CDS
Graduate-entry route to an officer's commission via the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers' Training Academy (OTA, for Short Service Commission including women).
Eligibility
Graduates only: any degree for IMA and OTA, an engineering degree for INA, and a degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 (or B.E./B.Tech) for AFA. Age bands differ by academy — roughly 19-24 for IMA and INA, 20-24 for AFA and 19-25 for OTA. Most entries require unmarried candidates; women can apply for OTA. There is no attempt limit within the age window.
Age limit: 19-25 years (varies by academy)
Exam pattern
Offline, objective papers held in one day. For IMA, INA and AFA there are three two-hour papers of 100 marks each: English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. OTA aspirants sit only English and General Knowledge (200 marks total). One-third of a question's marks are deducted per wrong answer. Written qualifiers attend the SSB interview — 300 marks for academy entries and 200 for OTA — and final merit combines written and SSB scores.
Syllabus at a glance
English covers grammar, vocabulary, sentence ordering, comprehension and error spotting. General Knowledge mixes current affairs with static history, geography, Indian polity, economics, basic science and defence-specific awareness. Elementary Mathematics is Class 10 level — arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mensuration and statistics — but demands speed.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CDS (II) 2026 e-admit card | Aug 2026 (released) | confirmed |
| CDS (II) 2026 written exam | 13 Sept 2026 | confirmed |
| CDS (II) 2026 written result | Oct-Nov 2026 (expected) | expected |
| CDS (I) 2027 notification and application window | Dec 2026 (expected) | expected |
| CDS (I) 2027 written exam | Apr 2027 (expected) | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Pathfinder CDS — Arihant Experts
- Mathematics for CDS — R.S. Aggarwal
- Objective General English — S.P. Bakshi
- Word Power Made Easy — Norman Lewis
- General Knowledge — Lucent Publications
- Manorama Yearbook (current edition)
How toppers play it
- English is the most score-rich paper — drill sentence ordering, idioms and vocabulary from past papers; toppers bank 70+ here.
- Elementary Mathematics is Class 10 level but time-pressured; OTA aspirants skip it entirely, so confirm which papers your entry needs before planning.
- Cover 12 months of current affairs plus defence-specific GK (exercises, ranks, missiles) — CDS GK leans harder on defence news than other exams.
- With one-third negative marking and aggregate (not sectional) cutoffs, maximise your strongest paper rather than spreading attempts thinly.
- Book your SSB preparation early — written marks and SSB marks carry comparable weight in the final merit list, and medicals eliminate many late.