CDS 2024 Exam Pattern: The Union Public Service Commission conducts the UPSC CDS exam to recruit candidates for the Indian Defence Forces. The UPSC released the CDS exam pattern along with the CDS 1 2024 notification on December 20, 2023.
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As per the schedule, the CDS 1 exam will be held on April 21, 2024. The CDS selection process includes a written exam, an interview, and a medical test.
As per the CDS exam pattern, the written exam for IMA, IAFA, and INA exams consists of 3 sections, while the CDS OTA exam includes only 2 sections.
The CDS exam is conducted online via pen and paper. Check out the detailed CDS Exam Pattern 2024, making scheme, exam duration, and more to create effective CDS exam preparation strategies below.
CDS 2024 Exam Pattern Highlights
To get an overview of the UPSC CDS 2024 Exam Pattern, candidates can check the details in the table below.
Specifications | Details |
---|---|
Mode of UPSC CDS 2024 Exam | Offline |
Number of Sections | IMA, IAFA, INA: 3 Sections OTA: 2 Sections |
Languages | Hindi and English |
Exam Duration | 2 hours/Section |
Total Marks | IMA, INA, IAF: 300 Marks OTA: 200 Marks |
Type of Questions | Objective-Type Questions |
CDS Exam Pattern 2024 For INA, IMA, and IAFA
The CDS 2024 selection process and exam pattern for the Indian National Academy, Indian Military Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy are similar.
Candidates applying for INA, IMA, and IAFA have to clear a CDS written test, which will be conducted offline.
The exam comprises three major sections: English, general knowledge, and elementary mathematics. Each section consists of 100 marks. Candidates will have 2 hours to finish each section.
Sections | Exam Duration | Total Questions | Total Marks |
---|---|---|---|
English | 2 Hours | 120 | 100 |
General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 120 | 100 |
Elementary Mathematics | 2 Hours | 100 | 100 |
For CDS preparation, candidates can refer to some of the top CDS books, such as High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin, Mathematics for CDS by R.S. Aggarwal, and General Awareness by Manohar Panday.
CDS Exam Pattern 2024 For OTA
Candidates applying for the CDS OTA are not required to appear for the CDS math paper. The CDS Exam Pattern for OTA consists of two sections: English and general knowledge.
Each section consists of 120 questions with a total of 100 marks. For each incorrect answer, 1/3 of the marks will be deducted.
Sections | Exam Duration | Total Questions | Total Marks |
---|---|---|---|
English | 2 Hours | 120 | 100 |
General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 120 | 100 |
CDS Marking Scheme
- There will be a negative marking scheme in the CDS 2024 Written Test.
- The question will consist of four objective-type options.
- For every wrong attempt, 0.33 marks will be deducted.
- There will be no negative markings for attempted questions.
CDS Exam Pattern 2024: SSC Interview
The Service Selection Board Interview is conducted for all military training academies.
The weightage of IMA, INA, and IAFA are different than those of OTA. Candidates must check the information in the table below.
Branches | Total Marks | Stages |
---|---|---|
IMA, INA, and IAFA | 300 | Stage 1 1. Officer Intelligence Test 2. Picture Perception and Description Test Stage 2 1. Interview 2. Group Testing Officers Task 3. Psychology Test 4. Conference |
OTA (Officers Training Academy) | 200 | Stage 1 1. Officer Intelligence Test 2. Picture Perception and Description Test Stage 2 1. Interview 2. Group Testing Officers Task 3. Psychology Test 4. Conference |
Key Points
- Candidates will be evaluated by three recruiting officers: interviewing officers, psychologists, and group testing officers.
- Candidates must use a black ballpoint pen to fill out the answer sheet.
- In the SSB Interview Round, there is no sectional weightage. The marks will be given holistically.
CDS Syllabus 2024
The CDS Exam syllabus includes English, general knowledge, and elementary mathematics. Candidates can review the detailed syllabus in the given table.
English | Maths | General Awareness |
---|---|---|
Sentence Arrangement Words Arrangement Synonyms and Antonyms Sentence Ordering Fill in The Blanks Idioms and Phrases Comprehensions Paragraphs Spotting Errors | Arithmetic Trigonometry Algebra Geometry Elementary Numbers Mensuration Statistics | Sports Defence Awards Politics Geography Indian History Environment Indian Economy Current Affairs Related to National And International Events General Science: Physics, Biology, and Chemistry |
CDS Prepapration Books
There are plenty of CDS books available on the market, but the list of books provided below is some of the best CDS books for preparation.
Subject | Books |
---|---|
English | 1. High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin 2. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis |
Math | 1. Mathematics for CDS by R.S Aggarwal 2. Pathfinder for CDS by Arihant Publications |
General Knowledge | 1. General Awareness by Manohar Pandey 2. Manorama Year Book by Philip Mathew |
CDS 2024 Exam Pattern FAQs
A. Yes, for each incorrect answer, 0.33 marks will be deducted.
A. No, there will be no negative marking.
A. There are two stages in the CDS SSB Interview Round. Stage 1 consists of an officer intelligence test and a picture perception and description test while stage 2 consists of an interview, a group testing officer task, a psychology test, and a conference.
A. The SSB Round conducted for IMA, INA, and IAFA consists of 300 marks, while for the OTA it is 200 marks.
A. No, the questions will be objective.
Ans. The CDS Syllabus 2024 includes three subjects: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics.
Ans. The CDS Exam Pattern for OTA is divided into two sections: English and general knowledge. Each segment contains 120 questions worth a total of 100 points. A third of the marks will be deducted for each wrong response.
What is the CDS 2023 marking schedule?
The paper is divided into three divisions, each of which contains 100 questions, for the Indian Navy, Indian Military, and Indian Air Force Academies. For each accurate response, one mark will be given, and for each incorrect response, one-third of the mark will be taken away.
There are two portions for the OTA, each with 100 questions. Again, one mark will be given for each accurate response, and one-third of the mark will be subtracted for each incorrect response.
I accidentally marked two alternatives in the answer. Will I receive any points for answering that question?
For that specific question, there won’t be any points awarded. The right response can only be chosen from one choice.
Can I use a pencil to omit an answer on the test?
Only a black ballpoint pen may be used to remove circles and write specifics like the centre, subject code, roll number, etc
What are the sections of the written CDS 2023 exam?
There are three divisions for the Indian Naval, Indian Military, and Indian Air Force academies: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics.
There are two categories for OTA: English and General Knowledge.
What is the process for the CDS SSB Interview?
Candidates must pass a battery of personality tests after passing the written examination. To assess a person’s personality, the SSB interview, often known as the “SSB,” uses a variety of tests.
Understanding and describing images Group testing officer tasks, an interview, a conference, and a psychological test.