Full Form of CDS

Full Form of CDS

CDS is the dream of every Indian who wishes to serve the country and wat to work in Indian Defence services. Despite being one of the popular competitive exams, many of us are not aware of its full form. 

The full form of the abbreviation CDS examination is Combined Defence Services Examination.

This tutorial will briefly cover the definition, overviews, physical standards, eligibility criteria, Scheme of CDS Examination, How to prepare for CDS, and other detailed information related to CDS or Combined Defence Services Examination.

What is CDS?

“CDS or Combined Defence Services Examination is an All-India examination that is conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) twice a year for the recruitment various officers for government jobs positions such as military, navy, air force, etc.”

CDS examination is regulated by the government of India to recruit candidates for Indian armed forces. The opportunities for CDS are released twice a year in the month of June and October and the exams are conducted in the months of February and November. The individuals who pass the paper are further shortlisted for the next round (usually interview round).The various departments that it recruits are as follows:
1. IMA or Indian Military Office
2. OTA or Officers Training Academy
3. INA or Indian Air Force Academy
4. IAF or Indian Air Force Academy

CDS selection have an allocated process where the first stage is written examination, followed by SSB Interview (if the candidate passed the written exam) and eventually undergoes Medical Examination. The educational qualification needed to be eligible for the CDS exam is graduation from a recognized Indian college or University. To apply for CDS, the applicants must be physically and mentally fit. They shall also fulfil all the physical standards criteria as specified in the official notification. The candidates who pass the CDS exam are further summoned for an interview round conducted by SSB (Services Selection Board), and successful individuals are recruited into the respective Academies.

SSB interview continues for a week.  During this selection process, an applicant encounters several physicals, oral, mental and group tests to conclude whether the candidate is a force material or not. The aspirants also undergo a medical test before permanently recruited to their respective academies.

The overviews of Combined Defence Services Examination are as follows:

Criteria	Overviews
Exam Name	Combined Defence Service
Commonly known as	UPSC CDS Exam
Number of times exam in conducted	Twice a year
Conducted by	UPSC or Union Public Service Commission
Stages of the examination	Rounds I: CDS Written Objective-type paperRounds II: SSB (Services Selection Board)  InterviewRounds III: Medical Exam
Official website	upsc.gov.in

CDS : Physical Standards

UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) has regulated some eligibility criteria for recruiting candidates in Combined Defence Services. Before applying for the CDS exam, the aspirant must cross-check whether the eligibility criteria are fulfilled or not. The primary physical criterion for an applicant is as follows:

1. The aspirant must be physically fit and mentally sound.
2. The candidate should not have any permanent tattoos on their body.
3. The candidate should not have any traces of a hernia on the body.
4. The candidate must not have a hearing impairment, malformations/injuries in-ears vestibule-cochlear system.
5. They must not be suffering from any active congenital venereal disorder.

CDS: Scheme of Examination

The candidates should be well aware of the CDS' examination pattern to qualify for the paper with flying colors. The layout of CDS written exam is as follows:

Stages of CDS examination	Written examination SSB ((Services Selection Board)   InterviewMedical Exam
Mode of examination	Offline paper ( Pen and paper mode)
SubjectsQ	English including 120 questionsElementary Mathematics including 100 questionsGeneral Knowledge including 120 questions
Exam duration	2 hours for each paper
Number of questions asked	340 MCQs – AFA, IMA, and INA 240 MCQs -OTA
Language of paper	EnglishHindi
Paper Type	Objective type paper

CDS: Educational Qualifications

I.M.A. and Officers’ Training Academy	The candidate must have a graduation degree from an Indian college or University.
Indian Naval Academy or INA	The candidate must have a graduation degree in Engineering from a recognized college or University.
Air Force Academy or AFC	The candidate must have a graduation degree from an Indian University or college (with Physics and Maths subjects at 12-grade) or must have a degree in Engineering.

How to prepare for CDS?

In India, CDS is one of the most pursued competitive exams. Unlike the NDA examination, CDS is the gateway for aspirants who wish to serve the country by working in the Indian Defence forces. Many candidates take admission in private coaching centers to prepare for the CDS exam. Still, some aspirants cannot afford an institute's fees and prepare on their own by referring to the best CDS books and tutorial videos.