UPSC CDS Syllabus and Exam Pattern

UPSC CDS exam pattern

For IMA, INA and AFA

For OTA

Negative marking: one third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer. All papers are objective and of matriculation standard for mathematics, and graduate standard for English and General Knowledge.

CDS English syllabus

Designed to test your understanding of English and your workmanlike use of words.

• Reading comprehension passages.
• Spotting errors and sentence correction.
• Synonyms and antonyms.
• Ordering of words in a sentence, and ordering of sentences in a passage.
• Fill in the blanks, idioms and phrases.
• Sentence improvement and selecting words.

CDS General Knowledge syllabus

Covers current events and matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects, expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject.

• History of India — ancient, medieval and modern, with emphasis on the freedom struggle.
• Geography — physical, Indian and world geography, resources and climate.
• Indian polity — the Constitution, Parliament, judiciary and governance.
• Economics — basic concepts, Indian economy, budget and planning.
• General science — physics, chemistry and biology at a general level.
• Defence-related current affairs, national and international events, awards, sports and appointments.

CDS Elementary Mathematics syllabus

Matriculation standard. This paper applies to IMA, INA and AFA only, not OTA.

Arithmetic

• Number system — natural numbers, integers, rational and real numbers.
• Fundamental operations, unitary method, time and distance, time and work.
• Percentages, applications to simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion.
• Elementary number theory — division algorithm, prime and composite numbers, tests of divisibility, HCF and LCM, Euclidean algorithm, logarithms.

Algebra

• Basic operations, remainder theorem, HCF and LCM of polynomials.
• Theory of quadratic equations and their solutions, simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns.
• Set language and notation, rational expressions, linear inequations.

Trigonometry

• Sine, cosine and tangent when 0° < θ < 90°, and their values at standard angles.
• Simple trigonometric identities, use of trigonometric tables.
• Heights and distances.

Geometry and Mensuration

• Lines and angles, plane figures, properties of triangles, parallelograms and circles.
• Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangles and circles.
• Surface area and volume of cuboids, cylinders, cones, spheres and hemispheres.

Statistics

• Collection and tabulation of statistical data, graphical representation.
• Frequency polygons, histograms, bar charts and pie charts.
• Measures of central tendency.

CDS selection process and SSB interview

Candidates who clear the written examination are called for the Services Selection Board, a five-day process rather than a single interview.

Stage I is the Officer Intelligence Rating test with picture perception and description. Candidates who fail Stage I are sent back the same day.

Stage II covers psychological tests, group testing officer tasks, the personal interview and the conference, spread over four days.

The SSB carries 300 marks for IMA, INA and AFA, and 200 marks for OTA. A medical examination follows, and the final merit is based on the written marks and the SSB together.

Frequently asked questions