UPSC CDS 2021 : UPSC CDS (II) 2021 Notification has been released on 4th August 2021 and apply online process commences from 4th August 2021 and the last date of registration is 24th August 2021. UPSC CDS exam will be conducted twice every year for admission to several courses in IMA Dehradun, INA Ezhimala, AFA Hyderabad, and OTA Chennai.
- Interested candidates must apply online for the UPSC CDS exam 2021 after satisfying the eligibility conditions.
- Candidates are required to visit the website http://upsc.gov.in for submission of the online application form.
- Union Public Service Commission has scheduled the UPSC CDS (I) 2021 exam on 7 Feb 2021 and the CDS (II) exam 2021 on 14th Nov 2021.
- UPSC CDS 2021 Notification (I) has been released on 28 October 2020 and invite application forms from 28 Oct 2020 and the last date of registration is 17 Nov 2020.
Read further to know about the UPSC CDS exam 2021 such as date of release of notification, eligibility, course wise no. of vacancies, how to apply, fee, selection procedure, e-admit cards, result, etc.
CDS 2021 Overview
| Exam Name | UPSC CDS Exam 2021 |
|---|---|
| Also known as | UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination (I & II) 2021 |
| Recruitment Body | Union Public Service Commission |
| Exam notice no. | 11/2021.CDS-II |
| Apply mode | Online |
| Selection procedure | Written Exam and SSB Interview |
| Helpline numbers | 011 - 23385271 / 011 - 23381125 / 011 - 23098543 |
| Apply online @ | http://upsc.gov.in |
Important Dates
| UPSC CDS Event | CDS I Dates | CDS II Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Notification Release | 28 October 2020 | 4 August 2021 |
| Registration start date | 28 October 2020 | 4 August 2021 |
| Registration last date | 17 November 2020 | 24 August 2021 |
| Withdrawal of Application | 24-30 Nov 2020 | 31 August - 6 September 2021 Till 6PM |
| Written Exam Admit Card | 8 Jan 2021 (Released) | Oct 2021 (3 weeks before the exam) |
| UPSC CDS 2021 Exam | 7 Feb 2021 (Sunday) | 14 Nov 2021 (Sunday) |
| Result | March 2021 | Dec 2021 |
UPSC CDS 2021 Notification
Union Public Service Commission conducts the CDS exam twice every year for admitting candidates in admission to the several courses in IMA Dehradun, INA Ezhimala, AFA Hyderabad, and OTA Chennai.
UPSC has released the Combined Defence Services Examination (II) 2021 notification on 4th August 2021. The last date to submit the online application form is 24th August 2021 and the UPSC CDS II 2021 exam will be held on 14th Nov 2021.
UPSC has released the Combined Defence Services Examination (I) 2021 notification on 28 October 2020. The last date to submit the application form is 17 Nov 2020 and the UPSC CDS II 2021 exam will be held on 7th Feb 2021.
Download UPSC CDS I Exam Notification 2021
Download UPSC CDS II Exam Notification 2021
UPSC CDS Vacancy
A total number of 339 vacancies will be filled through UPSC CDS 2021 examination. These vacancies will be distributed in various academies and courses. A comprehensive view of vacancies is mentioned in the table below.
| S. No. | Academy name | CDS (II) 2021 Name of the Course | Commencing in | Approximate No. of Vacancies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai | 30th SSC Women (Non-Technical) | Oct 2022 | 16 |
| 2. | Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) | 116th SSC (Men) Course (NT) | Oct 2022 | 169 |
| 3. | Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | (Pre-Flying) Training Course i.e. No. 210 F(P) Course | July 2022 | 32 |
| 4. | Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | Executive (General Service) / Hydro | July 2022 | 22 |
| 5. | Indian Military Academy, Dehradun | 153rd (DE) Course | July 2022 | 100 |
| Total | 339 | |||
Note – Above mentioned no. of vacancies are tentative and may be increased/decreased.
UPSC CDS 2021 Eligibility Criteria
Nationality
An applicant should be,
- An Indian citizen (or)
- A subject of Nepal / Bhutan (or)
- A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st Jan 1962 to settle permanently.
- POI came to India migrated from countries of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Burma, and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zaire, and Ethiopia or Vietnam with in intention of settling in India.
However, candidates apart from Indian citizens need to produce a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India.
Note – Gorkha subjects of Nepal are exempted from showing a certificate of eligibility.
