UPSC recently released the notification for the CDS examination-I for recruitment of the candidates into defense services.

CDS Exam (Combined Defence Service) is conducted by Union Public Service Commission twice a year to recruit for the posts of Commissioned Officers in the Navy, Air Force, and Indian Army. CDS I 2024 Result of the written test has been declared on February 2024, in offline mode. For CDS II 2024 preparation, candidates can download previous years’ papers of the CDS exam for better preparation. 

All the appeared candidates are advised to check the result on the official website of UPSC. A total of 6,552 candidates have been shortlisted for SSB interviews. Get the CDS Latest news right here. 

Highlights of CDS 2024

Particulars	Details
Name of exam	Combined Defence Services Examination
The organisation conducting the CDS Exam 2024	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam level of CDS 2024	National
Exam frequency of CDS 2024	Twice a year
Exam mode of CDS 2024	Online
Duration of CDS 2024	Two hours
Language of question paper of CDS Exam 2024	English and Hindi
Application Fee of CDS 2024	INR 200/-
CDS 2024 Exam Purpose	To select candidates as Commissioned Officers in Indian Army, Navy and Air Force
Vacancies in the CDS 2024 Exam	CDS I: 345 CDS II: 344
No of the test cities	41
Official Website of CDS 2024	upsc.gov.in

Vacancy in CDS Exam 2024

Here are the details of the post-wise number of vacancies of both CDS I and CDS II

Name of the Course	No. of Vacancies
Indian Military Academy, Dehradun 154th (DE) Course commencing in January 2024 [including 13 vacancies reserved for NCC `C’ Certificate (Army Wing) holders]	100
Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala—Course        commencing in January 2024 Executive Branch (General Service)/Hydro [including 03 vacancies for NCC ‘C’ Certificate (Naval Wing through NCC Special Entry ) holders ]	22
Air Force Academy, Hyderabad—(Pre-Flying) Training Course commencing in January 2024 i.e. No. 213 F(P) Course [including 03 vacancies are reserved for NCC `C’ Certificate (Air Wing) holders through NCC Spl. Entry]	32
Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras)— 117th SSC (Men) (NT) (UPSC) Course commencing in April 2024	170
Officers Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) 31st SSC Women (NT) (UPSC) Course commencing in April 2024	17
Total	341

Eligibility Criteria of CDS Exam 2024

Before applying for the CDS Exam, all applicants must examine the CDS eligibility requirements. Check out the following content to learn more:

Nationality

The candidate must be unmarried and a Citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India

Age Limit for CDS Exam 2024

Department	Age
Indian Military Academy	Should not be born before 2nd Jul 1997 and should not be born later than July 01, 2002.
Indian Naval Academy	Should not be born before 2nd Jul 1997 and should not be born later than July 01, 2002
Indian Air Force Academy	Should not be born before 2nd Jul 1997 and should not be born later than July 01, 2001
Officers’ Training Academy	Should not be born before 2nd Jul 1996 and should not be born later than July 01, 2002
Officers’ Training Academy— (SSC Women Non-Technical Course)	Should not be born before 2nd Jul 1996 and should not be born later than July 01, 2002

Gender Requirements for CDS Exam 2024 Posts

Department	Gender	Status
Indian Military Academy	Male	Unmarried
Indian Naval Academy	Male	Unmarried
Indian Air Force Academy	Male	Unmarried
Officer Training Academy	Male	Married/Unmarried
Officer Training Academy	Female	Unmarried

Educational Qualification for CDS Exam 2024

Education qualification for the CDS 2024 exam would be different for numerous designations:

Posts	Educational Eligibility Criteria
IMA	Graduate from Recognized University
INA	Engineering Degree from Recognized University
AFA	Engineering Degree (Physics & Maths at 10+2) or B. Tech from Recognized University
OTA	Graduate from Recognized University

Physical Standards for Recruitment

The following are the physical standards for recruitment for CDS examination-

Height and Weight Requirement for CDS Recruitment (ARMY)

