If you are appearing for the CDS examination for the first time and aim to clear it on your first attempt, this article provides useful understandings and strategies on how to crack UPSC
exam successfully on the first attempt.
Want to be in the armed forces? Start your CDS journey here with a preparation strategy….
While thinking of starting your preparation, the mind is often filled with questions such as: How do I begin? Where should I start? Is online preparation better, or is offline preparation better? And many other doubts, right?
Thinking Something?
Below, this article, has given answers to all your doubts, provided CDS 2025 preparation tips, along with more information about the exam so that you can confidently clear your CDS exam.
Get latest news & updates about CDS 2025 via SMS and e-mail, by entering your details below:
Please wait...
CDS stands for Combined Defense Services and is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year. It is held twice a year for admission to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy (AFA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).
The exam is conducted in two stages: a written exam and the SSB (Services Selection Board) interview. The mode of the exam is pen and paper-based.
The official exam dates have been released. The CDS 1 exam 2025 will be conducted on April 13, 2025., and the CDS 2 will be conducted on September 14, 2025.
While it may feel like there isn’t enough time when preparing for any exam, however, candidates can perform well and appear for the exam with full dedication and discipline, even within a few months. The first things that need to be sincerely followed by CDS aspirants is to make a good timetable and follow it sincerely.
Below for you, we have given stage-wise tips for the upcoming CDS examination of the 2025 session:
For the UPSC CDS written exam, the first thing candidates need to do is go through the complete syllabus and understand the . This is key, as candidates can only prepare well when their foundation is clear.
While preparing, candidates are not required to skip any topics from the . It is very important to thoroughly go through all the chapters and subjects carefully. The written exam consists of three papers: English, General Knowledge (GK), and Mathematics (for IMA, INA, and AFA aspirants). Each subject will carry 100 marks.
To score well in English, candidates should focus on their grammar, improve their vocabulary, practice as many reading comprehensions as possible, and take mock tests. The key topics in which candidates should practice every day are finding errors, sentence improvement, Synonyms, and antonyms, filling in the blanks, Idioms and phrases, and ordering of sentences.
The CDS GK section aims to know about candidates’ knowledge of current events, historical events, geography, economics, defense-related topics, and general awareness relevant to the armed forces. Candidates can prepare well for this paper by reading as many newspapers as possible, going through NCERT books on history, science, and geography from classes 6 to 10, 11th and 12th humanities books, solving GK online tests, and conducting thorough research on major events that have occurred or are expected to occur in India, whether by famous personalities or on their behalf.
For the Math paper, it is very important to have concept clarity and a strong base. This paper can only be aced if there is regular practice, and the result of practice is improvement in speed and accuracy. If you find topics or chapters challenging, instead of skipping them, find hacks to learn the formulas or tricks to solve questions efficiently.
Candidates who qualify for the written exam will be called for the SSB (Services Selection Board) process. The SSB process has two main stages: Stage I and Stage II.
Stage I: Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) Test & Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT).
To do well in this stage, candidates should strengthen their reasoning skills. They should focus on improving their speed and accuracy, which can be acquired through practice. Candidates should work on improving their observation skills and story-building capabilities. Taking mock PP&DT tests will help practice framing logical and structured stories quickly.
Stage II: Interview, Group Testing Officer (GTO) Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference
The personal interview in the CDS SSB process aims to know the candidate’s personality, background, goals, and motivation for joining the defense forces. To perform well, you should be honest and confident while answering questions. They must engage in self-reflection, understanding their strengths and weaknesses. Staying updated on current affairs, defense-related topics, and their academic background is important to answering knowledge-based questions smartly.
The Group Testing Officer (GTO) tasks in the CDS SSB process include activities such as Group Discussions (GD), Group Planning Exercises (GPE), Command Tasks, and Individual Obstacles. To excel in these tasks, candidates need to focus on teamwork, leadership, and effective communication. Regular practice of GTO exercises like GD and GPEs helps in improving decision-making and problem-solving skills, which are crucial for success.
Psychology tests, such as the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Word Association Test (WAT), Situation Reaction Test (SRT), and Self-Description (SD), play a significant role in assessing a candidate’s personality and thought process. Candidates should practice TAT stories and respond to WAT and SRT within time limits. Honesty and a structured approach during SD responses are essential for performing well.
Conference is the final stage of the SSB process, where candidates appear before a board for the final assessment. Being confident, calm, and answering the question correctly and clearly is very important.
To prepare for the CDS 1 exam, candidates have approximately 4 months and a few days, as the exam is scheduled in mid-April for Session 1. For Session 2, around 9 months remain. We hope you find this article regarding the CDS preparation tips helpful and useful. Here we will be also adding more tips and strategies for you, so it’s advisable to keep checking.
If you have any queries about CDS 2025 Preparation Tips, you can ask us by leaving your queries below. Our experts will provide you with the best assistance.
The post appeared first on .
