CDS Exam: Pattern, Syllabus, and Paper wise Preparation Strategy and Tips
CDS Exam Preparation Strategy: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) scheduled the CDS(Combined Defence Services) II 2023 exam on September 3, 2023. Kickstart your preparation with the right preparation strategy and crack the CDS exam.
CDS Exam Preparation Strategy: The UPSC released the notification for the CDS(Combined Defence Services) II exam for young aspirants who want to join the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force as officers. In this article, we will discuss the preparation strategy to crack this exam.
CDS Exam: Overview
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam is a national-level exam that is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission two times a year, generally in April and September. This year CDS-II exam will be conducted on September 3, 2023, for admission to the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings for the course commencing on July/October 2024. Here is some basic information about the CDS exam given in the table below.
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CDS Exam Overview |
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Name of Exam |
Combined Defence Services Examination |
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Conducted by |
UPSC |
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Frequency of Exam |
Twice a year(Mostly in April and September) |
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Exam Dates |
September 3, 2023, |
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Exam Level |
National |
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Number Seats |
● Army: 100 ● Navy: 32 ● Air Force: 32 ● Officers’ Training Academy: 185 (including 16 for female candidates) |
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Candidate Appeared |
Around 5 Lakhs |
CDS Exam: Previous Year’s Cutoff
The cutoff marks for the CDS exam vary each year based on many factors such as the difficulty level of the exam, the number of candidates appearing in the exam, etc. Each academy has its cutoff. The given table will give you an approximate idea about the cut-off of the CDS exam.
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Academy |
Range of cutoff Marks at the Written Stage |
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IMA |
135-150 |
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INA |
130-145 |
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AFA |
145-160 |
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OTA(Men) |
95-110 |
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OTA (Female) |
95-110 |
Apart from this overall cutoff you need to score at least 20% marks in each subject.
CDS Exam: Preparation Strategy
If you want to clear the CDS exam, you need to follow a good preparation strategy. Here, we discuss some tips that you must keep in mind while preparing for the CDS exam.
Understand the Exam Pattern and Syllabus
First of all, you should familiarize yourself with the CDS written exam pattern. The CDS exam consists of three papers - English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics for IMA, INA & AFA, and two papers - English and General Knowledge for OTA. The UPSC conducts the CDS exam in offline mode and all the questions are of MCQ in nature. The exam is held in both English and Hindi languages.
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CDS Exam Pattern |
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Exam Pattern |
For IMA, INA, and AFA Paper 1: English Paper 2: General Knowledge Paper 3: Elementary Mathematics For OTA Paper 1: English Paper 2: General Knowledge |
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Mode of Exam |
Offline |
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Type of Questions |
MCQ |
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Number of Questions |
English: 120 Questions General Knowledge: 120 Questions Elementary Mathematics: 100 Questions |
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Time Allotted |
2 hours for each paper |
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Language of Exam |
Hindi and English |
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Maximum Marks |
100 for each paper |
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Negative Marking |
One-third of the marks assigned to each question |
CDS Exam: Syllabus-English
English paper is designed to check the candidate's understanding of English and the use of words. Questions based on grammar rules, vocabulary, and reading comprehension are asked in this paper. The paper has 120 questions for 100 marks. The list of topics that are usually covered in the CDS English syllabus is given below
● Parts of Speech
● Sentence Arrangement
● Idioms and Phrases
● Antonyms
● Synonyms
● Ordering of Sentences
● Completion of Sentence
● Reading Comprehension
CDS Exam: Syllabus-General Knowledge
The purpose of this paper is to check the knowledge of current events, everyday science, History of India, Geography, etc. The level of questions is easy to moderate such that a graduate person should be able to answer them without special study. This paper also has 120 questions for 100 marks. The following list shows a breakdown of the subjects/topics covered in this paper.
