UPSC CDS Syllabus 2026 & Exam Pattern: Subject-wise PDF Guide

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination to select candidates for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Officers Training Academy (OTA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and the Indian Air Force Academy (AFA). Candidates appearing for the CDS 2026 exam must master the official UPSC CDS Syllabus to streamline their preparation and align their study efforts with the exam requirements.

CDS Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026

The UPSC CDS Syllabus 2026 serves as the essential blueprint for your success, covering three core subjects: English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics. Mastering the UPSC CDS syllabus and understanding the 2026 exam pattern is critical, as it enables aspirants to prioritize high-yield topics and optimize their revision schedule.

CDS Syllabus 2026
Exam Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Name	Combined Defence Services (CDS 1 2026)
Mode of exam	Offline
CDS 2 Exam Date 2026	13th September 2026
Number of sections	Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA) – Three  Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) – Two
Total marks of the test	IMA, INA and AFA – 300  OTA - 200
Nature of questions	Objective type
Language of the question paper	Hindi and English
Duration of the test	2 hours for each section of the test

CDS 2 Notification 2026 Out for 451 Posts - Click to Check Latest Updates

CDS Exam Pattern 2026

Aspirants targeting the CDS 2026 exam must thoroughly analyze the official exam pattern. Understanding the question distribution, total marks, and the specific marking scheme established by the commission is vital for building an effective test-taking strategy.

CDS Exam Pattern for Written Exam

The comprehensive exam pattern for admissions to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy has been detailed below for your reference.

• The CDS Exam comprises 3 subjects, namely, English, general knowledge, and elementary mathematics.
• The exam will consist of objective-type questions.
• The question papers on General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics will be set bilingually in Hindi and English.
• Time duration will be provided 02 hours for each subject.

Subject	Duration	Maximum marks
English	2 hours	100
General Knowledge	2 hours	100
Elementary Mathematics	2 hours	100

CDS Exam Pattern for Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)

• The questions will consist of objective-type questions.
• The question papers for General Knowledge will be set in bilingually in Hindi and English.
• The exam will comprise 02 subjects, English and General Knowledge, and each subject consists of 100 marks.
• The time duration for each subject is 02 hours.

Subjects	Duration	Maximum marks
English	2 hours	100
General Knowledge	2 hours	100

Marking Scheme for UPSC CDS Exam

The CDS 2026 exam features a negative marking system to discourage random guessing. Each objective question provides 4 options; for every incorrect answer, one-third (1/3) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted. Multiple selections for a single question are marked as incorrect, while unattempted questions attract no penalty.

CDS Syllabus 2026- Subject-Wise Syllabus

We have organized the detailed syllabus for English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics in the following sections to help you track your progress.

CDS English Syllabus

The CDS English syllabus is designed to test your command of the language and foundational grammar. Key topics typically include Synonyms & Antonyms, Idioms, Phrases, Reading Comprehension, and Sentence Rearrangement.

• Spotting Errors Questions
• Sentence Arrangement Questions
• Synonyms & Antonyms
• Selecting Words
• Ordering of Sentence
• Reading Comprehension Questions
• Ordering of words in a sentence
• Fill in the blanks questions
• Idioms and Phrases
• Sentence Improvements or Sentence Corrections

CDS General Knowledge (GK) Syllabus

The CDS General Knowledge section evaluates your current affairs awareness and general static knowledge. It encompasses a wide range of subjects, including Political Science, History, Economics, Geography, and Science.

• Economics
• Physics
• Current Affairs
• Politics
• Chemistry
• Sociology
• History
• Defence related Award
• Geography
• Environment
• Sport
• Biology
• Cultural
• Book

CDS Mathematics Syllabus

The CDS Mathematics syllabus covers essential topics such as Algebra, Arithmetic, Trigonometry, Geometry, and Statistics. The Mathematics paper is conducted for a maximum of 100 marks and requires strong conceptual clarity.

Sections	Topics
Algebra	Basic Operations Simple factors * Remainder Theorem * H.C.F. * L.C.M. * Theory of polynomials * solutions of quadratic equations * relation between its roots and coefficients (Only real roots to be considered) * Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns—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 * Laws of indices
Arithmetic	* Number System: Natural numbers, Integers, Rational and Real numbers. * Fundamental operations: addition, substraction, 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 * 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
Trigonometry	* Sine ×, cosine ×, Tangent × when 0° < × < 90° * Values of sin ×, cos × and tan ×, for ×= 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° * Simple trigonometric identities * Use of trigonometric tables * Simple cases of heights and distances
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 normals * Loci
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 and volume of right circular cones and cylinders * surface area and volume of spheres
Statistics	* Collection and tabulation of statistical data * Graphical representation frequency polygons * histograms * bar charts * pie charts etc * Measures of central tendency

Important Instructions for the CDS Exam

1. Write only in Black ballpoint pen, your Centre and subject followed by the CDS 2026 test booklet series (in brackets), subject code and the exam roll number at the appropriate space provided on the answer sheet at the top.
2. Encode your CDS 2026 booklet series (A, B, C, or D as the case may be), subject code and roll number in the circles provided for the purpose in the answer sheet.
3. In case the CDS booklet series is not printed on the test booklet or the answer sheet is un-numbered then candidates should report immediately to the invigilator and get the test booklet/answer sheet replaced.
4. Candidates should note that any omission/mistakes/discrepancy in encoding/filling of details in the CDS 2026 OMR answer sheet, especially with regard to the Roll Number and Test Booklet Series Code, will render the answer sheet liable for rejection.
5. Immediately after the commencement of the CDS 2026 please check that the test booklet supplied to you does not have any unprinted or torn or missing pages or items etc., if so, get it replaced by a complete test booklet of the same series and subject.
6. Do not write your name or anything other than the specific items of information asked for, on the CDS answer sheet/test booklet/sheet for rough work.
7. Do not fold or damage or put any extraneous marking over the CDS Answer Sheet. Do not write anything on the reverse of the answer sheet.