CDS (Common Defence Services) is common entrance exam for Graduate Male and Female Candidates to join Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA). Our vision is to be the best CDS coaching in India base at Dehradun.

CDS is conducted twice a year at the national level by the Union Public Service Commission to select its officers for the above-mentioned courses. After CDS exam, students who qualify for this written exam get a call letter for an SSB interview. The successful students after SSB undergo medical test and then the final merit list is made on the basis of their written, interview and medical test. For Flying Branch, there is another test PABT which is part of SSB. PABT stands for Pilot Aptitude Battery Test.

Women candidates are eligible to join the Officers Training Academy (OTA) as Short Service Commission (SSC). It is one of the entries in defence for Women candidates.

Also, there are seats reserved for candidates having NCC ‘C’ Certificate.

Once the Candidate is recommended for commission then he/she is given appropriate training in the respective academies. Post completion of the training the cadets are entitled and join the services as Sub Lieutenant

What is the Eligibility of appearing for CDS?

CRITERIA	Indian Military Academy	Indian Naval Academy	Indian Air Force	Officers Training Academy (Men)	Officers Training Academy (Women)
Age	19-24 Years as on Commencement Date of Course (generally 01 Jan / 01 July)	19-24 Years as on Commencement Date of Course (generally 01 Jan / 01 July)	19-24 Years as on Commencement Date of Course (generally 01 Jan / 01 July) Upper age limit for candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxable up to 26 yrs	19-25 Years as on Commencement Date of Course (generally 01 Jan / 01 July)	19-25 Years as on Commencement Date of Course (generally 01 Jan / 01 July). Issueless Divorcees and Issueless Widows who have not remarried are eligible.
Gender	Men	Men	Men	Men	Women are allowed for only Short Service Commission Entry
Educational Qualification	Graduation Degree from a recognized university	Degree in Engineering from recognized University	Graduation Degree from a recognized university with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level or Bachelor of Engineering	Graduation Degree from a recognized university	Graduation Degree from a recognized university
Height and Weight	Minimum height: 152 cms, Minimum Weight : 44 (at age of 18)	Minimum height: 152 cms, Minimum Weight : 44 (at age of 18)	Minimum height: 162.5 cms, Minimum Weight: 44 (at age of 18) Leg Length: 99 cms, max 120 cms; Thigh Length: 64 cms; Sitting Height: 81.5cms, Max 96 cms	Minimum height : 152 cms, Minimum Weight: 44 (at age of 18)	Minimum height: 148 cms, Minimum Weight : 39 (at age of 20)

What is NCC Special Entry Eligibility?

NCC Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ certificate acquired on or after June is mandatory. Candidates should have mandatorily passed with a minimum of 60% marks each in Maths and Physics at 10+2.

What is the Process of Examination / Selection?

The CDS entry involves the Written Exam, SSB, Medical and then the final merit list is made for the recommended candidates.

Phase 1. Written Exam is a common entrance exam for all candidates opting for a different branch, which comprises of 300 Questions of 1 Marks each. A negative marking of 0.33 mark is also there for every wrong answer.

For candidates appearing for the OTA exam, the total questions are 200 of 1 Marks each. A negative marking of 0.33 mark is also there for every wrong answer.

Phase 2. The qualified candidates of the written exam are then called for the SSB process at the Service Selection Board Centers. SSB is an extensive 5-day process that comprises of Screening Test, GTO, Individual Test, and Interview.

Phase 3. Those candidates who qualify for the SSB process are then called for Medical Examination by Service Selection Board.

Phase 4. The Final Merit is prepared on the basis of the Written Exam, SSB Interview and Medical Test.

What is Application Fees for the CDS Exam?

CDS	200/-
Female / SC / ST	NIL

When is the CDS Form available and other important dates?

Important Dates	CDS – I	CDS - II
Application Date	October-November	June-July
Exam Date	February	September
Result announcement	April	November
SSB Process	May – June	December - January
Commission Begins	January	July

What is Tentative Vacancies in CDS Entry?

Type of Entry / Branch	PC / SSC	NCC Holder
Indian Military Academy	87 (PC)	13
Indian Naval Academy	39 (PC)	6
Indian Air Force	29 (PC)	3
Officers Training Academy (Men)	171 for Men (SSC) 04 for Men (JAG)	50
Officers Training Academy (Women) – Non Technical	15	NA
Total	345	72

What is the Mode of Written Exam?

CDS Exam is held in ONLINE mode at the authorized Examination Centers available in 40 Cities across India. We will help you to succeed in CDS -2021 exams with best CDS coaching environment in Dehradun with full SSB ground.

What is the Pattern of CDS Exam?

CDS Exam takes entry to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air force Academy and also to Officers Training Academy. The Written exam for IMA, INA and AFA have also three sections i.e Mathematics, English and GK, whereas written exam for OTA has only English and GK Sections

The written Exam format for admission to IMA, INA, AFA is as below:

Subject	Duration	Marks
English	2 Hours	100
General Knowledge	2 hours	100
Elementary Mathematics	2 Hours	100
Total	6 Hours	300 Marks

The written Exam format for admission to OTA is as below:

Subject	Duration	Marks
English	2 Hours	100
General Knowledge	2 hours	100
Total	4 Hours	200 Marks

What is the Syllabus for CDS?

