CDS Exam 2025: Dates, Exam Pattern, and Syllabus!

The notification for the CDS 1 exam  2025 has already been rolled out, and the same for the CDS 2 exam is scheduled for May 2025. If you have missed applying for the former, you still have a chance to apply for the latter. To help you stay updated on the critical dates, exam patterns, and syllabus for the CDS exam in 2025, here’s the blog covering all the necessary details.  Read to know more!  

A Brief on CDS Exam 

Combined Defence Service Examination or CDS is a national-level entrance exam to recruit candidates to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA). The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the CDS exam twice every year. 

There are four phases of the CDS exam, starting from a written offline test, followed by the interview, document verification, and medical examination. To be eligible for the CDS exam in 2025, you need to be  — 

• An Indian citizen or meets certain nationality criteria.

• At least 19 years of age.

• Already a graduate or in the final year of your graduation.

• Medically fit and meet a few physical standards, such as height.  

• Be unmarried, widowed, or divorced and have not remarried. 

If you fulfill all the eligibility criteria for CDS exam 2025, you can register for the CDS 2 exam whose application process starts in a few months. If you have already applied for the CDS 1 exam following the notification that rolled out in December 2024, make your preparation more holistic with the exam pattern and syllabus. 

CDS Exam 2025 Important Dates 

Here are all the important dates for the CDS Exam 2025, which is going to be held twice, once in April and again in September. 

CDS 2025 Exam Pattern 

The exam pattern is the foundation for CDS 2025, and you must take note of it in detail to ace your preparation. 

 Also Read: AFCAT Exam 2025 

CDS Exam 2025 Complete Syllabus 

While the CDS exam 2025 for IMA, INA, and AFA will include English, general knowledge, and mathematics papers, the CDS exam for OTA shall have only English and general knowledge. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the syllabus for each paper. 

English Syllabus for CDS Exam 2025 

1. Reading comprehension

2. Spotting the errors 

3. Synonyms & Antonyms

4. Idioms & Phrases 

5. Fill in the blanks 

6. Sentence arrangements 

7. Jumbled words 

8. Ordering of words in sentences 

9. Sentence improvement 

10. Sentence corrections 

General Knowledge Syllabus for CDS Exam 2025 

1. Indian history 

2. Political science 

3. Economics 

4. Geography 

5. Environment 

6. General science (physics, chemistry, biology) 

7. Current affairs (summits, conferences, sports, books & authors, awards, national & international events, etc.)

8. Defence-related topics (army, navy, and air forces) 

Mathematics Syllabus for CDS Exam 2025 

1. Number system 

2. Elementary number theory (Divisibility, Multiples & Factors, Factorization Theorem, HCF & LCM, etc.) 

3. Algebra 

4. Trigonametry 

5. Geometry (Lines, Triangles, Circles, Rectangle, Square, Parallelogram, and more) 

6. Menstruation 

7. Statistics  

Also Read: UPSC Prelims 2025 Syllabus and Exam Pattern 

To sum up, nearly 5+ lakh aspirants have been appearing for the CDS exam in the last few years and such a number shows its intense competition. To secure a high score in the CDS exam in 2025 and stand out amidst competition, you must prepare rigorously, following the aforementioned exam pattern and syllabus. Make sure you thoroughly get accustomed to the syllabus, leverage e-learning apps and platforms for tutorial video lessons, and frequently take time-bound tests to identify your areas of improvement.

For more updates on the CDS Exam 2025, remain tuned to Primebook’s Student Corner.