As per the UPSC CDS 2023 Notification, the official date of the CDS 1 2023 exam is April 16, 2023, whereas CDS 2 2023 Exam will be conducted on September 3, 2023. The CDS 1 2023 Exam’s application window was closed on January 2023. However, candidates who wish to join Combined Defence Service can still apply for CDS II Exam between 17 May and June 6, 2023. Candidates can check all the details of the CDS I and II 2023 Exam in this article.
CDS 2023 Official Notification
The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) has released the official notification for CDS I exam while for the CDS II exam, the notification will be released between the month of May and June 2023. The exam notification includes all the essential details regarding both exams. Candidates can download the pdf version of this notification from the official website of UPSC (www.upsc.gov.in).
We have discussed the overall details related to this exam such as the Exam pattern, Eligibility Criteria, Syllabus, Preparation Books, and more in this article. This will help the candidates in approaching the exam with the right mindset.
What is the UPSC CDS 2023 Exam?
UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) conducts CDS (Combined Defence Services) exams for recruiting candidates in prestigious defence training academies such as Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air force Academy, and Officers Training Academy. Candidates as per their wish can select any one of these training academies while applying for the CDS 2023 Exam. This exam is conducted twice every year as CDS Exam I and CDS Exam II. The exam is highly competitive in nature and every year thousands of candidates apply for this exam but only a few get selected. The candidates who are shortlisted through this exam dedicate their lives to serving the Nation as Indian Army Officers.
CDS 2023 Exam Highlights
Candidates who aim to serve the nation as commissioned officers must check the CDS 2023 Exam highlights in the table below.
| Specifications | Details |
| Exam Name | CDS (Combined Defence Services) Examination |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission |
| Exam Frequency | Yearly (Twice) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Stages | Offline Written Exam Interview Rounds are conducted by SSB (Service Selection Board). |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Application Fees | Rs. 200 |
| Exam Duration | 2 hours/Section |
| Mode of Language | English and Hindi |
| Official Website | www.UPSC.gov.in |
CDS 2023 Exam Dates
As per the official notification released by UPSC for the CDS 2023 exam, the exam dates for both CDS I and II exam is given in the table below.
CDS (I) Exam Dates
| CDS I 2023 Notification Date | 21/December/2022 |
| Last Date to Apply | 10/January/2023 |
| CDS I 2023 Exam Date | 16/April/2023 |
| CDS I 2023 Results | May 2023 |
CDS (II) Exam Dates
| CDS II 2023 Notification Date | 17/May/2023 |
| Last Date to Apply | 06/June/2023 |
| CDS II 2023 Exam Date | 03/September/2023 |
| CDS II 2023 Results | October 2023 |
CDS 2023 Vacancies
The number of vacancies released by UPSC for recruiting candidates in Combined Defence Services is mentioned in the table below.
CDS I 2023 Vacancies
| Training Academy | Number of Vacancies | Location |
| Indian Military Academy | 100 | Dehradun |
| Indian Naval Academy | 22 | Ezhimala |
| Air Force Academy | 32 | Hyderabad |
| Officer’s Training Academy (Men) | 170 | Chennai |
| Officer’s Training Academy (Women) | 17 | Chennai |
CDS II 2023 Vacancies
| Training Academy | Number of Vacancies | Location |
| Indian Military Academy | 13 | Dehradun |
| Indian Naval Academy | 03 | Ezhimala |
| Air Force Academy | 03 | Hyderabad |
| Officer’s Training Academy (Men) | 00 | Chennai |
| Officer’s Training Academy (Women) | 00 | Chennai |
CDS 2023 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates are advised to understand the detailed UPSC CDS 2023 Eligibility criteria before applying for this exam. As, the CDS eligibility criteria cover various important aspects such as Physical Measurements, Visual Standards, Educational Qualification, Age limit, and Nationality. The general details about the eligibility criteria are mentioned in the table below.
| Nationality | Indian |
| Age Limit | 20-24 years (Candidates should not have been born earlier than 2/January/1998 nor later than 01/January/2004). |
| Educational Qualification | A Minimum Graduation Degree in a relevant Discipline from a recognized board or a university. |
| Physical Fitness | Candidates must meet the Physical and Visual Standards. |
CDS 2023 Application Process
The UPSC CDS 2023 Application process will be conducted online. Candidates are required to fill out the CDS Application Form through the official website of UPSC. To fill out the application form, candidates can follow the steps given below.
- Visit the official website of UPSC (www.UPSC.gov.in)
- Complete the OTR (One-Time Registration) process by filling Name, Father’s Name, Date of Birth, Mother’s Name, Mobile Number, and Email Id.
- Candidates will get the login credentials on their Registered Mobile Number and Mail Id.
- Login through User Id and Password.
- Click on the ‘CDS Exam’ Link.
- The link will redirect the candidates towards the application form.
- Fill out all the mandatory fields.
- Upload Photographs, Educational Documents, Signature, and Identity Card.
- Choose the preferable exam centres.
- Submit the Application Fee as per the table below.
Application Fees
| General/OBC Male Candidates | Rs. 200 |
| Women/SC/ST Candidates | NIL |
- Click on the ‘Submit’ Button for Final Submission.
- Candidates will receive a final confirmation message on their registered Mobile Number and Mail ID.
- Print out at least 2-3 copies for further reference.
CDS 2023 Selection Process
The selection of the eligible candidates will be done on the basis of Written Tests and Interview Rounds. The UPSC CDS 2023 Selection Process is a two-stage process where each phase is necessary to clear for receiving the final appointment letter.
Phase I – Witten Test
The first phase of the UPSC CDS 2023 Selection Process is a Written exam. The candidates who wish to join IMA, INA, and IAF will have to clear a written test. This exam will consist of 3 objective papers for a total of 300 marks. The candidates who wish to join OTA (Officers Training Academy) will have to clear a written test consisting of 2 objective papers for a total of 200 Marks.
