CDS Age Limit

Below is the CDS age limit according to the CDS 1 and 2 exams.

CDS 1

• Male unmarried candidates born between January 2, 1999, and January 1, 2004, are eligible to apply for the Indian Military Academy (IMA).
• Male unmarried candidates born between January 2, 1999, and January 1, 2004, are eligible to apply for the Indian Naval Academy (IMA).
• As of January 1, 2023, applicants to the Air Force Academy must be between the ages of 20 and 24. It is required that they were born between January 2, 1999, and January 1, 2003.
• Unmarried male candidates born between January 2, 1998, and January 1, 2004, are eligible to apply for the Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for Men).
• Candidates for the Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course) must be single and born between January 2, 1998, and January 1, 2004.

CDS 2

• The requirements for IMA are that candidates be single and born between July 2, 1999, and July 1, 2004.
• Male unmarried applicants may apply for INA if they were born between July 2, 1999, and July 1, 2004.
• Candidates must be between the ages of 20 and 24 as of July 1, 2023, in order to apply for AFA. It is required that they were born between July 2, 1999, and July 1, 2003. Candidates with valid and current DGCA (India) Commercial Pilot Licences are exempt from the upper age limit of 26 years old (i.e., born between July 2, 1997, and July 1, 2003).
• Candidates must be single and born between July 2, 1998, and July 1, 2004, in order to be eligible for the OTA course (SSC Men).
• Applications are open to unmarried women, issueless widows who haven’t remarried, and issueless divorcees who haven’t remarried. It is required that they were born between July 2, 1998, and July 1, 2004.

CDS Qualification

• The educational prerequisite for IMA and the Officers’ Training Academy is a degree in any field from an accredited university.
• Candidates for the Indian Naval Academy must hold an engineering degree from an accredited university.
• Candidates for the Air Force Academy must hold an engineering degree from an accredited university. In Class 12, they had to have studied math and physics.

CDS Exam Pattern

The 2023 CDS exam pattern consists of both a written test and an SSB interview. English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics make up the three sections of the written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA. English and General Knowledge are the two sections of the test used to gain admission to OTA. The duration of each section is two hours. 

The test has a total score of 200 for OTA and 300 for IMA, INA, and AFA. OTA receives 200 marks for the SSB interview, whereas IMA, INA, and AFA receive 300 marks each. There are two steps in the SSB interview process: I and II. Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests, the Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT), group testing officer tasks, psychology tests, and conferences. Interviews are all part of the first stage of the SSB interview.

What is the CDS Syllabus 2025?

Three subjects make up the UPSC CDS syllabus: general knowledge, English language, and elementary mathematics. Candidates should be aware that only those who have applied for IMA, INA, and AFA are eligible to take Elementary Mathematics. Candidates can determine which subjects and chapters to cover for the test by looking over the CDS syllabus. Candidates who are getting ready for the CDS exam should review past years’ question papers to determine the key subjects.