UPSC CDS 1 2025 Exam will be held on April 13, 2025. The call letter will be released on April 6, 2025, at upsc.gov.in. The candidates must enter their login details, i.e., registration number and date of birth along with captcha code to access the hall ticket. The UPSC CDS 1 Hall Ticket download link will be provided below for the candidate's reference. The applicants must follow the UPSC CDS last-minute preparation tips, such as following a one-month revision table and practising the previous year's papers to score better in the examination. The UPSC CDS 2025 Vacancy has been announced for 457 seats, for which the registration was active from Dec 11, 2024, to Jan 1, 2025.

Meanwhile, the UPSC CDS 2 2025 registration will commence on May 28, 2025, and end on June 17, 2025. The commission has scheduled the UPSC CDS 2 Exam 2025 on Sep 14, 2025. The detailed UPSC CDS 2025 important dates have been listed below.

About the UPSC CDS Exam

The UPSC CDS full form is Combined Defence Service. The Union Public Service Commission conducts UPSC CDS. UPSC is responsible for conducting recruitment exams for Class A & Class B employees in Govt. Organizations. Through this exam, candidates are also appointed as Commissioned Officers in the Indian Army., Navy and Air Force. The recruitment process consists of a Written Test and a Personal Interview and ends with a medical examination. Every year lakhs of aspiring candidates appear for the exam to grab the opportunity to work for the prestigious defense services.

Those who want to serve the nation through the defence services can appear for this examination. The candidates who got selected will undergo training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers' Trainee Academy (OTA).

Written Exam - The CDS exam is conducted for 300 marks and two hours is the duration per subject. The subjects include English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. The questions are multiple-choice based on objective type. The exam has negative markings in its scheme of evaluation. For every wrong answer, 1/3rd of the marks will be deducted.

Interview - For those who will clear the written exam, there will be an interview that will include an intelligence and personality test.

UPSC CDS 1 2025 Application Form

The UPSC CDS 2025 1 application form is made available at the official website upsconline.nic.in. The UPSC CDS 2025 application form for the Phase 1 Exam was active from Dec 11, 2024, to Jan 1, 2025. While the UPSC CDS 2 application form will be available from May 28, 2025.

Candidates have to upload the required documents with a particular specification which are given below. After registration candidates must follow the effective preparation tips to crack the CDS exam. All interested candidates can register for the exam by following the below-mentioned steps. 

How to Apply for UPSC CDS 2 2025 Exam?

UPSC CDS 2025 application form will be available in online mode. The application form will have two parts. Part I includes the candidate's personal and academic details and Part II has the payment procedure, selection of exam centres, and uploading documents. Candidates are requested to go through the official notification and make sure that they satisfy the eligibility criteria before applying for the exam when released.

To apply for UPSC CDS the candidates must follow the steps below.

• Step 1: Visit the official website of UPSC- upsc.gov.in.
• Step 2: Click on the link pointing at Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2025.
• Step 3: Fill in your personal and academic details.
• Step 4: After completing Part I, the candidate will be given a registration ID.
• Step 5: Go to Part II, and enter the registration ID and date of birth.
• Step 6: Complete the payment procedure. After completing Part II, the application process is over.

Documents Required to Apply for UPSC CDS 2 2025 Exam

The candidates are required to upload the scanned images of the candidate's recent Photograph and Signature.

The candidates should upload images in a fixed format as decided by UPSC. The format is as follows.

• The scanned photo should be clear of any discrepancies and preferably it should have a white background.
• A Blackball pen should be used on white paper for the signature and the signature should be visible in the image. The file should be in JPG format.
• Dimensions for both photo and signature should have a minimum value of 350 pixels (height) x 350 pixels (width) and a maximum size of 1000 pixels (height) x 1000 pixels (width).
• The size of the scanned files should be between 20KB and 300 KB.
• The prescribed bit depth of the image is 24 bit.

Note: Important fields will be marked with an asterisk (*) symbol. The application form will be available in English as well as in Hindi languages.

Also, candidates cannot change the data that is already given but they can fill out a new application form with the updated details. Only the final submitted application form will be considered.

UPSC CDS Important Dates 2025

The important related to both phases of the UPSC CDS exam 2025 has been listed below for the candidate's reference. Applicants are advised to note down the UPSC CDS important dates 2025 and mark them to not miss out on any of the events.