Candidates will have to score minimum qualifying marks for clearing this phase.
Phase II – SSB Interview
This phase is further divided into two stages as given below.
Stage I: Picture Perception and Description Test
Stage II: This stage is a 4-day assessment period that will assess the candidate’s psychology. This stage carries the 4 major parts given as follows.
- Psychology Test
- Interview Round
- Group testing Office task
- Conference Round
CDS 2023 Exam Pattern
UPSC CDS Exam is conducted for hiring candidates into four major training academies which are Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Air Force Academy, and Officers Training Academy. The UPSC CDS 2023 Exam Pattern is given in the table below.
INA, IAF, and IMA 2023 Exam Pattern
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Total Marks | Exam Duration |
| English | 120 | 100 | 2 Hours |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 | 2 Hours |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 100 | 2 Hours |
Officers Training Academy Exam Pattern
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Total Marks | Exam Duration |
| English | 120 | 100 | 2 Hours |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 | 2 Hours |
Marking Scheme
There will be a negative marking scheme in the UPSC CDS 2023 Written Test. For every wrong answer, 0.33 marks will be deducted.
CDS 2023 Exam Syllabus
The UPSC CDS 2023 Exam Syllabus consists of three major subjects, English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Candidates should prepare as per the UPSC CDS 2023 Subject-Wise Exam Syllabus for acing this exam. We have included the major sections in the table below.
| Subjects | Topics |
| English | Vocabulary, Error Detection, Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Antonyms, Synonyms, Sentence Correction, Idioms, Phrases and various Grammar Sections. |
| General Knowledge | Current Affairs, Geography, Economics, Politics, Sports, Biology, Cultures, Environment, Chemistry, Sociology, Awards, and Events happening all around the world, and More. |
| Elementary Mathematics | Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Average, L.C.M, H.C.F, Time, Distance, Speed, Ratio, Proportion, Factors, Logarithms, and more |
CDS 2023 Exam Preparation Books
A good UPSC CDS 2023 preparation strategy involves the best preparation Books that help the candidates in acing each section of the exam. The UPSC CDS 2023 Exam will consist of various miscellaneous questions from various topics. To prepare for this exam candidates will need a set of preparation books for understanding complex topics and concepts.
| Subjects | Preparation Books |
| General Knowledge | General Awareness by Manohar Pandey Manorma Yearly Book by Philip Mathew Newspapers: The Hindu, The Indian Express, and The Economic Times |
| Elementary Mathematics | Mathematics for Combined Defence Services by R.S Aggarwal Quantitative Aptitude by R.S Aggarwal |
| English | Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi High School Grammar Book by Wren and Martin |
CDS 2023 Admit Card
Interested candidates can download the admit card from the official website of UPSC. The admit card is generally released a few days before the exam date. To download the UPSC CDS 2023 Admit Card, candidates can follow the simple steps given below.
- Visit the official website of UPSC.
- Login with the help of Login Credentials.
- Click on the ‘Admit Card’ link.
- Download the admit card by clicking on the ‘Click Here’ link.
- Enter the Registration Id and Roll Number.
- Click on the ‘Submit’ Button.
- The Admit Card will Display on the candidate’s screen.
- Print out the admit card before visiting the exam hall.
CDS 2023 Results
The UPSC releases the CDS exam results in a few months after the exam is conducted. The results are announced officially on the website of UPSC. Candidates can check their respective results on the official website of UPSC with the help of the steps given below.
- Visit the official website of UPSC.
- Click on the ‘UPSC CDS 2023 Final Results’ link.
- Enter your ‘Roll Number’ on the Search Bar.
- The list of Names will display on the computer screen.
- Candidates should check their names on the list. If the name is mentioned there that means that the particular candidate has cleared the exam.
- Download the Result and Print it Out for further reference.
CDS 2023 Exam FAQs
Yes, the UPSC will conduct the CDS I 2023 Exam on 16 April 2023.
The UPSC will release the official notification for the CDS II 2023 Exam between the month of May and June 2023.
Candidates are advised to start their preparation now. Usually, it takes 6 months to prepare for the UPSC CDS Exam.
Yes, candidates who wish to appear in the UPSC CDS 2023 Exam must be medically fit.
Service Selection Board.
SSB is an Interview Round that will assess the candidate’s overall personality.
No, the UPSC CDS 2023 Exam will be conducted offline.
No, candidates are advised to print out the admit card before appearing in the exam hall.
No, the candidates are required to hold a graduation degree in a relevant discipline.
Candidates will have to fill out the UPSC CDS 2023 application form online mode.
What is the CDS exam format?
The CDS test has three portions for the IMA, INA, and AFA while it has two sections for the OTA. OTA gets 200 marks, while IMA, INA, and AFA each receive 300. According to the CDS exam’s negative marking policy, candidates must accept mark reductions for erroneous answers. The scored marks for correctly answered questions are reduced by one-third. Candidates must provide responses with extreme accuracy.
What is the CDS 2023 exam selection procedure?
The following information has been provided for the applicants regarding the CDS 1 exam selection process. Candidates who successfully complete the selection procedure will be accepted into the academy of their choosing. The candidates must select the academies to which they would like to apply. The options are divided into priority levels 1 (Highest Priority), 2, 3, and 4 (Lowest Priority):
Written Exam
SSB Interview
Medical Examination & Merit List
What is the secret to passing the CDS Exam?
Those that put in the necessary effort, persistence, and patience can succeed on the CDS exam. Applicants are required to keep a well-organized study plan.
Can I prepare for general science with NCERT books?
Absolutely, NCERT books are a useful resource for test preparation.