The CDS exam is for people who are exceptionally enthusiastic about entering the military forces and desire to serve their nation. It is a standardized entrance exam for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Those who have a strong desire to serve their nation and are willing to sacrifice for it should apply for the Common Defense Service Test, or CDS test. This examination is administered twice yearly by the UPSC for recruitment into the army, navy, and air force. In general, the question paper for the CDS examinations is seen as very difficult, to the point that it is compared to the IIT exams and CAT in terms of the intellect necessary to pass it. It is typically conducted in May and October and is required for admission to one of the country's four leading military universities.

(a) Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun
(b) Naval Academy, Goa
(c) Air Force Academy, Begumpet, Hyderabad
(d) Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai

Eligibility

Qualifications in Education:

Bachelor of Science in Physics and/or Mathematics or Bachelor of Engineering for Naval Academy.

For IMA/OTA, candidates must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or its equivalent.

For Air Force Academy: B.Sc. of a recognized University or equivalent with Physics and/or Mathematics as subjects or Bachelor of Engineering.

Age:

For IMA: Unmarried male candidates between the ages of 19 and 24 on January 1 or July 1 of the year after the examination year.

For Air Force Academy: unmarried males between the ages of 19 and 23 on January 1 or July 1 of the year after the examination.

For Naval Academy: unmarried male applicants between the ages of 19 and 22 on January 1 or July 1 of the year succeeding the examination year.

For the Officers Training Academy, male applicants must be between 19 and 25 years old on January 1 or July 1 of the year succeeding the year of examination.

The test is administered at forty locations around the country, and candidates are chosen based on their performance in the following stages:

(a) Written Assessment

(b) Service Selection Board interviews candidates and conducts a personality test. If the applicant is chosen, he or she is assigned to one of the four institutions depending on his or her preferences and merit list ranking.