UPSC CDS 2 Notification

UPSC candidates can view the UPSC CDS annual exam calendar on UPSC's official website, upsc.gov.in. The notification will be out on May 28, 2025. The UPSC CDS notification PDF consists of the complete details of the recruitment process, such as registration dates, exam dates, selection process, and others.

UPSC CDS Eligibility

There are various parameters of eligibility associated with citizenship, age, qualification and physical standards. The various UPSC CDS 2025 eligibility conditions are as follows.

Age Limit

The eligibility criteria set for the age limit in the UPSC CDS exam are.

Educational Qualification

The minimum educational qualification required for UPSC CDS 2025 is.

Note: Candidates in the final year of their graduation are also eligible to apply for the exam.

UPSC CDS 1 2025 Exam Centres

The UPSC CDS Exam Centre 2025 list for the Phase 1 Exam was released along with the official notification. The candidates must submit their choice of test centre while filling out the application form. The applicants can choose any one centre out of the given options based on their preference and are allotted based on a 'first-apply-first-allot basis'. The UPSC CDS 1 Exam will be held in 70 cities across the nation in two shifts.

The list of UPSC CDS 1 exam centre 2025 is as follows:

Documents Required at UPSC CDS 1 Test Centre

The applicants must take the following documents to the exam centre:

• UPSC CDS Admit Card
• A Valid Photo ID Card

UPSC CDS 2025 Exam Pattern

UPSC CDS written exam consists of three papers except for the candidates opting for the Officers Training Academy. Each paper consists of 100 Multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Each question carries one mark and every wrong answer will lead to a deduction of 1/3 mark from the total. No marks will be deducted for leaving a question blank.

The paper on General Knowledge and Mathematics is bilingual. The papers will be in Hindi and English. Moreover, calculators are not allowed in the exam centre. The UPSC CDS exam pattern 2025 for admissions to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy is tabulated below.

The exam Pattern for admissions into the Officers Training Academy is tabulated below.

UPSC CDS Exam 2025 Reference Books

The following are some of the best UPSC CDS books that can be referred to by the candidates to prepare well for the UPSC CDS 1 2025 Exam.

• Pathfinder CDS Examination Conducted by UPSC
• CDS (Combined Defence Services) Examination Guide By R. Gupta
• Quick GK 2024 with Current affairs update
• Oxford English Grammar Course: Basic with Answers CD-ROM Pack
• Chapter-wise Solved papers CDS Combined Defence Services Examination By Arihant Publications

How to Prepare for UPSC CDS 2025?

Considering that UPSC is conducting the exam, it ought to be tough. The difficulty level is from moderate to high, especially the General knowledge part is very tough and sometimes on par with UPSC CSE. Still, in comparison to other UPSC exams, the written part is relatively easy. The tricky part is the SSB Interview process which is completely based on the candidate's overall personality.

To prepare for the written exam, a lot of practice is required in terms of the Mathematics part. 100 questions are to be done in 120 minutes, and the questions are time-consuming, so without proper practice, the maths paper cannot be completed.

Moving to the GK part, the candidate requires a thorough study of history, geography, civics, and other subjects mentioned above. For current events, the candidate should read newspapers daily. The last 1-year event knowledge is sufficient for the exam. Moreover, reading newspapers will also help them in the English Section.

UPSC CDS Previous Yar Question Papers

The candidates can get a fair amount of ideas about the syllabus after solving the UPSC CDS previous years papers. Moreover, the candidate can analyse his/her weak spots in the syllabus and the time required to solve the entire paper. Thus UPSC CDS previous question papers will help him/her in planning his/her preparation. It is one of the best ways to get acquainted with the paper pattern and analyse the section difficulty level.

Steps to Download UPSC CDS Exam Question Papers

Candidates can follow the steps mentioned below to download UPSC CDS question papers. 

• Step 1: Candidates must visit the official website at upsc.gov.in.
• Step 2: Click on the 'Examination' tab on the homepage.
• Step 3: On the redirect page, click on the 'Previous Years Question Paper' links
• Step 4: Candidates can now download the UPSC CDS 2 question papers 2025 from the redirected page. 

UPSC CDS Mock and Sample Papers

Regularly practising the mock and sample tests will help the candidate to gain speed and finally help them finish the actual exam on time. These are very helpful for the Mathematics part of the exam. The sample papers can be easily found on the coaching centre websites, preparation websites, and others.

