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The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts Combined Defence Services exam or the CDS Exam twice a year. This exam acts as an entrance test for admission into the various military academies. These academies are Indian Military Academy(IMA), Indian Naval Academy(INA), Air Force Academy(AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy(OTA).
To create a preparation strategy, all the candidates at first must be aware of the CDS Exam Pattern and the syllabus. This article will cover all the details about the CDS Exam Pattern 2024.
This blog will help candidates to understand other details like marking scheme for IMA, INA, AFA and OTA (negative marks for every incorrect answer), duration of each exam and much more.
| UPSC CDS Exam Pattern Overview 2024 | |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Sections | Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA)- Three Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)- Two |
| Language of exam | Hindi and English |
| Exam Duration | Two hours for each section of the test |
| Total Marks | IMA, INA and AFA- 300 OTA- 200(It consists of 2 exam) |
| Exam Type | MCQ (Multiple Choice question) |
CDS Exam Pattern 2024 is not same for all military academics. The exam conducted for the Officers’ Training Academy(OTA) is slightly different in terms of total number of sections. However, the questions in both papers will be objective type only. The exam will be in both English and Hindi language. Details of the exam are as follows:
There will be three sections in the exam English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Each section will carry 100 marks and the duration will be 2 hours and for every incorrect answer one third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted. Maths and GK question paper will be in both English and Hindi language.
| Subjects | Exam Duration | Total Questions | Marks |
| English | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 2 hours | 100 | 100 |
Elementary Mathematics section is not included in this exam. All other aspects like duration, exam language and total marks, negative marking scheme are same for this exam.
| Subject | Exam Duration | Total Questions | Marks |
| English | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
CDS written exam is in MCQ format and there will be four options for each question and for every wrong answer, every incorrect answer one third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted
If for a single question two or more choices have been marked as answers, it will be considered as wrong answer and as of penalty one third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted same as mentioned above.
There will be no penalty for unattempted questions
| CDS Exam Details | Mathematics | English Exam | General Knowledge |
| Total marks | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Marks for Negative marking | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer |
Now you are aware of the exam pattern and marking scheme, have a look at the basic overview of the CDS exam Syllabus.
This section will evaluates candidates’ understanding of English. The level of English will be such as may be expected of a graduate of an Indian University.
Topics covered in CDS OTA examination are GK and English and the syllabus is same as for INA, IMA, and AFA. The only difference is that OTA exam doesn’t include mathematics.
Yes, for every wrong answer one third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted.
No, the exam pattern for OTA is slightly different from IMA, INA, and AFA because these 3 have three sections in exam (English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics), while OTA has only two (English and General Knowledge) but the syllabus is same for all.
General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics exam is in both Hindi and English language.
No, Maths is not included in OTA exam.
Bachelor's degree is necessary from a UGC(University Grants Commission) recognized university.
It is important to understand the CDS Exam Pattern 2024 for all the candidates who are aiming to join Indian armed force, this will help them to prepare for the exam. For IMA, INA, and AFA, there will be three exams: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics, 100 marks each and. Syllabus for OTA candidates is same, the only difference is that they don’t have to give Maths exam. So, create your study schedule based on the exam syllabus, and prepare for your CDS Exam 2024.
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