Subject	Topics
English (Verbal Ability)	Comprehension, Close Test, Error Detection, Idioms and Phrases, Sentence Completion, Synonyms, Antonyms and Testing of Vocabulary. The question paper will be designed to test the candidates’ understanding of English and workmanlike use of words.
Maths (Numerical Ability)	ARITHMETIC 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. Multiples and factors. Factorisation Theorem. H.C.F. and L.C.M. Euclidean algorithm. Logarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms, use of logarithmic tables. 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.
General Awareness	General Knowledge including knowledge of current events and of such matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. The paper will also include questions on History of India and Geography of a nature which candidate should be able to answer without special study.

What is the Type of Commission?

CDS gives Officer an Opportunity to join Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Airforce in two commissions as under:

Permanent Commission (PC) – This commission is only for Men and only for Ground Duty Branch. In this type of commission, the Officer will serve the Indian Air Force till the age of superannuation as per branch and rank.

Short Service Commission (SSC) – This commission is for both Men and Women. The engagement period for Flying Branch SSC Officer is 14 Years from the date of Commission (which is non-extendable).

The Engagement period for Ground Duty Branch is 10 Years from the date of commencement. An extension of 4 Years may be granted subject to willingness, suitability, service requirement and availability of vacancies.

What is the Process of SSB for CDS?

5 Days Procedure of SSB Interview

Day 1: This is the screening day in SSB and you are generally asked to report early morning by 6:45 AM – 7 AM at the railway station. You will board in an SSB bus to reach the selection center.

First, you will be welcomed at the SSB by a senior officer and briefed about the rules and regulations, later you will be asked to fill in some forms followed by a quick breakfast but we suggest to have your breakfast prior to that because the testing will be a long process.

Once the paper formalities are done, you will be facing the first test of the SSB interview and that is Officer Intelligence Rating Test (OIR).

After which Picture Perception and Description Test (PPDT) is conducted.

Based on the strength, the results are announced by afternoon and the selected candidates go to the testing room again for the document verification. The remaining candidates are dropped back to the railway station. The document checks followed for the selected candidates immediately and if you have an issue with documents and you are not eligible for the entry, you will be sent back too or asked to report later in a different batch with complete documents.

Once the document verification is done, all the successful candidates will be facing a long psychological test till night.

Day 2, 3 and 4: Your interview and GTO tests might fall on any of these days. Generally, you get one free day in SSB. Some of you might have your GTO/Interview on the last day also. Some may have GTO/Interview on the same day but the timings won’t clash for the two. You might go directly from GTO for the interview. You are required to carry the folder and all certificates, academics and extra-curricular to the interview, make sure whatever you claim in your PIQ form, you must have proper certificates to verify that, you cannot simply say that you left the certificates at home. The interview is generally a 30 minutes-60 minutes procedure. You’ll be informed well in advance through a notice placed on the notice board about the schedule of your tests.

Day 5: This is the conference day. Some may have their interview/GTO scheduled before the conference also. A conference is a place where you get to see all the board members in the uniform. Your result is discussed there. You are called in the conference hall and the process is of hardly a minute, it may stretch for borderline cases. After the conference your results are announced, it’s lunchtime by now. Those who make through are asked to stay back for the remaining formalities and others are taken back to the railway's station.

Air Force Candidates Only: Flying candidates will go for Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS) and Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT) tests.

Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS) will replace the old PABT test and instruments that were in use for decades. Though there is no clear confirmation till now as to when CPSS test will replace the PABT test completely.

Like PABT test, the candidate will get only one chance to clear the CPSS test, if failed, would never be eligible for flying in the armed forces, be it Air force, army, navy or coast guard. Aspirants will get only one chance to take the test under the Computerized Pilot Selection System. CPSS places special emphasis on psychomotor skills and cognitive abilities of aspirants. It ensures objectivity in results. The system will be used to screen pilots for IAF, Army, Navy and the Coast Guard.

It has 2 parts.

1. 1st there will be an MCQ test. They will first give you instructions how to read 6 kinds of dials present in an aircraft, based on that there will be a number of MCQ tests which include dial reading questions along with IQ, pattern matching, basic maths, tests (around 15 small quizzes in total). It is fairly simple and anyone with basic school level physics knowledge will clear it.
2. After the 1st test you will be made to sit in a CPSS machine which is like a cockpit with a joystick, pedals and a lever (like in an aircraft) with a screen in front of you. You will be made to play a number of games similar to a video game with joystick and you have to get a certain score in all games combined to clear this test. Anyone who drives or has played videogames can clear this one easily. You just need hand leg coordination. You get 3 chances in each game and your best score is taken out of the 3, so if you mess up in the 1st attempt you can make up for it in the other 2 attempts

The CPSS test is simple. Elaborate instructions are given before commencement of both these test so there will be no confusion. So dont worry, you should focus more on the SSB part as that is the main challenge.