Also Read: Difference Between AFCAT and CDS Exam - Syllabus, Best Books

UPSC CDS Exam Syllabus

The UPSC CDS syllabus consists of mainly three subjects that are Mathematics, English Language, and General Knowledge. All the candidates except those who are opting for OTA Chennai, have to give all three papers. The syllabus for all three papers is as follows.

UPSC CDS English Syllabus

The topics included in the English section are as follows:

UPSC CDS Arithmetic Syllabus

The topics included in the Arithmetic section are as follows:

UPSC CDS General Knowledge Syllabus

The general knowledge syllabus includes the following:

• Current events (Knowledge of both national and international events)
• Indian and world history
• Indian constitution
• Geography
• Defence current events

UPSC CDS 1 2025 Answer Key

The conducting authority will release the UPSC CDS answer keys a few weeks after the successful conduction of the exam. Candidates can compare the official answer keys with the answers that they have marked to arrive at the possible score. Candidates can follow the steps given below to download the answer keys.

• Step 1: Visit the official website.
• Step 2: In the notifications, section click on the "Answer key" link.
• Step 3: Answer key PDFs of each subject will be displayed.
• Step 4: Download the PDFs and take a printout.

UPSC CDS 1 2025 Result

The commission will declare the UPSC CDS 2025 1 Result on the official website in online mode. The result PDF will consist of the names and scores of the qualifying candidates. The UPSC CDS 1 2025 Result is expected to be out in May 2025. The candidates will be required to enter their UPSC CDS login details to access it.

How to Download UPSC CDS Result 2025?

The steps to download the UPSC CDS Result PDF are as follows:

• Step 1: Navigate to the UPSC's official website.
• Step 2: On the notification, click on the 'UPSC CDS 1 Final Result 2025' link.
• Step 3: Check your roll number on the next page and save the UPSC CDS 1 result 2025 PDF for future reference.

After the final result of the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) is declared, the candidates' marks will be made available on the official website. Candidates must submit original documents supporting their date of birth and educational qualifications, as well as photocopies of attested copies, to the army headquarters, naval headquarters, or air headquarters of their first preference.

UPSC CDS 1 2025 Cut Off

UPSC CDS 1 cut off 2025 will be released on the official website after the results are declared. The candidates must score at least 20% marks in each of the three papers for cut off of CDS 2025. Failing to do that even in one subject can lead to failure in the written exam, even if your total score is above the aggregate cut off. The minimum cut off varies for each academy.

The Air Force Academy (AFA) generally has the highest CDS result 2025 cut off, followed by the Indian Military Academy & Indian Naval Academy. The officer's training academy has the lowest cut off as there are only two subjects in the exam.

The expected cut off for UPSC CDS 2025 is as follows.

UPSC CDS 1 Vacancy 2025

The UPSC CDS 2025 Vacancy was announced for a total of 457 seats along with the notification on Dec 11, 2024. The vacancy was distributed separately for IMA (Indian Military Academy), INA (Indian Naval Academy), AFA (Air Force Academy), and OTA (Officers Training Academy). After successfully passing the examination, the candidates will be elected as Commissioned Officers to the post of lieutenant in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The seat distribution details of the vacancy for UPSC CDS 2025 are as follows:

UPSC CDS 2025 Selection Procedure

The candidates first have to take the written examination. After qualifying, they'll be called for an SSB interview which is a 5-day process in which there will be different tests that will test the Officer Like Qualities (OLQs) in the candidate. If the candidate clears the SSB Interview, he/she'll be sent for medical assessment tests. After those tests are done, a merit list will be prepared.

If the candidate's name is there on the merit list, he/she will receive a call letter to join the respective academy for which the candidate has been given the highest priority. The candidates are advised to prepare themselves with the important questions asked in the SSB interviews to easily pass the round.

UPSC CDS 1 2025 Coaching Centres

A large number of UPSC CDS coaching centres are there in the country. Some of the top UPSC CDS coaching centres are:

• The Lakshya Academy
• Cavalier India
• Baalnoi Academy
• Olive Green Academy
• Minerva Academy

UPSC CDS Contact Details

In case of any questions or queries, candidates can reach out to the concerned authorities through the following contact details. 

Address:
Union Public Service Commission,
Dholpur House,
Shahjahan Road, New Delhi- 110069.

Phone Number: 011-23098543 / 23385271 / 23381125 / 23098591

Email ID: feedback-upsc@gov.in

Official Website: upsc.gov.in