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CDS
Combined Defence Services Examination
UPSC CDS — three papers (English, GK, Elementary Maths) for entry to Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers Training Academy.
🎯 Exam on 13 Sept (official)2 days to go
🇮🇳 Exam-week rehearsal — open now, closes 8:00 pm IST on exam eve
Same CDS paper across India. Your national rank, the moment you submit. Free.
Updated 24 Aug 2026 ·Vacancy counts change every cycle — always confirm the exact number in the latest official notification before applying.
Sourced
Source: official exam authority notification · refreshed weekly. How this works →
Free CDS preparation on Shishya
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Sentence Completion / Fill in the BlanksComplete the sentence with the most appropriate option: The new policy will be ________ only after it receives approval from the board of directors.
Tap an option to check your answer.
Start with a diagnostic
10 questions across the syllabus to see where you stand.
One email when the official result is out, nothing else.
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CDS eligibility
Verified against the official notification. Source ↗ · last reconciled 2026-05.
- Age
- 19 – 25 years (General)Range varies by academy: IMA 19-24, INA 19-24, AFA 20-24, OTA 19-25. Date of birth bounds revised every cycle — see latest notification.
- Education
- IMA / OTA: Bachelor's (any discipline). INA: Bachelor's in Engineering. AFA: Bachelor's with Physics + Maths at 10+2 OR Bachelor's in Engineering.
- Final-year graduates can appear if results are out before the academy commencement date.
- Engineering degree mandatory for the Naval Academy.
- Attempts
- No formal attempt limit other than the upper age cap.
- Nationality
- Indian citizen (or Nepal/Bhutan subject for IMA & OTA; specific certificate norms apply).
- Other
- Unmarried male candidates for IMA / INA / AFA. OTA admits both unmarried males and females (and married males in special quotas).
- Physical + medical standards as per Service Selection Board (SSB) — vision, height, chest, BMI, etc.
- All shortlisted candidates undergo a 5-day SSB interview after the written exam.
- Reservations
- No reservation in the CDS written exam itself; representation goes through different academy intakes.
CDS cutoffs
Historical cutoffs are a guide, not a prediction. Use them to set a realistic target, not to predict next year's exact number.
Written cutoff (qualifying for SSB interview)
out of 300 marks (IMA/INA/AFA — 3 papers) · 200 marks (OTA — 2 papers)| Year | Category | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | IMA — written cutoff | 112 (written) · 297 (final, with SSB out of 600) |
| 2023 | INA — written | 108 · 308 final |
| 2023 | AFA — written | 126 · 309 final |
| 2023 | OTA (men) — written | 97 · 257 final |
| 2023 | OTA (women) — written | 97 · 257 final |
| 2022 | IMA | 137 · 318 final |
| 2022 | INA | 131 · 314 final |
| 2022 | AFA | 144 · 327 final |
| 2022 | OTA (men) | 112 · 264 final |
Source: official ↗ · verified 2026-05.
CDS paper analysis — what actually got asked
Topic-by-topic weightage averaged across 2022-2024 papers. Use this to decide where to invest study hours, not where to skim. Source ↗ · verified 2026-05.
English (100 marks)
100/300 marks avg
Reading Comprehension + Cloze Test
~30 marks(10%)Grammar + Sentence Improvement + Synonyms/Antonyms
~40 marks(13%)Para Jumble + Sentence Completion + Spotting Errors
~30 marks(10%)
General Knowledge (100 marks)
100/300 marks avg
Indian Polity + History + Geography
~40 marks(13%)Current Affairs + Defence + Sci-Tech
~30 marks(10%)Economy + Environment + Sports + Culture
~30 marks(10%)
Elementary Mathematics (100 marks, IMA/INA/AFA only)
35/300 marks avg
Arithmetic + Algebra
~35 marks(12%)
Elementary Mathematics
47/300 marks avg
Geometry + Mensuration + Trigonometry
~35 marks(12%)Statistics + Probability
~12 marks(4%)
Takeaways for prep planning
- OTA candidates skip Maths — only English + GK count. That makes OTA the lowest-bar academy in terms of written cutoff.
- GK is the highest-variance section; static GK + current affairs of the 6 months before the paper carry the bulk.
