CDS exam pattern 2026 is divided into written exam and SSB Interview. The exam pattern is prescribed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). Going through the exam pattern, candidates can get an idea regarding the overall structure of CDS exam such as different sections of exam, section-wise weightage of topics, marking scheme, and total marks. Read below for more details on CDS exam pattern.https://1018f2f88718dd3b283a349fdba5139f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.htmlhttps://1018f2f88718dd3b283a349fdba5139f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.htmlhttps://1018f2f88718dd3b283a349fdba5139f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Highlights of CDS Exam Pattern 2026
| Mode of exam | Offline |
| Number of sections | Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA)-ThreeOfficers’ Training Academy (OTA)-Two |
| Total marks of the test | IMA, INA and AFA-300OTA-200 |
| Nature of questions | Objective type |
| Language of question paper | Hindi and English |
| Duration of the test | Two hours for each section of the test |
CDS Exam Pattern 2026 for Written Test
The written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA comprises three sections: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. The test paper for admission to OTA comprises two sections: English and General Knowledge. The total exam duration for IMA, INA, and AFA is six hours (each section is for two hours) while it is four hours (each section is for two hours) for OTA. Total marks of the test for IMA, INA, and AFA are 300 while it is 200 for OTA. The test paper consists of objective-type questions only. The standard of the topics in the CDS syllabus for Elementary Mathematics is of Class 10 level. The standard of papers for other subjects is of graduation level.https://1018f2f88718dd3b283a349fdba5139f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.htmlhttps://1018f2f88718dd3b283a349fdba5139f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Structure of question paper
The structure of CDS question paper for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA is as follows:
IMA, INA, AFA
| Subject | Duration (In hours) | Maximum marks |
|---|---|---|
| English | 2 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 2 | 100 |
OTA
| Subject | Duration (In hours) | Maximum marks |
|---|---|---|
| English | 2 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 | 100 |
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- For the incorrect answer, 1/3 marks are deducted
- Candidates marking more than one option is treated as incorrect
- If a question is left unanswered there will be no negative marking
The section-wise marking scheme of CDS exam is given below:
| Specifications | English | GK | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum marks | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Marks for the correct answer | +1 mark for each correct option | +1 mark for each correct option | +1 mark for each correct option |
| Negative marking | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer |
CDS Exam Pattern 2026 for SSB Interview
The SSB Interview for IMA, INA, AFA is for 300 marks each while for OTA it is 200. The SSB Interview procedure consists of two stages: I and II. Only those candidates who qualify the stage I are permitted to appear in stage II. The details of both the stages are given below:
- Stage I comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT).
- Stage II comprises Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests and Conference. These tests are conducted for over days
CDS Syllabus 2026
Candidates can check the topics in CDS syllabus:
| Subjects | Topics |
|---|---|
| English | The question paper is designed to test the candidates’ understanding of English and Grammar |
| General Knowledge | Economics, Physics, General Awareness, Politics, History, Geography, Sociology, etc. |
| Elementary Mathematics | Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, Statistics, etc. |
Check here the complete CDS syllabus
CDS 2026 Exam Analysis
CDS (I) 2026 exam was moderate in terms of difficulty level. The overall difficulty level of General Knowledge and English was moderate. The Mathematics paper was tough compared to last year. To know more about CDS exam analysis, watch the reactions provided by students regarding the exam.