CDS Syllabus 2024, Subject Wise Syllabus and Exam Pattern PDF

Q: What is the syllabus of CDS?

For admission to INA, IMA and AFA, CDS syllabus consists mainly of English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics while for admission to OTA, only English and General Knowledge subjects are included.

Q: Is CDS OTA hard to crack?

The CDS exam is one of the tough exams to qualify. But with proper planning and dedication, one can easily crack the exam without coaching as well.

Q: What is the syllabus for CDS 1 2024?

The CDS 1 2024 syllabus includes English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics.

Q: What is the syllabus for CDS 2024 for OTA?

The CDS 2024 syllabus for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) includes English and General Knowledge.

Q: What is the syllabus of CDS?

The revised syllabus for the CDS exam in 2024 includes three subjects: General Knowledge, English, and Elementary Mathematics.

Q: Is CDS maths tough?

The CDS Maths section is considered more difficult than other competitive exams. The questions are based on concepts, and the paper is lengthy and tricky.

Q: Can I skip maths paper in CDS?

Candidates can skip the math paper in the CDS exam by applying for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) as their first preference.

CDS Syllabus 2024, Subject Wise Syllabus and Exam Pattern PDF

CDS syllabus 2024 covers General Awareness, English, and Mathematics. Prepare effectively for INA, IMA, and AFA admissions with a detailed syllabus guide. Download Official PDF

Table of Contents

Union Public Service Commission conducts the exam for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA through the Combine Defence Services (CDS) Exam. Candidates preparing for the CDS exam should refer to the CDS Exam Syllabus, which will provide you with details of the subjects and topics you need to prepare for the exam. The commission has released the official syllabus along with a notification in PDF format. In this article we have provided the Official PDF in this article

CDS Syllabus 2024

The CDS Syllabus 2024 consists of papers on English, Mathematics, and General Knowledge. Candidates should go through the UPSC CDS Syllabus 2024 to prepare for the CDS Exam 2024. In this article, we have discussed the syllabus of the CDS exam along with the CDS Exam Pattern 2024 for the subject topic. Candidates have the option to select from categories like the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy.

Overview
Name of the Exam	Combined Defence Forces (CDS)
Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Conducted in A Year	Twice a Year
Mode of Examination	Offline
Type of Questions	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Medium	Hindi or English
Number of Questions	IMA/INA/AFA – 300 OTA – 200
Time Duration	2 hours for each paper
Negative Marking	Yes (1/3rd deducted for every wrong answer)

CDS Exam Pattern 2024

CDS Exam Pattern 2024 consists of two processes: written and interview. The Written exam includes papers on English, General Knowledge and Mathematics, varying in marks and duration. The interview assesses candidates’ personalities, leadership qualities, and suitability for commissioning into the Indian Armed Forces.

CDS Exam Pattern for IMA, INA, AFA

Subject	Duration	Maximum Marks
English	2 Hours	100
General Knowledge	2 Hours	100
Mathematics	2 Hours	100
SSB/Interview	5 Days	300

CDS Exam Pattern for OTA

Subject	Duration	Maximum Marks
English	2 Hours	100
General Knowledge	2 Hours	100
SSB/Interview	5 Days	300

CDS English Syllabus

To score better in this section, candidates should read newspapers daily point out the difficult words at a place, and find their meaning which will help to improve their vocabulary and understanding of the comprehension passages with ease. The purpose of this paper is to assess the applicants’ command of the English language and their ability to use words professionally.

CDS Syllabus 2024 for English

Reading Comprehension Questions.
Spotting the Errors Questions.
Fill in the Blanks Questions.
Synonyms & Antonyms Questions.
Idioms and Phrases Questions.
Sentence Arrangement or Jumbled Questions.
Ordering of words in Sentence Questions.
Sentence Improvement or Sentence Correction Questions.

Important Topics

Vocabulary
Reading passages
Grammar, including topics such as:
- Tenses
- Parts of speech
- Active and passive voice
- Rearrangement of sentences
- Cloze test

CDS General Knowledge Syllabus

General knowledge includes awareness of current affairs and everyday observations and experiences that include a scientific component, as might be anticipated of an educated person who has not specifically studied any scientific field. Additionally, there will be geography and Indian history questions on the examination that any qualified candidate should be able to respond to without additional study.

