The difference between AFCAT and CDS exams can be caliberated through syllabus, level of difficulty, and best reference books. The students can choose the best exam to clear to pursue thier higher education.
Table of Contents
The students have various queries when it comes to the syllabus, eligibility, and pattern to understand the difference between AFCAT and CDS. AFCAT is opted by candidates who want to pursue a future in the Air Force. It stands forthe Airforce Common Admission Test. In contrast, CDS/CDSE is opted for by candidates who want to seek a career in the defence sector, and it stands for Combined Defense Service Examination.
Moreover, both are written exams which are generally followed by Services Selection Board (SSB) rounds. Hence, the candidates with proper eligibility factors are only selected. Although there are many differences between CDS and AFCAT 2025, the conducting bodies for both examinations are different. However, it is highly recommended to follow the eligibility criteria for both the exams and then apply.
Difference Between AFCAT and CDS
The candidates appearing in both AFCAT and CDS candidates need to graduate in any discipline. Moreover, AFCAT is opted for by candidates who want to apply only for the Air Force, while CDS open arms for three fields: Army, Navy, and Air Force. Let us now see what the basic differences between AFCAT and CDS are:
| Particulars | AFCAT | CDS |
| Conducting Body | The Indian Air Force conducts AFCAT. | While CDS is conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) |
| Frequency of the Exam | AFCAT is conducted twice every year. | CDS is conducted for two sessions every year. |
| Age Limit | The age limit for applying for AFCAT is as follows. Flying Staff - 19-23 years | The age criteria for CDS are as follows: Indian Military Academy - minimum 19–24 years (maximum) |
| Technical Staff - 18 to 28 years. | Air Force Academy - minimum 19 to 24 years (maximum) | |
| Ground Duties - 19 to 26 years. | Naval Academy - minimum 19 to 24 years (maximum) | |
| Officers Training Academy - minimum 19 to 25 years (maximum) | ||
| Type of Force | AFCAT allows applicants to apply for the Air Force. | CDS admits to these three fields as Army, Navy, and Air Force. |
| Eligibility | The minimum qualification is to complete 10+2 boards with 60% marks in aggregate. | Indian Military Academy - Graduation from any recognized university. |
| Air Force Academy - Graduation from any recognized university (with Physics and Maths at 10+2 level) or B.E/B Tech. | ||
| Naval Academy - Engineering degree from any recognized university. | ||
| Duration of Examination | 120 minutes | 2 hours. |
AFCAT vs CDS: Syllabus
The syllabus for AFCAT is released by the Indian Air Force (IAF), while UPSC releases the syllabus for CDS. For cracking these examinations, good preparation for both is very much needed.
AFCAT Syllabus
The syllabus for AFCAT is as follows.
General Knowledge/ Awareness
- Art and Culture
- History
- Geography
- Sports
- Current Events in India
- Current Events in the World
- Economics
- Business
- Environment
- Basic Sciences
- Civics
- Politics
- Internet and Technology
English
- Basic Grammar
- Reading Comprehension
- Tenses
- Sentence Completion
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Subject-Verb Agreement
- Error Detection
- Fill in the blanks
- Vocabulary Testing
- Idioms and Phrases
- Analogy
Numerical Ability
- Decimals and Fractions
- Time and Work
- Time and Distance
- Simple Interest and Compound Interest
- Ratio and Proportions
- Mixtures and Alligation
- Average
- Profit and Loss
- Boats and Streams
- Percentages
- HCF and LCM
- Area and Volume
Aptitude and Reasoning
- Venn Diagram
- Odd One Out
- Pattern Completion
- Blood Relation
- Coding and Decoding
- Sequence
- Series
- Puzzles
- Spotting the Embedded Figure
- Missing Figure
- Direction Sense
AFCAT EKT Syllabus
Additionally, candidates applying for AFCAT have to appear for the Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT). This paper tests the basic knowledge of engineering studies. The syllabus is follows:
Mechanical Engineering
The students can check the Mechanical Engineering sub-topics from the pointers mentioned below.
