The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the notification for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) 1 2025 exam. The exam is scheduled for April 13, 2025. The notification for CDS 2 2025 is expected to be released in May 2025. For the latest information on the CDS 2025 exam, including the selection process, application form, syllabus, exam pattern, and eligibility criteria, please visit the official UPSC website or your nearest UPSC regional office.
CDS 2025: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the CDS 2025 exam dates via annual UPSC calendar 2025. As per the CDS exam dates, the CDS 1 notification 2025 released on December 11, 2024. The CDS 1 application form 2025 is available from December 11 to 31, 2024 (6 PM). The CDS 1 2025 exam will be conducted on April 13, 2025.
The CDS 2 2025 notification will be released on May 28, 2025. The CDS 2 application form 2025 will be available from May 28 to June 17, 2025. The CDS 2 2025 exam will be conducted on September 14, 2025.
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year. The exam is conducted to recruit officers for the Indian Armed Forces, which includes the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force. The CDS exam is conducted in two stages: a written test and an interview. Continue reading for more details on CDS 2025 exam.
CDS 2025 Highlights
Candidates selected through CDS join as commissioned officers. They undergo training in the respective defence academies. Scroll down for important exam highlights for CDS 2025.
| CDS 2025 Exam Highlights | |
|---|---|
| Exam name | Combined Defence Services Examination |
| Conducting institute | Union Public Service Commission |
| Exam Level | National |
| CDS syllabus | Maths, English and General Ability Test (GAT) |
| CDS pattern | The written exam conducted in pen-and-paper mode |
| No. of test cities | More than 70 |
| Exam frequency | Twice a year |
| Exam fees | INR 200 (SC/ST/Women candidates/Sons of JCOs/NCOs/ORs are exempted from fee payment) |
| Eligibility | Passed graduation or are appearing in the same |
| Exam purpose | Admission of candidates for Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers Training |
| Exam website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC CDS 2025 Exam Date
The commission has released the CDS 1 and 2 2025 dates of an exam and application form. Check below in detail.
| UPSC CDS 2025 Events | CDS 2025 Dates |
|---|---|
| CDS 1 Notification 2025 release date | 11-Dec-2024 |
| CDS 1 Application Fform 2025 | 11-Dec-2024 to 31-Dec-2024 |
| CDS 1 Exam Date 2025 | 13-Apr-2025 |
| CDS 2 Notification 2025 | 28-May-2025 |
| CDS 2 Application Form 2025 | 28-May-2025 to 17-June-2025 |
| CDS 2 Exam Date 2025 | 14-Sept-2025 |
The CDS 2025 notification, released in PDF format, provides detailed information about the exam, including important dates, the application process, exam pattern, syllabus, and eligibility criteria. It’s essential for all candidates to carefully review the notification before applying.
The UPSC released the CDS 1 2025 application form on December 11, 2024. The last date to apply is December 31, 2024. The CDS 2 2025 application form will be released on May 28, 2025.
To apply for CDS 1 2025:
- Log in or Register: Log in to your existing UPSC account or register for a new one.
- Access the Application Link: Click on the CDS 1 2025 application link.
- Fill in Details: Provide the required personal, academic, and contact information.
- Upload Documents: Upload your photograph, signature, and photo identity card.
- Pay the Fee: Pay the application fee of INR 200 (General and OBC male candidates). SC/ST/female candidates are exempted from fees.
- Choose Exam Center: Select your preferred exam center.
- Submit Application: Review your application and submit it.
A confirmation message will be sent to your registered mobile number and email address.
CDS 2025 Eligibility Criteria
Age Limit:
- Indian Military Academy (IMA): Unmarried male candidates born between January 2, 2001, and January 1, 2006.
- Indian Naval Academy (INA): Unmarried male candidates born between January 2, 2001, and January 1, 2006.
- Air Force Academy (AFA): Unmarried male candidates born between January 2, 2001, and January 1, 2005.
- Officers’ Training Academy (OTA):
- Men: Unmarried male candidates born between January 2, 2000, and January 1, 2006.
- Women (Non-Technical): Unmarried female candidates born between January 2, 2000, and January 1, 2006.
CDS Age Limit for Females
Women candidates are now eligible to apply for the CDS OTA exam. The CDS age limit for Females should be 19 to 25 years.
CDS Age Limit for OBC
OBC candidates can also apply for the CDS 2 2025 exam. As we know, there is no caste-based reservation in the CDS exam. So, the CDS Age Limit for OBC is also the same as per the other castes, i.e., 19 to 25 years.