● Indian History
● Geography
● Political Science
● Economics
● General Science
● Environment Science
● Current Affairs
● Static GK
CDS Exam: Syllabus-Elementary Mathematics
The elementary mathematics syllabus for the CDS exam includes topics mainly up to class 10. The purpose of this paper is to check the conceptual understanding of the mathematical concepts of the candidates. The elementary mathematics paper has 100 questions for 100 marks. The list of topics that are usually covered in the CDA mathematics syllabus is given below
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Sections |
Topics |
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Arithmetic |
● Number System ● Time and Work ● Percentages ● Applications to Simple and Compound Interest ● Profit and Loss ● Ratio and Proportion ● Variation ● H.C.F. and L.C.M. ● Logarithms |
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Algebra |
● Polynomials ● Quadratic equations ● Linear equation/inequations in two variables ● Sets ● Laws of Indices |
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Trigonometry |
● Trigonometric Ratios ● Trigonometric identities ● Height and Distance |
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Geometry |
● Lines and Angles ● Congruency of Triangles ● Similar Triangles ● Properties of Parallelogram, Rectangle, Square, and Circle ● Loci |
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Mensuration |
● Areas of Plane Figure ● Surface Area and Volume of Cube, Cuboid, Cone, Cylinder, and Spheres |
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Statistics |
● Collection and Tabulation of Data ● Frequency Polygons ● Histograms, Bar Charts, Pie Charts ● Measures of Central Tendency |
You are advised to refer to the official notification for the detailed syllabus.
Create a Study Plan
After analyzing the syllabus, create a study plan that covers all the topics mentioned in the syllabus. The candidates should always keep the following point in mind while creating a study plan.
1. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses and allocate specific time for each subject and topic accordingly.
2. Allocate more time to the challenging topic and less time to areas where you are already proficient.
3. Prioritize the topics based on their weightage and focus more on the topics that carry more marks first.
4. Ensure a balanced approach, giving adequate time to each paper.
Paper-wise Preparation
Apart from the overall strategies you should make the paper-wise strategies as well.
English
The English paper consists of 120 questions for 100 marks. This paper is just to check your understanding of the English language. Here we give you some tips to prepare for this paper.
1. For this section, you are advised to brush up on your grammar rules and practice a lot of questions related to sentence arrangement, ordering of sentences, completion of sentences, error detection, etc.
2. You should enhance your vocabulary to excel in this paper.
3. You need to develop a habit of reading books, newspapers, and magazines to improve your reading comprehension skills.
General Knowledge
This paper consists of 120 questions for 100 marks. The purpose of this paper is to check the general knowledge and understanding of the current events of the candidates. Here we give you some tips to prepare for this paper.
1. Refer to the NCERT books of Science and SST for general science, history, geography, economics, and political science.
2. Focus on important historical events, dates, and prominent personalities.
3. Read newspapers, magazines, and online news portals to stay updated with current affairs, national and international events, sports, politics, and science and technology. Always note down details of important events in a separate notebook.
Elementary Mathematics
The elementary mathematics paper consists of 100 questions for 1300 marks. The questions asked in this paper are mainly up to the class 10 level. Here we give you some tips to prepare for this paper.
1. First of all, build a conceptual understanding of each and every topic of mathematics such as algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, mensuration, and statistics up to class 10.
2. Understand the basic principles and formulas thoroughly.
3. Solve a variety of questions to enhance your problem solving skills.
4. This exam is different from your academic exam and in this exam, you have to solve 100 questions in 2 hours. So, improve your speed and accuracy.
5. Mathematics requires a lot of practice to excel so solve as many questions as you can.
Practice Previous Year’s Papers
Solve previous years' question papers to get an idea about the exam pattern and the types of questions asked in previous years. It will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and also give you a fair idea of important topics.
Take Mock Tests
Regularly take mock tests to get familiar with the actual exam environment. This will help you track your preparation progress, identify weak areas, and improve your time management skills. Analyze your performance after each mock test to identify the topics that require further attention and revise the respective topics.
CDS Exam: Best Books
To crack the CDS exam selection of study material is also very important. Here we are sharing a list of some highly recommended books:
1. Mathematics for CDS R.S. Aggarwal
2. Pathfinder for CDS
3. Objective General English By S.P. Bakshi
4. Lucent GK
5. NCERT books of Science and SST
Remember, you should always maintain a positive mindset and keep yourself motivated throughout the preparation journey. Follow a dedicated and consistent study routine. Good luck with your preparation!