- Most candidates clear the written but fail SSB — focus on personality + group tasks at least as hard as the written prep.
CDS salary after selection
Approximate starting gross at an X-class (metro) posting. Actual pay depends on post, city, year of joining and prevailing DA.
Lieutenant on commissioning (IMA / OTA) / equivalent in Navy & Air Force
Pay Level 10- Basic pay
- ₹56,100
- Gross monthly
- ₹85,000 – ₹1,00,000+ (after commission, including MSP ₹15,500 + Kit + Transport allowance)
- Perks
- Free accommodation in officer quarters
- Free ration + uniform allowance
- Free medical for self + dependants (lifelong)
- Concessional travel (railway / air)
- Pension under NPS + service pension
- AGIF / CSD canteen access
Source: official ↗ · verified 2026-05.
CDS — Frequently asked questions
Is Shishya free for CDS preparation?
How many CDS practice questions does Shishya have?
Are CDS previous year question papers available?
How long is the CDS exam?
Previous year papers
100 questions across all yearsSome years hold a set of questions from that paper, not the full paper — each card shows how many.
2025
20 of 300 questions
Practise these →2024
20 of 300 questions
Practise these →2023
20 of 300 questions
Practise these →2022
20 of 300 questions
Practise these →2021
20 of 300 questions
Practise these →
Mock tests
All my attempts →Take any mock in your preferred language — use the language picker inside the mock to switch (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, and 15 more).
CDS — Quick Practice
FULL20 questions · 360 min
Start mock →CDS — 2025 (Previous Year)
FULL20 questions · 360 min
Start mock →CDS — 2021 (Previous Year)
FULL20 questions · 360 min
Start mock →CDS — 2024 (Previous Year)
FULL20 questions · 360 min
Start mock →
Practice by subject & topic
Full-length subject tests below — 25 questions each, real exam format, instant scoring. Want to drill a single topic? Every topic has its own 10-question test in the syllabus.
English
63 QsGeneral Knowledge
28 QsElementary Mathematics
29 Qs
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Your rank
vs everyone who has taken this examTake a mock to see where you stand on the leaderboard.
Students
38
Mocks taken
95
Average score
37%
Top score
100%
What can I get from CDS?
Mock-score → expected rank → likely outcome. Use the mocks below to find your current band, then plan how many marks you need to climb.
Exceptional merit — top 1-2%
92–100% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
- •Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun — Mechanised Infantry, Signals, Engineers preference possible
- •Air Force Academy (AFA) Hyderabad — Fighter stream (subject to pilot aptitude and medical)
- •Indian Naval Academy (INA) Ezhimala — Observer branch, submarine specialisation at higher merit
- •National Defence Academy (NDA) equivalent merit — approximately top 200-500 candidates nationally
- •Final selection depends entirely on SSB performance and medical fitness — written exam hurdle cleared decisively
Top tier — preferred choices
82–92% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
- •Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun — Infantry, Armoured Corps, Artillery choice likely
- •Air Force Academy (AFA) Hyderabad — Flying branch with good medical, top merit pool
- •Indian Naval Academy (INA) Ezhimala — Executive branch with submarine/aviation specialisation options
- •Officers Training Academy (OTA) Chennai — Permanent Commission for women (when notified)
- •Strong position post-SSB for final merit list — written exam component secured
Strong merit — all academies
70–82% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
- •Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun — high merit, choice of arms/services possible
- •Air Force Academy (AFA) Hyderabad — Flying branch realistic with medical fitness
- •Indian Naval Academy (INA) Ezhimala — Executive and Technical branches available
- •Officers Training Academy (OTA) Chennai — SSC with preferred service allocation
- •Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry) — if age eligible, approximately 60+ marks in INA section
Competitive SSB call range
55–70% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
- •Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun — reasonable chance for General category
- •Indian Naval Academy (INA) Ezhimala — good prospects across branches
- •Air Force Academy (AFA) Hyderabad — Flying and Ground Duty branches, merit dependent
- •Officers Training Academy (OTA) Chennai — SSC (Short Service Commission) for men and women
- •SSB interview becomes the deciding factor — focus on OLQs (Officer Like Qualities)
SSB eligible — marginal range
35–55% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
- •May qualify for SSB interview depending on category and vacancy
- •Officers Training Academy (OTA) Chennai — possible for OBC/SC/ST candidates
- •Indian Naval Academy (INA) Ezhimala — lower merit pool, subject to vacancies
- •Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun — borderline eligibility, competitive
- •Focus on personality development and SSB preparation alongside academics
Below qualifying threshold
0–35% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
AI-curated from historic cut-off patterns. Always verify with the latest official notification before making decisions.
