts to prepare for the exam.
Ans. There is no ceiling on the number of times you appear for CDS. However, the maximum age limit is 25 years.
Ans. Yes, you can clear CDS on your first attempt if you are well-versed with the CDS syllabus. It requires six months of dedicated hard work since the syllabus is vast.
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