The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam to select candidates for Commissioned Officer positions in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The CDS Selection Procedure 2024 consists of three stages. First, candidates must pass the Written Examination. Those who qualify will proceed to the Interview and Medical Examination stages. This article explains each stage of the CDS selection process in detail.
CDS Selection Process 2024
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the CDS exam twice a year to select candidates for national service. The selection process has three stages: Written Test, SSB Interview, and Medical Examination. Candidates are selected based on written examination performance and then shortlisted for an interview to assess intelligence and personality. Successful candidates are chosen based on merit and academy preferences like Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Air Force Academy, etc.
CDS Selection Process 2024-Overview
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 1 2024 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 1 2024 Examination Pattern for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA:
The written examination consists of the below subjects: For Admission to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy:
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English | 2 Hours | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |
| Mathematics | 2 Hours | 100 |
| SSB Test/Interview | 5 Days | 300 |
B). CDS 1 2024 SSB Interview involves 2 stages:
Candidates who are declared successful in the written exam will be detailed for intelligence and personality test at the Service Selection Board based on their preference by the respective service HQ.
- 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.
Candidates who qualify in the written examination and given their first choice as Army (IMA/OTA) are required to register themselves on the recruiting directorate website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in in order to enable them to receive call up information for SSB Interview. Those candidates who have already registered on the recruiting directorate website are advised not to register again.
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 1 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.
This article provides updated details about the SSB Interview process and its online procedures in simple terms.
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
To be deemed ‘Medically fit’, a candidate must be in good physical and mental health and free from any disease/syndrome/disability likely to interfere with the efficient performance of military duties in any terrain, climate, season including sea, and air, in remote areas, in austere conditions with no medical aid. The candidate also should be free of medical conditions which require frequent visits to medical facilities and the use of any aid/drugs.
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 previously dismissed from prestigious institutions like AFA, IMA, NDA, INA, or Officers’ Training Academy due to misconduct are ineligible for CDS.
- Individuals terminated from the Indian Military Academy for lacking officer-like qualities cannot reapply.
- Those who left NDA or Naval Training Establishments due to a lack of officer-like skills cannot join as Special Entry Naval Cadets.
- Candidates who withdrew from NCC, Officer Training Academy, Indian Military Academy, or graduate programs for lacking officer-like skills cannot apply for Army short service commission.
