What is CDS Exam?
CDS stands for Combined Defence Services Examination is conducted for recruitment of Commissioned Officers in Indian Army, Indian Navy and Air Force. This examination is been conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) and is held twice a year usually in the month of February and September. Large number of candidates apply for this national level entrance examination but only few hundreds are selected for final posts.
| A brief introduction to CDS examination | |
| Exam Name | Combined Defence Services Examination |
| Conducting Body | UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) |
| Level of the exam | National Level |
| Frequency of the exam | Twice a year |
| Examination mode | Online |
| Duration of the exam | 2 Hours |
| Languages | English and Hindi |
| Examination Fees | Rs 200 |
| Purpose of the exam | Select candidates in Indian Army, Navy and Air Force as Commissioned Officers |
| Vacancies | 418 |
| Number of Test Cities | 41 |
| Official Website of the examination | https://upsc.gov.in/ |
Eligibility Criteria for CDS 2020 Exam
UPSC has some serious criteria when it comes in selecting candidates for prestigious posts in Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. The criteria is been mentioned below:
Age, Sex and Martial Status
- Indian Military Academy (IMA): Unmarried Candidates who are born in between 2 January 1997 and 1 January 2002 can apply.
- Indian Naval Academy (INA): Unmarried Male Candidates who are born in between 2 January 1997 and 1 January 2002 are eligible.
- Air Force Academy: Candidates applying should born in between 2 January 1997 and 1 January 2001.
- Officers Training Academy (Men SSC Course): Unmarried Male candidates born in between 2 January 1996 and 1 January 2002.
- Officer Training Academy (Women SSC Non-Technical Course): Unmarried women candidates born in between 2 January 1996 and 1 January 2002.
Educational Qualification
- IMA & Officers Training Academy: Candidate must be graduate
- Indian Naval Academy: A graduate with Engineering Degree from recognized university
- Air Force Academy: A degree with Physics as well as Mathematics at Class 12 or Bachelor of Engineering is necessary
Physical Fitness
Candidates must by physically fit in order to be eligible for the CDS examination.
Important Dates for CDS 1 & 2
| Events | Dates for CDS 1 | Dates for CDS 2 |
| CDS Notification | 30 October 2019 | 5 August 2020 |
| Application Form | 30 October 2019 | 5 August 2020 |
| Last Date to apply | 19 November 2019 | 25 August 2020 |
| Application Withdrawal | 3 December 2019 | Last Week of September 2020 |
| Examination Date | 2 February 2019 | 8 November 2020 |
CDS 2020 Selection Process
The Selection process of CDS recruitment includes two stages which are as follows:
Written Examination: This is the first and foremost stage of the examination for the selection process. Candidates who are successfully registered for the exam are then required to sit for the written exams. The Exam for IMA, INA and Air Force comprises of three sections and has total 300 Marks. The three sections are mentioned below:
- English
- General Knowledge
- Elementary Mathematics
The written examination for Officers training Academy has two sections and is total of 200 Marks. The two sections are mentioned below
- English
- General Knowledge
The candidates who are qualified in the written examinations are then called for the final SSB interview for personality test.
SSB Interview: There are two stages in the personality test or SSB interview process
- Psychological Aptitude Test
- Intelligent Test
The final selection is done on the base of the performance in the exam as well as personality test. The selected candidates are then trained at Indian Military Academy (Dehradun), Indian Naval Academy (Ezhimala), Officers Training Academy (Chennai) and Air Force Academy (Hyderabad).
Guidelines for the Examination Day of CDS 2020
- Admit card is must to be carried to the examination centre. Hence, students must carry them along with any photo identity proof while appearing for the exam.
- All the candidates are allowed to carry clip board as well as black ball point pen.
- Rough Work Sheet would be provided by the invigilator at the time of examination.
- Any study material like books, notes, calculators or electronic gadgets are not allowed inside the examination hall. Hence, students should not bring such materials while appearing for the exam.
Syllabus for CDS 2020: English, General Knowledge & Mathematics
As mentioned above the CDS syllabus is been divided into three subjects which are English, General Knowledge and finally Elementary Mathematics. The level of questions varies according to the subject. The standard level of the questions for Mathematics will be of matriculation level. On the other hand, the level of questions for other subjects like GK or English is of graduation level.
Subject: English Language
The questions which are asked in the exams are designed to test the candidates understanding of English language. The topics from which the questions are asked been mentioned below:
| Important Topics for English Language | ||
| Synonyms | Improvement of Sentence | Antonyms |
| Comprehension | One word Substitution | Sentence Ordering |
| Words Selection | Spotting the errors | Vocabulary |
Subject: General Knowledge
This section tests the candidate knowledge about the current events. This also includes some questions on History as well as Geography. Hence, the student must be prepared with the topics which are mentioned below:
| Important Topics for General Knowledge | ||
| Physics | Chemistry | Current Awareness |
| History | Geography | Politics |
| Environment | Sports | Awards |
| Biology | Cultural | Books |
| Sociology | Defence related news | Economics |
Subject: Elementary Mathematics
The questions are asked from the field of Algebra, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Geometry and statistics.
- Number System: Natural Numbers, Fundamental Operations, Unitary method, time and work, percentage, simple and compound interest, ratio and proportion and time and distance.
- Elementary Number theory: Prime and composite numbers, divisibility test for various numbers, factorization, HCF & LCM and Logarithms
- Trigonometry: sin x, cosine x, tangent x, use of trigonometry tables, height and distance
- Geometry: Lines and angles, plane figures, parallel lines, triangles and congruency of triangles, similar triangles, properties of angles, rectangle and square, circle and its properties.
- Mensuration: Area of squares, triangle, rectangles, parallelograms, circles, surface and lateral surface area, volume of spheres, cones, cylinders, cuboids and cubes
- Statistics: Collection of data, graphical representation, histograms, bar charts
CDS 2020: Results & Merit List
In order to view the results for CDS 2020, candidates need to follow the instructions below:
- Visit the official website of the UPSC
- On the date of the result, find the link where CDS Result 2020 is been mentioned on the homepage of the website
- A PDF opens in a new tab where the candidate can search his or her roll number by pressing Ctrl+F
- UPSC prepares the list of candidates who have obtained minimum marks in the first exam i.e. written examination.
- The final merit list is prepared on basis of total marks in the written exam as well as the SSB interview. The final selection is done on basis of medical fitness and number of vacancies.
Add Comment