CDS Syllabus 2023

CDS Syllabus 2023 is released by the Union Public Service Commission along with the official notification. Getting conversant with the detailed subject-wise syllabus is the foremost and pivotal step in preparation for the upcoming exam. It plays a key role in driving the candidates towards success. The applicants must be fully prepared with the CDS syllabus to perform exceptionally well in the exam and outperform to grab the seat. The syllabus for the written exam comprises subjects such as English, General Awareness, Mathematics for IAFA, IMA, and INA posts. For the OTA posts, the candidates will be screened based on their knowledge of the UPSC CDS syllabus for General Knowledge and English.

The complete knowledge of the CDS syllabus 2023 will assist the applicants in formulating an effective plan of action and vision to attempt the exam. Those who will clear the written test will proceed to the SSB Interview stage. This post will give the applicants complete cognizance of the syllabus and take them a step closer to accomplishing their dreams.

CDS Syllabus 2023

The concerned authorities of the Central Defense Services have formulated the CDS syllabus 2023 to screen candidates based on their intellect, persona and grammatical knack. To crack this exam, the applicants need to be well versed with all the parameters of the syllabus and prepare for it well. A better understanding of all the topics of the UPSC CDS syllabus will aid the candidates in excelling in the exam.

The main topics of the CDS syllabus are Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Economics, History, Number systems, Percentages etc. The aspirants must read the entire page and jot down the important topics of the CDS syllabus 2023.

It comprises the following sections for IAFA, INA and IMA posts, which are as follows:

English
General Knowledge
Elementary Mathematics

For the OTA posts, the aspirants are screened based on their knowledge of English and General Knowledge subjects.

CDS OTA Syllabus

The Combined Defence Services exam is conducted to recruit eligible candidates into the Indian Naval Academy (INA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Air Force Academy (IAFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA). The CDS OTS syllabus consists of two papers on English and General Knowledge with 100 marks each. Each paper has to be completed within 2 hours.

CDS Syllabus for General Knowledge

This section screens the candidates based on their knowledge of the current happenings in the world. The applicants need to be vigilant about the current affairs happening in the world. The questions usually are centred on the topics like Indian History, Polity, Economics, General Science etc. The table underneath elucidates the complete knowledge of the UPSC CDS syllabus of the General Knowledge.

Check out all the topics elaborated on here.

Topic	Description
Current Affairs	Cover news of important international and national summits/ conferences, awards, sports-related news, books, and authors, etc.
Political Science	Important facts of the Indian constitution, fundamental rights, and directive principles, powers of the president and prime minister, constitutional bodies, Indian judiciary, etc.
Indian History	Questions may be asked from Ancient, Medieval and Modern India.
Indian Polity	Prepare important facts of Indian as well as world geography.
Economics	Prepare topics like Budget, Five-year plan, foreign trade, etc.
General Science	Physics: Focus on topics like optics, motion, force, units, heat, electricity, temperature, etc. Chemistry: Prepare important topics of organic, inorganic, physical and general chemistry. Biology: Focus on the topics of important diseases, botany, zoology as well as human biology.
Defence Related News	Questions in this section may be asked about important defence-related topics like Army Day, Navy Day, recent developments, etc.

CDS English Syllabus

This section is usually considered to be difficult by the candidates, but if the essential segments of the CDS syllabus are approached with righteous strategy then the candidates can smoothly crack this section. This section screens the candidates on the basis of their grammatical knacks and English Language knowledge. By steering through the under-noted topics of the CDS English syllabus, candidates can pick out their strengths and weaknesses and schedule their preparations accordingly.

Fill in the blanks
Reading Comprehension
Vocabulary (Synonyms/ Antonyms/ Phrases)
Sentence Rearrangement (Jumbled sentences)
Spotting Error
Sentence Improvement/ Correction

CDS Syllabus for Mathematics

The main topics of the CDS Syllabus for Elementary Mathematics are Arithmetic, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, Statistics, etc. This section requires consistent practice and dedicated efforts to enhance the preparation and the results. The applicants need to maintain accuracy and pace to solve these questions within the time constraints and achieve the desired results. The major topics along with the elucidated description have been provided herewith. Steer through the below-mentioned points to get in touch with the elaborate CDS Maths syllabus for the upcoming exam preparation.

How to Prepare CDS Syllabus 2023?

It is pivotal for the candidates to prepare rightly for the exam to perform extraordinarily well. The aspirants need to formulate an accurate plan for completing the UPSC CDS syllabus within time and also be able to complete the exam within the time limits. We have facilitated the CDS Preparation Tips shared by the experts to guide the candidates to outperform in the exam.

They must get acquainted with the latest CDS syllabus and exam pattern.
Formulate a strategy accordingly, keeping in mind the topics carrying the maximum weightage and the weaknesses of the candidates.
They need to consistently practise the CDS Previous Year Papers to assess the level of preparation and enhance it.
They must keep on revising the already-learnt concepts.
They will have to brush up on the fundamentals to get develop the pace and the accuracy to solve the question papers within time.

