CDS Exam is known as the Combined Defence Services Examination is one of the most popular defense exams in India which is conducted by UPSC twice every year. CDS is a combined exam for Army, Air Force, and Navy. Male candidates can join the Army, Air Force, and Navy through IMA, INA, OTA, and AFA respectively. Female candidates can only apply for the Indian Army via the CDS exam and join the OTA (Officers Training Academy) Chennai. Check here for details of CDS 2024.
Aspirants who are preparing for CDS 1 2024 Examination and waiting for its notification and exam date should read this complete article. In this article, we are going to share all the relevant details for CDS Aspirants who are preparing for the CDS Examination 2024.
CDS 2024 Highlights
| Name of the Exam | Combined Defense Services Exam 1 |
| Organizing Authority | Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Type | National level recruitment test |
| Application mode | Online |
| Level of Exam | National level |
| Exam mode | Offline |
| Eligibility | Bachelor’s degree in engineering for IMA, INA, and AFA |
| Official website | www.upsc.gov.in |
CDS 2024 Important Dates
CDS-I
| Events | Dates |
| Online application form release date | 20 December 2023 |
| The deadline to submit the form | 09 January 2024 |
| Admit card | 3 weeks before the exam |
| Examination date | 21 April 2024 |
| Result date | April 2024 |
CDS-I
| Events | Dates |
| Online application form release date | 15 May 2023 |
| The deadline to submit the form | 04 June 2024 |
| Admit card | 3 weeks before the exam |
| Examination date | 01 September 2024 |
| Result date | April 2024 |
Eligibility Requirements
Educational Qualification:
- Indian Military Academy: A Graduation degree is required.
- Indian Naval Academy: A degree of B.E/ B.Tech (10+2 with Physics & Maths) is required.
- Air Force Academy: A degree of B.E/ B.Tech (10+2 with Physics & Mathematics) must be there.
- Officer’s Training Academy (Men and Women): A graduation degree in any discipline is required.
Age Limit:
| Academy | Age limit |
| Indian Military Academy | 19- 24 |
| Indian Naval Academy | 19- 24 |
| Air Force Academy | 20- 24 |
| Officer’s Training Academy (Men) | 19- 25 |
| Officer’s Training Academy (Women) | 19- 25 |
- For the post of IMA, INA and AFA candidates should not be married.
- For the OTA, Male Applicants are exempted from this restriction.
- Widows, Divorcees, and Unmarried Women candidates can apply for OTA (Officers Training Academy).
CDS 2024 Application Form
Before applying for the CDS Exam 2024 Application Forms, candidates are advised to obtain the whole info regarding the same from the official website of Union Public Service Commission- www.upsconline.nic.in online. Candidates have to complete both the parts i.e. Part 1 and Part 2. Enter your complete details and upload your photo and signature in Part 1. Part II will consist of the payment procedure which can be sent online or in any branch of SBI.
Also, ensure to take a hard copy of the application form to keep as a reference.
Application Fee:
| Category | Application fee |
| Unreserved candidates | INR 200/- |
| Reserved candidates | Exempted |
Exam Pattern
- There will be Multiple-Choice Questions in each paper of the CDS Exam.
- The question paper for Elementary Mathematics and General Knowledge will be set in both English and Hindi language.
- There will be a penalty (negative marking) of 1/3 marks for a wrong answer.
- The duration of each exam will be 2 hours (120 minutes).
Exam Pattern for Indian Military Academy, Indian Air Force, and Indian Naval Academy:
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 hours | 100 marks |
| General knowledge | 2 hour | 100 marks |
| Elementary mathematics | 2 hours | 100 marks |
Exam Pattern for Officer’s Training Academy:
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 hours | 100 marks |
| General knowledge | 2 hour | 100 marks |
SSB Interview:
It consists of mainly two stages:
- Stage 1 consists of picture perception, officer intelligence rating, and description test.
- Stage 2 involves a psychology test, group testing officer, interview, and conference.
CDS 1 2024 Selection Process
Selection of the applicants will be made on the basis of the results in the written exam, the candidates who are shortlisted in the written exam are called to take up SSB or Service Selection Board Interview. The selection for CDS is done below phases:
- Written Examination
- Interview and Personality Test
- Medical Fitness Test
CDS 2024 Result
To obtain CDS 1 2024 Results, candidates can check the official website of the Union Public Service Commission. Candidates can check written exam results after one month from the conduct of the examination. The result will be available online at www.upsc.gov.in. and the final result will be announced once the SSB interview is done.
CDS 2024 Cut Off
Students who score more than the cut-off in the written exam of CDS are considered for SSB interviews. Cut Off will be declared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) based on the applications received by the candidates and their qualifications in the first stage of the recruitment process. Check out the expected cut off marks for CDS 1 2024 below:
| Academy | Expected Cut off |
| IMA | 115- 125 |
| INA | 110- 125 |
| AFA | 130- 140 |
| OTA (Men) | 85- 95 |
| OTA (Women) | 85-95 |