The UPSC has announced the CDS Exam date 2025. According to the UPSC annual exam calendar, the CDS Exam (I) notification will be released on December 11, 2024. Candidates can fill out the application form until December 31, 2024. The CDS Exam date 2025 is scheduled for April 13, 2025 (Sunday).
The CDS (Combined Defence Services) Exam is a competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India. It is held twice a year and serves as a gateway for entry into the Indian Armed Forces, specifically the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA).
The CDS exam consists of a written test followed by an interview conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB). The written exam varies slightly depending on the academy you’re applying to.
For the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA), the written exam comprises three papers: English (100 marks), General Knowledge (100 marks), and Elementary Mathematics (100 marks). For the Officers Training Academy (OTA), the exam consists of two papers: English (100 marks) and General Knowledge (100 marks).
The SSB interview is an intensive five-day process that evaluates a candidate’s personality, intelligence, leadership qualities, and overall suitability for a career in the armed forces.
Check Eligibility:
CDS 2025 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must fulfil complete CDS Eligibility criteria 2025 before applying for exam:
- Nationality: Applying candidates must be unmarried and citizen of India, subject of Nepal or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African countries with intention to permanently settle in India.
- Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1962, with the intention to permanently settle in India will also apply.
- Educational Qualification: For IMA, candidates must have bachelor’s degree (BA, BCom, BSc, BBA, BCA, BTech, etc) from a recognized university or equivalent institute.
- To apply for Indian Naval Academy (INA), candidates must have bachelor’s degree in engineering from a recognized university/ college.
- Candidates must have bachelor’s degree from any recognized university (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or bachelor’s degree in engineering will be eligible for Air Force Academy exam.
- For OTA (Men, Women – Non- Technical), candidates must have bachelor’s degree from a recognized university or equivalent institute.
- Physical Fitness: Applying candidates should be physically fit in all aspects by the three defence departments i.e Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
- Applying candidates must be good in Physics and sound mental health and free from any disease/ disability that can interfere in the performance of their duties.
- Appearing: Those appearing candidates in final year/ semester degree course and yet to pass final year degree exam will also be eligible to apply.
- Age Limit: Given below are the age limit for different categories:
| CDS Courses | CDS Age Limit |
| Indian Military Academy | 19 to 24 years |
| Indian Naval Academy | 19 to 24 years |
| Air Force Academy | 20 to 24 years |
| Officers’ Training Academy (Men) | 19 to 25 years |
| Officers Training Academy (Women, Non-Technical) | 19 to 25 years |
CDS 2025 Overview
| Name of Exam | CDS 2025 |
| Full Form | Combine Defense Services Examination |
| Conducting Authority | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Level of Exam | National Level |
| Exam Frequency | Twice a year (April & September) |
| Exam Stage | Written exam and SSB Interview |
| Application Mode | Online mode |
| Exam Mode | Offline Mode |
| Language of Question paper | English & Hindi |
| Website | upsc.gov.in |
CDS 2025 Syllabus
The syllabus for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2025 exam varies depending on the academy. Candidates aspiring to join the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA) must appear for three subjects in the CDS 2025 Exam.
Meanwhile, candidates who wish to join the Officers Training Academy (OTA) need to appear for two subjects in the CDS 2025 Exam. Those who prefer OTA need to prepare for English and General Knowledge, while candidates for IMA, AFA, and INA must also pass the Elementary Mathematics paper.
CDS 2025 Elementary Mathematics Syllabus
Candidates who prefer the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), or Air Force Academy (AFA) are required to prepare for the Elementary Mathematics paper. This section of the exam carries a total of 100 marks, with 100 questions to be answered in 120 minutes.
Check out the syllabus for Elementary Mathematics:
| Topics | Content |
| Arithmetic | Number System Percentage Profit and Loss Time and Distance Ratio and Proportion |
| Algebra | Basic Operations Simple Equations Quadratic Equations. |
| Trigonometry | Trigonometric Ratios Heights and Distances |
| Geometry | Lines and Angles Triangles Circles Polygons |
| Mensuration | Areas and Volumes of different shapes and solids |
| Statistics | Collection Classification Tabulation of Data Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion |
CDS 2025 English Syllabus
All candidates, whether they want to join the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), or Officers Training Academy (OTA), must appear for the English Language paper.