Want to be in the armed forces? Start your CDS journey here with a preparation strategy….
While thinking of starting your preparation, the mind is often filled with questions such as: How do I begin? Where should I start? Is online preparation better, or is offline preparation better? And many other doubts, right?
Thinking Something?
Below, this article, has given answers to all your doubts, provided CDS 2025 preparation tips, along with more information about the exam so that you can confidently clear your CDS exam.
Get latest news & updates about CDS 2025 via SMS and e-mail, by entering your details below:
Please wait...
Quick CDS Overview
CDS stands for Combined Defense Services and is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year. It is held twice a year for admission to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy (AFA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).
The exam is conducted in two stages: a written exam and the SSB (Services Selection Board) interview. The mode of the exam is pen and paper-based.
The official exam dates have been released. The CDS 1 exam 2025 will be conducted on April 13, 2025., and the CDS 2 will be conducted on September 14, 2025.
CDS 2025 Preparation Tips
While it may feel like there isn’t enough time when preparing for any exam, however, candidates can perform well and appear for the exam with full dedication and discipline, even within a few months. The first things that need to be sincerely followed by CDS aspirants is to make a good timetable and follow it sincerely.
Below for you, we have given stage-wise tips for the upcoming CDS examination of the 2025 session:
How to Prepare for UPSC CDS Written Exam?
For the UPSC CDS written exam, the first thing candidates need to do is go through the complete syllabus and understand the . This is key, as candidates can only prepare well when their foundation is clear.
While preparing, candidates are not required to skip any topics from the . It is very important to thoroughly go through all the chapters and subjects carefully. The written exam consists of three papers: English, General Knowledge (GK), and Mathematics (for IMA, INA, and AFA aspirants). Each subject will carry 100 marks.
To score well in English, candidates should focus on their grammar, improve their vocabulary, practice as many reading comprehensions as possible, and take mock tests. The key topics in which candidates should practice every day are finding errors, sentence improvement, Synonyms, and antonyms, filling in the blanks, Idioms and phrases, and ordering of sentences.
The CDS GK section aims to know about candidates’ knowledge of current events, historical events, geography, economics, defense-related topics, and general awareness relevant to the armed forces. Candidates can prepare well for this paper by reading as many newspapers as possible, going through NCERT books on history, science, and geography from classes 6 to 10, 11th and 12th humanities books, solving GK online tests, and conducting thorough research on major events that have occurred or are expected to occur in India, whether by famous personalities or on their behalf.
For the Math paper, it is very important to have concept clarity and a strong base. This paper can only be aced if there is regular practice, and the result of practice is improvement in speed and accuracy. If you find topics or chapters challenging, instead of skipping them, find hacks to learn the formulas or tricks to solve questions efficiently.
How to Prepare for the CDS SSB Interview?
Candidates who qualify for the written exam will be called for the SSB (Services Selection Board) process. The SSB process has two main stages: Stage I and Stage II.
Stage I: Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) Test & Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT).
To do well in this stage, candidates should strengthen their reasoning skills. They should focus on improving their speed and accuracy, which can be acquired through practice. Candidates should work on improving their observation skills and story-building capabilities. Taking mock PP&DT tests will help practice framing logical and structured stories quickly.
Stage II: Interview, Group Testing Officer (GTO) Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference
The personal interview in the CDS SSB process aims to know the candidate’s personality, background, goals, and motivation for joining the defense forces. To perform well, you should be honest and confident while answering questions. They must engage in self-reflection, understanding their strengths and weaknesses. Staying updated on current affairs, defense-related topics, and their academic background is important to answering knowledge-based questions smartly.
The Group Testing Officer (GTO) tasks in the CDS SSB process include activities such as Group Discussions (GD), Group Planning Exercises (GPE), Command Tasks, and Individual Obstacles. To excel in these tasks, candidates need to focus on teamwork, leadership, and effective communication. Regular practice of GTO exercises like GD and GPEs helps in improving decision-making and problem-solving skills, which are crucial for success.
Psychology tests, such as the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Word Association Test (WAT), Situation Reaction Test (SRT), and Self-Description (SD), play a significant role in assessing a candidate’s personality and thought process. Candidates should practice TAT stories and respond to WAT and SRT within time limits. Honesty and a structured approach during SD responses are essential for performing well.
Conference is the final stage of the SSB process, where candidates appear before a board for the final assessment. Being confident, calm, and answering the question correctly and clearly is very important.
To prepare for the CDS 1 exam, candidates have approximately 4 months and a few days, as the exam is scheduled in mid-April for Session 1. For Session 2, around 9 months remain. We hope you find this article regarding the CDS preparation tips helpful and useful. Here we will be also adding more tips and strategies for you, so it’s advisable to keep checking.
If you have any queries about CDS 2025 Preparation Tips, you can ask us by leaving your queries below. Our experts will provide you with the best assistance.
The post appeared first on .