NDA Vs CDS: Understand the difference
National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint services academy of the Indian Armed Forces. Here, the cadets of the three services, Army, Navy, and the Air Force train together before they go on to the respective service academies for further pre-commissioning training.
Combined Defence Services (CDS) is the examination for recruitment into Indian Military Academy, Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy.
NDA Vs CDS: What is the eligibility criteria?
NDA is conducted for candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class 12. Whereas, CDS exam is conducted for candidates who have passed or are appearing in graduation. Women candidates can now appear for NDA exam. The table below highlights the difference in the eligibility criteria of NDA and CDS exams.
| Parameter | NDA | CDS |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 16 ½ -19 ½ Years | 19 to 25 Years |
| Eligibility | Men only | Men and Women |
| Educational Qualification | Class 10 | Graduation |
NDA Vs CDS: Training, Degrees Awarded, Ranks and Stipend
The selection process of both NDA and CDS is the same: written exam followed by SSB Interview. On commissioning, candidates are granted the rank of Lieutenant. During training, candidates are paid Rs 21,000 per month. Check below the training procedure, degrees offered and training centres of NDA and CDS exams.
| Parameter | NDA | CDS |
|---|---|---|
| Duration of training | Four to Four and half years Three years at NDA and one year at IMA (For Army cadets) Three years at NDA and one year at Naval Academy (For Naval cadets) Three years at NDA and one and half years at AFA Hyderabad (For AF cadets) | 18 months for IMA Cadets 37-40 months for Navy Officers 74 months for Air Force Officers |
| Training centres | National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune Indian Military Academy, Dehradun Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala Indian Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun for Army Cadets Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala for Navy Cadets Indian Air Force Academy, Hyderabad for Air Force Officers Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai |
| Degrees awarded | Army Cadets: BSc/BSc (Computer)/BA /BTech degree Naval Cadets: BTech degree Air Force Cadets: BTech degree | Army Cadets in IMA: PG Diploma in ‘Military and Defence Management OTA Chennai: Post Graduate Diploma in Defence Management and Strategic Studies |
NDA Vs CDS: Exam Pattern
The differences in the exam pattern of NDA and CDS are given in the table below.
| Parameters | NDA | CDS |
|---|---|---|
| Number of papers | Two | IMA, AFA and INA: Three OTA: Two |
| Name of the subjects | General Ability Test (GAT) and Mathematics | IMA, AFA and INA: English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics OTA: English and General Knowledge |
| Exam duration | Each paper is for 2 ½ | Each paper is held for 2 hours |
| Number of questions | GAT: 150 Mathematics: 120 | Maths: 100 English: 120 General Knowledge: 120 |
| Total marks | Written Exam: 900 SSB Interview: 900 | IMA, INA and AFA:300 OTA: 200 The SSB Interview for IMA, INA, AFA is for 300 marks each while for OTA it is 200 |
| Negative marks | GAT: 1.33 Maths: 0.83 | 0.33 |
| Nature of syllabus | The standard of NDA syllabus is of Class 10, 11 and 12 level | The standard of the topics in CDS syllabus 2026 for Elementary Mathematics will be of Class 10 level. The standard of papers for other subjects will be of graduation level. |
NDA Vs CDS: Pay, Allowances and Promotional Avenues
Pay and allowances offered to the officers selected through the NDA and CDS exams differ significantly. The difference in the pay, allowances, and promotional avenues is given below.
Promotional Avenues
| Rank | Min. Commissioned Service for Promotion | |
|---|---|---|
| NDA Officer | CDS Officer | |
| Lieutenant | On Commission | On Commission |
| Captain | 02 Years | 02 Years |
| Major | 06 years | 06 years |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 13 years | 13 years |
| Colonel(Selection) | 15 years | 15 years |
| Colonel (Time Scale) | 26 years | 26 years |
| Brigadier | On Selection | 23 years |
| Major General | On Selection | 25 years |
| Lieutenant General | On Selection | 28 years |
| General | On Selection | No restrictions |
Salary
| Rank | NDA Officer Pay (in Rupees) | CDS Officer Pay (in Rupees) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank Pay | Grade Pay | ||
| Lieutenant | 15,600-39,100 | 5,400 | 56,100-1,77,500 |
| Captain | 15,600-39,100 | 6,100 | 6,13,00-1,93,900 |
| Major | 15,600-39,100 | 6,600 | 6,94,00-2,07,200 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 37,400-67,000 | 8,000 | 1,21,200-2,12400 |
| Colonel | 37,400-67,000 | 8,700 | 1,30,600-2, 15,900 |
| Brigadier | 37,400-67,000 | 8,900 | 1,39,600-2,17,600 |
| Major General | 37,400-67,000 | 10,000 | 1,44,200-2,18,200 |
| Lieutenant General HAG Scale | 67,000-79,000 | – | 1, 82, 200-2,24,100 |
| HAG+Scale | 75,500-80,000 | – | 2,05,400-2,24,400 |
| VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG) | 80,000 | – | 2,25,000 (fixed) |
| COAS | 90,000 (fixed) | – | 2,25,000 (fixed) |
Allowances
Besides pay, the officers in the rank starting from Lieutenant upto Brigadier are eligible for the Military Service Pay (MSP). NDA Officers get a fixed sum of Rs 6,000 per month in lieu of MSP while the CDS Officers get Rs 15,500 per month. Besides, the officers are also eligible for various allowances.
