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Last updated: May 10, 2024
-> The UPSC CDS Result has been announced.
-> The provisionally selected candidates will be called for the interview round.
-> The UPSC CDS notification 2024 was released for 457 vacancies.
-> The Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2024 will be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission on 21st April, 2024 for admission to various courses.
-> Refer to the CDS Previous Year Papers to enhance your preparation. Also, attempt the CDS Mock Test.
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The UPSC CDS Result has been announced. The exam was held on 21st April 2024. The provisionally selected candidates will be called for the interview round. Candidates must submit their certificates online. The last date of submission differs for every department. The UPSC CDS I Notification 2024 was released for a total number of 457 Vacancies. Key highlights of the UPSC CDS Exam are:
Also, Check CDS Study Material Here
The CDS (Combined Defense Services) Exam is a national-level exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select candidates for admission into the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers' Training Academy (OTA). The exam is aimed at assessing the candidates' knowledge, aptitude, and potential to join the Indian Armed Forces as commissioned officers. It consists of a written test, followed by the SSB interview. It is the gateway for defence job aspirants to join the Indian Armed Forces.
Any candidate who will get selected for the CDS positions will be placed in the Academies in the below table:
Academy | State/City |
Indian Naval Academy | Ezhimala |
Officers' Training Academy (SSC Men) | Chennai |
Officers' Training Academy (SSC Women) | Chennai |
Air Force Academy | Hyderabad |
Indian Military Academy | Dehradun |
Check out the below table to have an overview of the CDS 2024 exam.
Particular | Details |
Exam name | Combined Defense Services Examination |
Conducting institute | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
Exam website | UPSC Official Website |
Exam Level | National |
Exam frequency | Twice a year |
Exam Language | English and Hindi |
Number of question | General English: 120 General Knowledge: 120 Elementary Maths: 100 |
Number of papers | IMA, INA, & AFA: 3 (General English, General Knowledge, & Elementary Mathematics) OTA: 2 (General English & General Knowledge) |
Exam Mode | Offline |
Exam stages | Written exam and SSB Interview |
Exam Purpose | Selecting Candidate as a Commissioned officer in the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy. |
Exam Duration | 2 Hours for each paper |
Total Marks | Written Exam OTA: 200 IMA, INA and AFA: 300 SSB Interview: OTA: 200 IMA, INA and AFA: 300 |
Exam fees | General and OBC male candidates: Rs. 200 Female, SC, and ST candidates are exempted from fee payment: Nil |
No. of Exam Centers | 77 |
Application Fees | 200/- |
Qualification | Passed or appearing for graduation |
Category
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Defence Jobs |
UPSC has released the result. The provisionally selected candidates will be called for the interview round. Candidates can check their roll numbers in the official notification.
The UPSC Exam Calendar has been released for the year 2025. The UPSC CDS 1 Notification 2025 will be released on 11th December 2024.
The final result for UPSC CDS 2023 has been announced. Candidates can download the same through the UPSC website or using the direct link given above.
The following table lists important dates for CDS (1) 2024 as per the official calendar and CDS (2) 2024 as per the UPSC exam calendar.
Events | Dates CDS (1) 2024 | Dates CDS (2) 2024 | CDS (1) 2025 |
Notification Release Date | 20th December 2023 | 15th May 2024 | 11th December 2024 |
Last Date to Apply | 9th January 2024 | 4th June 2024 | 31st December 2024 |
Admit Card Release Date | 12th April 2024 | To be announced | To be announced |
Exam Date | 21st April 2024 | 1st September 2024 | 13th April 2025 |
A total number of 457 vacancies have been released for the CDS (1) 2024. The detailed CDS vacancy distribution has been updated.
Course | Vacancy |
Indian Military Academy | 100 |
Indian Naval Academy | 32 |
Air Force Academy | 32 |
Officer Training Academy (Men) | 275 |
Officer Training Academy (Women) | 18 |
Total | 457 |
The CDS Eligibility Criteria including the age limit and educational qualifications, varies for posts under the IMA, AFA, Navy, INA, SSC(M) and SSC(W). To be eligible for IMA/INA/AFA, the candidate must have a bachelor's degree from a recognized university. For OTA (men), the candidate should have a bachelor's degree from a recognized university. For OTA (women), the candidate should either have a degree in Engineering from a recognized college/university or should have a bachelor's degree from a recognized university. The candidate's age should be between 18-23 years for IMA & INA, while it should be between 19-25 years for OTA for both men and women. For AFA, the age range should be between 20-24 years. Candidates’ age will be calculated as on 1st July of the year of exam. Upper age limit is relaxable for certain reserved categories. The candidate must be physically and medically fit according to the prescribed physical standards.
Completing the application process for CDS 2024 is the first step to applying for recruitment by the Combined Defence Services. Candidates should be careful to enter the correct information here as the same will be printed on their CDS admit cards. Go through the step-by-step procedure given below to be able to apply it smoothly.
Step 1: You should first enter the official website of UPSC to apply for the CDS (1) 2024 Exam.
Step 2: You have to enter your credentials under the heading “Part I” of your application form.
