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UPSC CDS I Exam 2020: Notification, Application Form, Latest Syllabus & Exam Pattern, Admit Card

CDS Exam

CDS (Combined Defense Services) is the common entrance exam to recruit unmarried male and female (including widows and divorcees who haven’t remarried) candidates in all the three spheres of the Indian defence services, i.e. Indian Military, Navy, and Air Force. As per the official notification, for Air Force Academy, “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.” The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is entrusted with the responsibility to conduct the CDS exam at all India level.

The CDS Exam is held twice a year in February and November for which the official notification is published in October and August respectively.

CDS I Exam 2020 Latest Update: UPSC has released the admit cards for the CDS-I written exam on 9th January 2020. The CDS-I 2020 exam is scheduled to be conducted on 2nd February 2020.

CDS Exam Previous Years Solved Papers - Download Now

CDS Training Academies

The selected candidates undergo rigorous training at the Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officer Training Academy (OTA).

CDS Exam Quick Overview

Name of the Exam

CDS (Combined Defense Services)

Conducting Authority

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

Official Website

https://upsc.gov.in

Exam Occurrence

Twice in a year (Feb and Nov)

Paper Language

Hindi and English

Mode of Exam

Offline (Pen and paper mode)

Exam Type

National Level

Age Limit

Minimum Age- 19 Years

Maximum Age- 25 Years

Read this Exam in Hindi - Click Here

CDS Exam 2020 Important Dates

The Combined Defence Services exam is conducted twice a year in the month of February and November for selection of eligible candidates for courses offered at the Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officer Training Academy. Here are the important dates for various exam events:

About the Exam

CDS I 2020 Exam

CDS II 2020 Exam

Date of CDS Exam 2020

2nd February 2020

8th November 2020

CDS Exam Application Form release date

30th October 2019

5th August 2020

Closing date for submission of Applications form

19th November 2019 (6:00 PM)

25th August 2020

Admit Card Issuance date

9th January 2020

Three weeks prior to the exam

CDS Exam Result Declaration

April 2020

January 2021

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CDS Exam Previous Years Solved Papers

CDS Exam 2020 Pattern & Syllabus

CDS Selection Procedure:

The CDS Exam is conducted in three stages. In the first stage, a written exam is conducted, and after that, a Personal Interview and medical test for assessing the Physical fitness of the candidate are taken. After the written test, a candidate is required to take the SSB interview. The SSB interview is conducted for 3-4 days. During the interview, Psychological test, Group Discussion, Intelligence Test, and Group activities are conducted to test the candidate’s skills. After that, the candidates recommended by the SSB have to undergo a Medical Test conducted by a Board of Service Medical Officers.

Recommended Books For CDS Exam 2020 - click here

Things to Consider while solving CDS Exam Previous Years Question Papers

Here is the detailed information on the CDS written exam pattern. The exam patterns for the Officers Training Academy and other military academies are different. Check out the exam pattern here:

CDS 2020 Exam Pattern for Indian Navy, Military and Air Force -

Subject

Marks

Duration

Nature of question

General Awareness

100

2 hours

Objective type questions

English

100

2 hours

Objective type questions

Mathematics

100

2 hours

Objective type questions

Total

300

    

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CDS 2020 Exam Pattern for Officer Training Academy (OTA) -

Subject

Marks

Duration

Nature of question

General Awareness

100

2 hours

Objective type questions

English

100

2 hours

Objective type questions

Total

200

    

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There is a scheme of negative marking in the exam. 1/3rd of the marks assigned to the question are deducted for the wrong answer. No penalty is charged for the unanswered questions.

CDS Syllabus 2020

The syllabus for CDS exam is prescribed by UPSC in the official notification. The written exam comprises of questions from English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics topics. The SSB stage comprises of Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Tests (PP&DT). Psychology tests, group tasks, conference, and interview are also included in the SSB round.