Age (yrs)	Minimum weight for all ages	Age: 17 to 20 yrs	Age: 20+01 day – 30 yrs	Age: 30 + 01 day – 40 yrs	Age: Above 40 yrs
Height (cm)	Weight (Kg)	Weight (Kg)	Weight (Kg)	Weight (Kg)	Weight (Kg)
140	35.3	43.1	45.1	47.0	49.0
141	35.8	43.7	45.7	47.7	49.7
142	36.3	44.4	46.4	48.4	50.4
143	36.8	45.0	47.0	49.1	51.1
144	37.3	45.6	47.7	49.8	51.8
145	37.8	46.3	48.4	50.5	52.6
146	38.4	46.9	49.0	51.2	53.3
147	38.9	47.5	49.7	51.9	54.0
148	39.4	48.2	50.4	52.6	54.8
149	40.0	48.8	51.1	53.3	55.5
150	40.5	49.5	51.8	54.0	56.3
151	41.0	50.2	52.4	54.7	57.0
152	41.6	50.8	53.1	55.4	57.8
153	42.1	51.5	53.8	56.2	58.5
154	42.7	52.2	54.5	56.9	59.3
155	43.2	52.9	55.3	57.7	60.1
156	43.8	53.5	56.0	58.4	60.8
157	44.4	54.2	56.7	59.2	61.6
158	44.9	54.9	57.4	59.9	62.4
159	45.5	55.6	58.1	60.7	63.2
160	46.1	56.3	58.9	61.4	64.0
161	46.7	57.0	59.6	62.2	64.8
162	47.2	57.7	60.4	63.0	65.6
163	47.8	58.5	61.1	63.8	66.4
164	48.4	59.2	61.9	64.6	67.2
165	49.0	59.9	62.6	65.3	68.1
166	49.6	60.6	63.4	66.1	68.9
167	50.2	61.4	64.1	66.9	69.7
168	50.8	62.1	64.9	67.7	70.6
169	51.4	62.8	65.7	68.5	71.4
170	52.0	63.6	66.5	69.4	72.3
171	52.6	64.3	67.3	70.2	73.1
172	53.3	65.1	68.0	71.0	74.0
173	53.9	65.8	68.8	71.8	74.8
174	54.5	66.6	69.6	72.7	75.7
175	55.1	67.4	70.4	73.5	76.6
176	55.8	68.1	71.2	74.3	77.4
177	56.4	68.9	72.1	75.2	78.3
178	57.0	69.7	72.9	76.0	79.2
179	57.7	70.5	73.7	76.9	80.1
180	58.3	71.3	74.5	77.8	81.0
181	59.0	72.1	75.4	78.6	81.9
182	59.6	72.9	76.2	79.5	82.8
183	60.3	73.7	77.0	80.4	83.7
184	60.9	74.5	77.9	81.3	84.6
185	61.6	75.3	78.7	82.1	85.6
186	62.3	76.1	79.6	83.0	86.5
187	62.9	76.9	80.4	83.9	87.4
188	63.6	77.8	81.3	84.8	88.4
189	64.3	78.6	82.2	85.7	89.3
190	65.0	79.4	83.0	86.6	90.3
191	65.7	80.3	83.9	87.6	91.2
192	66.4	81.1	84.8	88.5	92.2
193	67.0	81.9	85.7	89.4	93.1
194	67.7	82.8	86.6	90.3	94.1
195	68.4	83.7	87.5	91.3	95.1
196	69.1	84.5	88.4	92.2	96.0
197	69.9	85.4	89.3	93.1	97.0
198	70.6	86.2	90.2	94.1	98.0
199	71.3	87.1	91.1	95.0	99.0
200	72.0	88.0	92.0	96.0	100.0
201	72.7	88.9	92.9	97.0	101.0
202	73.4	89.8	93.8	97.9	102.0
203	74.2	90.7	94.8	98.9	103.0
204	74.9	91.6	95.7	99.9	104.0
205	75.6	92.5	96.7	100.9	105.1
206	76.4	93.4	97.6	101.8	106.1
207	77.1	94.3	98.6	102.8	107.1
208	77.9	95.2	99.5	103.8	108.2
209	78.6	96.1	100.5	104.8	109.2
210	79.4	97.0	101.4	105.8	110.3

Eyesight (ARMY)

Parameter	Standards : 10+2 entries, NDA(Army), TES and equivalent	Graduate & equivalent entries: CDSE, IMA, OTA, UES, NCC,TGC & equivalent	Post graduate & equivalent entries: JAG, AEC , APS, RVC,TA, AMC, ADC, SL & equivalent
Uncorrected vision(max allowed)	6/36 & 6/36	6/60 &6/60	3/60 & 3/60
BCVA	Rt 6/6 & Lt 6/6	Rt 6/6 & Lt 6/6	Rt 6/6 & Lt 6/6
Myopia	< -2.5 D Sph ( including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl)	< -3.50 D Sph ( including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl)	< -5.50 D Sph (including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl)
Hypermetropia	<+2.5 D Sph, ( including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl)	<+3.50 DSph ( including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl)	<+3.50 D Sph (including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl)
Lasik/equivalent surgery	Not permitted	Permitted *	Permitted*
Colour perception	CP-II	CP-II	CP-II

