Updated on Feb 11, 2025
Asmita
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) specifies the CDS exam pattern for the written exam and SSB Interview. UPSC lays the best career option for candidates who want to become a commissioned officer in the Indian Defence Forces. The candidate who wants to qualify for the CDS exam must go through the exam pattern and syllabus of the CDS exam.
The CDS 1 2025 exam will be held on April 13, 2025. CDS exam patterns for the INA, AFA, and IMA are similar but the CDS OTA exam pattern is slightly different from the other three. The CDS exam 2025 will be conducted in two stages, the written exam and the SSB interview. The CDS exam is an offline exam conducted in pen paper-based format. The CDS marking scheme, negative marking, total marks, exam timing, and the paper pattern for the IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA are available below for the CDS exam.
Highlights of CDS Exam Pattern 2025
Candidates can check in brief, the exam pattern of the CDS exam as mentioned below:
| Parameters | Details |
|---|---|
| Mode of exam | Offline |
| Number of sections | Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA)-Three Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)-Two |
| Total marks of the test | IMA, INA, and AFA-300 OTA-200 |
| Nature of questions | Objective type |
| Language of question paper | Hindi and English |
| Duration of the test | Two hours for each section of the test |
CDS Exam Pattern for INA, AFA, IMA
The candidates appearing for the CDS exam to become defence personnel through INA, IMA and AFA must know the exam pattern. The candidates can understand the exam with a better perspective if they know the exam pattern. The UPSC CDS exam pattern has been given below for INA, IMA, and AFA:
- The written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA comprises three sections: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics
- The total exam duration for IMA, INA, and AFA is six hours (each section is for two hours)
- The total marks of the test for IMA, INA, and AFA are 300
CDS Exam Pattern for Written Test
The candidate can check the CDS written test exam pattern in the table below:
| CDS Exam Pattern | |
|---|---|
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Number of Subjects | 3 |
| Name of Subjects | English, General Awareness, and Maths |
| Total Marks | 300 marks |
| Time Duration | 6 hours |
| Type of exam | Objective |
| Medium of Exam | Bilingual (Hindi and English) |
CDS Exam Pattern OTA
OTA (Officers Training Academy) has a different exam pattern as compared to the IMA, INA, and AFA exams. The exam pattern for the UPSC CDS OTA exam has been given below for the candidates to know the intricate pattern of the exam easily:
- The written exam for OTA comprises two sections: English and General Knowledge
- The total exam duration for OTA is four hours (each section is for two hours)
- The total marks of the test for OTA are 200
Structure of CDS Question Paper
The structure of the CDS question paper for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA is as follows:
| IMA, INA, AFA | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Duration (In hours) | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 2 | 100 |
| OTA | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Duration (In hours) | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 | 100 |
CDS Negative Marking
For a better understanding of the marking system of the CDS exam, the marking scheme of the CDS exam is given below. The candidates can go through the points to understand the exam marking scheme. The section-wise marking scheme has also been given for the candidate's ease on the page below.
- For the incorrect answer, 1/3 mark is deducted
- Candidates marking more than one option are treated as incorrect
- If a question is left unanswered, there will be no negative marking
Section Wise Marking Scheme
The section-wise marking scheme of the CDS exam has been given below for the candidates. The section-wise marking scheme will help the aspirants to understand the complex structure of the marking scheme:
| Specifications | English | GK | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum marks | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Marks for the correct answer | +1 mark for each correct option | +1 mark for each correct option | +1 mark for each correct option |
| Negative marking | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer |
CDS Exam Pattern 2025 for SSB Interview
The SSB Interview for IMA, INA, and AFA is for 300 marks each while for OTA, it is 200. The SSB Interview procedure consists of two stages: I and II. Only those candidates who qualify stage I are permitted to appear in stage II. The details of both stages are given below:
- Stage I comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT)
- Stage II comprises Interviews, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and Conferences. These tests are conducted over days
CDS Previous Years' Paper Analysis
The previous years' paper analysis for the CDS exam is given below. This analysis will help candidates to know the types of questions asked in the exam.
English
The English question paper is designed to test the candidates' understanding of the English language.
| English | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Cloze Test | 10 |
| Preposition & Determinants | 10 |
| Completion of Sentence | 10 |
| Antonyms | 10 |
| Part of Speech | 10 |
| Spotting Error | 10 |
| Ordering of Word in a Sentence | 10 |
Elementary Maths
The distribution of questions in this subject is given below.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Mensuration | 14 |
| Geometry | 20 |
| Algebra | 7 |
| Number system | 20 |
| Trigonometry | 14 |
| Average/Statistics | 4 |
| Time and Work | 3 |
General Awareness
The distribution of questions in the GK paper is given below.
| Subjects | No. Of Questions |
|---|---|
| Geography | 16 |
| History | 24 |
| Economy | 11 |
| Polity | 17 |
| Physics | 11 |
| Chemistry | 17 |
| Biology | 7 |
Instructions to fill CDS Answer Sheet
The candidates appearing for the CDS exam must know the instructions to fill out the CDS exam answer sheet so that they do not make any mistakes while filling out the OMR answer sheet. The instructions to fill out the answer sheet are given below.
