CDS Exam Eligibility, Age Limit, Syllabus and Salary

CDS exam eligibility depends on which academy you choose: a graduate degree is the base, an engineering degree is needed for the Naval Academy, and Physics and Maths in class 12 are needed for the Air Force Academy. The Combined Defence Services Examination is conducted by UPSC twice a year. It is the main written exam for graduates who want to become officers in the Army, Navy or Air Force. If you missed NDA after school, this is your second big chance.

What is CDS exam and which posts it offers

CDS full form is Combined Defence Services. Through one exam, UPSC fills seats in four academies. These are the CDS exam posts:

• Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun: permanent commission in the Army.
• Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala: permanent commission in the Navy, executive branch.
• Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad: flying branch of the Air Force.
• Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai: Short Service Commission in the Army, separate courses for men and women.

All four lead to an officer rank: Lieutenant in the Army, Sub Lieutenant in the Navy or Flying Officer in the Air Force. One small confusion: CDS also means Chief of Defence Staff, the senior most military post in the country. Searches like "CDS general salary" are about that post, which no one gets through an exam. It is reached after a full career. This page is about the CDS exam.

CDS exam eligibility: qualification for each academy

Qualification is different for each academy, so first decide where you fit.

Final year students can apply, but must prove they passed the degree by the date set in the notice. So a BA, BCom or BSc student can aim for IMA and OTA. If you are still choosing a degree, our pages on jobs after graduation and jobs after BA list more options.

CDS exam eligibility for female candidates

As per the latest notice, women are considered only for Short Service Commission at OTA. So the CDS exam for girls means the OTA women course: you need a degree, must be unmarried (or an issueless widow or divorcee not remarried) and must meet the age window. Women who want the Navy, Air Force or more options can also look at AFCAT and our page on govt jobs for women.

CDS exam age limit and physical eligibility

UPSC gives an exact birth date window for each academy in every notice. In years, it works out to roughly:

The windows are the same for all categories; there is no SC, ST or OBC relaxation. For AFA, candidates below 25 must be unmarried. The only relaxation is for licensed pilots at AFA. Do not decide on the basis of a coaching poster. Read the exact dates in your notice. For a general view of limits across exams, see age limit for govt jobs.

CDS exam physical eligibility is checked in the medical exam after SSB. Minimum height for men in the Army is generally 157 cm, with a lower limit for some hill and North East regions. Eyesight, weight for height, ear and dental health are also checked. Get a basic check up done before you start preparing, so you are not surprised later.

CDS exam pattern and CDS exam timing

The written CDS exam is objective. Each paper lasts 2 hours, so the CDS exam time is 2 hours per paper. OTA candidates write only two papers.

For every wrong answer, one third of the marks for that question is deducted. Unanswered questions get zero. If you mark two answers, it counts as wrong. Papers usually run in morning and afternoon sessions on one day; the admit card tells your exact CDS exam timing.

The CDS OTA exam pattern is popular with Arts and Commerce graduates because there is no maths paper. But OTA seats are many and so is the competition, so English and GK must be strong.

CDS exam syllabus and subjects

The CDS exam syllabus is short to read but wide in practice.

• English: tests how well you understand English and use words. Expect spotting errors, comprehension, synonyms and antonyms, fill in the blanks, sentence order and idioms.
• General Knowledge: current events, everyday science, Indian history and geography, at the level an educated graduate should know. Polity, economy and defence news also appear often.
• Elementary Mathematics: matriculation level, meaning class 10 maths. Arithmetic, number system, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mensuration and statistics.

The CDS exam syllabus for OTA is just English and GK. For GK questions for CDS exam, NCERT books of class 6 to 12 for history, geography, polity and science are the best base, plus a daily newspaper. Previous CDS exam general knowledge questions are on the UPSC website and show the real level.

CDS salary per month and officer pay

CDS salary starts at the same level for all academies. During training, IMA and OTA cadets get a fixed stipend of ₹56,100 per month. When you pass out as a Lieutenant, CDS officer salary is fixed at pay Level 10 with ₹56,100 basic, and a flat ₹15,500 Military Service Pay is added every month. Then come DA, HRA or government housing, transport allowance and allowances for field, high altitude or flying duty.

Scroll up to the pay summary on this page: it shows basic, current DA, HRA for each city class, transport allowance and a rough take home figure. Add MSP to it. The CDS officer salary in hand also changes with posting: a field or high altitude posting adds allowances, while officers living in free housing do not draw HRA.

CDS OTA salary and the CDS OTA female salary are exactly the same as IMA officers of the same rank. There is no separate pay for women. Learn what each allowance means on our salary allowances explained page.

SSB, medical and training

After the written result, shortlisted candidates go to a Services Selection Board for about five days: screening on day one, then psychology tests, group tasks and an interview. AFA candidates also take a pilot aptitude test. After SSB comes the medical exam. Final merit adds written and SSB marks.

OTA training at Chennai lasts 49 weeks. IMA, INA and AFA courses are longer; the notification gives the exact duration for each. Training is tough but fair: drill, weapons, tactics, map reading, sports and leadership.

Short Service Commission through OTA

An OTA officer serves for an initial 10 years, which can be extended by 4 more years. In the 10th year, officers can apply for Permanent Commission, subject to vacancies and merit. Those who leave after short service get a good start for CAPF, PSU and corporate security or management roles.

Is CDS exam tough and how to prepare

Is CDS exam tough? The written part is of moderate level, but seats in IMA, INA and AFA are few. The SSB is where most candidates fail. A typical student needs six to nine months of steady preparation for the written exam, plus SSB practice. The CDS exam is also counted among the toughest exams in India because of its low selection ratio.

1. Pick your academy first and check eligibility, so you know whether maths is needed.
2. Revise class 10 maths daily; most maths marks come from arithmetic and algebra.
3. Read one newspaper and make short GK notes.
4. Practise English with grammar rules and reading.
5. Solve old papers in 2 hour sessions and do not guess blindly.
6. Run, do push-ups and build stamina from day one.
7. For SSB, speak in groups, keep an opinion on current issues and know your own strengths honestly.

CDS exam form, fees and official website

The CDS exam form is filled online on the UPSC online application portal. The CDS exam fees are ₹200. All female candidates and SC and ST candidates do not pay any fee. OBC candidates have no exemption. The exam comes twice a year; for dates, seats per academy and results, check upsc.gov.in. For details on life after selection, read our Indian Army jobs, Indian Navy jobs and NDA pages.