Fundamental Engineering
- Engineering Physics
- Engineering Mathematics
- Engineering Drawing/ Engineering Graphics
Allied Engineering
- Aerodynamics
- Flight Mechanics
- Power Plant Engineering.
- Industrial Engineering
- Aircraft Structures
- Automotive Engineering
Specialized Topics
- Fluid Mechanics
- Thermodynamics
- Engineering Mechanics
- Material Science
- Manufacturing Science
- Machine Drawing
- Hydraulic Machines
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
The students can check the Electrical and Electronics Engineering sub-topics from the pointers mentioned below.
Fundamental Engineering
- Engineering Physics
- Engineering Mathematics
- Engineering Drawing
- Allied Engineering
Allied Engineering
- Radar Theory
- Network Theory Design
- Switching Theory
- Computer Networks
- Instrumentation
- Information Technology
- Specialized Topics
Specialized Topics
- Microwave Engineering
- Analog and Digital Electronics
- Electronic Devices
- Telecommunication Systems
- Control Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
Computer Science Engineering
The students can check the Computer Science Engineering sub-topics from the pointers mentioned below.
Fundamental Engineering
- Engineering Physics
- Engineering Mathematics
- Engineering Drawing
- Allied Engineering
- Specialized Topics
Allied Engineering
- Telecommunication Systems
- Control Engineering
- Radar Theory
- Electrical Engineering
- Instrumentation
- Antenna and Wave Propagation
- Microwave Engineering
- Aerodynamics
- Flight Mechanics
- Aircraft Structures
- Industrial Engineering
- Automotive Engineering
Specialized Topics
- Information Technology
- Algorithms
- Data Structures
- Networking
- System Design
- Analog and Digital Electronics
- Operating Systems
- Computer Networks
- Electronic Devices
- Software Engineering Concepts
CDS Syllabus
The syllabus for CDS is as follows:
General Knowledge/ Awareness
- Current Events
- History.
- Geography
- Scientific Inventions
- Science.
English
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Reading Comprehension
- Para Jumbles
- Error Spotting
- Jumbled Sentences
- Sentence Correction
- Fill in the Blanks
Numerical Ability
- Number System
- Time and distance
- Time and work
- Percentages
- Profit and loss
- Ratio and proportion
- Algebra
- Trigonometry
- Geometry
- Mensuration.
- Statistics
AFCAT vs CDS: Level of Difficulty
The difficulty level for AFCAT and CDS varies from each other. The syllabus is also slightly different as the conducting authorities are different. Furthermore, the analysis of CDS and AFCAT are as follows:
| Exams | CDS | AFCAT |
| Mathematics | The level of questions is expected to be slightly tougher than AFCAT. Questions consist from class X level to higher. | Questions are mostly based on class X and XII standards. The questions are comparatively easier. |
| English | The questions are basic and are blended. The level is estimated from simple to moderate. | The basic fill-in-the-blanks, error detection, and comprehension part is easy. The rest of the questions are expected from all over the grammar section. |
| General Awareness | Questions from various subjects are asked, and a thorough knowledge of each subject is needed. The level of questions is moderate to difficult. | Most of the questions are expected from current affairs. The difficulty level is moderate. |
Best Books for AFCAT and CDS
Here are the lists of books that are recommended for the AFCAT and CDS preparation. These are available on the market quite easily. Moreover, following these books can yield higher success.
| AFCAT | CDS |
| AFCAT Admission by Priyanka Prakashan | Mathematics for CDS by S. Chand |
| Flying & Technical Branch by Arihant Publications or by NK Natarajan | Quick General Knowledge by Disha Publications |
| Flying & Technical, Ground Duty Branch (combined) by Arihant Publications | Quantitative Aptitude by RS Agarwal or Kiran Prakashan |
| Quantitative Aptitude by RS Agarwal | Quicker Maths by M.Tyra |
| Verbal Ability and Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Agarwal | Analytical Reasoning by A.K. Pandey |
| Objective English For Competitive Examination by Hari Mohan Prasad & Uma Rani Sinha | |
| Objective English by S.P Bakshi | |
| Quick Learning Objective English by Vikas & R.S. Aggarwal |
Also Check: AFCAT Physical Eligibility for Female
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