Age Limit, Gender, and Marital Status
| Academy name | Name of the Course | Age | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai | 28th SSC Women (Non-Technical) | 18 to 24 years | Such issueless divorcees who have not married again and have valid papers Issueless widows who have not married again Unmarried women They must have been born between 2nd July 1997 and 1st July 2003 |
| Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) | 114th SSC (Men) Course (NT) | 18 to 24 years | unmarried male candidates and should have been born between 2nd July 1997 and 1st July 2003 |
| Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | (Pre-Flying) Training Course i.e. No. 208 F(P) Course | 20 to 24 years | As on 1st July 2021, applicant should be 20 years old but not have attained an age of 24 years; also applicant must be unmarried |
| Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | Executive (General Service) / Hydro | 18 to 23 years | unmarried male candidates and must have been born between 2nd July 1998 and 1st July 2003 |
| Indian Military Academy, Dehradun | 151th (DE) Course | 18 to 23 years | Unmarried male candidates and must have born between 2nd July 1998 and 1st July 2003 |
Note- For more details, please go through the official examination notice.
Educational Qualification
- For Air Force Academy- Bachelor of Engineering OR Degree of a recognized University with Mathematics & Physics at 10+2 level
- For Indian Naval Academy – Degree in Engineering from any recognized University/Institution
- For Officers’ Training Academy & I.M.A. – Degree of a recognized University or equivalent
Physical Standards
Applicants must be physically fit and free from any disease/disability. Minimum acceptable height for male applicants
- For Air Force – 162.5 cms
- For NAVY – 157 cms
- Minimum height for women candidates – 152 cms
Read More On UPSC Civil Services 2021
UPSC CDS 2021 Application Form & Process
UPSC CDS II exam 2021 application forms will be released online on 4th Aug 2021 at the website of UPSC and the last date for submission of applications is 24th August 2021.
UPSC CDS I exam 2021 application forms have been released online on 28 October 2020 at the website of UPSC and the last date for submission of applications is 17th November 2021.
Interested and eligible candidates must submit an online application form before the last date of registration.
UPSC CDS 2 Apply Online Link 2021
How to Fill UPSC CDS 2021 Online Application?
UPSC CDS 2021 online application consists of two parts,
- Part I Registration of Application
- Part II Fill in the Application
Part I Registration of Application
- Open UPSC’s official website or click here
- You will see the homepage of UPSC
- Find and click on the link ‘ONLINE APPLICATION FOR VARIOUS EXAMINATIONS OF UPSC’
- You will see a new page having Part – I & Part – II registration links
- Click on the link available under ‘Part – I Registration’ and against ‘Combined Defence Services Examination (II)’
- You will see a new page having important instructions
- Read all the Important Instructions to fill Online Application Form
- Click on the tab ‘Yes’
- Enter your name then select gender and date of birth
- Type your father’s / mother’s names
- Select your nationality, marital status, and community
- Select your educational qualifications
- Enter your address
- Write your mobile number
- Enter and confirm your email ID
- Write your alternate email ID, if any
- Click on the tab ‘Continue’
- If you are seeking age relaxation then select ‘Yes’ otherwise ‘No’ then click on the tab ‘Continue’
- Select any photo ID card then enter and confirm the number of the selected photo ID
- Select other options then click on the tab ‘Continue’
- Check all the details then click on the tab ‘I Agree’
- Your part I registration of the online application is completed now
Part II Fill in Application
- Now, to proceed further click on the ‘Part – II Registration’ tab
- Enter your registration ID and date of birth
- Enter captcha code
- Click on tab ‘Submit’
- Select any payment option (Pay by Cash / Pay by card / Pay by Net Banking)
- Make payment by any of the payment options
- Select examination center
- Upload scanned files of your photo & sign
- Accept declaration and submit the application form
- Take a printout of your final submitted application form
Documents Needed
To apply for UPSC CDS 2021 candidates must have the following documents. Those who don’t have these documents with them at the time of application will not be able to successfully complete the application process.
For Online Application
- Scanned copy of the photograph
- Scanned copy of the signature
- Scanned copy of a valid photo ID
- High school mark sheet
- Valid email ID and working mobile number
- Details of Credit/debit card /internet banking to make payments online
For Document Verification
- High school mark sheet (as proof of Date of birth)
- Valid photo Id
- Caste certificate (if applicable)
- Print out of call letter / admit card
- Educational certificates
UPSC CDS 2021 Application Fee
Females and candidates belonging to SC / ST category are exempted from submission of application fees. Other candidates are required to pay an amount of Rs. 200/- towards application fees.
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| SC /ST and Female candidates | Exempted |
| Others | Rs. 200/- |
Those candidates who are eligible for submission of fees can make an online payment by using net banking services. They can also pay their application fee by depositing the prescribed amount in any SBI’s branch along with system generated Pay in-slip.
Candidates who want to deposit fees at the SBI branch must take a printout of system generated Pay in-slip while going through the Part-II registration process.