Height & Weight Requirement for CDS Recruitment (NAVY)

Heigh t in Mtrs	Up to 17 yrs		17 yrs + 1 day to 18 yrs		18 yrs + 1 day to 20 yrs		20 yrs + 1 day to 30 yrs		Above 30 yrs
	Mini mum Weight in Kg	Maximum Weight in Kg	Mini mum Weig ht in Kg	Maximum Weight in Kg	Mini mum Weig ht in Kg	Maxi mum Weig ht in Kg	Minimum Weight in Kg	Maximum Weight in Kg	Mini mum Weig ht in Kg	Maximum Weight in Kg
1.47	37	45	40	45	40	48	40	50	40	52
1.48	37	46	41	46	41	48	41	50	41	53
1.49	38	47	41	47	41	49	41	51	41	53
1.5	38	47	42	47	42	50	42	52	42	54
1.51	39	48	42	48	42	50	42	52	42	55
1.52	39	49	43	49	43	51	43	53	43	55
1.53	40	49	43	49	43	51	43	54	43	56
1.54	40	50	44	50	44	52	44	55	44	57
1.55	41	50	44	50	44	53	44	55	44	58
1.56	41	51	45	51	45	54	45	56	45	58
1.57	42	52	46	52	46	54	46	57	46	59
1.58	42	52	46	52	46	55	46	57	46	60
1.59	43	53	47	53	47	56	47	58	47	61
1.6	44	54	47	54	47	56	47	59	47	61
1.61	44	54	48	54	48	57	48	60	48	62
1.62	45	55	49	55	49	58	49	60	49	63
1.63	45	56	49	56	49	58	49	61	49	64
1.64	46	56	50	56	50	59	50	62	50	65
1.65	46	57	50	57	50	60	50	63	50	65
1.66	47	58	51	58	51	61	51	63	51	66
1.67	47	59	52	59	52	61	52	64	52	67
1.68	48	59	52	59	52	62	52	65	52	68
1.69	49	60	53	60	53	63	53	66	53	69
1.7	49	61	53	61	53	64	53	66	53	69
1.71	50	61	54	61	54	64	54	67	54	70
1.72	50	62	55	62	55	65	55	68	55	71
1.73	51	63	55	63	55	66	55	69	55	72
1.74	51	64	56	64	56	67	56	70	56	73
1.75	52	64	57	64	57	67	57	70	57	74
1.76	53	65	57	65	57	68	57	71	57	74
1.77	53	66	58	66	58	69	58	72	58	75
1.78	54	67	59	67	59	70	59	73	59	76
1.79	54	67	59	67	59	70	59	74	59	77
1.8	55	68	60	68	60	71	60	75	60	78
1.81	56	69	61	69	61	72	61	75	61	79
1.82	56	70	61	70	61	73	61	76	61	79
1.83	57	70	62	70	62	74	62	77	62	80
1.84	58	71	63	71	63	74	63	78	63	81
1.85	58	72	63	72	63	75	63	79	63	82
1.86	59	73	64	73	64	76	64	80	64	83
1.87	59	73	65	73	65	77	65	80	65	84
1.88	60	74	65	74	65	78	65	81	65	85
1.89	61	75	66	75	66	79	66	82	66	86
1.9	61	76	67	76	67	79	67	83	67	87
1.91	62	77	67	77	67	80	67	84	67	88

Eyesight (NAVY)

Visual standards for NDA/ NA entry are as follows:-

Criteria	NDA/ NA
Uncorrected Vision	6/66/9
Corrected Vision	6/6       6/6
Limits of Myopia	– 0.75 D Sph
Limits of Hypermetropia	+ 1.5 D Cyl
Astigmatism (within limits of myopia and hypermetropia)	+ 0.75 D Sph / Cyl
Binocular Vision	III
Colour Perception	I

Height, Sitting Height, Leg Length and Thigh Length (AIRFORCE)

