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HomeExamsCivil Services & DefenseUPSC CDS
Target 2026 (I & II)
IMA | INA | AFA | OTA

Earn The Commission.

The Combined Defence Services Exam is the gateway to India's prestigious military academies. Depending on your target (OTA vs IMA), prepare for a grueling 4-to-6 hour objective test covering English, GK, and Elementary Mathematics.

Start Simulation Mocks View Exam Pattern
CDS Written Assessment
Offline Mode (OMR)
300
Total Marks (IMA)
English Component
100 Marks

120 MCQs2 Hours

General Knowledge
100 Marks

120 MCQs2 Hours

Elementary Math Not for OTA
100 Marks

100 MCQs2 Hours

Next Stage: SSB Interview (5 Days)
Written Examination Blueprint

IMA vs OTA Paper Structure

Officers Training Academy (OTA) candidates are exempted from the Elementary Mathematics paper, making their total exam out of 200 marks instead of 300.

English

For Both IMA & OTA
Questions
120
Marks
100
  • Duration: 2 Hours
Key Topics

Synonyms/Antonyms, Error Spotting, Para Jumbles, Comprehension, Sentence Correction.

General Knowledge

For Both IMA & OTA
Questions
120
Marks
100
  • Duration: 2 Hours
Key Topics

Defense news, Current Affairs, Physics/Chem/Bio, History, Geography, Polity & Economics.

Elementary Math

Not For OTA Candidates
Questions
100
Marks
100
  • Duration: 2 Hours
Key Topics

Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration & Basic Statistics.

Strategic Focus

Cracking the CDS Code

Unlike Civil Services, CDS requires speed, accuracy, and endurance to sit through 6 hours of testing in a single day.

English is the
Rank Maker

Historically, out of the 100 marks, successful candidates consistently score 65-80 in English. It is highly scoring if rules of grammar and vocabulary are practiced exhaustively via PYQs.

GK is the
Eliminator

The GK paper is notoriously tough, often bordering on CSE prelims difficulty. Securing merely 20% sectional cutoff is hard for many. Focus heavily on Basic Sciences (30 Qs) and Defense News.

Math Demands
Tricks, Not Steps

Attempting 100 Math questions in 120 minutes gives ~1 minute per question. Conventional methods fail here. You must deploy unit digit methods, option elimination, and direct shortcut formulas.

UPSC CDS Mock Programs

Test Before You Get Tested.

Select our specialized OTA track, or enroll in the complete IMA package covering Advanced Elementary Mathematics tests and tricks.

OTA Only

ExamBoost UPSC CDS OTA Special

Targeted practice for Officers Training Academy (OTA) - English & GK Only.

₹899/ English + GK
  • 15 Full Length OTA Mock Tests (Eng + GK)
  • 50 Sectional Tests (Vocab, History, GS)
  • Last 7 Years PYQ Mocks
  • Detailed Performance Analytics
  • No Mathematics Tests
IMA / AFA / INA

ExamBoost UPSC CDS Complete Foundation

The complete 3-Paper solution including Elementary Mathematics for IMA, INA, and AFA.

₹1299/ All 3 Papers
  • 20 Full Length Mock Tests (Eng + GK + Math)
  • 80 Sectional & Topic-wise Tests
  • Math Short-Tricks Masterclasses
  • SSB Screening (OIR) Practice