UPSC CDS Exam Pattern
The entire UPSC CDS exam 2021 will consist of a written examination and interview for intelligence and personality test.
- Written examination
- Interview for Intelligence and Personality Test
UPSC CDS 2021 Scheme of Written Examination
For Admission to Air Force Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Indian Military Academy.
- The written exam will consist of 3 Papers, Elementary Mathematics, General Knowledge, English.
- Each Paper will have 100 questions, and the total marks will be 300.
- Each paper will be held for 2 hours.
| Subject | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 2 hours |
| General Knowledge | 100 | 2 Hours |
| English | 100 | 2 Hours |
For Admission to Officers’ Training Academy
- The written exam will consist of 2 Papers, English, General Knowledge.
- Each Paper will have 100 questions, and the total marks will be 200.
- Each paper will be held for 2 hours.
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English | 2 hours | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 hours | 100 |
Note – All the question papers will have MCQs in Hindi as well as English.
Intelligence and Personality Test aka Interview
Candidates who secure qualifying marks (to be decided by UPSC after conducting written examination) in written examination will be called for Intelligence and Personality Test. This test will be conducted by the SSB at one of the Services Selection Centres. It will be divided into two stages as given below. Clearing stage I will be necessary for those candidates who want to appear for stage II.
- Stage 1 Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) test & Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT)
- Stage 2 Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference
UPSC CDS Syllabus 2021
Here we have mentioned subject wise syllabus for UPSC CDS as mentioned in the official notification 2021. Candidates who will be appearing for the written exam should prepare according to the below mentioned syllabus.
English Language
- Appropriate word selection
- Fill in the blanks
- Antonyms and Synonyms
- Spotting of errors
- Reading comprehension
- Sentence reordering
- Sentence rearrangement
General Knowledge
- Indian history
- Static G.K
- Indian geography
- Indian economy
- Polity and constitution
- Current affairs and important events
- Culture and heritage
- General science
Elementary Mathematics
This section consists of questions from Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, and Statistics.
Algebra
- Remainder theorem
- Rational Expressions
- Conditional identities
- Law of indices
- Identities
- Simple factors
- Simultaneous linear equations
- Practical problems
- Basic questions
- HCF and LCM
- Linear equations in one and two variables
- Polynomials
- Quadratic equations
Arithmetic
- Integers
- Variations
- Prime and composite number
- Multiples and factors
- Logarithms to base 10
- Rational numbers
- HCF and LCM and divisibility rules
- Ratio and proportion
- Number system
- Natural numbers
- Real numbers
- Percentages
- Laws of Logarithms
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
- Time and work
- Time, speed, and distance
- Simple and compound interest
- Profit and loss
Geometry
- Lines and angles
- Property of triangles, parallel lines
- Congruence of triangles
- Similar triangles
- Properties of 3-D and 2-D figures
- Circles
- Sides and angles of a triangle
- The concurrence of medians and altitudes
- Circles and their properties
- Loci
Trigonometry
- Sine X, Cosine X, and Tangent X
- Use of trigonometric tables
- Simple cases of heights and distances
- Trigonometric identities and trigonometric tables
- Heights and distances
Mensuration
- Areas of squares, rectangle, parallelograms, triangle, and circle
- Area of figures
- Volume o right circular cone and cylinders
- Surface Area and Volume of spheres
- Surface area and volume of cuboids
Statistics
- Collection of Data and Tabulation of data
- Graphical representation frequency
- Polygons and Histograms
- Bar graph and Pie charts
Download UPSC CDS Syllabus 2021 Pdf
Final Selection
The final selection of candidates shall be done on the order of merit. The final merit list shall be prepared by authorities after considering candidates’ marks in the written examination & SSB Interview/Personality Test.
UPSC CDS Exam Date & Centres
Firstly, the Union Public Service Commission will conduct a CDS (I) written examination on 7th Feb 2021 and a CDS (II) exam on 14 Nov 2021 at the following centers.
Tirupati, Chandigarh, Patna, Port Blair, Chennai, Lucknow, Kochi, Cuttack, Imphal, Jorhat, Kolkata, Madurai, Itanagar, Udaipur, Sambalpur, Shillong, Ranchi, Delhi, Dharwad, Dispur, Shimla, Srinagar, Agartala, Allahabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Bareilly, Bhopal, Dehradun, Gangtok, Hyderabad, Jammu, Mumbai, Nagpur, Panaji (Goa), Jaipur, Kohima, Raipur, and Visakhapatnam.
UPSC CDS Exam 2021 Admit Card
Candidates can download their CDS e-admit cards for written examination/interview from 3 weeks before the commencement of the examination/interview. Neither UPSC nor SSB will send admit cards by post.
