CDS Notification 2024
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the CDS Exam. It is a competitive exam held twice by the UPSC to select candidates for the armed forces such as the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It is an opportunity for graduates who want to serve their country in the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Naval Academy, or Officers Training Academy. The details about the exam are announced in the official notifications. CDS 1 2024 Notification will be out on December 20, 2023 while CDS 2 2024 will be released on May 15, 2024.
CDS (Combined Defence Service) is a crucial exam for those who want to join the Indian Armed Forces. UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) holds this exam twice a year, known as CDS 1 and CDS 2. The exam dates for CDS 1 & 2 in 2024 have been announced. The CDS 1 2024 Notification will be available on upsc.gov.in from 20th December, 2023. Candidates can find important updates and details about the exam on the official website. Combined Defense Service Examination is organized by UPSC for the recruitment of officers in the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy.
CDS 2024 Highlights
Candidates appearing for the examination must be aware of the facts and the key points to keep in mind before starting the preparation for CDS 2024.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of exam | Combined Defence Services Examination |
| Conducted by | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam level | National |
| Exam mode | Online |
| Exam duration | Two hours |
| Language | English or Hindi |
| Application Fee | INR 200/- |
| Official Website | Upsc.gov.in |
CDS Exam Dates 2024
UPSC has released the CDS exam dates for 2024. Read the table below to get the dates for various events related to CDS exam:
| Important Events | CDS 1 Exam Date | CDS 2 Exam Date |
|---|---|---|
| CDS Notification | December 20, 2023 | May 15, 2024 |
| Online Application Submission date start | December 20, 2023 | May 15 2024 |
| CDS Application form last date | January 9, 2024 | June 4, 2023 |
| CDS Written Exam | April 21, 2024 | September 1, 2024 |
CDS Notification 2024
The notification for CDS 1 2024 will be released on December 20, 2023. CDS 2 2024 notification will be released on May 15, 2024. CDS notification contains all of the information about the recruitment drive, such as the syllabus, vacancy, exam date, exam pattern, and so on. Meanwhile, the notifications for 2023 exams are given below.
Check CDS 1 notification 2023.
Check CDS 2 notification 2023.
CDS Vacancy 2024
CDS Vacancy 2024: UPSC will releasethe vacancies for 2024 under CDS 2024 Notification. You can check the bifurcation of CDS Vacancies 2024 below:
| Name of the Army | No. of Posts |
| Indian Military Academy, Dehradun | To Be Updated |
| Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | To Be Updated |
| Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | To Be Updated |
| Officers Training Academy, Chennai, (SSC Men) | To Be Updated |
| Officers Training Academy, Chennai, (SSC Women) | To Be Updated |
| Total Vacancies | To Be Updated |
CDS 2024 Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for CDS 2024 Exam, a candidate must be unmarried and must either be:
A Citizen of India, or
A Subject of Bhutan, or
A Subject of Nepal, or
A Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Candidates should be well-known with the education qualifications before applying for the examination. Here we have provided the complete details of the educational qualifications required for the CDS 2024 Examination.
| Academy | Educational Qualification |
| Indian Military Academy | Graduation Degree |
| Indian Naval Academy | B.E/B.Tech (10+2 with Physics & Maths) |
| Air Force Academy | Graduation, B.E/B.Tech (10+2 with Physics & Maths) |
| Officers’ Training Academy (Men) | Graduation Degree |
| Officers’ Training Academy (Women) | Graduation Degree |
CDS 2 Exam 2023 Age limit
Here we have provided you with the age limit for the CDS 2 2023 Exam. So before applying to try to go through the full CDS Notification 2023 provided by UPSC.
| Academy | Age Limit |
| Indian Military Academy | 19-24 Years |
| Indian Naval Academy | 19-24 Years |
| Air Force Academy | 20-24 Years |
| Officers’ Training Academy (Men) | 19-25 Years |
| Officers’ Training Academy (Women) | 19-25 Years |
(i) For IMA—Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd July 2000 and not later than 1st July, 2005 only are eligible.
(ii) For Indian Naval Academy—Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd July, 2000 and not later than 1st July 2005 only are eligible.
(iii) For Air Force Academy— Age: 20 to 24 years as on 1st July 2024 i.e. born not earlier than 2nd July, 2000 and not later than 1st July 2004 (Upper age limit for candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxable upto 26 yrs. i.e. born not earlier than 2nd July, 1998 and not later than 1st July, 2004 only are eligible.
Note: Candidates below 25 years of age must be unmarried. Marriage is not permitted during training. Married candidates above 25 years of age are eligible to apply but during training period they will neither be provided married accommodation nor can they live with family out of the premises.
(iv) For Officers’ Training Academy—(SSC Course for men) unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd July, 1999 and not later than 1st July, 2005 only are eligible.
(v) For Officers’ Training Academy—(SSC Women Non-Technical Course) Unmarried women, issueless widows who have not remarried and issueless divorcees (in possession of divorce documents) who have not remarried are eligible. They should have been born not earlier than 2nd July, 1999 and not later than 1st July, 2005.
