CDS Syllabus 2025, Download Subject Wise Syllabus PDF Here

Q: What is the syllabus of CDS?

For admission to INA, IMA and AFA, CDS syllabus consists mainly of English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics while for admission to OTA, only English and General Knowledge subjects are included.

Q: Is CDS OTA hard to crack?

The CDS exam is one of the tough exams to qualify. But with proper planning and dedication, one can easily crack the exam without coaching as well.

Q: What is the syllabus for CDS 1 2024?

The CDS 1 2024 syllabus includes English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics.

Q: What is the syllabus for CDS 2024 for OTA?

The CDS 2024 syllabus for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) includes English and General Knowledge.

Q: What is the syllabus of CDS?

The revised syllabus for the CDS exam in 2024 includes three subjects: General Knowledge, English, and Elementary Mathematics.

Q: Is CDS maths tough?

The CDS Maths section is considered more difficult than other competitive exams. The questions are based on concepts, and the paper is lengthy and tricky.

Q: Can I skip maths paper in CDS?

Candidates can skip the math paper in the CDS exam by applying for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) as their first preference.

CDS Syllabus 2025, Download Subject Wise Syllabus PDF Here

Union Public Service Commission has released the CDS Syllabus 2025 on its official website, upsc.gov.in. The CDS Syllabus is a breakdown of subjects like English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics. With a detailed syllabus guide, you can prepare effectively for INA, IMA, and AFA admissions.

Table of Contents

Union Public Service Commission conducts the CDS Exam. The Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam is a gateway to entering the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). To succeed, candidates need to understand the CDS Syllabus 2025 and follow a strategic study plan. The commission has released the official syllabus along with a notification in PDF format. We have provided the official PDF in this article.

CDS Syllabus 2025

The CDS Syllabus 2025 consist of three paper which is English, Mathematics and General Knowledge. Candidate preparing for the UPSC CDS Recruit should have idea about the Syllabus and Exam Pattern. In this article, we have discussed the syllabus of the CDS exam along with the CDS Exam Pattern 2025 for the subject topic. Candidates have the option to select from categories like the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy.

Overview
Name of the Exam	Combined Defence Forces (CDS)
Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Conducted in A Year	Twice a Year
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 Pattern 2025

CDS Exam Pattern 2025 consists of two processes: written and interview. The Written exam includes papers on English, General Knowledge and Mathematics, varying in marks and duration. The interview assesses candidates’ personalities, leadership qualities, and suitability for commissioning into the Indian Armed Forces.

CDS Exam Pattern for IMA, INA, AFA

Subject	Duration	Maximum Marks
English	2 Hours	100
General Knowledge	2 Hours	100
Mathematics	2 Hours	100
SSB/Interview	5 Days	300

CDS Exam Pattern for OTA

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

Also, Check CDS Previous Year Question Paper

CDS English Syllabus 2025

To score better in this section, candidates should read newspapers daily point out the difficult words at a place, and find their meaning which will help to improve their vocabulary and understanding of the comprehension passages with ease. The purpose of this paper is to assess the applicants’ command of the English language and their ability to use words professionally.

Reading Comprehension Questions.
Spotting the Errors Questions.
Fill in the Blanks Questions.
Synonyms & Antonyms Questions.
Idioms and Phrases Questions.
Sentence Arrangement or Jumbled Questions.
Ordering of words in Sentence Questions.
Sentence Improvement or Sentence Correction Questions.

Important Topics

Vocabulary
Reading passages
Grammar, including topics such as:
- Tenses
- Parts of speech
- Active and passive voice
- Rearrangement of sentences
- Cloze test

Also, Check CDS Salary 2025

CDS General Knowledge Syllabus 2025

General knowledge includes awareness of current affairs and everyday observations and experiences that include a scientific component, as might be anticipated of an educated person who has not specifically studied any scientific field. Additionally, there will be geography and Indian history questions on the examination that any qualified candidate should be able to respond to without additional study.

CDS Syllabus 2025 for General Knowledge

Indian History
Political Science
Economics
Geography
Environment
General Science – Physics, Chemistry, Biology
Current Affairs – National & International Awards, Summits, Sports, Conference; Books & Authors etc.
Defence Related Questions – Army, Navy, Air Force

CDS Maths Syllabus 2025

CDS Mathematics Syllabus 2025 covers topics like Arithmetic, trigonometry, geometry, measurements, statistics, and other related topics that comprise the syllabus of CDS Elementary Mathematics. We have provided the complete syllabus for individual mathematics topics. Please follow the table below for the mathematics syllabus of the CDS 2025 exam.