- As soon as the candidate receives the answer sheet, they should check that it is numbered at the bottom. If it is found un-numbered they should at once get it replaced by a numbered one
- Candidates should write with a black ball pen the name of the centre and subject in English or Hindi
- The test booklet series is indicated by Alphabets A, B, C, or D at the top right-hand corner of the booklet
- Write roll numbers exactly as it is in your e-Admission Certificate with a black ball pen in the boxes provided for this purpose. Do not omit any zero(s) which may be there
The next step is to find out the appropriate subject code from the Time Table - Encode the Test Booklet Series, Subject Code, and Roll Number in the circles provided for this purpose. Do the encoding with a black ball pen. The name of the Centre need not be encoded
Writing and encoding of the Test Booklet Series is to be done after receiving the Test Booklet and confirming the Booklet Series from the same
CDS Syllabus 2025
The standard of the papers in Elementary Mathematics is of Matriculation level. The standard of papers in other subjects is approximately as may be expected of a graduate of an Indian University. The question paper is designed to test the candidates’ understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. General Knowledge includes knowledge of current events and such matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. The paper also includes questions on the History of India and the Geography of nature which the candidate should be able to answer without special study. Candidates can check the topics included in the CDS syllabus.
| Subjects | Topics |
|---|---|
| English | The question paper is designed to test the candidates’ understanding of English and Grammar |
| General Knowledge | Economics, Physics, General Awareness, Politics, History, Geography, Sociology, etc. |
| Elementary Mathematics | Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, Statistics, etc. |
FAQs CDS Exam Pattern 2025
What is the exam pattern for the CDS 2025 exam?
The CDS exam pattern has been divided into two categories- Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA). The exam taken for the IMA, INA, AFA is taken for three subjects- General Awareness, Mathematics and English. On the other hand, the OTA exam is taken for two subjects- English . and General Awareness. The exam pattern for these categories have been given below for the candidates: For IMA, INA and AFA: a)Total Number of Subjects: English. Elementary Mathematics and General Knowledge b) Time Duration: Six hours (2 hours for each paper) c) Maximum Marks: 300 marks (100 marks for each paper) For OTA: a) Total Number of Subjects: English . and General Knowledge b) Time Duration: Four hours (2 hours for each paper) c) Maximum Marks: 200 Marks (100 marks for each paper).
What is the exam pattern for the OTA CDS exam?
The OTA (Officers Training Academy) CDS exam pattern is similar to the CDS exam pattern for the other academies, with a few differences. The OTA CDS exam is conducted in two stages: a written exam which is followed by an interview. The written exam consists of two papers: a) English This paper is of two hours duration and consists of objective-type questions designed to test the candidate's understanding of English grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and usage. B) General Knowledge: This paper is also of 2 hours duration and consists of objective type questions on various topics such as Current Affairs history, geography, economics, and general Science. It is important to note that there is no Elementary Mathematics paper for the OTA CDS exam Also, the OTA CDS exam is conducted only for the candidates who have applied for Short Service Commission (Non-Technical) courses. The interview for the OTA CDS exam is similar to that of the other CDS academies and includes a Psychological Aptitude Test and a Personal Interview.
Is there a negative marking scheme in the CDS exam?
Yes, there is a negative marking scheme in the CDS exam. One-third of the marks assigned to a question are deducted for each incorrect answer. For example, if a question carries one mark and a candidate gives an incorrect answer, then 0.33 marks will be deducted from their total score. If a candidate leaves a question unanswered, there will be no negative marking for that question. It is important for candidates to be careful and avoid making wild guesses. They should attempt only those questions for which they are confident of the correct answer. This will help them avoid losing marks due to negative marking and improve their chances of qualifying for the interview round.
How many exam centres are allotted to the CDS exam?
The number of exam centres allotted for the CDS exam may vary each year depending on the number of candidates and other related factors. The UPSC, which is the conducting authority for the CDS exam, usually releases a list of exam centres along with the notification for the exam. In general, the CDS exam is conducted at multiple centres across India to accommodate the large number of candidates who appear for the exam. Candidates can choose their preferred exam centre while filling out the application form, and the final allotment of exam centres is done by the UPSC based on the availability of seats and other related factors. Candidates should check the official notification for the CDS exam on the official website of the UPSC to get the latest updates on the exam centres and other related information.
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