The Minimum height for Flying Branch will be 162.5 cm. Acceptable measurements of leg length, thigh length, and sitting height for such aircrew are as follows-

(a)           Sitting height	Minimum Maximum	81.5 cm 96.0 cm
(b)           Leg Length	Minimum Maximum	99.0 cm   120.0 cm
(c)           Thigh Length	Maximum	64.0 cm

Weight and Height Standards for CDS recruitment (AIRFORCE)

Height in cm	Age Range (Years)
	15-17	18-22	23-27	28-32	33-37
152	46	47	50	54	54
153	47	47	51	55	55
154	47	48	51	56	56
155	48	49	52	56	56
156	48	49	53	57	57
157	49	50	54	58	58
158	49	50	54	58	58
159	50	51	55	59	59
160	51	52	56	59	60
161	51	52	56	60	60
162	52	53	57	61	61
163	52	54	58	61	62
164	53	54	59	62	63
165	53	55	59	63	63
166	54	56	60	63	64
167	54	56	61	64	65
168	55	57	61	65	65
169	55	57	62	65	66
170	56	58	63	66	67
171	56	59	64	66	68
172	57	59	64	67	68
173	58	60	65	68	69
174	58	61	66	68	70
175	59	61	66	69	71
176	59	62	67	70	71
177	60	62	68	70	72
178	60	63	69	71	73
179	61	64	69	72	73
180	61	64	70	72	74
181	62	65	71	73	75
182	62	66	72	74	76
183	63	66	72	74	76
184	64	67	73	75	77
185	64	68	74	75	78
186	65	68	74	76	78
187	65	69	75	77	79
188	66	69	76	77	80
189	66	70	77	78	81
190	67	71	77	79	81
191	67	71	78	79	82
192	68	72	79	80	82
193	68	73	79	81	83
SD	6.0	6.3	7.1	6.6	6.9

Exam Dates of CDS 2024

Here are the important dates of the CDS exam: 

Events	CDS I 2024 Dates	CDS II 2024 Dates
Release of Notification	20 December 2023	15 May 2024
Starting of Application Process	20 December 2023 – 09 January 2024	15 May 2024 – 04 June 2024
Admit Card	3 weeks before the examination	3 weeks before the examination
Exam Date	21 April 2024	1 September 2024
CDS 2024 Result	To be notified	To be notified
SSB Interview	To be notified	To be notified

Online Application Form for CDS Exam 2024

The online CDS application form for the CDS II test is planned to be issued in August 2024. Only online applications will be considered. The application process for the CDS 2024 Exam is as follows:

How can I register for the CDS Exam in 2024?

Go to the UPSC official website and click on ‘Online Application for Various UPSC Examinations.

When the page loads, candidates must select the Part I option to access the Combined Defence Services Examination (2).

Applicants are advised to read the guidelines from PART I before clicking the “Yes” button.

After that, you’ll be able to see the application form on the screen.

Aspirants must now fill up their contact information and personal information.

Applicants should select their preferred academics based on their age and notification.

Your Registration ID will be produced in the following steps.

Once you’ve completed your Part I form, you’ll need to start filling out your Part II Application form.

After that, you must pay the application fees in order to finish the Application Form Filling Process.

Once you’ve completed the payment process, you’ll be able to select your preferred examination centre.

• Now you must upload a scanned copy of your signature and a photograph in the file size and dimensions specified.
• You must then pick the ‘Submit’ option in the following step.
• It is recommended that you print the application form for future reference.
• CDS Exam 2024 Application Fees.
• The CDS II application form costs INR 200 for students in the General category.
• However, applicants from reserved categories, such as SC/ST/Females, are exempt from paying application fees.
• Candidates can pay their application costs in two ways: online or offline.
• For the online payment process, applicants can use a Mastercard/Debit Card or Net Banking to complete the transaction.
• Applicants must deposit cash at any SBI Bank branch to complete the offline payment process.

Admit Card of CDS Exam 2024

On the official website, the CDS admission card is already available. Applicants are advised to visit https://upsconline.nic.in/ to obtain their admit cards. Candidates must submit their Roll No. and Registration Number in order to check in to their account. Here is the direct link to the CDS Exam 2024 Admit Card.

Before you download the admission card, double-check that the provided information on the admit card is correct. If there is any discrepancy, the applicants will not be allowed to sit for the exam. Remember to bring your admit card to the exam centre; otherwise, you will not be permitted to enter the exam room.

