CDS Syllabus 2024: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) CDS 2 syllabus 2024 is scheduled on September 1, 2024. Candidates who are going to attempt the examination must be well-acquainted with the latest syllabus and exam pattern before commencing their preparation. The CDS syllabus is divided into various subjects, i.e., English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics.
Apart from knowing the exam syllabus, candidates should also check the CDS exam pattern to understand the exam requirements in a detailed manner. The UPSC CDS syllabus acts as a roadmap for preparation. So, aspirants are advised to decide their study schedule based on the latest syllabus and requirements.
In this article, the CDS syllabus 2024 PDF is included, along with the latest exam pattern, preparation strategy, and best books.
CDS 2 Syllabus 2024
The subjects covered in the CDS syllabus vary as per the post. For admission to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy, the CDS syllabus is divided into three subjects, i.e., English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. On the contrary, the CDS syllabus comprises two subjects, i.e. English and General Knowledge for admission to Officers’ Training Academy. Before attempting the CDS paper, candidates should familiarise themselves with the latest syllabus, which will help them understand the important topics and subtopics, which further helps in preparing their unique strategy.
CDS 2 Syllabus 2024 Overview
Here are the key highlights of the UPSC CDS syllabus and exam pattern provided below for candidates aspiring for the upcoming exam.
| UPSC CDS Syllabus 2024 Overview | |
| Exam Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission |
| Exam Name | CDS 2 2024 Exam |
| Category | CDS syllabus and exam pattern |
| Selection Process | Written Exam and Interview for intelligence and personality test |
| Maximum Marks | Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy: 300 Officers’ Training Academy: 200 |
| Duration | 2 hours for each paper |
CDS 2 Syllabus PDF
Aspirants must download the UPSC CDS syllabus 2024 PDF from the link shared below to know the topics from which questions can be asked in this upcoming written exam. Get the direct link to download the UPSC CDS 1 syllabus for 2024 below:
| UPSC CDS Syllabus PDF |
CDS Syllabus 2024 for English
The CDS English question paper will be designed to test the candidates’ understanding of English and their workmanlike use of words. Check out the list of important topics in the CDS syllabus 2024 for the English section shared below.
Direct and indirect speech
Sentence improvement
Rearrangement of sentences
Grammar and usage
Fill in the blanks
Comprehension passages
Vocabulary
Active and passive voices
Jumbled sentences
Error spotting
Synonyms and antonyms
Cloze test
Idioms and phrases
Parts of speech
CDS Syllabus 2024 for General Knowledge
UPSC CDS general knowledge comprises knowledge of current events and of such matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. The CDS syllabus 2024 for general knowledge covers questions on the history of India, the geography of nature, and events of national and international importance
Sports
Awards and honours
Books and authors
Major developments in the fields of politics
Economics
Social issues.
Ancient, mediaeval, and modern Indian history
Indian national movement
Growth of nationalism.
Physical geography, Indian geography, and world geography.
Indian Polity and Governance
Economic and Social Development
Science and Technology
Environmental Ecology and Biodiversity
Defence and Security Issues
Current Affairs - Nation and International News (Defence Focused)
CDS Syllabus 2024 for Elementary Mathematics
Check out the list of important topics in the CDS syllabus 2024 for the elementary mathematics section shared below.
| Subject | Important Topics |
| Arithmetic | Number System—Natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, and real numbers. Fundamental operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square roots, and decimal fractions. Unitary method, speed, time and distance, time and work, percentages, applications to simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, variation. Elementary Number Theory—Division algorithm. Prime and composite numbers. Tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 11. Multiples and factors. Factorisation Theorem. H.C.F. and L.C.M. Euclidean algorithm. Logarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms, use of logarithmic tables. |
| Algebra | Basic Operations, simple factors, Remainder Theorem, Theory of polynomials, solutions of quadratic equations, and relations between their roots and coefficients. Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns—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 and conditional identities, Laws of indices |
| Trigonometry | Sine ×, cosine ×, Tangent × when 0° < × < 90° Values of sin ×, cos × and tan ×, for × = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° Simple trigonometric identities. Use of trigonometric tables. Simple cases of heights and distances. |
| Geometry | Lines and angles, plane figures. Theorems on (i) Properties of angles at a point (ii) Parallel lines (iii) Sides and angles of a triangle (iv) Congruency of triangles (v) Similar triangles (vi) Concurrence of medians and altitudes (vii) Properties of angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle or square (viii) Circles and its properties, including tangents and normals (ix) Loci. |
| Mensuration | Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangles, and circles. Areas of figures which can be split up into these figures (Field Book), Surface area and volume of cuboids; lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders; surface area and volume of spheres. |
| Statistics | Collection and tabulation of statistical data, graphical representations of frequency polygons, histograms, bar charts, pie charts, etc. Measures of central tendency. |
CDS Syllabus 2024 for SSB Intelligence and Personality Test
The SSB process is divided into two stages, i.e., stage I and stage II. Only those candidates who clear stage I are allowed to appear for stage II. The details are:
- Stage I comprises officer intelligence rating (OIR) tests and picture perception description tests (PP&DT). The candidates will be shortlisted based on a combination of performance in the OIR Test and PP&DT.
- Stage II comprises interviews, group testing officer tasks, psychology tests, and the conference. These tests will last for four days. The details of these tests are given on the website, www.joinindianarmy.nic.in.
CDS Exam Pattern 2024
Candidates must be familiar with the UPSC CDS exam pattern 2024 to get insights into the exam structure, the number of subjects, and the marking scheme followed by the commission. The written exam will consist of objective-type questions only. The question papers on general knowledge and elementary mathematics will be set bilingually in English as well as Hindi. There shall be a negative marking of 1/3rd mark for each incorrect answer. The CDS exam pattern 2024 for the written exam is shared below.
| Admission to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy | ||
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 Hours | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 2 Hours | 100 |
| Admission to Officers’ Training Academy | ||
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| English | 2 Hours | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |
The SSB for CDS will be conducted for five in the academy, which will carry 300 marks. The SSB is the crucial part of the selection procedure, which will have Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture perception description tests (PP&DT). This procedure emphasises the candidate's overall personality traits and suitability for the armed forces. It is required to evaluate candidates ability as officers in the Indian Armed Forces.
Attempt CDS Mock Test Based on Latest Exam Pattern
How to Cover UPSC CDS Syllabus 2024?
The UPSC CDS 2024 exam is one of the most competitive defence exams in the country. Many candidates apply for this exam against limited vacancies, but only a few succeed. Hence, aspirants should check the latest syllabus to cover all the exam-relevant topics. Here is the preparation strategy to ace the CDS 2024 exam in one attempt.
- Familiarity with the UPSC CDS syllabus 2024 will help them know about the topics that can be asked in the exam.
- Choose the best books and online resources to gain conceptual clarity on all the topics important from the exam perspective.
- Attempt mock tests and UPSC CDS previous year's question papers to check their preparation level.
- Revise all the topics, formulas, and short-cut techniques frequently to improve their calculator speed and accuracy.
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Best Books for UPSC CDS Syllabus 2024
Candidates should use the latest books that cover all aspects of the CDS syllabus 2024. Some of the highly recommended UPSC CDS books for all the subjects are shared below:
- Objective General English by SP Bakshi
- General Awareness by Manohar Panday (Arihant Publications)
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R.S. Aggarwal