CDS Exam 2024 Application Procedure
Check the Application Procedure to fill the CDS 2024 form below –
Visit the official website — upsc.gov.in or upsconline.nic.in
Click on the UPSC CDS 2024 link.
In part – I of the registration, submit your basic information.
In part II, fill the payment details and choice of exam centre, upload your photo and sign as per guidelines.
Save and submit it and take a printout for further reference.
CDS 2024 Selection Procedure
The Combined Defense Services Examination is conducted in two phases- the first stage is the written examination and the second is the interview. This examination comes under UPSC and the examination of all the three forces is under this. If the candidate is successful in the written test then he/she is called for SSB interview. After that, the candidate is sent to different places for training. Now we will tell you about the CDS Exam Pattern.
CDS follows a three-stage recruitment process consisting of the –
Written Test
SSB Interview
Medical Examination
Merit List
CDS Exam Pattern 2024
CDS Exam Pattern for the Indian Military, Indian Navy, and Air Force Academy Exam is divided into 3 sections, whereas the Officers’ Training Academy Exam is divided into 2 sections – each comprising a total of 100 questions. Each question carries 1 mark. There is a negative marking of 1/3rd of the total mark for each wrong answer. CDS exam pattern differs for Officer Training Academy and Indian Naval Academy/Indian Military Academy/Indian Air Force.
- Written Examination
- Intelligence & Personality Interview
CDS Exam Pattern for IMA/INA and IAF
The written test for IMA, INA, and AFA consists of 3 sections – English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. There are a total of 300 Questions asked.
| Subjects | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| English | 100 | 2 Hours |
| General Knowledge | 100 | 2 Hours |
| Mathematics | 100 | 2 Hours |
CDS OTA Exam Pattern
Officer Training Academy (OTA) exams have two subjects and a total of 200 marks. There are a total of 200 Questions in the OTA Exam.
| Subjects | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| English | 100 | 2 Hours |
| General Knowledge | 100 | 2 Hours |
CDS Syllabus
Candidates should be familiar with the CDS Syllabus and relevant topics. Candidates must thoroughly prepare for CDS 2024 by reviewing the whole syllabus.
CDS General Knowledge Syllabus
The syllabus for General Knowledge for CDS exam is provided below:
- Current Affairs
- Defence Related Awards
- Sports
- History
- Geography
- Politics
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Cultural Knowledge
CDS English Syllabus
The syllabus for English for CDS exam is provided below:
- Spotting Errors
- Arrangement of Sentences
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Word Selection
- Ordering of Sentences
- Comprehension
CDS Elementary Math Syllabus
The syllabus for elementary mathematics for CDS exam is provided below:
- Trigonometry
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Statistics
- Mensuration
- Arithmetic
CDS Interview
The selection of the candidates is on the basis of marks scored in the interviews. The total marks for the interview for Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy is 300 marks, whereas 200 marks are allotted for the interview of OTA.
The SSB Interview will contain two stages i.e. Stage 1 and Stage 2. Candidates who qualify for the stage 1 exam will be called for stage 2.
Stage 1: It is an OIR (Officer Intelligence Rating) Test which contains Picture Perception and Description Test (PP & DT). Candidates will be shortlisted as per their performance in the OIR Test and PP and DT.
Stage 2: Candidates passing Stage 1 will be called for this stage. This part consists of Group Testing Officer Tasks, Interviews, Conferences, and Psychology Tests. These tests are organized in four days.
CDS Exam Centre
Candidates for CDS 2024 will be assigned exam centres. Candidates who apply for the exam must select an appropriate examination centre based on their availability. Check out the list of CDS exam centres per state below
| State | Examination Centre |
|---|---|
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Uttar Pradesh | Allahabad |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru |
| Uttar Pradesh | Bareilly |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal |
| Punjab | Chandigarh |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
| Tamil Nadu | Cuttack |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun |
| Delhi | Delhi |
| Karnataka | Dharwad |
| Assam | Dispur |
| Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Andhra Pradesh | Hyderabad |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Jammu |
| Assam | Jorhat |
| Kerala | Kochi |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| West Bengal | Kolkata |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| Tamil Nadu | Madurai |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai |
| Maharashtra | Nagpur |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Bihar | Patna |
| Andaman and Nicobar | Port Blair |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi |
| Odisha | Sambalpur |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Tirupati |
| Rajasthan | Udaipur |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Visakhapatnam |
CDS Result
UPSC will publish the CDS Result on its official website following the completion of the exam. CDS results consists of roll number and name of the candidates who have qualified for the Interview with the Ministry of Defence’s Service Selection Board. Only applicants who will take the CDS exam in 2024 will be able to view the status of their results. You can verify your results using the roll number information provided on your admit card or by name.
Steps to Download CDS Result
Follow the steps outlined below to download the result of the CDS.:
- Access the Union Public Service Commission’s official webpage.
