CDS - Exam Pattern
Combined Defence Services Examination
Pen & Paper Mode
CDS 2023 Exam Pattern: Mode, Marking scheme, Question Distribution
Updated On - March 09 2023 by Divyansh K
CDS 2023 Exam Pattern contains the information about the exam such as mode of examination, marking scheme, number of questions and more. It is a national level exam conducted every year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The candidates who will qualify the CDS 2023 (Combined Defence Service) exam will get admission into Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Air Force, and Officer Training Academy. Candidates can go through the article below to know the complete format of the CDS Exam Pattern 2023.
CDS 2023 Exam Pattern
Candidates should check the given below information of CDS 2023 Exam Pattern to get an idea about the question paper structure:
- Exam Mode: Entrance exam will be conducted in offline mode i.e., Pen and Paper mode.
- Duration of the Exam: Candidates have 120 minutes (2 Hours) for each section.
- Type of Question: The question paper consist of multiple choice question (MCQ).
- Subjects: The question consists of the questions from English, General Knowledge and English Elementary Mathematics
- Negative Marking: 1/3rd marks would be deducted if candidates answer wrongly.
- Total Marks: 300 marks for admission to INA, IMA, and AFA
Candidates can check the subject wise duration and marks distribution for Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy :
Subject | Duration | Max. Marks |
|---|---|---|
English | 2 hours | 100 |
General Knowledge | 2 hours | 100 |
Elementary Mathematics | 2 hours | 100 |
Candidate should check the duration and marks distribution for Officer’s Training Academy Admission given below:
The written examination has a weighting of 300 marks for admission to INA, IMA, and AFA.
Subject | Duration | Max. Marks |
|---|---|---|
English | 2 hours | 100 |
General Knowledge | 2 hours | 100 |
Distribution of Question
Candidates must check the CDS 2023 exam distribution of the number of the question given below:
| Paper | No. of Question |
|---|---|
| English | 100 |
| Mathematics | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
Distribution of Question in English
| Topic | No. of Question |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 23 |
| One Word Substitution | 5 |
| Sentence Improvement | 20 |
| Spot the Error | 20 |
| Sentence-Jumble | 7 |
| Synonyms | 8 |
| Antonyms | 7 |
| Cloze Test | 20 |
| Para-Jumble | 10 |
Distribution of Question in General Knowledge
| Topic | No. of Question |
|---|---|
| Geography | 22 |
| Economy/Trade | 11 |
| Science | 27 |
| History | 19 |
| Ecology | 6 |
| Polity | 20 |
| Miscellaneous /Armed Forces | 15 |
Distribution of Questions in Mathematics
| Topic | No. of Question |
|---|---|
| Mensuration | 14 |
| Algebra | 7 |
| Mean-Median-Mode (Frequency Distribution Table) | 4 |
| Time speed and Distance | 6 |
| Number System | 20 |
| Simple interest/Compound interest | 5 |
| Percentage | 2 |
| Profit/Loss | 1 |
| Mixture | 1 |
| Time and Work | 3 |
| Trigonometry | 14 |
| Set Theory | 1 |
| Clock | 2 |
| Geometry | 20 |
CDS 2023 Exam Book Recommendation
Candidates can check the book recommendation for better preparation given below:
For General Knowledge:
- Manorama Yearbook 2017 (English) 50th Edition
- Lucent’s General Knowledge
For Mathematics:
| Name of the Book | Author |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude | Dr R.S. Aggarwal |
| Quicker Mathematics | M. Tyra |
| Quantitative Aptitude Numerical Ability: Fully Solved 7000 + Objective Questions | Kiran Prakashan |
For English:
| Name of the Book | Author |
|---|---|
| Objective English | S.P. Bakshi |
| Quick Learning objective English | R.S. Aggarwal |
CDS 2023 Marking scheme
There are multiple choice questions in CDS exam with each question having 4 options, out of which only 1 option will be correct. For every incorrect answer marked, 1/3 marks will be deducted. Multiple option marked will be considered as incorrect. For every unattempted question, there will be no negative marking
The section-wise CDS marking scheme of CDS exam is given in the below -
| Specifications | English | GK | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Marks | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Marks for Correct answer | +1 marks for each correct option | +1 marks for each correct option | +1 marks for each correct option |
| Negative marking | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer | -0.33 marks for each wrong answer |
Also Check: CDS 2023 Syllabus
Frequently Asked Questions
Form Start Date:
21 Dec 2022
Form End Date:
12 Jan 2023
The last date to submit the form was on 12 Jan 2023
Browse Other ExamsExamination Date (Online):
16 Apr 2023
Application Fees:
₹ 200
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