UPSC CDS Exam-2, 2021 Notification:
UPSC CDS Exam- 2, 2021 exam notification has been announced by the Union Public Service Commission. CDS-2 2021 exam will be conducted on 14th November 2021.
Check the complete blog for all the information related to exam dates, syllabus, exam pattern, etc.
UPSC CDS Exam:
The Combined Defence Services Examination ( CDS) is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment of Commissioned Officers in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. Selected candidates undergo training at Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). The exam is held twice a year usually in February and September.
UPSC CDS Exam-II, 2021: Important Events and Dates
| UPSC CDS 2021 Events | Date |
| UPSC CDS Notification date | August 4, 2021 |
| UPSC CDS application start date | August 10, 2021 |
| UPSC CDS application Last date | August 24, 2021till 1800 hrs |
| UPSC CDS application withdrawal date | August 31 to 6 September |
| UPSC CDS Exam | 14th November 2021. |
| UPSC CDS 2021 Result Date | To be notified |
How To Apply for UPSC CDS-II, 2021:
The candidates who want to apply for the UPSC CDS-2 2021, need to know the process to apply online for the examination. The candidates have to apply for the UPSC CDS on the official website of UPSC. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will be conducting the Combined Defence Services Examination ( CDS). Here is the process of filling UPSC CDS online.
Step 1: Visit the UPSC CDS official website –https://www.upsc.gov.in/
Step 2: Register Yourself for UPSC CDS by filling in the required details.
Step 3: Click on the Apply Online link.
Step 4: First fill the part-I of the application form.
Step 5: After tilling the first part, you will receive the ID and login details in your mail and registered mobile number. Fill in these details and then complete part II of the application.
Step 6: Upload the scanned passport size image, signature, and thumb impression.
Step 7: Fill in any other relevant detail if required.
Step 8:Now pay the application fee.
Step 9: Press submit to successfully complete the application form 2021.
Documents Required Before Filling Up The Application Process:
Before starting to fill up the online application form, candidates must keep the following information/documents handy as the candidates would be required to upload the requisite documents, as applicable, in the online Application Form:
- Any government ID proofs (Passport, Voter I-Card, Driving License, PAN Card)
- Scanned images of photograph and signature and thumb impression.
- Scanned copy of category certificate (if any)
- Payment mode details (Credit, debit, net banking)
- Valid email address, and mobile phone number.
UPSC CDS Exam-II, 2021 Eligibility Criteria:
Nationality:
A candidate must be unmarried and must either be:
- Citizen of India
- Subject of Nepal, or
- A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Age limit, sex and merital status:
| Course/Academy | Age limit | Sex | Marital Status |
| IMA | Born not earlier than 2nd July 1998 and not later than 1st July 2003 only are eligible. | Male | Unmarried |
| Indian Naval Academy | Born not earlier than 2nd July 1998 and not later than 1st July 2003 | Male | Unmarried |
| Air force Academy | Candidates should be between 20 and 24 years as of July 1, 2022Candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxable up to 26 yrs. | Male and females both | Unmarried |
| OTA (SSC Course for men) | Born not earlier than July 2, 1997, and not later than July 1, 2003 | Male | Unmarried |
| OTA (SSC Women Non-Technical Course) | Born not earlier than July 2, 1987, and not later than July 1, 2003. | Female | Unmarried (issueless widows who have not remarried and issueless divorcees who have not remarried are eligible) |
Educational Qualification for UPSC CDS Exam in 2021:
- IMA and Officers’ Training Academy- Candidates must be a graduate
- Indian Naval Academy- Candidates must have a degree in Engineering from a recognised university.
- Air Force Academy- Bachelor of Engineering is necessary. Students must have studied Physics and Mathematics in Class 12.
Note:
Candidates who are in their final year/semester of graduation can also apply provided they do not have any backlog up to the last year/semester for which results have been declared at the time of submitting the application form. They are required to submit proof of passing graduation at the time of the commencement of the course.
Physical Fitness
Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to the CDS exam.
Application Fees:
Candidates (except Female/SC/ST candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay a fee of Rs. 200.