CDS Syllabus for Mathematics
Arithmetic	Number System Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real numbers. Fundamental operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Square roots, Decimal fractions. Unitary method, time and work, time and distance, percentages. Applications of profit and loss, simple and compound interest, ratio and proportion, and 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, use of logarithmic tables, laws of logarithms.
Algebra	Basic operations and Simple factors, Remainder Theorem. H.C.F. and L.C.M. Theory of polynomials, the relation between its roots and coefficients (Only real roots to be considered), solutions of quadratic equations. Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns — analytical & graphical solutions. Simultaneous linear inequations in two variables & their solutions. Practical issues with solutions that result in two simultaneous linear equations, inequalities in two variables, or quadratic equations in one variable. Set notion and set language. Rational expressions and conditional identities. Laws of indices.
Trigonometry	Sine x, cosine x, Tan x when 0° < x < 90° , Values of sin x, cos x & tan x, for x = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° & 90°. Simple trigonometric identities. Use of trigonometric tables. Simple cases of heights and distances.
Geometry	Plane and plane figures, Lines and angles, Theorems on: Properties of angles at a point Parallel lines Sides and angles of a triangle Congruency of triangles Similar triangles Concurrence of medians and altitudes Properties of sides, angles and diagonals of a rectangle, parallelogram and square Circles and their properties including tangents and normals Loci
Mensuration	Areas of parallelograms, squares, rectangles, triangles and circles. Areas of figures can be split up into these figures (Field Book), lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders, Surface area and volume of cuboids, and surface area and volume of spheres.
Statistics	Collection and tabulation of statistical data. Graphical representation of frequency polygons, bar charts, histograms, pie charts etc. Measures of central tendency.

Topic-Wise Distribution of Questions

Elementary Mathematics

Topic	No. of Questions
Trigonometry	16
3D Mensuration	16
Number System	12
Simplification	11
Triangle	10
Statics	5
Data Interpretation	4
Quadrilateral	3
Polynomial	3
Logarithm	2
Percentage	2
Time & Distance	2
Profit & Loss	2
Average	2
Divisibility Rule	2
LCM & HCF	2
Time & Work	2
Circle	1
Sequence & Series	1
Remainder Theorem	1
2D Mensuration	1

General Knowledge

Topics	Number of Questions
Polity	20
Geography	18
Modern History	16
Economics	13
Current Affairs	12
Chemistry	12
Physics	9
Biology	9
Medieval History	5
Defence	3
Static GS	3

English

Topics	Number of Questions
Comprehension	10
Parts of Speech	10
Antonyms	10
Synonyms	10
Cloze Test	10
Spotting Error	10
Fill in the blanks	10
Ordering of words in a sentence	10
Ordering of sentence	10
Completion of sentence	10
Preposition & Determinants	10

CDS Syllabus 2025 PDF Download

Candidates can download the CDS Syllabus 2025 from the link provided below. The commission released the CDS Syllabus in PDF Format along with the official notification. The Syllabus of CDS PDF Contains the topics from which questions can be asked in this exam. Get the direct link to download the CDS Syllabus 2025 PDF below:

CDS Syllabus 2025 PDF

UPSC CDS Syllabus 2024 FAQs

What is the syllabus of CDS?

For admission to INA, IMA and AFA, CDS syllabus consists mainly of English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics while for admission to OTA, only English and General Knowledge subjects are included.

Is CDS OTA hard to crack?

The CDS exam is one of the tough exams to qualify. But with proper planning and dedication, one can easily crack the exam without coaching as well.

What is the syllabus for CDS 1 2024?

The CDS 1 2024 syllabus includes English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics.

What is the syllabus for CDS 2024 for OTA?

The CDS 2024 syllabus for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) includes English and General Knowledge.

What is the syllabus of CDS?

The revised syllabus for the CDS exam in 2024 includes three subjects: General Knowledge, English, and Elementary Mathematics.

Is CDS maths tough?

The CDS Maths section is considered more difficult than other competitive exams. The questions are based on concepts, and the paper is lengthy and tricky.