UPSC CDS (1) 2021 – The official CDS 2021 notification is available regarding 345 vacancies in IMA, INA, OTA and Air Force Academy. The training under CDS (1) 2021 shall commence from 2022 onwards at different wings. Candidates who register online for UPSC CDS (I) 2021 can check the fictitious fee available at upsc.gov.in. The application process for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) CDS exam was opened from October 28, 2020 to November 17, 2020. The UPSC CDS 2021 exam is scheduled for February 07, 2021. Moreover, the CDS selection procedure includes a written exam followed by SSB interview. Know more about UPSC CDS (1) 2021 in this article.
Latest: The fictitious fee of UPSC CDS (I) 2021 has been released. Check here
UPSC CDS (1) 2021
The recruitment for CDS 2021 is open for both male and female candidates. However, female candidates are eligible only for Officers Training Academy (OTA). Check out the important dates for UPSC CDS (1) 2021 from the table below.
| Events | Dates |
| Notification release date | 28 Oct 2020 |
| Online registrations start date | 28 Oct 2020 |
| Last date to apply | 17 Nov 2020 |
| Application form withdrawal | 24 Nov 2020 to 30 Nov 2020 |
| Admit Card release date | To be notified |
| CDS I 2021 exam date | 07 Feb 2021 |
| Answer Key | To be notified |
| Declaration of result | to be notified |
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UPSC CDS 2021 Notification
The official notification for CDS I 2021 is now available marking the commencement of Combined Defence Services exam. Aspirants who are interested in the recruitment can refer to the snapshot of the notification below.
UPSC CDS 2021 Vacancies
As per the notification, UPSC has announced a total of 345 vacancies for Combined Defence Services exam. Check the name of the course and vacancies available here:
| Name of the course | Vacancy |
| Indian Military Academy, Dehradun | 100 |
| Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | 26 |
| Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | 32 |
| Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Men) | 170 |
| Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Women) | 17 |
| Total | 345 |
UPSC CDS (1) Eligibility 2021
Before submitting the applications against the advertised posts, aspirants are advised to go through the CDS eligibility once as stated below:
Nationality: Only Indian nationals are eligible for CDS 2021 exam.
Educational Qualification:
- IMA and Officers Training Academy, Chennai – A bachelor degree from a recognized university.
- Indian Naval Academy – Degree in Engineering from a recognized university or institute.
- Air force Academy – A bachelor degree from a recognized university. Along with this, they must have passed 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics. Those who have Bachelor of Engineering are also eligible for Air Force Academy.
Age Limit:
| Name of the course | Age Limit |
| IMA | Between 02 January, 1998 and 01 January, 2003 |
| Indian Naval Academy | Between 02 January, 1998 and 01 January, 2003 |
| Air Force Academy | Between 02 January, 1998 and 01 January, 2003 |
| Officers’ Training Academy— (SSC Course for men) | Between 02 January 1997 and 01 January 2003 |
| Officers’ Training Academy— (SSC Women Non-Technical Course) | Between 02 January 1997 and 01 January 2003 |
UPSC CDS Application Form 2021
The application procedure for UPSC CDS (I) is organized online on its website. Eligible candidates can submit their UPSC CS 2021 application form by following the steps given below.
Step to fill UPSC CDS application form 2021
- Visit the official website of UPSC, upsconline.nic.in.
- Thereafter, click on “online application for various examinations of UPSC”.
- Now navigate to the PART-I Registration section and start the CDS 2021 registration process.
- Aspirants then have to log in using their Registration-Id and Date of Birth to fill CDS application.
- On successful login, enter the details, pay the application fee and take a print out of the submitted application.
Application Fee
| Category | Fees |
| Unreserved | Rs 200/- |
| SC/ST/Female | Exempted |
Exam Centres for UPSC CDS (1) 2021
While filing the online application, aspirants are asked to enter the choice for the centre of exam. As per the availability, candidates are allocated different centre for their exam through CDS admit card. Check out the available list of exam centre here:
| Agartala | Ahmedabad |
| Aizwal | Bareilly |
| Bhopal | Chandigarh |
| Chennai | Cuttack |
| Dehradun | Delhi |
| Dharwad | Dispur |
| Gangtok | Hyderabad |
| Imphal | Itanagar |
| Jaipur | Jammu |
| Jorhat | Kochi |
| Kohima | Kolkata |
| Lucknow | Madurai |
| Mumbai | Nagpur |
| Panaji (Goa) | Patna |
| Port Blair | Prayagraj (Allahabad) |
| Raipur | Ranchi |
| Sambalpur | Shillong |
| Shimla | Srinagar |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Tirupati |
| Udaipur | Vishakhapatnam |
CDS 2021 Syllabus
The main purpose of the CDS written exam is to test the candidate’s knowledge and understanding. To do so, UPSC has specified CDS syllabus based on which the previous year question papers for the CDS exam is prepared. Let us have a brief look at CDS 2021 syllabus:
Standard: The paper of Elementary Mathematics is based on 10th level. However, the rest of the subjects are of graduate level.