Medical: In SSB the medical may not take place immediately after the selection. You will be given a date for the medical.

What is the Training Period after Final recommendation?

Indian Military Academy: Candidates finally selected will undergo a course of training for about 18 months. Candidates will be enrolled under the Army Act as Gentlemen cadets.

Indian Naval Academy: Meritorious candidates who are medically fit are appointed to the 45 vacancies in the order of merit. Six of these 45 vacancies are reserved for Naval NCC "C' Certificate holding candidates under the NCC Special Entry Scheme. The cadets shall be commissioned in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant after successful completion of approximately 18 months of training.

The candidates shall remain under probation till completion of initial training which is as follows:-

(a) Naval Orientation Course at INA, Ezhimala - 44 weeks

(b) Officers Sea Training at Training Ship                                                                                - 06 months

(c) Sub-Lieutenant Afloat training                                                                                             - 06 months

(d) Sub-Lieutenant (Technical course) Afloat attachment for the award of - 32 weeks

1. e) Full Naval watch-keeping Certificate - 06-09 months

Indian Airforce Academy: Candidates finally selected will undergo a course of training for about 74 weeks.

Officers Training Academy: Selected candidates will be enrolled as Gentleman/Lady Cadets and will undergo a course of training at the Officers’ Academy for an approximate period of 49 Weeks. On successful completion of training Gentleman/Lady Cadets are granted Short Service Commission in the rank of Lt. From the date of successful completion of training. The University of Madras will award "Post Graduate Diploma in Defence Management and Strategic Studies" to all cadets who successfully complete Pre-commissioning training at Officers Training Academy, Chennai.

What is the Pay scale of CDS Officers?

Stipend to Gentlemen Cadets during the entire duration of training in Service Academies i.e. during the training period at IMA is INR 56100/- per month

What is Doon IDA Fees Structure and Programme Duration?

Course Name	Duration	Tuition Fees	Admission Fees	Study Material	Online Tests	SSB Prep
Alpha	4 Months	22000	500	Yes	Yes	Sat & Sun
Bravo	6 Months	28000	500	Yes	Yes	Sat & Sun
Charlie	1 Year	36000	500	Yes	Yes	Sat & Sun + 30 Day Programme

# Above Fees is inclusive of GST

^ All students will get a Bag, Dress Set, and T-shirt/accessories

$ Fee Concession of Rs. 5,000/-  for Serving Soldiers and Wards of Ex-Servicemen or Retired Defence, Para Military Forces and Police Forces & Students of Sainik / Military Schools.

$$ Fee Concession of 50% for Wards of Martyrs of Armed Forces.

$$$ Fee Concession of 10% for Female Candidates

Do you have any other Question related to CDS? (Please write below, our team will reply within 24 hours)

CDS – Our Methodology

COMPREHENSIVE 4/6 MONTHS COURSE:

The duration of the Course term is 4 or 6 months, depends on the candidate understanding level. We at Doon IDA strive hard to deliver the best all round development of the candidate. Primarily we focus on the Written Exam preparation but also regularly include personality development sessions.

The Entire Days Schedule for the aspirants is as below:

For OTA candidates, the Classes will start from 11:00am onwards

DAILY TIMINGS: Classes are held from Monday to Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM (with breaks for Lunch).

The last Sunday in the month is reserved for an Adventure Trip / Educational Trip / Defence Academy Trip, which would be communicated to the students 2 weeks prior to the Schedule.

Some Exclusive Features of our Classroom Program at Doon Indian Defence Academy

1. Exhaustive and Small Classroom: With 150+ classroom sessions and 300+ study hours covering all aspects and entire syllabus of the examination as prescribed in the notification of CDS. We at Doon IDA believe in the individual attention of the students, for which our single classroom size is not more than 50 students.
2. Comprehensive Study Material: With 9 books covering the various subjects, Question banks and practice sets of each subject, ready reference notes for important topics, all extensively researched and prepared after an analysis of previous years’ exam patterns. Our
3.  Revision and Doubt clearing: 100+ worksheets and practice sets help students’ asses their own progress. Previous years question papers are also covered. Doubt clearing sessions are held to answer all queries of students.
4. Regular Testing: Weekly (Sunday) practice tests of each subject to prepare students for upcoming competition and provide them with vital self-assessment tools. Mock tests are also held to prepare the student for CDS exam.
5. Online Test Series: Keeping in view the pattern of the CDS exam, we have designed Online test series for our students, which he/she can practice through Desktop/Laptop or even Mobile Phones.
6. Extensive coverage of current affairs: Special weekly updates on defence-related news, and latest developments, events and people in news. General Knowledge is taken up thoroughly on Saturdays.
7. Clean and Hygenic Hostel Facility: We provide the best in class double/triple sharing hostel facility with a hygienic and homely atmosphere. We do not compromise on the food quality, as we understand students who come from different regions face a problem with food. Our aim is to provide the best facility to the candidates of the best CDS coaching in Dehradun.