UPSC CDS Exam: Gateway to your Promising Career In Defence

Are you looking for a career option which provides you Respect, Honour & a Sense of pride or you want to pursue a career for filling your pockets? Think about it for a while. If you relate to the first option more, definitely Defence is for you.

CDS Exam Details, Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Pattern

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts Central Defence Services (CDS) exam for recruitment into organizations which can be rightly called the ‘Backbone of India’. They are: India Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Officers Training Academy (OTA), Indian Air Force Academy (AFA) and Commissioned Officers.

CDS Exam is scheduled twice a year in February and November. Interested and eligible students should fill the CDS Application Form from August 8,2017 till 8 September,2017. The CDS application forms are available only in the online mode on the official website of UPSC.

CDS Application form fee for all applicants except (SC/ST/Women candidates) is INR 200. It can be submitted online as well as offline. Selection criteria for CDS exam includes three stages Written exam, SSB Interview, SSB Selection Process (to test physical and mental ability).

UPSC releases notification informing the students about the number of vacancies and all other important details regarding CDS Exam. It is advisable for students to keep checking the official website of UPSC to keep themselves updated.

This article will help students to solve their queries related to steps to apply, selection criteria, exam pattern, eligibility criteria and total number of vacancies.

How should I apply for CDS Exam?

Registration for CDS exam can done only via online mode. So, to register visit the official website of UPSC and select ‘career option’. Then click on the CDS-II exam notification flashing on the homepage. As soon as you click on it, CDS Application form with the instruction manual is displayed.

First read the instruction manual very carefully, then start adding the fields. Next important step is to upload your passport size photograph and digital signature. Please read the dimensions required for both and then only proceed to upload them. As errors in this step may lead rejection of your CDS application form.

Click the submit option to save and submit your filled application form. Now you will be directed to pay the required application form fee. Except SC/ST/Women applicants everyone is supposed to pay INR 200. Either you can choose to pay the fee via net banking/credit/debit card or choose ‘Pay by Cash’ option and make the payment in any SBI Bank Branch near you. In such cases the pay in slip received by the bank has to be submitted to UPSC.

All applicants whose form do not proof the payment of fee are considered fictitious by UPSC and are rejected. There is no refund of application form fee under any circumstances.

The last step of the application process is to check your filled application form and take its printout for future reference.

What are the education and minimum/maximum age requirements to apply?

Indian Military Academy: Education Qualification-Graduation or Equivalent Degree, Age Requirement: 20-25 years

Indian Naval Academy: Education Qualification-Degree in Engineering, Age Requirement:20-24 years

Indian Airforce Academy: Education Qualification-Degree in B.E or B.tech/B.sc with 10+2 Certificate, Age Requirement20-25 years

Officer’s Training Academy(Women): Education Qualification-Graduation in any discipline from recognized University, Unmarried CandidatesAge Requirement (20-25 years)

Officer’s Training Academy (Men): Education Qualification-Graduation in any discipline from a recognized university, Unmarried Candidates Age Requirement(20-25 years)

How do candidates get selected through CDS Exam?

Written Exam

CDS Exam will involve questions related to General Knowledge, Mathematics and English. Only objective type questions are asked. Maximum marks allotted to the written examination and interview are equal i.e 300 for (IMA, INA, AFA) and 200 for (ITA) respectively.

UPSC releases the list of students who pass the written test and will appear for further rounds of selection process.

CDS Exam Pattern For IMA, INA, and AFA

CDS Exam Pattern For OTA

Interview & Physical/Mental Test

If you qualify the written test you will be called for the interview. It focuses to gauge an applicant’s aptitude and personality traits. SSB Interview schedule is spread over 4-5 days. Each day has different set of challenges or mental exercises.

Day 1 is the screening test, Day 2 is the Psychologist Test, Day 3 & 4 is the group tasks and Day 5 is the Conference (Results). The personal interview will be conducted either in day 2,3 or 4 during the post lunch or evening hours.

Main Qualities which are checked:

Sharp intelligence and mind, your sense of responsibility, whether you take initiative or have laid back attitude, logical reasoning skills, determination to do something is there or not, loyalty and compassion for our nation exists or not, how quick someone takes decision, what are your decisions based on? All such parameters that provide an understanding about one’s attitude, habits, behavior, mental set-up are thoroughly checked.

After passing the above stages qualified candidates will proceed for personal interview round. Also in this step, all the documents furnished by you to prove your eligibility like nationality, age, education, caste etc. will be verified.

What are the total number of vacancies released for CDS (II) exam?

The table signifies the total vacancies announced by the authorities: