CDS Syllabus 2023 - Latest Exam Pattern & Book List for CDS

CDS Syllabus 2023 – Knowledge of the syllabus and the latest CDS exam pattern is important to plan out the preparation of the Combined Defense Services exam in a strategic manner. 

UPSC conducts CDS exam to recruit candidates for the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Officers Training Academy and the Indian Air Force Academy. Further information regarding the CDS exam is given in the linked page. 

Aspirants willing to get into the Defense Force through CDS exam must upkeep themselves with the CDS Syllabus and exam pattern. Therefore, for candidates convenience, the article aims to provide the latest CDS exam pattern as well as the detailed CDS Syllabus as prescribed by the UPSC along with the important Booklist for CDS exam.

CDS Syllabus 2023 PDF- Download PDF Here

Aspirants of other Government exams can check the link provided for the latest information on upcoming examinations. 

CDS Exam Pattern

The CDS exam pattern is prescribed by the Union Public Service Commission. UPSC mentions the exam pattern of CDS in detail in the official notification of the exam. 

The CDS Selection Process is divided into two stages:

1. Written examination
2. SSB Interview

CDS exam pattern for Written Exam

The written examination of CDS is further divided into parts.

• For IMA, INA and AFA the written test comprises three sections i.e. English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics.
• For OTA there are two sections in the written exam i.e. English and General Knowledge.

** Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA).

Important points for CDS Written Exam

1. Total marks for the written exam is 500. 300 marks for the written test of IMA, INA and AFA, while 200 for the written exam of OTA.
2. Time duration allowed to complete the exam is 6 hours (each section 2 hours) for IMA INA & AFA. 4 hours are given to complete the written test for OTA.
3. The question paper in the written exam will be objective type only. 
4. For mathematics, the standard of questions will be of 10th level whereas for other subjects the standard of the paper will be of graduation level. 

CDS Exam Pattern for IMA, INA, AFA

CDS Exam Pattern for OTA

CDS Marking Scheme

It is important to know the CDS marking scheme for candidates to devise an effective exam-taking strategy. The CDS marking scheme as prescribed by UPSC is as follows:

1. 1 mark is awarded for each correct answer
2. 0.33 marks are deducted for each wrong attempt
3. Questions left unanswered are not covered under negative marking
4. If two answers are marked for one question. It will be considered wrong and negative marks will be deducted. 

Note – as per CDS negative marking scheme 1/3 of the marks will be deducted for each wrong answer. 

CDS Exam Pattern – SSC Interview

Candidates who qualify in the CDS written examination will have to appear for SSB Interview. The examination of CDS is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission but the interview is held by the Service Selection Board – SSB. 

The SSB Interview is conducted in two stages over a period of 4 days – 

Stage I – comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT)

Stage II – consists of Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests and Conference. Only the candidates shortlisted in Stage I of SSB Interview are called for this stage. 

Now that you are aware of the CDS exam pattern, let us move ahead to the section-wise and topic-wise CDS Syllabus.

CDS Syllabus 

The notification of the Combined Defense Service examination mentions in detail the CDS syllabus. 

CDS Syllabus is prescribed by the exam conducting body i.e. UPSC and generally remains the same each year.

Broadly, the syllabus of CDS is divided into three sections-

1. English
2. General Knowledge
3. Elementary Mathematics

Let’s check out the topic-wise CDS syllabus for each section-

CDS Syllabus Mathematics

The topics covered in the CDS syllabus of mathematics are Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry, Trigonometry, Mensuration and Statistics. Candidates preparing for CDS exam can check the links given below to complement their mathematics preparation.

1.  Shortcut tricks for Squares and Cube Roots 
2.  Maths Tricks & Shortcuts for Competitive exams

Important topics from each chapter to be covered for the exam are mentioned below-

Check out a few concept-based articles that will be helpful to cover up the maths syllabus of CDS conveniently- 

1. Alligations and Mixtures
2. Number Series 
3. Quadratic Equations
4. Time and Work

For more such articles on various mathematics topics, check the Quantitative Aptitude page linked here.

CDS Syllabus – English

The questions in the English section of the CDS exam are designed to test the candidate’s understanding of basic grammar, vocabulary and knowledge of English. Questions in this section are framed from the following topics: 

To start with the preparation of the English syllabus of CDS exam refer to the links of relevant English language topics that are asked frequently in the examination:

• List of One Word Substitutions
• Adjective Degree Of Comparison Rules
• List of Homophones/Homonyms
• List of Synonyms and Antonyms
• Active And Passive Voice Rules

For more important topics on English For Competitive exams, such as Precis and Letter writing format, rules and list of prepositions, articles, conjunctions etc. check the link provided.

Also, go through important questions and answers on English topics for practice and preparation.

• One Word Substitution Questions & Answers
• Tenses Questions And Answers
• Direct & Indirect Speech Questions & Answers
• Sentence Correction Questions and Answers

More question and answer articles on important topics of the Verbal Ability section can be found on the linked page.

CDS Syllabus – General Knowledge

The General Knowledge section tests the knowledge candidate related to the current events and happenings around the world.. The questions in this section are included from the History of India, Geography of nature and science as well. Topics that candidates should prepare in the General Knowledge section are given below.

For the preparation this section important topics that candidates must go through are listed below:

• List of Neighbouring Countries of India
• List of Highest Mountains in India
• List of Longest Rivers in the World
• Tennis Grand Slam Winners
• List Of Indian Ambassadors to Foreign Countries
• List of Indian Navy Chief Admirals

More such topics on general awareness are given on the Static GK page, check the link provided. For the preparation of current affairs candidates can check the following links

• Daily Current Affairs
• Daily News Analysis

Knowledge of detailed syllabus and having good books handy is very important for good preparation of CDS exam.

CDS Booklist

Candidates after knowing the topic-wise CDS syllabus must be willing to know the CDS books they should refer to for effective preparation. Dedicated books for the CDS exam will help candidates have a better knowledge of the subjects and ultimately bag a good score in the examination.

Hence, below mentioned are some of the important books for the CDS exam that candidates must keep handy.

CDS Booklist and Syllabus PDF- Download PDF Here

The most common mistakes that candidates make is they start their preparation for the Combined Defense Services exam without completely understanding the CDS syllabus and exam pattern. 

Knowing in detail the Syllabus of CDS is important as it confines the preparation and helps to strategise the study plan that is the key to attain success in any exam.

Check details related to Government exams after 12th in the given link. 

Also, go through the Competitive Exam Preparation Strategies to plan out a good study schedule and leave no stone unturned for exam preparation.

Aspirants of other exams conducted by UPSC can go through the given links for assistance-