Topic	Description
Arithmetic	Number System (natural, integers, rational & real numbers), Fundamental operations (subtraction, addition, division, multiplication), Unitary Method, Percentages, Time & Work, Simple & Compound Interest, Time & Distance, Ratio & Proportion, Profit & loss, Elementary number theory, Composite & prime numbers, Divisibility tests, Theorem of factorisation, Factors & Multiples, Euclidean algorithm, laws of algorithm & algorithmic tables, etc.
Algebra	Basic operations, Remainder theorem, L.C.M. & H.C.F., Polynomial theories, Quadratic equations (relation between roots & its coefficients), Linear equations in 2 variables, Set language and set notation, Laws of indices, Conditional identities, Rational Expressions, etc.
Trigonometry	All about Sine a, Cos a, Tan a when 0° < a < 90°, Sin, Cos and Tan values of important angles like 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°, Simple trigonometr ic identities, Trigonometric tables, Heights and distance, etc.
Geometry	Plane & plane figures, Lines, and angles, Important theorems (like angle property based), Parallel lines, Congruency of triangles, Medians & Altitudes, Similar triangles, Parallelogram, Circles, Rectangle, Square, etc.
Mensuration	Areas of circles, Triangles, Rectangles, Squares, Parallelograms, Volume, Surface area of cuboids, Cones, Cylinders, Spheres, etc.
Statistics	Tabulation of statistical data, Graphical representation of frequency polygons, Bar graphs, Histograms, Pie charts, Measures of central tendency, etc.

Important Topics in UPSC CDS Syllabus

If you have less time to prepare the CDS syllabus, you can prioritize learning the important topics first.

Check the important topics in the UPSC CDS syllabus 2023 for English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics listed below:

English: Synonyms and Antonyms, Idioms and Phrases, Jumbled Sentences, Reading Comprehension, Fill in the blanks, Spotting errors, One-word Substitution, etc.
Mathematics: Percentage, Profit and Loss, Time and Work, SI and CI, Trigonometry, Lines and Angles, Mensuration, etc.
General Knowledge: Current Affairs, Indian History, Polity, Constitution, Basic Science, Geography, etc.

CDS Syllabus FAQs

1. What is CDS Syllabus 2023?

ANS: Applicants must be conversant with the CDS syllabus 2023 to excel in the exam. Three subjects are included in the syllabus: Elementary Mathematics, English, and General Knowledge. The preparation for these subjects is important for the candidates who want to get the INA, IAFA, and IMA posts. The CDS syllabus for OTA comprises General knowledge and English only. Accurate knowledge of the syllabus will assist the candidates in formulating an effective strategy and an apt plan of action for attempting the exam.

2. What is the CDS Syllabus for Maths?

3. What is CDS OTA Syllabus?

ANS: There are only two subjects included in the CDS OTA syllabus which are English and General Knowledge. Those who have applied for the Officers Training Academy posts must check the complete subject-wise CDS syllabus to prepare effectively for the exam.

4. Does the CDS syllabus change every year?

ANS: No, the UPSC CDS syllabus and type of questions asked in the exam usually maintain the same type over the years. The CDS syllabus does not get altered every year; however, the General Awareness syllabus has no restricted boundaries as it tests the candidates' knowledge about the current happenings and current affairs. So, the questions from this section are altered accordingly.

5. How can I prepare for the UPSC CDS syllabus?

ANS: You need to be well acquainted with all the topics of the CDS syllabus and formulate an effective study plan according to that. It is a must to go through the complete syllabus for every subject and start preparing all the topics one by one. Give more importance to the topics with higher weightage, such as Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation, Current Affairs, etc.

6. Is there a Math section in the CDS Syllabus?

ANS: Yes, there is a Mathematics section in the UPSC CDS syllabus. It includes topics such as Trigonometry, Percentage, SI and CI, Ratio and Proportion, Algebra, Mensuration, etc. However, there is no math section in the CDS OTA syllabus. So, those who have applied for the Officers Training Academy will have to prepare for English and General Knowledge only.

7. What is the CDS Syllabus for General Knowledge?

ANS: CDS Syllabus for General Knowledge includes the following topics: Current Affairs, Constitution, Indian History, Polity, Geography, General Science, and Defence-related news and events. There are a total of 120 questions from this section carrying a maximum of 100 marks.

8. What are the Important Topics in the CDS Syllabus 2023?

ANS: Candidates should check the important topics in the CDS syllabus 2023 to strategize their preparations accordingly. Some important topics are Reading Comprehension, Synonyms, Antonyms, Mensuration, Percentage, Profit and Loss, Current Affairs, History, Geography, etc.