Syllabus:
- English: Paper is designed to test aspirant’s understanding of English languages and its uses.
- General Knowledge: Current Events, History, Geography, Polity, etc.
- Elementary Mathematics:
- Arithmetic
- Algebra
- Trigonometry
- Geometry
- Mensuration
- Statistics
CDS 2021 Exam Pattern
The first stage of CDS 2021 exam is the written examination for which lakhs of candidates appear each year. The written exam for IMA, INA and Air Force Academy includes three papers whereas for OTA it consists of only two papers. Know more about the exam scheme for CDS 2021 here:
Exam Scheme for CDS 2021
| Mode of exam | Pen-paper based test |
| Duration of the exam | 02 hour for each paper |
| Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions |
| Maximum Marks | 100 marks for each paper |
| Language of questions | Elementary Mathematics and General Knowledge – Bilingual Language section – Only in English language |
| Marking Scheme | 0.33 marks for the question is deducted for incorrect answer |
For Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy
| Subject | No. of Questions | Marks |
| English | 120 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 |
| Mathematics | 100 | 100 |
For Officers’ Training Academy
| Subject | No. of Questions | Marks |
| English | 120 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 |
UPSC CDS 2021 Admit Card
The call letters for USC CDS (I) 2021 is available on the official website of UPSC. Aspirants can download their CDS admit card 2021 at least 03 weeks before the exam. Know more about the UPSC CDS admit card 2021 here:
- The call letters for CDS 2021 can be downloaded from upsc.gov.in.
- Aspirants require registration number/ roll number to log in and download the admit card for CDS 2021 exam.
- It is important to carry UPSC CDS (1) 2021 admit card and a black ballpoint pen to the centre.
- Along with the CDS hall ticket, they also have to carry a photo identity proof –
- Aadhaar Card
- Voter Card
- PAN Card
- Passport
- Driving Licence
- Any other Photo ID Card
- In case, aspirants photograph is unclear on the admit card, they have to carry 03 identical photograph.
UPSC CDS (I) 2021 Answer Key
Union Public Service Commission releases the CDS answer key online at upsc.gov.n. So, the candidates who appear for the exam can check it once they are uploaded on the website. Moreover, the conducting body provides separate answer keys for English, General Knowledge, and Maths papers. Aspirants can use this official answer key to estimate their scores before the declaration of result.
UPSC CDS 2021 Result
The result for CDS exam 2021 is released online at UPSC website. Candidates can check their respective result by visiting upsc.gov.in. Also, separate results are declared for each stage of the selection procedure. Check out more about CDS 2021 result below:
- The UPSC CDS result is declared in PDF format.
- Initially, UPSC releases a written result followed by written result with candidate’s name who have qualified the exam.
- Candidates who qualify the written exam are called for interview round where they have to carry the following documents –
- Call letter
- 10th class marks sheet
- 12th class mark sheet
- Graduation mark sheet
- Graduation degree certificate
- Other documents as specified by the board
Selection Procedure for UPSC CDS (1) 2021
The selection process for CDS (1) 2021 includes majorly two steps – written exam and personal interview. Candidates who qualify the written exam are called for the personal interview round. Get in-depth knowledge of the Selection procedure for UPSC CDS 2021 here:
- Written Exam– The first stage of the CDS exam 2021 is the written examination. The exam pattern and syllabus for the same are already shared above.
- SSB Interview – The process of SSB interview includes two stages –
- Stage I -Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) test and Picture Perception* Description Test – Aspirants are declared qualified in this stage based on their performance combined in PP&DT as well as OIR Test. Those who fail to qualify this stage are straight away sent home.
- Stage II – Psychology Tests, Interview, Conference and Group Testing – All these exams are conducted within 04 days/
About UPSC
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a recruitment body that conducts various national level recruitment examinations. some of them are namely UPSC Indian Administrative Services, UPSC Indian Forest Services, National Defence Academy (NDA) and others. One of the exams is UPSC Common Defence Services (CDs). UPSC conducted CDS exam twice a year – CDS (I) and CDS (II). The main purpose of UPSC CDS exam is to fill the vacant post for Indian Air Force Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Officers Training Academy and Indian Military Academy.
Important Downloads
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in, upsconline.nic.in. |
| Download notification | Click here |
UPSC CDS (1) 2021 FAQs
Ans 1. Only those candidates who have degree from recognized university can apply for CDS exam.
Ans 2. Yes. UPSC allows female candidates to apply for Officers Training Academy (OTA).
Ans 3. This year, UPSC has announced 345 vacancies for UPSC CDS exam.