 Exam Centres of CDS Exam 2024

Applicants must select an exam center from the list of CDS 2024 exam centers that best suits their needs. During the CDS 2024 Application Process, applicants must state their preferences. The following table lists all CDS 2024 Exam Centres in India:

Agartala	Ghaziabad	Panaji (Goa)
Agra	Gorakhpur	Patna
Ajmer	Gurgaon	Port Blair
Ahmedabad	Gwalior	Prayagraj (Allahabad)
Aizawl	Hyderabad	Puducherry
Aligarh	Imphal	Pune
Almora (Uttarakhand)	Indore	Raipur
Anantpur (Andhra Pradesh)	Itanagar	Rajkot
Aurangabad	Jabalpur	Ranchi
Bengaluru	Jaipur	Sambalpur
Bareilly	Jammu	Shillong
Bhopal	Jodhpur	Shimla
Bilaspur	Jorhat	Siligudi
Chandigarh	Kochi	Srinagar
Chennai	Kohima	Srinagar (Uttarakhand)
Coimbatore	Kolkata	Thane
Cuttack	Kozhikode (Calicut)	Thiruvananthapuram
Dehradun	Leh	Tiruchirapalli
Delhi	Lucknow	Tirupati
Dharwad	Ludhiana	Udaipur
Dispur	Madurai	Varanasi
Faridabad	Mumbai	Vellore
Gangtok	Mysore	Vijayawada
Gaya	Nagpur	Vishakhapatnam
Gautam Buddh Nagar	Navi Mumbai	Warangal

Exam Pattern of CDS Exam 2024

The CDS 2024 Exam Pattern is divided into two sections:

• Written test and Practical test.

• Personality and Intelligence Interview

Both the Officer Training Academy and the Indian Military/Indian Air Force/Indian Naval Academy have different exam patterns.

Exam Pattern for INA, IMA, and IAF CDS

The Indian Air Force, Indian Naval Academy, and Indian Military Academy exams are made up of three papers with a total score of 300 points.

Subjects	Marks	Duration
English	100	2 hours
General Knowledge	100	2 hours
Elementary Mathematics	100	2 hours

CDS 2024 Exam Pattern for Officers Training Academy (OTA)

Officer Training Academy will be divided into two disciplines, with a total exam score of 200. The examination will last four hours in total.

Subjects	Marks	Duration
English	100	2 hours
General Knowledge	100	2 hours

Syllabus of CDS Exam 2024

Before preparing for the exam, applicants should familiarise themselves with the CDS Exam 2024 syllabus:

General Knowledge

• Biology
• Current affairs
• Geography
• History
• Physics
• Political Science

English

• Antonyms
• Basic Grammar
• Comprehension Solving
• Error Spotting
• Para Jumbles
• Synonyms

Elementary Math

• Euclidean algorithm
• Geometry
• HCF and LCM
• Integers
• Logarithms
• Mensuration
• Natural numbers
• Percentages
• Prime and composite numbers
• Profit & loss
• Ratio & proportion
• Rational and Real numbers
• Simple and compound interest
• Statistics
• Time & distance
• Time & work
• Trigonometry

Selection Process of CDS Exam 2024

The CDS Exam 2024 Selection Process is divided into four stages, as follows:

• MCQ

• Oral SSC Interview/Personality Test

• Verification of documents

• Medical Check-Up

The merit list will be compiled based on the applicants’ performance in the written test and the SSB interview.

Result and Cut Off of CDS Exam 2024

On the official website, the CDS Exam 2024 Result will be announced. If aspirants pass all levels of the CDS test, they would be eligible for recruitment into one of the Indian Defense Services. The Cut Off, on the other hand, is the minimal qualifying score that must be obtained in order to sit for the next level exam. With the CDS Result, the CDS Cutoff score is provided separately.

Salary & Allowances for CDS Exam 2024

A lieutenant will be paid INR 56,100 – 1,77,500 per month after being selected. Applicants are paid a set stipend of INR 56,100 per month during the training term. Officers in the ranks of Lieutenant to Brigadier receive a monthly Military Service Pay of INR 15,500. Check out the CDS Salary Structure and Other Benefits.

Qualification Grant, Flying Allowance, Dearness Allowance, Kit Maintenance Allowance, Field Area Allowance, High Altitude Allowance, Siachen Allowance, Uniform Allowance, and other allowances would be available to candidates in addition to the wage.

FAQ