CDS 2025 exam pattern will be an offline pen and paper-based mode, the same as of CDS exam. The exam pattern is different for candidates appearing for IMA/ INA wings and Air Force
Academy and for those who opt for the Officers’ Training Academy. The written examination will include questions on the topics of English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Candidates will be asked a total of 100 MCQs in each section. The paper will be set in a bilingual format, i.e., in both Hindi and English. The time allotted for the IMA and INA papers is 6 hours and 4 hours for OTA.
CDS 2025 Exam Mode
UPSC will conduct the CDS 2025 examination in an offline mode. Candidates will be provided respective OMR sheets for marking answers.
Duration of CDS 2025 Examination
CDS 2025 examinations for IMA and INA papers will be of a total of 6 hours duration, and 4 hours will be allotted for the OTA paper. The sectional time limit of 2 hours is also applicable.
Medium of CDS 2025 Examination
CDS 2025 examination will be conducted in a bilingual format. Candidates can answer the paper in either Hindi or English language.
CDS 2025 Examination Question Paper Pattern
The question paper pattern for both IMA/ INA and OTA papers has been tabulated below with the marking scheme and time allotment:
CDS 2025 IMA, INA, and AFA Question Paper Pattern
The pattern of students opting for IMA, INA, and AFA are as follows:
| Subjects |
Codes |
Number of Questions |
Marks Allotted |
Duration |
| English |
11 |
100 |
100 |
2 Hours |
| General Knowledge |
12 |
100 |
100 |
2 Hours |
| Elementary Mathematics |
13 |
100 |
100 |
2 Hours |
| Total |
300 |
300 |
6 Hours |
CDS 2025 OTA Question Paper Pattern
The pattern of students opting for OTA is as follows:
| Subjects |
Codes |
Number of Questions |
Marks Allotted |
Duration |
| English |
11 |
100 |
100 |
2 Hours |
| General Knowledge |
12 |
100 |
100 |
2 Hours |
| Total |
200 |
200 |
4 Hours |
CDS 2025 Exam Marking Scheme
The marking scheme applied in the question paper of Combined Defence Services is as follows:
| Particulars |
Details |
| Correct Attempts |
1 |
| Incorrect Attempts |
1/3rd (-0.33) |
| Unattempted |
0 |
CDS 2025 SSB Interview/ Written Test
All students who have been qualified in the written examination will be shortlisted for the SSB interview process. The SSB interview of CDS is similar to that of the CDS exam. The two stages included here are as follows:
- Stage 1: Includes Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests with Picture Perception Description Test
- Stage 2: This stage involves personal interviews, group testing officer tasks, psychology tests, and conferences.
Instructions Related to CDS 2025 OMR Sheet
The rules and regulations for marking answers on CDS’s OMR sheet are as follows:
- Only a black ballpoint pen is allowed for marking answers.
- No stray marking is allowed on the OMR sheet. Also, darkening more than one answer is not allowed. The negative marking will be implied in this scenario.
- The rough work must be done on the provided answer sheet.
- Must write the name, center code, subject code, and roll number on specified portions.
- Candidates must submit the OMR sheet to respective invigilators before leaving the hall.
