CDS Syllabus 2026 (Latest): Subject-Wise Syllabus PDF & Exam Pattern

UPSC CDS syllabus consists of three subjects- Elementary Mathematics, English Language, and General Knowledge. Candidates must note that Elementary Mathematics is only for candidates who have applied for IMA, INA, and AFA. Going through the CDS syllabus candidates can make out which topics and chapters to cover for the exam. The candidates preparing for the should go through the previous years' question papers to find out the important topics for the CDS exam.

 

Also Read: Preparation Tips for Women to Crack CDS 

Given below is the overview of the CDS syllabus 2026.

Parameters	Details
Mode of exam	Offline
Stages of exam	Written exam and SSB Interview
Number of sections	Three sections for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA)  Two sections for the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)
Exam subjects	English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics
Nature of questions	Objective-type
Level of questions	The standard of questions in Mathematics is of Class 10 standard and other subjects are of Graduation level
Duration of test	Two hours for each subject
Language of question paper	English and Hindi

CDS 2026 Syllabus Importance

To understand the syllabus of the CDS exam, help candidates to prepare effectively and improve their chances of success. Scroll down for more details:

• It helps in strategic preparation.
• A clear understanding of the CDS syllabus helps candidates in allocating the time effectively to each subject based on strengths and weaknesses. Also helps in focusing on high-scoring areas and revising frequently tested topics.
• The syllabus also provides an insight into the difficulty level of questions asked in the examination.
• With the help of the syllabus, candidates will be able to choose the right study materials. Candidates should solve previous year's question papers that are syllabus relevant.
• It helps in building the conceptual understanding.
• Further, a syllabus-based preparation approach ensures that no important topic is left out in the preparation, etc.

Candidates who are willing to join the Indian defence forces must prepare for the written exam well and the CDS syllabus can help the candidates in preparing for the written exam. The syllabus contains topics from all three subjects- English, Elementary Maths, and General Knowledge. CDS Syllabus PDF can be downloaded for free through the link available below. Candidates must strategise their preparation according to the CDS syllabus to ensure they are preparing in the right direction. Check below the CDS Syllabus for 2026.

CDS Syllabus PDF: Click Here  

The questions in this section are designed to test the candidate’s understanding of English. The CDS syllabus for the English Language is given below.

CDS English Syllabus

Scroll down to know about it.

Antonyms	Sentence improvement	Comprehension
Synonyms	Word substitution	Ordering of sentences
Spotting Errors	Selecting Words	Ordering of words in a sentence

CDS General Knowledge Syllabus 

The General Knowledge tests the candidate’s knowledge regarding current affairs. The paper includes questions from the History of India and the Geography of nature. The CDS syllabus for General Knowledge is given below.

Economics	Physics	Current Awareness
Politics	Chemistry	Sociology
History	Defence	Award
Geography	Environment	Sport
Biology	Cultural	Book
Statement true/false	--	--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CDS Syllabus Elementary Mathematics 

Questions in Elementary Mathematics are asked from Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, and Statistics. Check below the topics for Elementary Mathematics:

CDS Syllabus: Number System

Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real Numbers. Fundamental Operations, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Square Roots, Decimal Fractions. Unitary Method, Time and Distance, Time and Work, Percentages, Applications to Simple and Compound Interest, Profit and Loss, Ratio and Proportion, Variation.

CDS Syllabus: 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	HCF & LCM
Theory of Polynomials	Solutions of Quadratic Equations
The Relation Between its Roots and Coefficients (Only real roots will be considered)	Simultaneous Linear Equations in two Unknown-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 & their Solutions	Set Language and Set Notation
Rational Expressions and Conditional Identities	Law of Indices

CDS Maths Syllabus: Trigonometry

• Sine ×, cosine ×, Tangent × when 0°
• Simple Trigonometric Identities
• Use of Trigonometric Tables
• Simple Cases of Heights and Distances

CDS Maths 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, Concurrence of Medians and Altitudes, Properties of Angles, Sides, and Diagonals of a Parallelogram, Rectangle and Square, Circles and its Properties including Tangents and Normal and Loci. 