| Type | NDA Officer (in rupees per month) | CDS Officer (in rupees per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Dearness Allowance | Equal to Civilian Gazetted Officers | Equal to Civilian Gazetted Officers |
| Kit Maintenance Allowance | 400 | Subsumed into DA |
| High Altitude Allowance | 1,060 | 3,400-25,000 |
| Siachen Allowance | Not Applicable | 42,500 |
| Uniform allowance | 14,000 (initial) and 3,000 (every three years) | Subsumed into proposed DA |
| Transport allowance | 1,600-3,200 and DA | 3,600 -7,200 and DA |
| Children Education Allowance | Not Applicable | Rs 2,250 per month for per child for two children from nursery to class 12 |
The Army Aviators (Pilots) serving in the Army Aviation Corps are entitled to the flying allowance as given below.
| Rank/Position | NDA Officers (in Rupees per month | CDS Officers (in Rupees per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant | 9,000 | 25,000 (fixed) |
| Captain | 11,000 | |
| Major to Colonel | 14,000 | |
| Brigadier & above | 10,500 |
NDA vs CDS: FAQs
Q: What are NDA and CDS exams? A: NDA exam is conducted for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy Course. Whereas CDS is conducted for admission to Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).
Q: What is the difference in educational qualification of CDS and NDA exams? A: The educational qualification prescribed for CDS and NDA exams is given below: CDS: For IMA and Officers’ Training Academy, candidates must be a graduate. For Indian Naval Academy, candidates must have a degree in Engineering from a recognised university. For Air Force Academy, a degree or Bachelor of Engineering is necessary. Students must have studied Physics and Mathematics in Class 12. NDA: For admission to Army Wing of National Defence Academy, candidates must have passed Class 12/HSC or equivalent from a recognised board or university. For admission to Air Force, Navy and Naval Academy of National Defence Academy, candidates must have passed Class 12/HSC with Physics and Mathematics.
Q: What is the difference in age limit of CDS and NDA exams? A: For applying to the NDA exam, the age of candidates should be between 16 and 19 years. The age limit prescribed for the CDS exam is between 19 and 25 years.
Q: Can women candidates apply for CDS and NDA exams? A: Yes, women candidates can now apply for both exams.
Q: What is process of training in NDA and CDS exams? A: The training of candidates selected through NDA exam lasts up to 36 months while that of CDS lasts up to 12 to 18 months. In NDA, the training session comprises four years for Navy and Army and 4.5 years for Air Force cadets. In CDS, on the other hand, the training is scheduled for 1.5 years for Army cadets, 37 to 40 months for Navy cadets and 74 months for Air Force cadets.
Q: What are the degrees allotted to candidates after completion of training? A: On completion of training the candidates are awarded the following degrees in NDA. Army cadets: BSc, BTech, BA Navy cadets: BTech Air force cadets: B Tech Furthermore, candidates selected through CDS exam on completion of their training are awarded the following degrees. Army cadets: PG Diploma in military and Defence management OTA: PG Diploma in Defence management and Strategic studies
Q: What is the rank allotted to candidates after completion of their training? A: After successful completion of training, candidates selected through NDA and CDS exams are given the rank of Lieutenant.
Q: What is the difference between the payscale of Lieutenant selected through NDA and CDS exams? A: The rank pay of Lieutenant in NDA is Rs 15,600-39,100 while it is Rs 56,100-1,77,50.
Q: What is the difference in Military Service Pay (MSP) of NDA and CDS Officers? A: The Officers ranging from Lieutenant rank up to Brigadier get Military Service Pay (MSP). The difference is that NDA Officers receive Rs 6,000 per month while CDS Officers get Rs 15,500 per month.
Q: What is the difference in exam pattern of CDS and NDA exams? A: NDA exam comprises two papers- Mathematics and General Ability Test. The total marks allotted to the written exam and SSB Interview are 900 each. CDS exam comprises three papers-Elementary Mathematics, General Awareness and English. Candidates applying for IMA, INA and AFA are required to appear for all three papers while those applying for OTA are required to appear for two papers-English and General Knowledge. Total marks of the test for IMA, INA, and AFA are 300, while it is 200 for OTA. The SSB Interview for IMA, INA, AFA is for 300 marks each while for OTA it is 200.
Q: Which are training centres in NDA and CDS exams? A: All candidates selected through NDA exam first undergo training at National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, after that the cadets are trained at IMA Dehradun, INA, Ezhimala and AFA, Hyderabad. Candidates selected through CDS exam directly undergo training at the respective defence academies they have applied for, such as IMA Dehradun, INA, Ezhimala, AFA, Hyderabad and OTA, Chennai.