Combined Defence Services Examination commonly known as CDS is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for the recruitment of Commissioned Officers in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. The exam is held twice a year usually in February and September. Lakhs of candidates appear for the national level defense entrance examination.
CDS 2020 Highlights
Name of exam
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Combined Defence Services Examination
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Conducted by
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Union Public Service Commission
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Exam level
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National
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Exam frequency
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Twice a year
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Exam mode
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Online
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Exam mode
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2 hours
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Language of question paper
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English and Hindi
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Exam Fees
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Rs 200
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Exam purpose
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To select candidates as Commissioned Officers in Indian Army, Navy and Air Force
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CDS vacancies
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418
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No of test cities
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41
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Official website
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upsc.gov.in
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CDS Eligibility Criteria 2020
To be eligible for the CDS 2020 exam, candidates need to fulfill the following eligibility criteria.
Age Limits, Sex and Marital Status
For Indian Military Academy (IMA), unmarried candidates born not earlier than January 2, 1997, and not later than January 1, 2002, can only apply.
For Indian Naval Academy (IMA), unmarried male candidates born not earlier than January 2, 1997, and not later than January 1, 2002, are eligible.
Candidates applying for Air Force Academy should be between 20 to 24 years as on January 1, 2021 (born not earlier than January 2, 1997, and not later than January 1, 2001).
For Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for men), unmarried male candidates born not earlier than January 2, 1996, and not later than January 1, 2002, are eligible for the exam.
For Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course), candidates should be unmarried and born not earlier than January 2, 1996, and not later than January 1, 2002.
Educational Qualification
For IMA and Officers’ Training Academy, candidates must be a graduate.
For Indian Naval Academy, candidates must have a degree in Engineering from a recognized university.
For Air Force Academy, a degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering is necessary.
Physical Fitness
Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to the CDS exam.
CDS 2020 Dates
UPSC has announced the CDS 2020 exam dates. As per UPSC 2020 calendar, CDS 1 exam was conducted on February 2, 2020, while CDS 2 will be held on November 8, 2020. The table below provides CDS exam dates.
CDS 1 2020 Dates
| Events | Dates | Salient Features |
|---|---|---|
Notification
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30-Oct-2019
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The notification was released by UPSC
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Application form
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30-Oct- 2019
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The CDS application form is available online now
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Last date to apply
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19-Nov-2019
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Candidates could fill their application form till this date
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Application withdrawal
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26-Nov-2019 to 3-Dec 3-2019
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The application withdrawal facility was available for candidates who do not want to appear in the exam
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Admit card
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09-Jan-2020
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CDS 1 admit card 2020 was released by UPSC
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Exam date
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02-Feb-2020
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CDS 1 exam was conducted offline across 41 test cities
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Result
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23-Mar-2020
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CDS 1 result 2020 for written exam has been announced on the official website of UPSC.
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CDS 2 2020 Dates
| Events | Dates | Salient Features |
|---|---|---|
Notification
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5-Aug-2020
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The notification for CDS 2 will be released
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Release of CDS application form
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5-Aug-2020
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Online registrations for the exam will begin
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Last date to apply
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25-Aug-2020
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Candidates can apply online for the exam until this date
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Exam date
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8-Nov-2020
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CDS 2 exam will be conducted across various cities
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CDS 2020 Selection Process
The selection process of CDS recruitment includes two stages –
Written Exam – This is the first stage of the CDS selection process. Candidates who register successfully for the exam are required to appear in the written exam. According to the CDS exam pattern, the written exam for IMA, INA, and Air Force comprises three sections, English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. The total mark of the test is 300. The written exam for Officers’ Training Academy consists of two sections – English and General Knowledge. The total mark of the test is 200. Candidates qualifying the written exam will be called for SSB Interview for intelligence and personality test.
SSB Interview – There are two stages in SSB Interview - Psychological Aptitude Test and Intelligence Test. Candidates qualifying the stage one will be called for the second stage.
Final selection of candidates is done based on their performance in written exam and SSB Interview. Selected candidates will have to undergo training at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai.
CDS Exam Centres 2020
The written exam of CDS will be conducted in the following cities. The details about the CDS exam center are mentioned on the admit card. Candidates are required to select the exam centers while filling the application form. CDS exam centers are allotted to candidates on the first-apply-first-allot basis. Once a particular exam center is filled, the same is frozen. Candidates are required to choose from the remaining ones.
Agartala
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Ahmedabad
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Aizawl
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Allahabad
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Bengaluru
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Bareilly
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Bhopal
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Chandigarh
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CDS Exam Day Guidelines 2020
- Candidates should carry CDS admit card 2020 along with photo identity proof to the exam center.
- No candidate will be allowed to appear for the exam with the admit card.
- Candidates are allowed to carry clipboard or hardboard, black ball pen to the exam center.
- Sheet for doing rough work will be 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, phones, Bluetooth, pagers or any other communication devices are not allowed inside the premises of the exam center.
CDS 2020 FAQs
Q. What is the salary offered to candidates?
A. The cadets are paid Rs 56,100 monthly. During training, the stipend to the cadets is Rs 6000 per month in OTA while Rs 12,000 per month in IMA, INA and Air Force academies.