Get Complete syllabus for CDS ll Exam - click here

यूपीएससी सीडीएस (UPSC CDS II) 2020 परीक्षा का सिलेबस - click here

CDS Exam 2020 Eligibility

As discussed above, the CDS exam is conducted twice a year. The eligibility conditions related to nationality and education are similar for both the exams. However, there is a difference in the dates of age limits. Here are the eligibility conditions for both the exams:

Nationality Criteria for CDS Exam

  • A candidate should be an Indian citizen.
  • The candidate from Nepal, Bhutan, Refugee of Tibet who has migrated to India before 1962; and People of Indian origin who have migrated from Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and East African countries are also eligible to apply for the exam, provided, they have a certificate issued in their favour from the government of India. This certificate is not required in case of Gorkha subjects.

Educational Qualification for CDS Exam

Educational qualifications for different academies of Indian defence services are as follows:

  • For Air Force Academy (AFA) – A graduation degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level or Bachelor of Engineering (B. Tech) from a recognised University or Institution.
  • For Indian Naval Academy (INA) – A candidate should have done Engineering from a recognised University or Institution.
  • For Indian Military Academy (IMA) – A candidate should have obtained a graduate degree from any recognised University or Institution.
  • For Officer Training Academy (OTA) – Candidate should have done graduation in any discipline from a recognised University/Institution.

Those candidates who are appearing in the final year of the qualifying degree are also eligible to apply for the exam. However, such candidates are required to submit the proof of passing the qualifying exam at the time of commencement of course.

Age Limit -

Academies

CDS I

CDS II

Not born earlier than

Not born later than

Not born earlier than

Not born later than

Indian Military Academy (IMA)

2nd January 1997

1st January 2002

2nd July 1997

1st July 2002

Indian Naval Academy (INA)

2nd January 1997

1st January 2002

2nd July 1997

1st July 2002

Air Force Academy (AFA)

2nd January 1997

   1st January 2001

2nd July 1997

1st July 2001

Officers Training Academy (OTA)

2nd January 1996

 

1st January 2002

2nd July 1996

 

1st July 2002

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For AFA, the upper age limit is relaxed for candidates possessing valid and current Commercial Pilot License from DGCA up to 26 years i.e. candidates should not be born earlier than 2nd January 1995 and later than 1st January 2001 for CDS I and earlier than 2nd July 1995 and later than 1st July 2001 for CDS II.

Marital Status and Gender Criteria for CDS 2020 Exam

Eligibility for Indian Military Academy -

  • Only Unmarried male candidates are eligible to apply.

Eligibility for Naval Force Academy -

  • Only Unmarried male candidates are eligible to apply.

Eligibility for Air Force Academy -

  • Unmarried male candidates below 25 years of age.
  • Married candidates above 25 years of age are also eligible but such candidates are not allowed to live with their family out of the premises.
  • Candidates are not allowed to marry during their training period.  

Eligibility for Officers Training Academy (SSC for Men) -

  • Unmarried male candidates are eligible to apply.

Eligibility for Officers Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course) -

  • Unmarried women
  • Issueless widows, not being remarried
  • Issueless divorcees (possessing divorce document), not remarried.

Note: Male divorcee and widower are not treated under the unmarried male category and are not eligible for the Combined Defence Services exam.

Physical Standards

Candidates must meet the Physical Standards as stated in Appendix-IV of the official CDS 2020 notification.

CDS Exam 2020 Application Process

UPSC has conducted the application process for CDS I exam from 30th October to 19th November 2019. The application process is completely online and no other mode of application will be considered. The application process for the CDS II exam will begin on 5th august 2020 and will continue till 25th August 2020. Here is the complete information regarding the CDS application process:

How to Fill UPSC CDS Application Form 2020?

  • Visit the official website of UPSC www.upsconline.nic.in to get the application form. Candidates can only apply for CDS exam through online mode.
  • By clicking on the link mentioned above, candidates will be directed to the application form. Candidates should fill the application form with personal details, address and educational qualifications.
  • Candidates should upload the scanned copies of their recent photograph and signature.
  • They are not required to upload any supporting documents along with the application form like age certificate, reserved category status, educational qualification certificate etc.
  • Candidates should submit only one application form for the exam. However, if due to any reason a candidate submits another application form, then he/ she must know that the application with higher Registration ID will be accepted. The application fee paid for one application form will not be adjusted for another application form. It should be paid additionally by the candidate.

