UPSC CDS Exam: Dates, Pattern, Syllabus, Papers

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducted Combined Defence Services (CDS). CDS exam is held twice a year. CDS (I) held in starting of the year, and CDS (II) is conducting at year-end. Combined Defence Services is a national level examination. Lakhs of candidates appear for this examination from all over the country. Candidates who get selected for the examination are further called for Interview for Intelligence and Personality Test (SSB). Those who qualify all the stages are recruited to Army, Naval and Air Headquarters.

UPSC CDS(1)2018   UPSC CDS(2) 2018   UPSC CDS (1) 2019

UPSC CDS

The CDS entrance examination comprises a written examination. Candidates who qualify the written examination will be selected for the interview and personality test conducted by Services Selection Board (SSB) commonly known as SSB. To be selected for Defence services candidate must obtain minimum qualifying marks that are fixed by the Union Public Service Commission both in written as well as in the SSB Interview/ Personality Test.

UPSC CDS Exam Dates are given below.

Events	CDS 1 2018	CDS 2 2018	CDS 1 2019
The Application Form is available by	08 Nov 2017	08 Aug 2018	26 Sep 2018
Last date to submit the application form	04 Dec 2017	03 Sep 2018	26 Nov 2018
CDS exam date	04 Feb 2018	18 Nov 2018	03 Feb 2019

UPSC CDS Exam Pattern

The scheme for the examination is given below in the table.

For Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy

Subject	Maximum Marks	Duration
English	100	2 Hours
Elementary Mathematics	100	2 Hours
General Knowledge	100	2 Hours

For Admission to Officers’ Training Academy

Subject	Maximum Marks	Duration
English	100	2 Hours
General Knowledge	100	2 Hours

The papers in all the subject will be of MCQ type (objective questions). Candidates are not allowed to use the calculators during the examination.

Test Centers

The CDS examination will be conducted in various cities:

Sr. No.	Cities	Sr. No.	Cities
1	Agartala	22	Kochi
2	Ahmedabad	23	Kohima
3	Aizwal	24	Kolkata
4	Allahabad	25	Lucknow
5	Bengaluru	26	Madurai
6	Bareilly	27	Mumbai
7	Bhopal	28	Nagpur
8	Chandigarh	29	Panaji
9	Chennai	30	Patna
10	Cuttack	31	Port Blair
11	Dehradun	32	Raipur
12	Delhi	33	Ranchi
13	Dharwad	34	Sambalpur
14	Dispur	35	Shillong
15	Gangtok	36	Shimla
16	Hyderabad	37	Srinagar
17	Imphal	38	Thiruvananthapuram
18	Itanagar	39	Tirupati
19	Jaipur	40	Udaipur
20	Jammu	41	Visakapatnam
21	Jorhat

Applicants should note that there will be a ceiling on the number of candidates allotted to each of the centers except Chennai, Delhi, Dispur, Kolkata, and Nagpur.

The allotment of centers will be done on the basis of first-apply-first-allot. Once the center is filled, they will have to choose other remaining centers. Candidates will have to choose their test centers in the application form. Please choose the test center carefully as no changes will be made once the test centers have been allotted.

Syllabus

Following is the syllabus of the examination. The questions will be given based on the syllabus. Candidates have to prepare for this examination from this syllabus only.

English: 

The questions will be made to test the candidate’s understanding of English.

General Knowledge:

The questions will be based on current events to test how much the candidate knows about whats happening around in the world. The paper will also include questions like Indian History and Geography.

Elementary Mathematics:

Questions will be based on Number System—Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real numbers. Fundamental operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Square roots, Decimal fractions. Unitary method, time and distance, time and work, percentages, applications to simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, variation.

Elementary Number Theory—Division algorithm. Prime and composite numbers. Tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11, Factorisation Theorem. H.C.F. and L.C.M. Euclidean algorithm.

Algebra:

Basic Operations, simple factors, Remainder Theorem, H.C.F., L.C.M., Theory of polynomials, solutions of quadratic equations, the relation between its roots and coefficients (Only real roots to be considered). Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns—analytical and graphical solutions. Simultaneous linear inequations in two variables and their solutions. Practical problems leading to two simultaneous linear equations or inequations in two variables or quadratic equations in one variable & their solutions. Set language and set notation, Rational expressions and conditional identities, Laws of indices.

Trigonometry:

Sine ×, cosine ×, Tangent × when 0° < × < 90° Values of sin ×, cos × and tan ×, for × = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° Simple trigonometric identities. Use of trigonometric tables. Simple cases of heights and distances.

Geometry:

Lines and angles, Plane and plane figures, Theorems on (i) Properties of angles at a point, (ii) Parallel lines, (iii) Sides and angles of a triangle, (iv) Congruency of triangles, (v) Similar triangles, (vi) Concurrence of medians and altitudes, (vii) Properties of angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle and square, (viii) Circles and its properties including tangents and normals, (ix) Loci.

Mensuration:

Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangle, and circle. Areas of figures which can be split up into these figures (Field Book), Surface area and volume of cuboids, lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders, surface area and volume of spheres.

Statistics:

Collection and tabulation of statistical data, Graphical representation frequency polygons, histograms, bar charts, pie charts etc. Measures of central tendency.

Intelligence and Personality Test:

There are two stages in the selection process. The candidates who clear stage 1 will be qualified for stage 2.

1. Stage 1 – Officer Intelligence Rating tests are Picture perception and description test.
2. Stage 2 – Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests and the Conference. The duration of these test is 4 days.

The assessment of the candidate will be done by the Interviewing Officer (IO), Group Testing Officer (GTO) and the Psychologist.

Official Website of UPSC: www.upsc.gov.in

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