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CDS Maths Syllabus: Mensuration

• Areas of Squares
• Rectangles
• Parallelograms
• Triangle and Circle
• Areas of figures which can be split up into these figures (Field Book)
• Surface Area and Volume of Cuboids
• Lateral Surface
• The volume of Right Circular Cones, Cylinders, and Surface
• Area and Volume of Spheres

Statistics
Collection and Tabulation of Statistical Data	Graphical Representation Frequency Polygons
Histograms	Bar charts
Measures of Central Tendency	-

Also Read: 

• CDS Preparation Tips for GK
• CDS Preparation Tips for Maths

The OTA syllabus has two sections English and General Knowledge. CDS OTA exam syllabus does not have a maths section. The topic-wise syllabus for the OTA has been provided for the candidates. Aspirants who are willing to appear for the OTA can go through the topic-wise syllabus for OTA CDS below on page.

CDS OTA Syllabus for English 2026

The syllabus for English subjects has been given below for the candidates. However, the English syllabus is quite similar to IMA, INA, and AFA. But the candidates should go through the syllabus to know accurate information about the English syllabus for OTA CDS:

• Sentence Arrangement 
• Synonyms and Antonyms 
• Jumble Words 
• Idioms and Phrases 
• Ordering Sentences 
• Ordering Words
• Fill up the blanks 

Also Read: English Vocabulary: Words, Meaning, Uses, Examples & Worksheet with Answers

CDS OTA Syllabus for General Knowledge 2026

The General Ability Test (GAT) is taken to analyse the candidate's awareness about different topics that are currently going on, subjects that he or she has studied earlier, social awareness, and more. The candidates must go through the GAT OTA syllabus given below to understand the syllabus:

• Current Affairs 
• History 
• Polity
• Geography 
• Physics 
• Chemistry 
• Biology 
• Sociology
• Defence Related Awareness
• Sports and Culture 
• Environmental Studies 

The CDS exam pattern is prescribed by the UPSC for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA. The exam is conducted offline, i.e. through pen and paper mode. The question paper on Mathematics and General Knowledge is set bilingually, i.e. Hindi and English. The written exam carries objective-type questions only. For admission to IMA, INA, and AFA, the written exam comprises three sections: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. The test carries a total of 300 marks and is held for six hours. For admission to OTA, the written exam comprises two sections: English and General Awareness. The duration of the test is four hours and carries 200 marks. There is also a penalty for wrong answers. 1/3 of the marks are deducted for every incorrect answer by the candidates. Candidates qualifying for the written exam are called for the SSB interview. The CDS exam pattern for the written exam is given below:

CDS Exam Pattern for IMA, INA and AFA
Subject	Duration (In hours)	Maximum marks
English	2	100
General Knowledge	2	100
Elementary Mathematics	2	100

CDS Exam Pattern for OTA
Subject	Duration	Maximum marks
English	2 hours	100
General Knowledge	2 hours	100

CDS Exam Pattern for SSB Interview

Candidates qualifying for the CDS written exam are called for an SSB interview. The SSB interview comprises two stages and is conducted for four days. The stages of the SSB interview are given below:

• Stage I comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception & Description Test (PP&DT)
• Stage-II consists of Interviews, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and Conference

CDS Marking Scheme 2026

The marking scheme of CDS is given below:

• For the correct answer, candidates score one mark
• For incorrect answers, 1/3 marks are deducted
• More than one option is treated as incorrect
• There is no negative marking for questions left unanswered

The topic-wise distribution of questions under each section of the UPSC CDS exam is given below.

Elementary Mathematics
Topic	No. of Questions
Logarithm	2
Trigonometry	16
Number System	12
Percentage	2
Time & Distance	2
Profit & Loss	2
Simplification	11
Statics	5
Triangle	10
3D Mensuration	16
Data Interpretation	4
Average	2
Quadrilateral	3
Circle	1
Polynomial	3
Sequence & Series	1
Divisibility Rule	2
Remainder Theorem	1
LCM & HCF	2
Time & Work	2
2D Mensuration	1

General Knowledge
Topics	Number of Questions
Current Affairs	12
Economics	13
Geography	18
Medieval History	5
Modern History	16
Polity	20
Physics	9
Chemistry	12
Biology	9
Defence	3
Static GS	3

English
Topics	Number of Questions
Comprehension	10
Synonyms	10
Antonyms	10
Parts of Speech	10
Cloze Test	10
Spotting Error	10
Fill in the blanks	10
Ordering of words in a sentence	10
Ordering of sentence	10
Completion of sentence	10
Preposition & Determinants	10