The working candidates in the government sector or Public sector enterprise should inform their head of the department for the exam. Similarly, if a candidate is working in the armed forces, then he should inform his commanding officer about the exam and also obtain permission about it in writing. During the SSB interview, the candidate will be asked to give the proof.

CDS Exam Application Fee

Category of Candidate

Application fee

General category

₹ 200

SC/ST/ and Female

No application fee

Mode of Payment 

  • Candidates can pay their application fee both online as well as offline.
  • Candidates can pay it online by using Net Banking.
  • They can also pay offline by depositing the application fee in cash at any SBI bank branch. 

Other Details

CDS (I) 2020 Exam Admit Card

Candidates can download the CDS admit card or e-admit card online from the official website of www.upsc.gov.in. CDS I admit card is available at the official website from 9th January 2020 onwards. Admit cards for the CDS II exam will be made available three weeks before the exam date. The CDS II exam is scheduled to be conducted on 8th November 2020. The hall ticket comprises of information about the exam date, time, center, and other important instructions. Carrying the hall ticket at the examination centre is necessary.

CDS 2020 (I) Exam Result

A final merit/cut-off list is prepared on the basis of the candidate’s score in all the stages of the exam including medical fitness. UPSC CDS I 2020 written exam result will be tentatively declared in April 2020. UPSC will publish the result online on the official website only. Candidates can access the result PDF and check their roll number in the file. The result for the CDS-II written exam will be announced in January 2021.

CDS 2020 I Exam - Vacancies Details

The vacancy details for CDS-I exam 2020 are as follows. CDS-II vacancies will be updated once the official notification is released.

Name of Academy

Number of Seats

Indian Military Academy, Dehradun

150th (DE) (13 vacancies reserved for NCC ‘C’ Certificate (Army Wing) holders). Course commencing in January 2021

100

Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala

Executive (General Service)/Hydro; 06 vacancies Reserved for NCC ‘C’ Certificate holders (Naval Wing). Course commencing in January 2021

45

Air Force Academy, Hyderabad

(Pre-Flying) i.e. No. 209 F (P) Course. The training course is commencing in January 2021. 03 vacancies reserved for NCC ‘C’ certificate (Air Wing) holders

32

Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai

113th SSC (Men) (NT); Course commencing in April 2021

225

Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai

27th  SSC Women (Non-Technical); Course Commencing in April 2021.

16

TOTAL

418

CDS Exam FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

The Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam is conducted twice a year in February and November. Here are the frequently asked questions related to the exam:

Q. What is the date of CDS I 2020 Exam?

The exam will be conducted on 2nd February 2020.

Q. What is the eligibility criterion for the exam?

The candidate should have done graduation or equivalent degree from any recognised University or Institution.

Q. What is the application fee for the CDS exam?

The application fee for general and OBC category candidate is ₹ 200. However, the reserved category and female candidates are exempted from application fee.

Q. What are the maximum marks for each question paper in the exam?

Each question paper carries 100 marks.

Q. For how many times the CDS Exam is conducted in a year?

The CDS Exam is conducted twice in a year. It is conducted in November and February.

Q. How many papers are there for the CDS Exam?

There are three papers in the exam – General awareness, English and Mathematics.

Q. Is there any scheme of negative marking in the exam?

Yes, there is a scheme of negative marking in the exam. 1/3 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.

 

2 Comments

Ankush kumar - June 26, 2019REPLY

I am appearing final year in B.Sc course with PCM ,can I eligible for CDS and what type of documents is required

Exams Planner - July 12, 2019REPLY

Yes, you can apply for the exam.

Sandhiya.R - February 2, 2019REPLY

When will the registration starts for CDS exam on 2019?

Exams Planner - February 13, 2019REPLY

For CDS II, the registration process will begin on 12th June 2019.

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