Q.1 How many stages are there in CDS Exam?

Ans. CDS Selection Process involves two stages i.e. Written Examination and SSB Interview.

Q.2 How is CDS merit list prepared?

Ans. A candidate needs to secure minimum qualifying marks in the Written Examination on the basis of which they will be called for SSB interview.

Q.3 Is CDS exam very tough?

Ans. This is a highly competitive exam so candidates should have a proper strategy and Study Plan to ace this exam. We have curated the 75 Days Study Plan to boost up your preparation.

Q.4 What is the process after CDS exam?

Ans. Candidates who secure the minimum cut off of the written examination will be called for SSB Interview.

CDS Selection Process 2024, Written Exam and Inverview -

Table of Contents

CDS Selection Process 2024

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) outlines the CDS selection process for choosing candidates as Commissioned Officers in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The CDS selection has two stages: a written exam and an SSB interview. Candidates who pass the written exam must register online on the Indian Army Recruiting website – joinindianarmy.nic.in within two weeks of the written test results being announced. After registering, candidates receive their SSB dates and centers.

CDS Selection Process 2024-Overview

Successful candidates are chosen based on merit and academy preferences like Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy. Given below is the overview of the CDS exam that will help the candidates to get an idea about the Selection Process and the necessary information that needs to be kept in mind to crack the CDS exam.

CDS Selection Process 2024
Name of the Exam	Combined Defence Forces (CDS)
Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Conducted in A Year	Twice
Mode of Examination	Offline
Type of Questions	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Medium	Hindi or English
Number of Questions	IMA/INA/AFA – 300 OTA – 200
Time Duration	2 hours for each paper
Negative Marking	Yes (1/3rd deducted for every wrong answer)

CDS Exam Selection Process 2024

Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria will need to undergo a three-stage selection process for CDS Recruitment 2024. This process comprises:

Written Examination: Candidates must first participate in a written examination.
SSB Interview: Successful candidates from the written exam will proceed to the SSB (Service Selection Board) interview stage.
Medical Verification: Following the SSB interview, candidates will undergo a medical examination to verify their medical fitness.

CDS IMA, INA, and AFA Selection Process 2024

The Union Public Service Commission shall prepare a list of candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written examination as fixed by the Commission in their discretion.

A). CDS 2 2024 Examination Pattern for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA:

The first stage of the CDS 2024 selection process is the written test, which includes three papers: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics for admission to IMA, INA, and AFA.
For admission to Officers Training Academy, candidates need to appear for two papers: English and General Knowledge.
The CDS written exam is objective and each paper lasts two hours.
Candidates who pass the written exam will move on to the second stage of the CDS selection process, which is the interview.

B). CDS 2 2024 SSB Interview involves 2 stages:

Candidates who pass the written exam will undergo intelligence and personality tests at the Service Selection Board (SSB) based on their preferred service. Stage 1 includes tests like officer intelligence rating, picture perception, and description. Stage 2 involves a psychology test, interview, group testing tasks, and a conference.

Candidates selecting Army (IMA/OTA) as their first choice must register on the recruiting directorate website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in to receive SSB interview call-up information. Those who have already registered should not re-register.

C). CDS OTA Selection Process 2024

For Admission to Officers’ Training Academy:

Subject	Duration	Maximum Marks
English	2 Hours	100
General Knowledge	2 Hours	100
SSB Test/Interview	5 days	300

The written exam stage for the OTA comprises 2 papers for a total of 200 marks. The candidates who clear this exam with the minimum qualifying marks will be further shortlisted for the interview round. There will be a positive marking of 1 mark for every correct answer and a negative marking of 0.33 marks for every wrong answer.

CDS 2 2024 OTA SSB Interview 2024 involves 2 stages:

Stage 1 consists of officer intelligence rating, picture perception, and description test
Stage 2 involves a psychology test, interview, group testing officer task, and conference.

SSB Selection Procedure 2024

The SSB Interview is a multi-day process held at designated SSB Centers.

Stage 1 involves Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception & Description Test (PP & DT) for screening.
Stage 2 consists of Psychology Tests, Group Testing Officer (GTO) Tasks, Interview, and Conference.

The SSB Interview assesses intelligence and personality through various tests and tasks.

SSB Interview: Day 1-Screening Test

On day 1 SSB test consists of:

Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR)
Picture Perception & Description Test (PP & DT)

SSB Interview: Day 2-Psychology Tests

This test of the SSB Interview is viewed as generally precarious to break as it is assessed by logical techniques by the SSB assessors. Psychological test in the SSB Interview consists of the following series:

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Word Association Test (WAT)
Situation Reaction Test (SRT)
Self Description Test (SDT)

SSB Interview: Day 3 & 4-Group Testing (GTO Tasks)

GTO consists of the following group exercises:

Group Discussion
Group Planning Exercise
Progressive Group Tasks (PGT)
Half Group Tasks
Individual Obstacles
Group Obstacles Race or Snake Race
Command Task
Lecturette
Final Group Task

SSB Interview: Day 5-Conference

After completion of all the tasks, the result is announced on the last day of the SSB Interview procedure and the selected candidates undergo the medical examination and then after a few months, a final merit list of the recommended candidates is announced.

Medical Examination

Applicants recommended by the Services Selection Board will undergo a mandatory medical examination conducted by a team of Service Medical Officers. Female applicants will undergo their medical examination with a Medical Board that includes male or female doctors, specialists, and gynecologists, with at least one female medical officer on the board. Only candidates declared fit by the Medical Board will be admitted to the Academy.

What After CDS Selection?

After successfully passing the CDS selection process, candidates follow the given things in each respective academy:

Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Officer Training Academy (OTA):
Gentlemen or Lady Cadets receive a stipend of INR 56,100 during the training period
At IMA, candidates undergo military training for 18 months
Upon successful completion of training, Gentlemen Cadets are granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Lt., subject to medical fitness
Indian Naval Academy (INA):
Candidates joining INA are under probation until the completion of their initial training.
After successful completion of approximately 18 months of training, cadets are commissioned in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant.
Air Force Academy (AFA) – Flying Branch (Pilots):
The approximate duration of training for the Flying Branch (Pilots) at the Air Force Academy is 74 weeks.

These training programs aim to prepare candidates for their respective roles and responsibilities within the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, ensuring they are well-equipped for their duties as officers.

Disqualification Criteria for CDS Selection Process 2024

Here are the disqualification criteria for the CDS Selection Process 2024:

Candidates who were previously admitted to prestigious military academies like the Air Force Academy, Indian Military Academy, National Defence Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy but were dismissed due to misconduct will not be considered for readmission to these academies or for the Army’s Short Service Commission.
Similarly, candidates who voluntarily left the Indian Military Academy due to a lack of Officer-Like Qualities (OLQ) will also not be eligible for re-admission.
Candidates who were previously selected as Special Entry Naval Cadets but were later withdrawn from the National Defence Academy or Naval Training Establishments due to a lack of Officer-like qualities will be ineligible for admission to the Indian Naval Academy.
Furthermore, candidates who dropped out of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), National Cadet Corps (NCC), or any graduate course due to a lack of officer-like qualities will not be considered for a Short Service Commission in the Army.