This is an exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission of India for recruiting candidates into the three armed forces of our country. A candidate who loves to be a soldier can apply for this exam. The pay scale is also very lucrative. From this exam, candidates for both short service and regular service are selected. Both female and male candidates can apply.

Structure of CDS I

There will a total of 300 questions that is 100 from each section. The total marks will be 300.This pattern of exam will be like the exam for Indian Military Academy and Air Force Academy. In the case of exam for Office Training Academy, there will be only a total of 200 questions of 200 marks. This will be from the two sections .Interview for Naval Academy, Indian Air Force will be for 300 marks which will include the group discussion marks also. Interview and group discussion marks for Officers Training Academy is 300.

Syllabus for CDS I

English (Code No. 01)

The questions will be based on:

• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Sentence completion
• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• Comprehension of a passage

General Knowledge (Code No. 02)

Questions will be from events taking place across the world. There will be questions from the Indian history. There will also be questions from current affairs.

Elementary Mathematics (Code No. 03):

• Number System-Natural numbers, Integers
• Rational and Real numbers
• Fundamental operations addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Division
• Square roots
• Decimal, fractions
• Unitary method
• Time and distance
• Time and work
• Percentages
• Applications to simple and compound interest
• Profit and loss
• Ratio and proportion, variation
• Elementary Number Theory- Division algorithm
• Prime and composite numbers
• Tests of divisibility by 2, 3,4,5,9 and 11
• Multiples and factors
• Factorisation
• Theorem. H.C.F. and L.C.M. Euclidean algorithm
• Logarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms
• Use of logarithmic tables
• Basic Operations
• Simple factors, Remainder Theorem
• H.C.F., L.C.M.
• Theory of polynomials
• Solutions of quadratic equations
• Relation between its roots and coefficients (Only real roots to be considered)
• Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns-analytical and graphical solutions Simultaneous linear inequations in two variables and their solutions
• Practical problems leading to two simultaneous linear equations or inequations in two variables or quadratic equations in one variable & their solutions.
• Set language and set notation
• Rational expressions and conditional identities, Laws of indices
• Simple trigonometric identities
• Use of trigonometric tables
• Simple cases of heights and distances
• Lines and angles, Plane and plane figures
• Theorems on Properties of angles at a point
• Parallel lines
• Sides and angles of a triangle
• Congruency of triangles
• Similar triangles
• Concurrence of medians and altitudes
• Properties of angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle and square
• Circles and its properties including tangents and normals
• Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangle and circle
• Areas of figures which can be split up into these figures (Field Book)
• Surface area and volume of cuboids
• Lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders
• Surface area and volume of spheres
• Collection and tabulation of statistical data
• Graphical representation
• Frequency polygons
• Histograms
• Bar charts, pie charts etc.
• Measures of central tendency
• Intelligence and personality test:

This test includes group discussion, group planning, group tasks etc. They will be also given certain objects or subjects on which each candidate will be asked to speak about.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidate applying for the said exam should be a citizen of India or Nepal or Bhutan or a Tibetan refugee who intends to live in India permanently.

Also a candidates of Indian origin but has come to India from Burma, Uganda, Pakistan, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya or Vietnam are also eligible to write the exam.

But the above mentioned candidates will need to produce certificates (eligibility certificate) from Indian government.

Unmarried male Candidates can only apply for Indian Military Academy .All eligible candidates of 19-24 ages can apply. The candidate should have a degree as minimum qualification.

Unmarried male Candidates can only apply for Indian Naval Academy. All eligible candidates between 19-22 ages can apply. The candidate should have a degree from B.sc physics / Maths or B.Tech as minimum qualification.

Unmarried male candidates can only apply for Indian Air Force Academy. All eligible candidates of 19-23 ages can apply. The candidate should have a degree from B.Sc physics /  aths or B.Tech as minimum qualification.

Unmarried male and female Candidates can only apply for officers training academy .All eligible candidates of 19-25 ages can apply. The candidate should have a degree as minimum qualification.

Candidates should also be physical fit.

How to Apply?

Candidates can only apply through online method, but for candidates living at the remote areas of our country specified in the website can apply through the other mode. Those candidates can get their application form the general post offices of that area. If any candidate living in the normal areas sends their form by offline mode, then that form will be rejected.

How to fill the Form?

Candidate should read all the information given in the Appendix 2(A) while filling up the online form.

All the details entered should be correct and the certificates / documents that to be sent should be send to the officer concerned within the specified deadline.

Forms will be instantly rejected if any data is found incorrect.

Important Dates (Tentative)

• All can submit their form till June, 2012 second week
• Exam will be on second week of September, 2012
• Online application can be filled till first week of June, 2012

List of CDS I centers

The list of combined defense service examination centers are listed below:

• Itanagar
• Allahabad
• Bhopal
• Chandigarh
• Bangalore
• Chennai
• Bareilly
• Cuttack
• Dehradun
• Delhi
• Dispur
• Dharwad
• Jaipur
• Jorhat
• Kochi
• Raipur
• Thiruvanathapuram
• Jammu
• Kohima
• Kolkata
• Shillong
• Madurai
• Lucknow
• Mumbai
• Nagpur
• Ranchi
• Sambalpur
• Shimla
• Srinagar
• Tirupati
• Udaipur
• Vishakhapatnam
• Assam
• Meghalaya
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Mizoram
• Lakshadweep
• Manipur
• Nagaland
• Tripura
• Sikkim
• Jammu & Kashmir
• Lahaul and Spiti District and Pangi Sub Division of Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh
• Andaman & Nicobar Island

Contact Address for the CDS I

The contact address is given below:

Address : Controller of Examinations, Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road,

New Delhi-110069

Reference Books for CDS I

• Upkar’s Combined Defence Services Examination by Jain and Kishore
• Arihant Pathfinder CDS Exam Books
• CDS: Combined Defence Services Exam by E. S. Ramasamy
• Asian CDS (Combined Defence Services) Exam Guide by R P Verma
• Popular Master Guide Series’ (RPH Editorial Board) CDS Exam by R Gupta
• Combined Defence Services Solved Paper by Upkar
• Guide To C. D. S (Combined Defence Services Exam) by G K
• CDS Exam Guide: Combined Defence Services Exam by Datason Rp
• The Pearson Guide to the Combined Defence Services Examination by Edgar Thorpe
• CDS Combined Defence Services by Verma

Study Plan

Study all the topics carefully. As this exam consist of interviews and group discussions candidate should attend some mock interviews and discussions. Many coaching classes provide such events. But for attending all this interviews and group discussions candidate need to first qualify in the written examination. So they need to first study for that.

How and Where To Get the Results?

Web site address is: http://www.upsc.gov.in

Score Validity

Until the main exam is held.