The authorities Central Defence Services decides the CDS Exam Pattern to screen the intellect of the candidates and select them on the basis of their performance in the selection tests. As per the CDS paper pattern for the IMA, INA, and AFA, there are three major subjects that candidates need to prepare for English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics.

Particulars	CDS Exam Pattern Details
Organization	Central Defence Services
Exam	CDS
Duration	For IMA, INA and AFA - 6 hours For OTA - 4 Hours
Mode	Offline, pen and paper mode
Maximum Marks	For IMA, INA and AFA - 300 For OTA - 200
Standard of the papers	For Maths - Matriculation level Other subjects - Graduation level
Language	General Knowledge and Elementary Maths will be bilingual (Hindi and English)
Type of Questions	Objective

UPSC CDS exam pattern for the Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy and Air Force Academy comprises three main subjects, which are English Language, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. The standard of questions for the English language will be as per the graduation level, and that of Maths will be as per the matriculation level. According to the CDS exam pattern, the total duration is 6 hours and the total marks are 300.

Name of the Subject	Total Duration	Number of Questions	CDS Total Marks
English	2 hours	120	100
General Knowledge	2 hours	120	100
Elementary Mathematics	2 hours	100	100

The CDS exam pattern 2023 for Officers Training Academy has questions from the English language and General Knowledge to be solved in 4 hours. The maximum marks for the OTA are 200 and the total duration is 4 hours. The complete details of the CDS OTA exam pattern is provided here:

●      English - A total of 120 questions will be asked in the exam for 100 marks.

●      General Knowledge - Candidates will be required to answer 120 questions for 100 marks.

As per the CDS exam pattern, the total marks out of which candidates should score in the SSB interview is 300 marks. There are two major stages in the interview process, the details of which are provided as follows:

●      Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) - This test screens the candidates on the basis of their intelligence.

●      Picture Perception & Description Test (PP & DT) - The second stage of the interview will consist of the interview, the test of psychology and the conference.

Candidates must know the marking scheme as per the latest CDS exam pattern in order to avoid the deduction of marks. As per the CDS marking scheme, there is a negative marking for every wrong answer attempted by the candidate. We have provided details about CDS marking scheme for the exam given below:

●      For every correct answer in English and General Knowledge, 0.83 marks will be awarded. And for Maths, 1 mark will be given.

●      For every incorrect answer, 1/3rd of the mark, i.e., 0.33 marks will be deducted.

●      No marks will be given for unattempted questions.

We have provided some essential points on the CDS paper pattern which are as follows:

●      The applicants need to mark the answers with a black ballpoint pen.

●      Before starting with the exam check the test booklet for the subject code.

●      Fill in the requisite details such as the roll number, exam booklet series etc.

●      Ensure filling one answer, in case of multiple answers the question will not be checked.

What is the CDS exam pattern 2023?

According to the CDS exam pattern 2023, candidates will have to answer 340 questions for English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics in 6 hours for 300 marks. For the CDS OTA exam,  they will have to attempt 240 questions for General Knowledge and English in 4 hours for 300 marks.

What is the weightage of English according to the CDS exam pattern?

The total weightage in terms of marks for the English subject in the CDS exam pattern is 100 for all posts. The candidates need to solve 120 questions on vocabulary, grammar, sentence formation, and comprehension in the stipulated time frame of 2 hours. Thus, the CDS total marks for English paper is 100.

Is the UPSC CDS exam pattern different for INA, IMA, AFA and OTA posts?

The UPSC CDS exam pattern for the INA, IMA, and AFA share similarities while the OTA paper pattern is different. For the INA, IMA, and AFA posts, the major subjects are English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. For the OTA posts, the subjects are English and General Knowledge.

What is the CDS OTA exam pattern?

The CDS OTA exam pattern comprises two major subjects, English and General Knowledge. The defined time frame for each section is 2 hours and the total marks carried by the exam is 200, with each section comprising 100 marks.

What are the total marks for the SSB interview as per the CDS exam pattern?

As per the latest CDS exam pattern, the maximum marks for the interview round for the posts of INA, IMA and AFA is 300 marks, while for the OTA it is 200 marks. The interview has two phases and screens the applicants on the basis of their intellect and persona.

Are there any changes in the CDS exam pattern?

No, the authorities have not informed us about any changes in the CDS exam pattern. The pattern remains unchanged and candidates will be required to attempt questions for English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics in a duration of 6 hours.

What is CDS negative marking?

Yes, candidates will be marked negatively for all wrong answers as per the CDS exam pattern. For correct answers, 0.83 marks are given for English and General Knowledge, and 1 mark is given for Maths. For every wrong answer, 0.33 marks will be deducted for all wrong answers.

What are the CDS total marks for the INA exam?

According to the exam pattern, the CDS total marks carried by the Indian Naval Academy exam is 300. Each subject carries 100 marks. The questions are to be solved in 6 hours of duration.

What is the CDS marking scheme?

According to the CDS marking scheme, for every wrong answer ⅓ of the marks assigned to the question will be deducted. The unattempted questions will not be given any marks. It is advised to the candidates to avoid making wild guesses in the paper and to do calculations properly.

I have marked two answers for the same question, will I be awarded marks for the same?

No, according to the CDS exam pattern guidelines if you have marked 2 answers for one question, you will not be awarded any mark.