Check out the syllabus for the English Language:
| Topics | Content |
| Vocabulary | Synonyms Antonyms Word Substitution Sentence Completion |
| Grammar and Usage | Spotting Errors Sentence Correction Fill in the Blanks |
| Comprehension | Reading passages and answering related questions |
| Sentence Rearrangement | Para Jumbles Sentence Formation |
CDS 2025 General Awareness Syllabus
The General Awareness paper assesses the candidates’ knowledge of current events and their understanding of various domains such as history, politics, geography, and economics. Candidates applying for any academy need to appear for the General Awareness paper in CDS 2025.
Check out the General Awareness syllabus:
| Topics | Content |
| Current Affairs | National and International events, Sports News Awards Honors |
| History | Indian Independence Movement Ancient History Medieval History Modern History |
| Geography | Physical, Social, and Economic Geography of India and the World |
| Polity | Indian Constitution Political System Governance |
| Economy | Basic Economic Concepts Indian Economy Economic Developments |
| Science and Technology | General Science Biotechnology IT Environmental Science |
| Miscellaneous | Books and Authors Important Dates Cultural Activities |
CDS 2025 Exam Pattern
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam is organised in offline (pen and paper) mode. The duration of each paper in the exam is one hour. Candidates appearing for CDS 2025 can attempt the exam in English and Hindi.
Candidates applying for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA) will face 300 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). In contrast, those seeking admission to the Officers Training Academy (OTA) will be asked 200 MCQs.
Candidates will be awarded one mark for every correct answer, and one-third of a mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
Distribution of Questions
Refer to the table below for details on the question distribution in the CDS 2025 exam for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA:
For IMA, INA, and AFA:
Candidates who want to join the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy need to take three papers, which include English, Elementary Mathematics, and General Knowledge. Additionally, only male candidates can join the IMA, INA, and AFA through the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam.
Each section will consist of 100 questions. Check out the table below for complete information:
| Subjects | Total Questions |
| English | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| Total Questions | 300 Questions |
For Officers Training Academy (OTA):
Candidates who want to join the Officers Training Academy (OTA) need to appear for two papers: General Knowledge and English. Both male and female candidates can join the Officers Training Academy through CDS 2025.
Candidates will be asked a total of 100 questions in General Knowledge as well as in English. Check out the table below for complete information regarding the exam pattern to join OTA through the Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2025:
| Subjets | Total Questions |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| English | 100 |
| Total Questions | 200 Questions |
CDS 2025 Marking Scheme
Check out the below mentioned table for distribution of marks of CDS 2025 for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA:
For IMA, INA, AFA:
A total of 300 questions will be allotted for candidates who want to join the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy. 100 marks each will be allocated to the subjects: English, Elementary Mathematics, and General Knowledge.
Candidates will get 1 mark for every correct answer and 1/3rd of a mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Check out the below-mentioned table for the subject-wise breakdown of the marks for CDS 2025:
| Subjects | Maximum Marks |
| English | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 |
| Total Marks | 300 Marks |
For Officers Training Academy (OTA):
All male and female candidates who want to apply for the Officers Training Academy need to attempt questions from English and General Knowledge. Both sections carry a weightage of 100 marks each.
1 mark will be awarded for every correct answer in CDS 2025, and ⅓ mark will be deducted for every wrong answer. Check out the table below for the distribution of marks for the Officers Training Academy (OTA):
| Subjects | Maximum Marks |
| English | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| Total Marks | 200 Marks |
Service Selection Board (SSB) Process
Candidates who pass the Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2025 written exam will proceed to the SSB (Service Selection Board) process. The SSB consists of three stages:
- Stage 1: Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) and Picture Perception and Description Test (PPDT).
- Stage 2: Interview, Group Testing Officer (GTO) Tasks, Psychology Test, and Conference
- Stage 3: Group Discussion
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