News & timeline
See older updates →Latest news
UPSC released the CDS 2 2026 notification on 20 May 2026 under Examination Notice No. 11/2026-CDS-II. The written exam is scheduled for 13 September 2026, with applications accepted until 9 June 2026.
UPSC declared the CDS 1 2026 written result on 8 May 2026. A total of 8,826 candidates qualified for SSB interviews for admission to IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA.
UPSC released provisional answer keys for CDS 1 2026 exam on 16 April 2026, covering English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics papers held on 13 April 2026.
UPSC conducted the CDS 1 2026 written examination on 12 April 2026 in three shifts covering English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics papers at various centres across India.
Important dates
CDS 2 2026 notification
passedWed, 20 May, 2026
Examination Notice No. 11/2026-CDS-II with 451 vacancies
CDS 2 2026 application window (closed)
passedTue, 9 Jun, 2026
Applications accepted from 20 May to 9 June 2026
CDS 2 2026 application window closed
passedThu, 11 Jun, 2026
Extended deadline
CDS 2 2026 admit card (expected)
passedThu, 3 Sept, 2026
Expected between 3-4 September 2026, around 10 days before exam
🇮🇳CDS 2 2026 written exam
2 days awaySun, 13 Sept, 2026
Three papers: English (9-11 AM), GK (12:30-2:30 PM), Maths (4-6 PM)
CDS 2 2026 answer key (expected)
6 days awayThu, 17 Sept, 2026
Usually released 4-5 days after exam based on previous cycles
CDS 2 2026 result (expected)
58 days awaySun, 8 Nov, 2026
Usually declared 7-8 weeks after exam based on previous cycles
CDS 1 2027 notification (expected)
90 days awayThu, 10 Dec, 2026
UPSC typically releases CDS 1 notification in early December each year
Syllabus
Tap any topic for its study notes + a 10-question topic test
English
Spotting Errors
Identify the part of a sentence containing a grammatical or usage error — high-frequency CDS topic.
Sentence Improvement
Choose the best alternative for an underlined part of the sentence.
Ordering of Sentences / Para Jumbles
Re-order jumbled sentences to form a coherent paragraph.
Sentence Completion / Fill in the Blanks
Complete sentences with appropriate words or phrases.
Synonyms
Word-meaning questions — closest in meaning to the underlined word.
Antonyms
Word-meaning questions — opposite in meaning to the underlined word.
Idioms and Phrases
Meaning of idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs.
Cloze Test / Comprehension
Fill multiple blanks within a passage; reading comprehension on graduation-level texts.
Reading Comprehension
Passage-based questions on main idea, vocabulary and inference.
Active and Passive Voice
Convert sentences between active and passive voice.
Direct and Indirect Speech
Convert sentences between direct and indirect narration.
Transformation of Sentences
Simple-compound-complex, affirmative-negative, etc.
Spelling Check
Identify the correctly or incorrectly spelt word.
One-Word Substitution
Replace a phrase with a single word that has the same meaning.
General Knowledge
History
Indian history from ancient to modern, with focus on freedom struggle.
Geography
Physical, Indian and world geography.
Indian Polity and Constitution
Constitution, governance and defence-related polity.
Economics
Indian economy, planning and economic policy.
General Science
Science of NCERT Class VIII–X level with defence applications.
Current Affairs
National and international events of the last 12 months.
Static GK
Important days, national symbols, dance forms, classical music, monuments.
Elementary Mathematics
Arithmetic
Number theory, basic operations and applied arithmetic at Class-X level.
Algebra
School-level algebra of polynomials, equations and inequalities.
Trigonometry
Trigonometric ratios, identities and applications to heights and distances.
Geometry
Lines, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals and circles.
Mensuration
Areas, perimeters and volumes of standard 2D and 3D figures.
Statistics
Collection, representation and central tendency of statistical data.