- UPSC CDS (I) 2021 Admit Card has been released on 8th January 2021.
- UPSC CDS (II) 2021 Admit Card will be released in the last week of October 2021.
How To Download e-Admit Cards?
- Open UPSC’s official website
- Find and click on the respective link
- Enter and submit your registration no. and date of birth
- You will see your e-admit card
- Download and print it on the A4 size paper
UPSC CDS 2021 Result
UPSC CDS 2021 written exam result will be announced in December 2021. Candidates shortlisted will be called for SSB Interview. Final results shall be declared in 2021 after the SSB interview. However, the exact dates of the final result declaration are yet to be announced.
- UPSC CDS (I) 2021 Result will be released in the 3rd week of March 2021.
- UPSC CDS (II) 2021 Result will be released in the last week of December 2021.
How To Check Result?
- Visit UPSC website
- Click on Written Result/ Final Result tab
- Click on Examination Written Result/ Final Result
- Click on Pdf file against Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2021
- Check Roll number
UPSC CDS Answer Key
Candidates can check the written exam answer key on the UPSC website after the final publication of the result.
- Visit UPSC Website
- Click on ‘Examination’
- Click on ‘Answer Keys’
- Click on English, GK, Elementary Mathematics
- Check CDS Answer Key
UPSC CDS Cut Off
UPSC CDS Cut Off will be declared after announcing the final result. UPSC CDS written cut off and final cut off will be announced on the UPSC website.
These cut off marks are very important for candidates because only those candidates will be considered qualified who score more than or equal marks to the cut-off.
Those candidates, who fail to secure more or equal marks to cut off, will not be allowed to appear for the further selection process, i.e. interview and document verification.
- Visit UPSC Website
- Hover mouse over Examination
- Click on ‘Cut-Off Marks’
- Click on ‘Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2021’ cut off the link
- Check cut off
UPSC Cut Off 2019
| Name of Academy | Written Cut off | Final Cut Off |
|---|---|---|
| IMA | 116 | 242 |
| AFA | 129 | 264 |
| INA | 105 | 233 |
| OTA (Women) | 78 | 162 |
| OTA (Men) | 78 | 160 |
UPSC CDS Salary 2021
Candidates who qualify for the CDS exam, SSB interview, and document verification will be selected for training. After completing this training they will be appointed at any of the ranks in the Army, Air Force, or Navy as per their training and they will get salary according to their rank.
We have mentioned a rank wise salary here and if you want more details about pay structure and other allowances then you can go through the official notification.
| Rank | Salary |
|---|---|
| Lieutenant | Rs. 56,100/- to Rs. 1,77,500/- |
| Captain | Rs. 61,300/- to Rs. 1,93,900/- |
| Major | Rs. 69,400/- to Rs. 2,07,200/- |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Rs. 1,21,200/- to Rs. 2,12,400/- |
| Colonel | Rs. 1,30,600/- to Rs. 2,15,900/- |
| Brigadier | Rs. 1,39,600/- to Rs. 2,17,600/- |
| Major General | Rs. 1,44,200/- to Rs. 2,18,200/- |
| Lieutenant General HAG Scale | Rs. 1,82,200/- to Rs. 2,24,100/- |
| HAG + Scale | Rs. 2,05,400/- to Rs. 2,24,400/- |
| VCOAS/ Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG) | Rs. 2,25,000/- |
| COAS | Rs. 2,50,000/- |
UPSC CDS 2021 FAQs
Q. When UPSC CDS (II) notification will be released?
A. UPSC CDS Notification II has been released on Commission’s Website @www.upsc.gov.in on 4 Aug 2021.
Q. Can I withdraw my submitted application?
A. Yes, you can withdraw your application between the dates assigned by the Commission.
Q. What is the date of commencement of the CDS examination?
A. UPSC CDS (I) exam will be held on 7th Feb 2021 and CDS (II) exam on Sunday, 14 Nov 2021.
Q. What are the no. of vacancies of UPSC CDS?
A. There is a total of 339 vacancies.
Q. What is the age limit fixed by the Commission to apply for IMA?
A. Unmarried male candidates should be born between 02 Jan 1999 and 01 Jan 2004.
Q. What is the application fee for SC / ST candidates?
A. SC / ST candidates are exempted from payment of application fees.
Q. Is filling ‘Aadhaar no.’ in the online application form mandatory?
A. No. However, you have to enter the details of a photo ID. Details of the following photo IDs are acceptable – PAN Card/Voter card/Passport/Driving license/Aadhaar card/Any other photo ID card issued by the Central or State government.