Full Form of CDS
1. Official Mandate, Scope & Background
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination is conducted twice annually by UPSC for recruitment into the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Officers Training Academy (OTA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Indian Air Force Academy (AFA). Successful candidates are commissioned as permanent or short-service officers in the Armed Forces.
2. Eligibility Criteria, Qualifications & Age Limits
IMA & OTA: Degree of a recognized university or equivalent. INA: Degree in Engineering. AFA: Degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 or Bachelor of Engineering. Age Limit: 19 to 24 years for IMA, INA, AFA; 19 to 25 years for OTA.
3. Examination Scheme & Selection Procedure
Stage 1: Written Examination (IMA/INA/AFA: English, GK, Elementary Maths - 300 marks; OTA: English and GK - 200 marks). Stage 2: SSB Interview (5-day psychological, ground tasks, and personal interview). Stage 3: Medical Board Examination.
4. Core Syllabus & Key Subjects
English (Reading comprehension, idioms, error spotting), General Knowledge (Indian Polity, Geography, History, General Science, Current Events), and Elementary Mathematics (Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, Statistics).