Dates to Remember for CDS Exam 2024
CDS 1 will take place in April and the estimated date for part 2 is September. Dates for the other important events related to CDS 2024 are as follows:
Events Happened/ to Happen | Dates |
First Notification Released | December 20th, 2023 |
Starting of the Application Process | December 20th, 2023 |
End of the Application Process | January 9th, 2024 |
Fee Payment Deadline | Sam as Above |
Form Correction Period | January 10th - 16th 2024 |
Admit Card Upload | A week Before the Exam Date |
CDS I Exam date | April 21st, 2024 |
Answer Key | Yet to Be Updated |
Final Results | No Updates Until Now |
CDS 2 Exam Notification | June 2024 |
Starting Date of Application Process | Same as Above |
Ending Date of Application Process | July 2024 |
Corrections in Application Form | Same as Above |
Admit Card Upload | August 2024 |
Date of CDS II Exam | 1st September 2024 |
Answer Key Release | Yet to Be Updated |
Final Result Date | No Update Until Now |
CDS 2024 Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for CDS 2024 would be the same as the previous year as it merely focuses on age, education, nationality, etc. However, there are physical and medical criteria as well. The detailed information is written below.
The candidates who are under the age group of 19 to 25 are the only ones considered eligible for the examination. If a candidate is older than 25 or younger than 18, he/she will be considered not eligible.
Educational Qualifications:
The educational qualifications have been specified for different academies. Candidates aspiring to join INA or the Indian Naval Academy must have a Bachelor’s in engineering degree. On the other hand, those who want to join the AFA or Air Force Academy must have a graduation degree with Physics and Maths as main subjects or a degree in engineering.
For IMA or Indian Military Academy and OTA, Officers' Training Academy, applicants having any graduation degree will be considered eligible.
Only Indian candidates can apply for this examination which also includes refugees from Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Burma, Vietnam, Zaire, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Zambia who settled down in India before 1962.
Only unmarried candidates are allowed to appear. However, those applying for OTA, divorcee, or widow candidates can also apply.
There should be no sign of physical or mental illness.
The male candidates’ height must be 157.5 cm. For Gorkhas, it is 152 cm, and for Lakshwdeep, it is 155 cm. Female candidates must be 152 cm in height.
Eyesight eligibility for male candidates should be: 1) Better eye 6/6 and worse eye 6/12, 2) Myopia should not be more than minus 3.5D, 3) Manifest Hypermetropia more than 3.5 D including astigmatism will not be accepted.
Eyesight eligibility for female candidates should be: 1) Better eye 6/6 and worse eye 6/12, 2) Myopia should not be more than minus 5.5D, 3) Manifest Hypermetropia more than 3.5 D including astigmatism will not be accepted.
There is no restriction regarding the attempts. If a candidate is eligible as per his/her age, education, and nationality, they can apply as many times as they want.
Application Process Completion
Just like any other civil service examination application process, candidates need to register, fill in the details, and pay the fees.
Registration | First, you need to visit https://upsconline.nic.in/ and click on the registration button. After that, you need to click on the new registration button and fill in the asked details along with setting up 2 security questions and a password. After typing the captcha code, click on the submit button. You have registered. |
Filling Application Form | Look for the CDS application link and click on that. Then, fill out the form with your details and upload the documents like mark sheets, ID proofs, photographs, signature copies, etc. |
Fee Payment | In the end, you need to pay the fees allocated to you as per your cast category |
Admit Card Collect | Once you get the CDS 2024 admit card notification, you can log in to your account and collect the same. |
CDS 2024 Application Fee Structure
Male candidates from General, OBC, and PWD have to pay a fee of 200 rupees. While female candidates, SC/ST, and Physically Handicapped (HP) people are exempted from paying any fees.
In 2024, there will be 457 vacancies covering different Academies situated in different localities. The vacancy list is as follows:
Academy | Vacancies |
Indian Military Academy, Dehradun | 100 (Includes 13 reserved vacancies for NCC “C” certificate holders. |
Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Executive Branch | 32 ( Includes 6 reserved vacancies for NCC “C” certificate holders) |
Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | 32 (Includes 3 reserved vacancies for NCC “C” certificate holders) |
Officers' Training Academy. Chennai/Madras, 121st SSC Men's Course | 275 |
Officers' Training Academy. Chennai/Madras, 35th SSC Women Course | 18 |
| Total= 475 |
The salary range depends on the designation and the responsibilities. The same is mentioned below:
Lieutenant - INR 56,100 - 1,77,500
Captain - INR 61,300 - 1,93000
Major - INR 69,400 - 2,07,200
Lt Colonel - INR 1,21,200 - 2,12,400
Colonel - INR 1,30,600 - 2,15,900
Brigadier - INR 1,39,600 - 2,17,600
Major General - INR 1,44,200 - 2,18,200
Lieutenant General - INR 1,82,200 - 2,24,100
HAG+Scale - INR 2,05,400 – 2,24,400
VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG) - INR 2,25,000
COAS - INR 2,25,000
You can appear for this examination from any state in this country. CDS exam will be conducted at various exam centers covering all the states and union territories. You will see them once you fill out the application as you must choose one to get the admit card.
Common Defence Services Exam Pattern (2024)
Candidates need to qualify for one written exam and one interview before they are called for the medical examination after which the final merit list of selected candidates is released. The exam will be the same for all three academies. However, the pattern or OTA is a bit different.
Pattern for IMA, INA, AFA Academy:
Exam Mode: Written
Total Papers: 3 (English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics)
Marks: 100 Each
Time: 2 hours per paper
Negative Marking: ⅓ per wrong answer
Exam Mode: Written
Total Papers: 2 (English, General Knowledge)
Marks: 100 Each
Time: 2 hours per paper
Negative Marking: ⅓ per wrong answer
The interview will be conducted in 2 parts. The first part is about OIR. It means that the candidate’s Officer intelligence will be tested and rated. In part 2, there will be group discussions and other group tasks.
The CDS 2024 syllabus is available on the first notification PDF available on https://upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notif-CDS-I-2024-Eng-20122023.pdf. It is better to download the syllabus from the official website as the version there is much more detailed. Keep a copy of the syllabus with you.
Moreover, if you want more information regarding physical and medical eligibility, everything is mentioned in the same PDF in a very detailed format.
INA: 233 – 245
OTA: 162 – 170
AFA: 268 – 270
OTA: 164 – 170
IMA: 245 – 255
How Many Students Appeared for CDS 2023?
More than 5 Lakh people appeared for CDS 2023.
The CDS 2024 response sheet will come after the exam is concluded. Candidates can download the same from the official website of UPSC.
CDS 2024 Answer Key Challenge
Candidates can raise objections against the answer key by paying a fee per question. They need to log in to the UPSC website and challenge the answer key.
The list below includes toppers from all the academies.
As there is only one written exam, it becomes easier for the students. Cracking exams that have stages like the prelims and mains becomes a bit more tough and challenging.
Try to finish the chapters that are not clear to you. However, you need to keep practicing the easy ones simultaneously.
Take mock tests only after you have completed your syllabus. It will boost your confidence while exposing you to various questions.
Keep practicing answers as it is not an MCQ-based exam.
You can join any institute that gives the best coaching for CDS. Remember, if you don’t have any in your state, do not hesitate to shift to another. Cities having top Institutes are Gurugram, Kota, Mumbai, etc. There are more on the right-hand list on your screen.