Q. Can girls apply for the CDS exam?
A. Yes, girls can apply for the CDS exam. They are considered for OTA and are allotted SSC (Short Service Commission) in the non-Technical cadre.
Q. Can I give the CDS exam after class 12?
A. No, to be eligible for the exam candidates must have passed graduation.
Q. How to prepare for CDS exam?
A. Candidates should first understand the CDS syllabus and pattern. Then they should prepare a proper study routine. Clear basics and understand the concepts.
Q. How many attempts are permitted for the CDS exam?
A. There is no limit on the number of attempts.
Q. How can I apply for the CDS exam?
A. Candidates need to apply online for the CDS exam.
Q. Is the calculator allowed in the CDS exam?
A. No, the calculator is not allowed in the CDS exam.
Q. What are the pass marks for CDS?
A. The written exam of CDS is conducted for 300 marks and the qualifying score in the exam is 20% of the total marks i.e. 60. Candidates need to qualify in all three papers of the CDS exam.
Q. How can I check CDS marks?
A. The marks of CDS are released after the declaration of the final result. It displays candidate's roll number, date of birth, name, total marks obtained in written exam and SSB Interview.
Q. Is NDA tough or CDS?
A. CDS is a bit easier to crack than NDA.
Q. Are CDS conducted twice a year?
A. Yes, the CDS exam is conducted twice a year.
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has prescribed the CDS Syllabus for Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy (AFA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Officers' Training Academy (OTA). The syllabus of CDS is broadly divided into three subjects – English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. The standard of the questions in Elementary Mathematics will be of matriculation level. The level of questions in other subjects will be of graduation level. Candidates before beginning with their preparation must check the CDS syllabus 2020 as it will help them to know the topics which they need to cover for the exam.
CDS Syllabus 2020 for the English Language
The questions in this section are designed to test the candidate’s understanding of English. Questions in this section are basically asked from the following topics –
Antonyms
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Sentence improvement
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Comprehension
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Synonyms
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Word substitution
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Ordering of sentences
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Spotting Errors
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Selecting Words
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Ordering of words in a sentence
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Recommended Books for the English Language
Candidates can refer the following books for English Language section –
- Objective General English by RS Aggarwal
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- High School English Grammar and Composition
CDS Syllabus 2020 for General Knowledge
The General Knowledge section tests a candidate’s knowledge regarding the current events. The paper includes questions on History of India and Geography of nature. Topics that candidates should prepare in the General Knowledge section are given below.
Economics
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Physics
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Current Awareness
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Politics
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Chemistry
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Sociology
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History
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Defense-related
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Award
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Geography
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Environment
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Sport
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Biology
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Cultural
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Book
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Statement true/false
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--
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--
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Books for General Knowledge and Current Affairs
Candidates need to read the newspapers regularly to keep themselves updated with the recent events. The books that candidates can refer for this section are given below –
- Manorama Yearbook
- Lucent’s General Knowledge
- Competition in Focus (Half Yearly and Yearly)
CDS Syllabus 2020 for Elementary Mathematics
Questions in Elementary Mathematics are asked from Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, and Statistics. Check below the topics for Elementary Mathematics.
Number System - Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real numbers. Fundamental operations, addition, subtraction, 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. Factorization Theorem. H.C.F. and L.C.M. Euclidean algorithm. Logarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms, use of logarithmic tables.
Algebra
Basic Operations
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Simple Factors
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Remainder Theorem
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HCF & LCM
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Theory of Polynomials
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Solutions of quadratic equations
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The relation between its roots and coefficients (Only real roots will be considered)
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Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns—analytical and graphical solutions
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Simultaneous linear inequations in two variables and their solutions
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Practical problems leading to two simultaneous linear equations or inequations in two variables or quadratic equations in one
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Variable & their solutions
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Set Language and set notation
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Rational Expressions and Conditional Identities
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Law of Indices
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Trigonometry
- Sine ×, cosine ×, Tangent × when 0°
- Simple trigonometric identities
- Use of trigonometric tables
- Simple cases of heights and distances
Geometry
Lines and angles, Plane and plane figures
Theorems on - Properties of angles at a point, Parallel lines, Sides and angles of a triangle, Congruency of triangles, Similar triangles, Concurrence of medians and altitudes, Properties of angles, sides, and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle and square, Circles and its properties including tangents and normal and 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
- The volume of Right Circular Cones, cylinders and Surface
- Area and volume of spheres
Statistics
Collection and Tabulation of Statistical Data
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Graphical Representation Frequency Polygons
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Histograms
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Bar charts
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Measures of Central Tendency
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-
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CDS books for Elementary Mathematics
For this section, candidates can refer to the following books –
- Mathematics for CDS by RS Aggarwal
- Quantitative Aptitude for examinations paperback by RS Aggarwal
CDS 2019 Exam Pattern
The written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA comprises three sections while the exam for OTA comprises two sections. The duration of the exam for IMA, INA, and AFA is 6 hours (each section is for 2 hours) while it is 4 hours (each section is held for 2 hours) for OTA. Total marks of the test for IMA, INA, and AFA are 300 while it is 200 for OTA.
