CDS OTA Syllabus 2023: Check Subject-wise Detailed Syllabus PDF
Combined Defence Services Exam 2025 ( CDS )
Registration - 10 Dec '25 - 30 Dec '25
CDS OTA Syllabus 2023 is released by the UPSC along with the CDS notification 2023. CDS 2 2023 exam is scheduled to be conducted on September 3, 2023. Candidates can check the latest CDS OTA Syllabus in this article and download the CDS OTA Syllabus PDF through the link provided below.
UPSC CDS OTA Syllabus 2023
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) declares the UPSC CDS OTA Syllabus 2023 on the official website. CDS OTA Syllabus is released along with the CDS Notification. Candidates can check the CDS OTA Syllabus 2023 in this article and download the CDS OTA Syllabus PDF here. CDS 2 2023 exam is scheduled to be conducted on September 3, 2023. Candidates who are preparing for CDS OTA exam should read the CDS OTA Syllabus 2023 carefully first before preparing for the CDS exam.
The Combined Defence Services Examination, commonly known as CDS, is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of Commissioned Officers in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The exam is held twice a year, usually in February and September.
NDA exam is conducted for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy Course. CDS exam is conducted to select eligible candidates for Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA).
The level of NDA syllabus is of Class 10, 11 and 12 levels. Whereas the standard of CDS syllabus is of graduation level. NDA syllabus is divided into Maths and GAT. CDS syllabus is divided into Elementary Maths, English and General Awareness. The total marks allotted to the NDA written exam are 900. The total marks allotted to the written exam of CDS are 300 for IMA, INA and AFA and 200 for OTA.
- CDS OTA Syllabus 2023
- CDS OTA Syllabus 2023 PDF
- CDS OTA Exam Pattern 2023
- CDS OTA Syllabus 2023: Best Books for Preparation
- CDS OTA Syllabus 2023 FAQs
CDS OTA Syllabus 2023
The CDS OTA syllabus has two sections English and general knowledge. CDS OTA syllabus does not have a mathematics 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 the page.
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CDS OTA Syllabus for English
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: CDS 2 Application Form 2023
CDS OTA Syllabus for General Ability Test
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 CDS 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
Also Read: CDS 2024 Syllabus
CDS OTA Syllabus 2023 PDF
Candidates can check and download the CDS OTA Syllabus PDF through the link provided below.
CDS OTA Syllabus PDF- Click_Here
CDS OTA Exam Pattern 2023
Candidates can check CDS OTA Exam Pattern 2023 in the table below.
| Subjects | No. of question | Maximum marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| General knowledge | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
Also Read: CDS Notification 2023
CDS OTA Syllabus 2023: Best Books for Preparation
Compiled below are the section-wise books that will help candidates to prepare for the CDS OTA Syllabus 2023:
| Name of Books | Author/ Publication House |
|---|---|
| Objective General English | S.P. Bakshi (Arihant Publications) |
| High School English Grammer & Composition | Wren and Martin |
| General Awareness | Manohar Panday (Arihant Publications) |
| Newspapers | Hindu, The Indian Express, The Economic Times |
Read More:
CDS OTA Syllabus 2023 FAQs
Q. What is the selection process of CDS OTA Exam?
A. The selection process of the CDS - OTA consists of 2 stages first, the written exam and the second, the SSB interview. The aspirants who qualified written exam followed by an SSB interview. And after qualifying for the interview the aspirants need to go for document verification and medical examination for the final selection.
Q. What is CDS OTA Syllabus 2023?
A. The OTA syllabus has two sections English and general knowledge. OTA exam syllabus does not have a Maths section. The topic-wise syllabus for the OTA has been provided for the candidates.
1) English
- Sentence Arrangement
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Jumble Words
- Idioms and Phrases
- Ordering Sentences
- Ordering Words
2) GAT (General Ability Test)
- Current Affairs
- History
- Polity
- Geography
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Sociology
- Defence Related Awareness
- Sports and Culture
- Environmental Studies
Q. Where can I download the CDS OTA syllabus?
A. The complete syllabus of the CDS OTA written exam is available on the official website of the CDS and UPSC board. Aspirants can easily download the CDS- OTA syllabus 2023 pdf from there. The official website is www.upsc.gov.in and www.upsconline.nic.in.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a month ago
Some of the books, help candidates in their CDS preparation are given below:
- High School English Grammar & Composition Edition by Wren and Martin
- Objective General English by SP Bakshi
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- English Grammar & Composition by S.C Gupta
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The authority released a total of 453 vacancies for the CDS 2 exam 2025 for admission to the Indian Air Force, Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy for courses.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
It is advised to the candidates to reach the CDS exam centre one hour before the given time. They should carry hall ticket along with them otherwise they will not be able to give the exam.
C
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Yes, the English section of the CDS exam is scorable if it is prepared properly. Usually the difficulty level of the exam is moderate.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Candidates can check the cut off marks for the CDS exam by visiting the official website at upsc.gov.in. The UPSC will release the cutoff according to the academy or course.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The methods to check the CDS cut off marks is provided below:
- Visit at upsc.gov.in.
- Click on the :Examination" tab.
- Go to the "Cut Off Marks" dropdown menu.
- Click on the download link and save it for future reference.
I
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Yes. In the CDS exam there is a negative marking. One-third mark will be deducted for an incorrect answer. No mark will be deducted for unanswered questions.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The CDS exam is conducted offline or pen and paper mode. Objective questions will be asked in the examination. Candidates need to mark their choices of answers in the sheet that was provided during the exam. CDS 1 2026 notification will be released on December 10.
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, the CDS 2 application last date to apply was extended to June 20 from June 17, 2025. A one-time extension was provided by the commission. The application correction window was opened from July 7 to July 9, 2025.
S
Contributor-Level 6
The authority released the CDS 2025 syllabus along with the notification. Candidates who are preparing for CDS exam 2025 must follow the syllabus to prepare for the exam. The CDS syllabus is divided into two categories-
a) INA (Indian Naval Academy), IMA (Indian Military Academy), and AFA (Air Force Academy)
b) OTA (Officers Training Academy)
The syllabus for the IMA, INA and AFA comprises three sections English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. Further, the syllabus for OTA comprises English and General Knowledge. OTA exam syllabus does not have a Maths section
To get the detailed syllabus for INA, IMA and AFA click on the refer to the link below: https://www.shiksha.com/exams/cds-exam-syllabus.