Government & Defence Entrance Exam

If you want to have a long-term career in the army, then IMA is a better choice, whereas if you just want to live in the army for a few years, then OTA is better.
1. The basic difference between IMA and OTA is that the Indian Military Academy is for permanent commissioned officers who will serve up to 30 years, whereas the Officer Training Academy, Chennai, is for short-service commissioned officers who can serve up to 14 years maximum in the army. Hence, you will have the option of leaving the army after your compulsory service of ten years as an SSC officer in OTA.
2. Also, those who don't like mathematics can skip the compulsory math paper and opt for OTA. To join IMA, you need to score higher in the CDS exam.
3. OTA also has cadets of both genders, whereas IMA only has male cadets. Both academies are reputed in the country and were established for different purposes. You can either opt for OTA or IMA if you have allocated both. Most of the male army aspirants usually go for IMA, whereas for girls, only the OTA option is there.

No, there is no strong data available that all short-service officers (OTA) do corporate jobs after serving for 10 years in the army. This is for multiple reasons:
1. Some officers prefer to extend their service tenure for four more years, as per army rules.
2. Around 5 percent get a permanent commission, depending on the vacancy.
3. Some other officers prefer to go for other government jobs, such as railways, as there are relaxations and quotas for ex-servicemen in many government jobs.
4. Some prefer to do higher studies, such as an MBA or Ph.D. before starting a new career.
5. Some other SSC officers choose to guide defense aspirants to achieve their goals. Therefore, not all SSC officers choose to take this path to start a new career after retirement.

The General Knowledge (GS) paper of CDS is a bit tricky due to the vast syllabus. This strategy may help you sail through the GS paper of CDS:
1. Since the syllabus is vast therefore you need to analyze the previous year's papers to understand the pattern of repeating topics.
2. You must select the most frequently occurring themes and properly prepare them. For other topics, you may simply have an idea about the topic.
3. You do need to study or solve each and every question as there is a negative marking. Simply mark those questions about which you are sure.
4. Read current affairs-related subjects well, such as polity and security, as it will help you in SSB also.
5. Similarly, a strong foundation in Science and geography is also necessary to score well in the GS paper. You can be a little selective in the history section.
6. Do not ignore current events and allow adequate time to revise this section.
7. Practice as much as possible to improve your accuracy in the GS Paper. Best Wishes.

The syllabus is according to the exam pattern of the CDS written exam. The exam pattern is as follows: (a) For the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy, there are 3 subjects each of 100 marks and 2 hours duration. These subjects are English general knowledge, and elementary mathematics. (b) For the Officers' Training Academy, the elementary mathematics subject is not asked. The syllabus for these subjects is as follows:
1. English (Code 01): The question paper will test your understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. Subtopics which are usually asked includes Basic grammar, Idiom and phrases, synonyms and antonyms etc.
2. General Knowledge (Code 02): Current events and question on basic general awareness such as on Physics Chemistry Biology Economics, polity, history of India and geography etc.
3. Elementary Mathematics (Code 03): This includes subtopics of arithmetic, the Number System and elementary number theory. Algebra Trigonometry geometry, Mensuration and Statistics are also asked.

There are multiple examinations conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board to select candidates for various posts in the Indian Railways. These exams are categorized into four groups, which are:
1. For Group A: The Civil Services Examination is held for the Indian Railway Accounts Services, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), and the Indian Railway Personnel Service. The Engineering Service Examinations (ESE) are conducted for the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers, the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, and the Indian Railway Service of Engineers.
2. For Group B: The RRB Junior Engineer (JE) exam is conducted for the posts of Junior Engineer (JE), Junior Engineer (IT), and Depot Material Superintendent (DMS) positions.
3. For Group C (Technical and Non-Technical) requirements, the RRB NTPC RRB Assistant Loco Pilot exam, and RPF Constable exams are conducted.
4. The RRB Group D exam is conducted for Group D level recruitment. The eligibility criteria differ according to the exam.