The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is aimed at recruiting officers for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA). The detailed syllabus of combined defence services examination (I), 2025 based on the official UPSC notification is given below:
1. Written Examination Scheme
The examination consists of objective-type questions across three subjects for Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA). For the exam of the OTA only two subjects will be concerned. It will include English and General Knowledge only.
For IMA, INA, and AFA:
- English (100 Marks, 2 Hours)
- General Knowledge (100 Marks, 2 Hours)
- Elementary Mathematics (100 Marks, 2 Hours)
For OTA:
- English (100 Marks, 2 Hours)
- General Knowledge (100 Marks, 2 Hours)
2. Detailed UPSC CDS (I) Examination 2025 Syllabus
A. English (Common for All Academies) includes grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, comprehension, and other language skills. The following topics will be included in the English Subject for the UPSC CDS (I) exam:
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Sentence improvement
- Reading comprehension
- Spotting errors
- Para jumbles
B. General Knowledge (Common for All Academies) Covers current events and general awareness, this incl:
- History and geography of India
- Indian Polity
- Economics
- Science and technology
- Defense-related updates
- International relations and important events
C. Elementary Mathematics (For IMA, INA, and AFA Only) Includes basic mathematical concepts, in addition to the following topics:
- Arithmetic: Number systems, ratio and proportion, percentages, averages, profit and loss, etc.
- Algebra: Simple equations, quadratic equations, and set theory.
- Geometry: Lines, angles, triangles, circles, and properties of parallelograms.
- Trigonometry: Trigonometric ratios, heights, and distances.
- Mensuration: Area and volume of geometric figures.
- Statistics: Basic concepts of mean, median, and mode.
3. Additional Information
- Medium of Examination: English and Hindi, except for the English paper.
- Marking Scheme: Negative marking for incorrect answers.
- Physical and Medical Standards: The candidates have to meet the specified physical and medical standards, as mentioned in the UPSC CDS notification 2025.