CDS Education Qualification 2025
The educational qualification prescribed by UPSC for admission to various defence academies is given below.
| Academies | Educational Qualification |
|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) | Graduation from a recognized university |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA) | An engineering degree from a recognised university/institute |
| Air Force Academy (AFA) | Graduation (with Physics and Mathematics in Class 12) or Bachelor of Engineering |
CDS 2025 Vacancy
CDS vacancy 2025 has been released along with the notification. UPSC announced the CDS 1 Vacancy 2025 on December 11, 2024, along with the CDS 1 notification. UPSC released the 457 CDS 1 approximate Vacancy 2024 separately for IMA (Indian Military Academy), INA (Indian Naval Academy), AFA (Air Force Academy) & OTA (Officers Training Academy). Candidates can check the CDS vacancy 2024 breakdown in the table below. The vacancy has been released for both male and female candidates:
| Institution | Approximate Number of Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy (IMA) | 100 |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA) | 32 |
| Air Force Academy (AFA) | 32 |
| Officer Training Academy – Men (OTA) | 275 |
| Officer Training Academy – Women (OTA) | 18 |
| Total | 457 |
CDS Admit Card 2025
The CDS admit card 2025 will be released online on the official website. Candidates need to use their application number and date of birth to login to the registered accounts. CDS admit card comprises details such as the candidate’s name, roll number, date of birth, scanned photograph, signature, details regarding the CDS exam centre, etc. The CDS exam is conducted by UPSC for the recruitment of Commissioned Officers in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
CDS Exam Pattern 2025
The CDS 2025 exam pattern is divided into written exam and SSB interview. Also, the 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 written exam for IMA, INA and AFA comprises three sections namely English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. The total duration of the exam is six hours that is each section is of two hours and the total marks of the test for IMA, INA and AFA are 300.
CDS OTA Exam Pattern
The written exam for OTA consists of two sections namely English and General Knowledge. The total duration of the exam for OTA is four hours that is each section is for two hours. The total marks of the test for OTA are 200.
CDS Question Paper Structure for IMA, INA and AFA
| IMA, INA, AFA | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Duration (In hours) | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 2 | 100 |
For OTA
| OTA | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Duration (In hours) | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 | 100 |
CDS Syllabus 2025
The CDS syllabus for IMA, INA, and AFA has three subjects, and in OTA it has two subjects. The CDS Mathematics syllabus standard is of Class 10, while for other subjects, it is of graduation level. It is important to know the syllabus for the exam preparation. The CDS syllabus consists of three subjects: Elementary Mathematics, English Language and General Knowledge. It is to be noted that Elementary Mathematics is only for those candidates who have applied for IMA, INA, and AFA.
English: Antonyms, Sentence improvement, Comprehension, Synonyms, Word substitution, Ordering of sentences, Spotting Errors, Selecting Words, Ordering of words in a sentence, etc.
General Knowledge: Economics, Physics, Current Awareness , Politics, Chemistry, Sociology, History, Defence, Award, Geography, Environment, Sport, Biology, Cultural, Book, Statement true/false, etc.
Elementary Mathematics: Number System, Decimal fractions, Time & Distance, Time & Work, Percentages, Simple & compound interest, Profit & Loss, Ratio & proportion, Division algorithm, H.C.F. & L.C.M, Logarithms to base 10, Theory of polynomials, Solutions of quadratic equations, Linear equations in two variables & their solutions, Laws of indices, Trigonometry, Simple cases of heights and distances, Geometry, Lines & angles, Mensuration, Statistics, etc.
Have any query?
CDS 2025 Books
Books help in the preparation and also help in clearing the concepts of the topics provided in the syllabus. Scroll down for the list of CDS books.
CDS books for English Language
- High School English Grammar & Composition Edition by Wren and Martin
- Objective General English by SP Bakshi
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
CDS books for GK
- General Awareness by Manohar Panday
- Manorama Yearbook
- Magazines such as Pratiyogita Darpan, Competition Success Review (CSR), and Yojana
- Newspapers
CDS books for Elementary Mathematics
- Mathematics for CDS by RS Aggarwal
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Aggarwal
- Pathfinder for CDS by Arihant Publications
CDS 2025 Preparation
To clear the CDS 2025 exam, candidates should have a good level of CDS preparation. Candidates can check below the tips and tricks to prepare for the CDS 2025:
- Know the syllabus and exam pattern.
- Concept clarity also plays a crucial role.
- Focus on important topics and choose the best CDS books for preparation which will help candidates to get details of several topics given in the syllabus.
- Solve previous Year’s question papers which will also help in the time management.
- Candidates must attempt mock test.
- Candidates should keep calm before the exam and do not learn any new topic, etc.
CDS 2025 Result
The UPSC will release the CDS 1 2025 result on the official website. Candidates will be able to access the UPSC CDS result PDF at upsc.gov.in. The candidates who qualify for the CDS written exam will be called for the SSB interview. Candidates can check below the steps to download the CDS 1 result PDF.
- Visit the official website-upsc.gov.in
- Click on the UPSC CDS 1 written exam result link available in New Section
- The CDS Result PDF link will appear on the screen
- Click on the CDS 1 Result 2025 link
- The UPSC CDS 1 Result will appear on the screen
- Check and Download the CDS 1 Written Exam Result and save it for later use
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