CDS Syllabus 2026: The Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) Syllabus for the Written Exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is based on 3 subjects, namely, English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. Candidates who want to appear for CDS II 2026 Exam must be aware of the CDS Syllabus and CDS Exam Pattern. Understanding the syllabus thoroughly enables an aspiring candidate to prepare well for the exam and secure top marks in it. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) twice every year in the months of February and November. The Written examination for CDS I 2026 is over and now the application for CDS II will be released on August 4, 2026.
CDS Syllabus is released along with the notification, however candidates can start preparing from the syllabus for previous cycle exam i.e CDS I as there is hardly any change in the Syllabus. In this article we have provided detailed syllabus for CDS. Read on to find out.CHECK OUT DETAILED CDS EXAM PATTERN FROM HERE
UPSC CDS Syllabus 2026
CDS is conducted to facilitate admission to Indian Naval Academy (INA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). Before getting into the details of CDS Syllabus, let us have an overview of the exam:
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Name | Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam |
| Exam Level | National Level |
| Frequency of Exam | Twice in a year, February and November |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Qualification | Graduate |
| Selection Process | Written, SSB Interview |
| After Selection | Training at IMA/OTA/INA/AFA |
| Exam Duration | One day |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
Note that in order to apply for the exam, candidates need to first make sure that they are eligible. So, check CDS Eligibility Criteria. Also, check about the CDS Selection Process to be aware of all the stages of the exam.
Now, Let us look into the detailed CDS Syllabus for each section:
CDS Syllabus For Elementary Maths
Elementary Maths consists of basic topics from High School Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, Trigonometry, and Mensuration. Check the detailed topic-wise syllabus from below:
CDS Mathematics Syllabus – Arithmetics
The Arithmetic section basically tests your knowledge of Number System, Elementary Number Theory, and other basic concepts as below:
- – Basic Operations ( Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division)
- – Number Series (Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real numbers)
- – Square Roots, Decimal Fractions
- – Unitary Method
- – Time and Distance
- – Time and Work
- – Percentage
- – Applications to Simple and Compound Interest
- – Profit and Loss
- – Ratio and Proportion
- – Variation
- – Division Algorithm
- – Prime and Composite Numbers
- – Tests of Divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11
- – Multiples and Factors
- – Factorization
- – Theorems
- – Highest Common Factor (HCF)
- – Lowest Common Multiple (LCM)
- – Euclidean Algorithm
- – Logarithms to Base 10
- – Laws of Logarithms
- – Use of Logarithmic Tables
CDS Mathematics Syllabus – Algebra
- – Simple Factors
- – Remainder Theorem
- – Highest Common Factor
- – Lowest Common Multiple
- – Theory of Polynomials
- – Solutions of Quadratic Equations
- – The relation between Quadratic Equation Roots and Coefficients
- – Simultaneous Linear Equations- 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 and their solutions
- – Set Language and Set Notation
- – Rational Expressions
- – Conditional Identities
- – Laws of Indices
CDS Mathematics Syllabus – Geometry
- – 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
- – The 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
- – Loci
CDS Mathematics Syllabus- Statistics
- – Collection and Tabulation of Statistical Data
- – Graphical Representation
- – Frequency Polygons
- – Histograms
- – Bar Charts
- – Pie Charts
- – Measures of Central Tendency
CDS Mathematics Syllabus – Trignometry
- – Sin x, Cosine x, Tangent x when 0 degree < x< 90 degree values of sin x
- – cos x and tan x for x= degree 0, 30, 45, 60 and 90
- – Simple Trigonometric Identities
- – Use of Trigonometric Tables
- – Simple Cases of Heights and Distance
Mensuration
- – Area of Square
- – Rectangle
- – Parallelograms
- – Triangle
- – Circle
- – Area of Figures which can be Split up into Figures (field book)
- – Surface Area and Volume of Cuboids
- – Lateral Surface
- – Volume of Right Circular Cones and Cylinders
- – Surface Area and Volume of Spheres
CDS Syllabus For English Language
This section tests your knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary. Along with this, it also tests your sentence formation skill.
- Spotting Errors
- Sentence Arrangement
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Selecting Words
- Ordering of Sentences
- Comprehension
- Ordering of Words in a Sentence
- Fill in the blanks
CDS Syllabus For General Knowledge
The General Knowledge section of CDS Syllabus includes Current Affairs and Static GK. The General Knowledge paper includes questions on various topics as mentioned below:
- History
- Geography
- Politics
- Economics
- Sociology
- Physics, Chemistry, Biology
- Environment
- Sports
- Awards
- Books & Authors
- Culture and Traditions
To prepare for the current affairs section, candidates will have to follow the daily current affairs. Candidates can read newspapers and several current affairs books (eg. Manorama Yearbook) to prepare for this section.
CDS Exam Pattern
If you are seeking admission in OTA then you are required to study only General Knowledge and English, and Mathematics is not required. Candidates who are seeking admission to IMA/INA/AFA are required to study all three subjects – English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics. For more clarity on this, you can see the CDS Exam Pattern from below:
For admission to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy, CDS 2026 exam pattern is tabulated below:
CDS Exam Pattern for IMA/INA/AFA
| Topics | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
| Elementary Maths | 100 | 2 Hours |
| English | 100 | 2 Hours |
| General knowledge (GK) | 100 | 2 Hours |
| Total | 300 | 6 Hours |
For admission to Officers’ Training Academy, the CDS 2026 exam pattern is as under:
CDS Exam Pattern for OTA
| Topics | Maximum marks | Time Duration |
| English | 100 | 2 Hours |
| General knowledge (GK) | 100 | 2 Hours |
| Total | 200 | 4 Hours |
- Each question carries 4 options out of which only 1 option must be marked.
- Negative marking – 1/3 of the allotted marks will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
- More than one option marked is treated as incorrect.
- If a question is left unanswered, there will be no negative marking.
CDS Syllabus: Intelligence & Personality Test
Candidates who qualify in the Written Test will be called for the SSB Interview. The SSB Interview consists of Stage I and Stage II. Aspirants who clear Stage I will go ahead for Stage II.
Stage I: This stage has tests based on Picture Perception (PP), Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR), and Description Test (DT). Aspirants are shortlisted based on their combined performance in OIR Test, PP and DT.
Stage II: This stage comprises Interview, Psychology Tests, Group Testing Officer Tasks, and the Conference. This stage takes over 4 days to get over.