UPSC CDS Exam Syllabus & Pattern:
| Academy/Course | Subjects | Maximum marks | Duration |
| Indian Military Academy Indian Naval Academy Indian Airforce Academy | English General Knowledge Elementary mathematics | 100 100 100 | 2 hours 2 hours 2 hours |
| Officers’ training academy | English General Knowledge | 100 100 | 2 hours 2 hours |
Note:
- Only black ball pens are allowed in the examination.
- Candidates need to carry two ID proofs for the written examination.
- There will be a negative marking of ⅓ for every wrong answer.
UPSC CDS exam Syllabus:
| Subject | Syllabus covered |
| English | The question paper of English is designed to test the candidate’s understanding of English. |
| General Knowledge | The paper tests a candidate’s knowledge regarding Current Affairs. The paper includes questions on the History of India and Geography. |
| Elementary Mathematics | This paper comprises questions from Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, and Statistics. |
UPSC CDS 2021 Admit Card
UPSC CDS admit card for 2021 will be available for download from November first week onwards on the official website. UPSC CDS Admit Card will have details such as exam center, date, and timing of the exam, instructions for candidates, as well as the candidate’s registration details.
UPSC CDS Exam Centers
The Exam is expected to be conducted in 75+ cities across India. At the time of filling the application, the candidate can select their city of choice for the exam. Once allotted, the center of the exam cannot be changed.
UPSC CDS Exam Result 2021
The result of CDS is announced in two stages: written exam and SSB Interview/Final. First, CDS result 2021 for the written exam is announced after nearly one and a half months of the exam. After this, the selected candidates need to go through the five-day-long SSB process to clear both rounds of the exam.
Round-2-SSB Interview
SSB Interview consists of a two-stage selection process-stage I and II. Candidates who clear stage I i.e. Screening processes are permitted to appear for stage II. The details of each stage of the selection process are given below:
- Stage I- comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests, Picture Perception Description Test (PPDT) and GD. Candidates are shortlisted based on their performance in OIR Test, PPDT and GD.
- Stage II- comprises Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and Conference. These tests are conducted over four days.
Final Selection of the candidates:
The final selection of candidates is done on the basis of their performance in the written exam and SSB Interview. Selected candidates are required to undergo training at Indian Military Academy
(Dehradun), Indian Naval Academy (Ezhimala), Air Force Academy (Hyderabad), Officers’ Training Academy (Chennai).
CDS Cut off 2021
The cut-off of CDS is the minimum qualifying marks that candidates need to secure to qualify for the exam and become eligible for the next round of the selection process. Candidates need to secure separate CDS cut-off marks in the written exam and SSB Interview for final selection.
UPSC CDS Exam-2 2021: Preparation Tips:
- Know the syllabus- You Have to clearly understand what topics are asked and what not. This can be done by going through the syllabus carefully.
- Prepare precise notes- lengthy notes are of no use when you have a lot of things to revise at the last moment, so make precise notes.
- Mock Tests- Join a mock test series for better understanding of the actual exam level, test series can immensely help you in acing this exam.
- Newspaper and current events: For the general knowledge section, you can refer to some standard newspapers, it will help you immensely to ace the current affairs in GK section.
- Short-tricks: Learn short tricks to solve quant problems, it will save your time.
- Previous Year Question Papers- Go through the previous year question papers, It will help you to get a better idea of the level of exam and the kind of questions asked.Apart from GK, reading newspapers will help you to understand the Reading comprehension more easily.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Candidates (except Female/SC/ST candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay a fee of Rs. 200.
CDS is conducted two times a year.
There is no such limit of attempts, if you fulfill the eligibility criteria, you can apply for the exam.
No, you cannot appear for CDS after the 12th. The minimum qualification required for applying to the CDS exam is a bachelor’s degree.
Yes, anyone can clear CDS in their first attempt. You need to clear all the syllabus and make your concept clear, with this, you can surely clear it in the first attempt.
I have been writing blog content for different exams for more than 3 years now. Being an aspirant myself and having closely worked with students and mentors, I know what kind of content an aspirant is looking for. Apart from writing content, I like watching movies.
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