The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination is a national-level competitive examination held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year for admitting candidates into the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, SSC – Officers’ Training Academy (for Men) and Officers’ Training Academy (Non-Technical) for Women. For the CDS Exam (I), 2015, the UPSC issued its notification on 8th November, 2014. As per this notification, the following are the relevant details of the CDS Exam (I), 2015:

Eligibility criteria:

The following groups of candidates are eligible for the various institutes that would admit candidates through the CDS Exam (I), 2015: 

For Indian Military Academy: Unmarried males born not earlier than 2nd January 1992 and not later than 1st January 1997.

For Indian Naval Academy: Unmarried males born not earlier than 2nd January 1992 and not later than 1st January 1997.

For Air Force Academy: Candidates must have been born not earlier than 2nd January 1992 and not later than 1st January 1997.

For Officer’s Training Academy (SSC- Men): Male candidates, married/ unmarried, born not earlier than 2nd January 1991 & not later than 1st January 1997.

For Officer’s Training Academy (SSC- Women, Non- Technical): Unmarried women/ issueless widow who has not remarried/ issueless divorcee who has not remarried born not earlier than 2nd January 1991 and not later than 1st January 1997.

Minimum educational qualifications required:

For Indian Military Academy and Officers’ Training Academy:  Degree from a recognised University/ equivalent. 

For Indian Naval Academy:  Degree in Engineering from a recognised University or equivalent.

For Air Force Academy:  Degree from recognised university with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level or Bachelors of Engineering.

Plan of examination:

The competitive examination comprises: 

Written Examination

Interview for intelligence and Personality Test

The subjects, maximum marks and duration of the written examination are as follows:

For Admission to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy:  

Subject                                  Duration                          Maximum Marks

1. English                                2 hours                               100

2. General Knowledge          2 hours                               100

3. Elementary Mathematics   2 hours                               100

For Admission to Officers’ Training Academy:

Subject                                 Duration                           Maximum Marks

1. English                              2 hours                                   100

2. General Knowledge        2 hours                                   100

Marks for SSB Interview: 

For Indian Military Academy,    300 Marks

Indian Naval Academy and 

Air Force Academy

For Officer’s Training Academy 200 Marks

Tentative Schedule of Exams for 2015:

CDS I – Date of Notification: 08.11.2014

            Date of Examination: 15.02.2015

CDS II – Date of Notification: 18.07.2015

             Date of Examination: 01.11.2015

How to apply: 

Candidates are required to apply online using the link: http://upsconline.nic.in/

For additional details about the exam, refer to the above mentioned website. 

Good Luck!