- Click the “Results” link in the navigation area.
- Now look for and click on the “UPSC CDS Result” link.
- Fill in the essential information, such as your registration number and date of birth.
- Press the “Submit” button.
- Check the status of your CDS exam result by entering your roll number and name.
CDS Expected Cutoff 2024
CDS Cutoff will be officially released together with the final result. Candidates taking the CDS 2024 exam should look to the prior year’s cutoff to figure out the expected CDS cutoff.
Steps to Check CDS Cutoff
Follow the processes outlined below to determine the CDS Exam cutoff:
- Visit the official website and select “Examination”.
- Select “Cutoff Marks” from the drop-down menu.
- You will be given a list of CDS cutoff marks per year.
- The PDF link for CDS 2024 can be found in the section year 2024. Simply click on it.
- A new window will open, displaying the Phase 1 or 2 cutoff markings in PDF format.
- You can save this PDF for later use.
Posts Under Combined Defence Services (CDS)
The following is a breakdown of the three branches of the armed forces:
| Army | Navy | Air Force |
|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant | Sub-Lieutenant | Flying Officer |
| Captain | Lieutenant | Flying Lieutenant |
| Major | Lieutenant Commander | Squadron Leader |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Commander | Wing Commander |
| Colonel | Captain | Group Captain |
| Brigadier | Commodore | Air Commodore |
| Major General | Rear Admiral | Air Vice Marshal |
| Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral | Air Marshal |
| General (Chief of Army Staff) | Admiral | Air Chief Marshal |
| Field Marshal | Admiral of the Fleet | Marshal of the Air Force |
CDS Salary Structure
During the training term, all officers at the equivalent levels of the Army, Navy, and Air Force will earn a fixed stipend sum. The salary for the training duration is currently Rs 56,100 per month. CDS Salary of the officers at various grades are given below:
| Rank | Level | CDS In Hand Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant | Level 10 | INR 56,100 – 1,77,500 |
| Captain | Level 10 B | INR 6,13,00 – 1,93,900 |
| Major | Level 11 | INR 6,94,00 – 2,07,200 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Level 12A | INR 1,21,200 – 2,12,400 |
| Colonel | Level 13 | INR 1,30,600 – 2,15,900 |
| Brigadier | Level 13A | INR 1,39,600 – 2,17,600 |
| Major General | Level 14 | INR 1,44,200 – 2,18,200 |
| Lieutenant General HAG Scale | Level 15 | INR 1,82,200 – 2,24,100 |
| HAG+Scale | Level 16 | INR 2,05,400 – 2,24,400 |
| VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG) | Level 17 | INR 2,25,000/- (fixed) |
| COAS | Level 18 | INR 2,50,000/- (fixed) |
CDS Career Growth and Promotion
The promotions received by CDS officers during their term are mentioned below.
| Position | Commissioned Service |
|---|---|
| Captain | 2 Years |
| Major | 6 Years |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 13 Years |
| Colonel | 15 Years |
| Colonel (TS) | 26 Years |
| Major General | 25 Years |
| Brigadier | 23 Years |
| Lieutenant General | 28 Years |
| General | No Restrictions |
| Lieutenant | After Training |
FAQs
1. What is the CDS examination?
- The CDS examination is a national-level competitive examination in India conducted by UPSC for the recruitment of officers into the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy.
2. How many times is the CDS examination conducted in a year?
- The CDS examination is usually conducted twice a year, once in February and once in November.
3. What are the different academies for which candidates can apply through the CDS examination?
- Candidates can apply for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) through the CDS examination.
4. What are the eligibility criteria for the CDS examination?
- Eligibility criteria can vary based on the academy and the specific branch you are applying for, but generally include age limits, educational qualifications, and nationality requirements. The eligibility criteria are mentioned in the official notification for each CDS examination.
5. What is the selection process for the CDS examination?
- The selection process typically involves a written examination followed by an interview conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB). The written exam includes an objective-type test for Officers’ Training Academy candidates and a written examination and interview for IMA, INA, and AFA candidates.
6. How can I prepare for the CDS examination?
- To prepare for the CDS examination, you should study subjects like English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics, and relevant subjects for your chosen academy. You can also refer to previous years’ question papers, enroll in coaching programs, and practice regularly.
7. When and where can I apply for the CDS examination?
- Notifications for the CDS examination are published on the UPSC website, and the application process is conducted online. You should regularly check the UPSC website for the release of notifications and application details.
8. How can I obtain the CDS admit card?
- Admit cards for the CDS examination are made available on the UPSC website. You can download your admit card by entering the required details as mentioned in the notification.
9. What happens after clearing the CDS written exam?
- After clearing the written examination, candidates are called for the SSB interview. The interview process includes psychological tests, group tasks, and personal interviews.
10. What happens after the SSB interview?
– After the SSB interview, the final merit list is prepared based on the written exam and interview performance. Selected candidates receive training at their respective academies.