Step 3: You should first check the eligibility criteria & then apply for the respective academy which you wish for. (Indian Naval Academy, Indian Air Force Academy, etc.)
Step 4: A registration ID will be generated after “Part A” and you can proceed to “Part B” of the CDS 1 application form.
Step 5: Upload all scanned documents & signatures in the specified format. (PDF, JPEG, etc.). The candidates can use the Testbook Resize Tool for this purpose.
Step 6: Finally, you need to pay the application fee and select your examination center.
Step 7: Double-check all details and finally click on “Submit”
Step 8: Keep the application number generated safely.
Step 9: Take a printout of the application form for future reference.
For details on the CDS Apply Online process refer to the linked article.
The CDS 1 2024 Application Form will only be completed if you pay the application fee along with the application forms. Remember the following pointers for clarity.
The CDS selection process involves a few stages that the candidates have to clear with flying colors to go a step closer to obtaining their desired post in their desired academy like AFA, IMA, etc. The various selection stages include
Note: A final merit list will be prepared for the shortlisted candidates who clear all these stages successfully.
The candidates who are applying to these respectable academies as mentioned above should be well aware of the latest examination pattern to have a well-informed idea about the important topics and sub-topics from an examination point of view. The table below shows the CDS exam pattern for Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy & Indian Airforce Academy.
CDS Exam Pattern (INA, IMA, Indian Airforce Academy) | |||
Subject | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
English | 120 | 100 | 2 hours |
General Knowledge | 120 | 100 | 2 hours |
Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
The written exam pattern for the CDS Examination varies in the case of the OTA or Officer Training Academy. Let us look at the tabulated forms below for a better idea.
UPSC CDS Exam Pattern for OTA | |||
Subject | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
English | 120 | 100 | 2 hours |
General Knowledge | 120 | 100 | 2 hours |
The CDS SSB Interview will be held for candidates who pass the written exams. The CDS SSB Interview is divided into two stages, each of which includes an intelligence and personality test:
Candidates willing to apply for this examination should be well aware of the comprehensive and expected CDS syllabus for the CDS 2024 Exam. It includes the following subjects of which they should know the important topics and sub-topics as given below:
General Knowledge | English | Elementary Mathematics |
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The UPSC is expected to release the CDS admit card 2024 in the last week of March 2024. Candidates who have applied for the Combined Defence Services exam 1 2024 can download their CDS admit card from the official website of UPSC i.e. https://upsc.gov.in. To download the CDS Admit Card, candidates need to login to their account on the UPSC portal using their registration ID/roll number and date of birth. Along with the admit card, UPSC might also release the exam city details of the candidates. The CDS admit card acts as a valid entry pass for appearing in the written examination. It contains important details like the roll number, exam date, exam timing, exam centre etc. Candidates are advised to thoroughly check all the details mentioned on the admit card and in case of any discrepancy, they should immediately contact the UPSC. They need to carry a printed copy of their admit card along with an original photo identity proof like Aadhar card/PAN card/driving license to the exam centre.
The UPSC is expected to release the CDS Result 2024 by June 2024 on the official website. Candidates who appeared for the written examination conducted by UPSC in April 2024 can check their CDS result online. The result contains details like the roll numbers of recommended candidates, their all India ranks and qualifying marks. Separate merit lists are prepared for IMA, AFA, Navy, INA, SSC(M) and SSC(W). On the basis of cutoff marks and number of vacancies, candidates are shortlisted for further rounds of selection like SSB interviews. Candidates whose roll numbers appear on the merit list are called for SSB interview by respective service selection boards held at different places. The final selection and admission of candidates into respective defence academies is subject to qualifying all rounds of selection, medical fitness test and other criteria.
Those who pass the CDS exam will be paid a stipend during their training days. They will be paid a stipend of Rs 21,000 per month. The candidates who qualify for this prestigious UPSC CDS examination will receive a handsome salary as per the 7th pay Commission. It is quite sought after by the commissioned officers recruited via CDS. The CDS salary range varies rank-wise and also with the years of service rendered by the officers. Let us look at the table below for a better understanding:
Sr. No. | Ranks | Pay Scale | Pay Matrix Level |
1 | Lieutenant | Rs. 56,100 - 1,77,500/- | Level 10 |
2 | Captain | Rs. 61,300 - 1,93,900 | Level 10B |
3 | Major | Rs. 69,400 - 2,07,200 | Level 11 |
4 | Lieutenant Colonel | Rs. 1,21,200 - 2,12,400 | Level 12A |
5 | Colonel | Rs. 1,30,600 - 2,15,900 | Level 13 |
6 | Brigadier | Rs. 1,39,600 - 2,17,600 | Level 13A |
7 | Major General | Rs. 1,44,200 - 2,18,200 | Level 14 |
8 | Lieutenant General | Rs. 1,82,200 - 2,24,100 | Level 15 |
9 | HAG + Scale | Rs. 2,05,400 - 2,24,400 | Level 16 |
10 | VCOAS/ Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG) | Rs. 2,25,000 (fixed) | Level 17 |
11 | COAS | Rs. 2,50,000 (fixed) | Level 18 |
Check CDS Exam paper Analysis here.
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