CDS 2025 Exam Pattern consists of the mode of examination, types of questions, subjects, and other details. All candidates preparing for CDS 2025 must be well aware of the exam pattern, as it will help them score well in the examination.
Unsure about the types of questions asked in CDS? Read the information below>>
Combined Defence Services, popularly known as CDS, is a national-level exam conducted by the prestigious Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The purpose of this exam is to recruit young candidates as officers for the Indian Armed Forces.
Candidates who are graduates in any discipline can appear for this exam. Those who dream of joining the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy can appear for CDS 2025.
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If you want to clear the Combined Defence Services exam, read the information below to get a complete understanding of the CDS Exam pattern 2025.
CDS 2025 Exam Pattern
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam is organised in offline (pen and paper) mode. The duration of each paper in the exam is one hour. Candidates appearing for CDS 2025 can attempt the exam in English and Hindi.
Candidates applying for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA) will face 300 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). In contrast, those seeking admission to the Officers Training Academy (OTA) will be asked 200 MCQs.
Candidates will be awarded one mark for every correct answer, and one-third of a mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
Distribution of Questions
Refer to the table below for details on the question distribution in the CDS 2025 exam for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA:
For IMA, INA, and AFA:
Candidates who want to join the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy need to take three papers, which include English, Elementary Mathematics, and General Knowledge. Additionally, only male candidates can join the IMA, INA, and AFA through the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam.
Each section will consist of 100 questions. Check out the table below for complete information:
| Subjects | Total Questions |
| English | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| Total Questions | 300 Questions |
For Officers Training Academy (OTA):
Candidates who want to join the Officers Training Academy (OTA) need to appear for two papers: General Knowledge and English. Both male and female candidates can join the Officers Training Academy through CDS 2025.
Candidates will be asked a total of 100 questions in General Knowledge as well as in English. Check out the table below for complete information regarding the exam pattern to join OTA through the Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2025:
| Subjets | Total Questions |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| English | 100 |
| Total Questions | 200 Questions |
CDS 2025 Marking Scheme
Check out the below mentioned table for distribution of marks of CDS 2025 for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA:
For IMA, INA, AFA:
A total of 300 questions will be allotted for candidates who want to join the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy. 100 marks each will be allocated to the subjects: English, Elementary Mathematics, and General Knowledge.
Candidates will get 1 mark for every correct answer and 1/3rd of a mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Check out the below-mentioned table for the subject-wise breakdown of the marks for CDS 2025:
| Subjects | Maximum Marks |
| English | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 |
| Total Marks | 300 Marks |
For Officers Training Academy (OTA):
All male and female candidates who want to apply for the Officers Training Academy need to attempt questions from English and General Knowledge. Both sections carry a weightage of 100 marks each.
1 mark will be awarded for every correct answer in CDS 2025, and ⅓ mark will be deducted for every wrong answer. Check out the table below for the distribution of marks for the Officers Training Academy (OTA):
| Subjects | Maximum Marks |
| English | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| Total Marks | 200 Marks |
CDS 2025 SSB Pattern
Candidates who qualify for the CDS 2025 written examination will then appear for the SSB, NSB, and AFSB. Only a few candidates will be able to make it to the Selection Board.
Candidates who have opted to join the Indian Army will appear for the Service Selection Board. The SSB centres are in cities like Allahabad, Kapurthala, Bhopal, and Bangalore.
For the Air Force, the centres are in Dehradun, Mysore, Gandhinagar, Varanasi, and Guwahati. Additionally, the navy centres are in Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Coimbatore.
Candidates who are recommended by their respective boards will then appear for the medical examinations. The final steps for the CDS 2025 exam will include the release of the final merit list, which will announce the selected candidates.
In this article, we have shared the complete information regarding the CDS 2025 Exam pattern. Candidates can find information like distribution of questions and marks in the above article.
If you have any query about the CDS 2025 Exam Pattern, then ask us in the comments section below.