Your Pathway to Become an Officer in the Indian Army, Navy & Air Force

🧭 1. Introduction

The Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) is conducted twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment into:

Indian Military Academy (IMA)
Indian Naval Academy (INA)
Air Force Academy (AFA)
Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)

It is one of India’s most prestigious officer-entry examinations, attracting lakhs of aspirants every year. The selection includes a Written Exam, SSB Interview, and Medical Examination. The CDS 2026 cycle will follow updated exam norms, written pattern, and SSB process as per the latest UPSC guidelines.

🪖 2. CDS Selection Process (2025–26)

Stage 1: Written Examination (Conducted by UPSC)

Objective-type examination
Separate papers for different academies
Negative marking: 1/3rd for incorrect answers

Stage 2: SSB Interview (Conducted by Services Selection Board)

Screening test (OIR + PPDT)
Psychology tests
GTO tasks
Personal interview

Stage 3: Medical Examination

Physical standards
Visual standards
Overall medical fitness

Final Merit List

Prepared based on Written Marks + SSB Marks.

📘 3. CDS Exam Pattern (Latest 2026 Update)

A. For IMA, INA, AFA

Paper	Subject	Duration	Marks
I	English	2 hours	100
II	General Knowledge	2 hours	100
III	Elementary Mathematics	2 hours	100
Total Marks: 300

B. For OTA (Men & Women)

Paper	Subject	Duration	Marks
I	English	2 hours	100
II	General Knowledge	2 hours	100
Total Marks: 200

Negative Marking

1/3rd marks deducted for each wrong answer

📚 4. CDS Syllabus (Detailed Section-Wise)

A. English (All Academies)

Grammar & usage
Vocabulary & idioms
Reading comprehension
Spotting errors
Sentence improvement
Fill in the blanks

B. General Knowledge (All Academies)

Current affairs (national & international)
Indian Polity & Constitution
History of India
Geography (physical, economic, social)
Economy & budget basics
Defence developments
Science & technology
Environmental issues

C. Elementary Mathematics (IMA/INA/AFA Only)

Arithmetic (Number system, ratios, time-distance, profit-loss)
Algebra
Trigonometry
Geometry
Mensuration
Statistics
Basic probability

🎖️ 5. Final Selection & Weightage

Stage	Marks
Written Exam	300 (IMA/INA/AFA), 200 (OTA)
SSB Interview	300
Medical Exam	Qualifying only

Final merit is prepared on Written + SSB scores. Medical exam is mandatory but does not carry marks.

🎯 6. Practical Preparation Tips

📝 Written Exam Strategy

Build strong fundamentals in English grammar
Read newspaper daily for GK & current affairs
Focus on NCERT Class 6–10 Maths for basics
Solve UPSC CDS previous years’ papers

📊 Time Management

Allocate time per section
Practice with OMR sheets
Avoid random guessing due to negative marking

📚 Recommended Study Resources

NCERT books (6–12)
Standard defence exam prep books
Monthly current affairs PDF from official sources

🏋️‍♂️ SSB Preparation

Improve communication skills
Work on physical fitness
Practice psychology tests
Self-awareness & confidence is key

🔗 7. Official Links (Only Government / Official Sources)

✔️ UPSC Official Website
https://www.upsc.gov.in

✔️ UPSC Online Application Portal (OTR)
https://upsconline.nic.in

✔️ Official CDS Notification PDF
Available on UPSC homepage when released (NDA/CDS section)

✔️ Indian Army, Navy, Air Force Officer Training Academies
https://www.indianarmy.nic.in
https://www.indiannavy.nic.in
https://indianairforce.nic.in

CDS | IMA Defence Academy COMBINED DEFENCE SERVICES EXAMINATION ...

🇮🇳 CDS Entry – Combined Defence Services Examination (UPSC CDS) 2025–26