CDS Syllabus 2024 for General Knowledge

Indian History
Political Science
Economics
Geography
Environment
General Science – Physics, Chemistry, Biology
Current Affairs – National & International Awards, Summits, Sports, Conference; Books & Authors etc.
Defence Related Questions – Army, Navy, Air Force

CDS Maths Syllabus

Arithmetic, trigonometry, geometry, measurements, statistics, and other related topics comprise the syllabus of CDS Elementary Mathematics. To improve the preparation and the results, this paper needs constant practice and committed efforts. To answer these questions within the allotted time and provide the necessary outcomes, the applicants must retain accuracy and speed. For the complete syllabus of individual topics of mathematics, follow the given below table for the mathematics syllabus of the CDS 2024 exam.

CDS Syllabus for Mathematics
Arithmetic	Number System Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real numbers. Fundamental operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Square roots, Decimal fractions. Unitary method, time and work, time and distance, percentages. Applications of profit and loss, simple and compound interest, ratio and proportion, and variation. Elementary Number Theory Division algorithm. Prime and composite numbers. Tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11. Multiples and factors. Factorisation Theorem. H.C.F. and L.C.M. Euclidean algorithm. Logarithms to base 10, use of logarithmic tables, laws of logarithms.
Algebra	Basic operations and Simple factors, Remainder Theorem. H.C.F. and L.C.M. Theory of polynomials, the relation between its roots and coefficients (Only real roots to be considered), solutions of quadratic equations. Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns — analytical & graphical solutions. Simultaneous linear inequations in two variables & their solutions. Practical issues with solutions that result in two simultaneous linear equations, inequalities in two variables, or quadratic equations in one variable. Set notion and set language. Rational expressions and conditional identities. Laws of indices.
Trigonometry	Sine x, cosine x, Tan x when 0° < x < 90° , Values of sin x, cos x & tan x, for x = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° & 90°. Simple trigonometric identities. Use of trigonometric tables. Simple cases of heights and distances.
Geometry	Plane and plane figures, Lines and angles, Theorems on: Properties of angles at a point Parallel lines Sides and angles of a triangle Congruency of triangles Similar triangles Concurrence of medians and altitudes Properties of sides, angles and diagonals of a rectangle, parallelogram and square Circles and their properties including tangents and normals Loci
Mensuration	Areas of parallelograms, squares, rectangles, triangles and circles. Areas of figures can be split up into these figures (Field Book), lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders, Surface area and volume of cuboids, and surface area and volume of spheres.
Statistics	Collection and tabulation of statistical data. Graphical representation of frequency polygons, bar charts, histograms, pie charts etc. Measures of central tendency.

CDS High Weightage Topics for Maths Syllabus

Number System (20-22 questions)
Mensuration (14-16 questions)
Geometry (10-12 questions)
Trigonometry (10-12 questions)
Algebra (10-11 questions)

CDS Moderate Weightage Topics for Maths Syllabus

Time, Speed and Distance (4-5 questions)
Percentage (3-5 questions)
Data Interpretation (2-3 questions)
Profit and Loss (1-2 questions)
Ratio and Proportion (1-3 questions)
Simple Interest (1-2 questions)
Compound Interest (1-2 questions)
Miscellaneous (1-4 questions)

CDS Syllabus PDF Download

Candidate can download the CDS syllabus 2024 PDF from the link shared below to know the topics from which questions can be asked in this exam. Get the direct link to download the CDS syllabus for 2024 below:

CDS Syllabus 2024 PDF

UPSC CDS Syllabus 2024 FAQs

What is the syllabus of CDS?

For admission to INA, IMA and AFA, CDS syllabus consists mainly of English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics while for admission to OTA, only English and General Knowledge subjects are included.

Is CDS OTA hard to crack?

The CDS exam is one of the tough exams to qualify. But with proper planning and dedication, one can easily crack the exam without coaching as well.

What is the syllabus for CDS 1 2024?

The CDS 1 2024 syllabus includes English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics.

What is the syllabus for CDS 2024 for OTA?

The CDS 2024 syllabus for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) includes English and General Knowledge.

What is the syllabus of CDS?

The revised syllabus for the CDS exam in 2024 includes three subjects: General Knowledge, English, and Elementary Mathematics.

Is CDS maths tough?

The CDS Maths section is considered more difficult than other competitive exams. The questions are based on concepts, and the paper is lengthy and tricky.