CDS Syllabus 2025: Check Maths, GK and English Syllabus and Download PDF
CDS Syllabus 2025 is prescribed by the UPSC for the UPSC CDS exam. Candidates who are going to appear for the CDS 2 exam must check the subject wise UPSC CDS syllabus that has been shared here in detail. Get complete details about CDS syllabus for English, Mathematics and General Knowledge.
CDS Syllabus 2025
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) releases the CDS syllabus 2025 along with the notification. The candidates who will be appearing for the CDS 1 exam 2025 must know about the important topics of the syllabus. The UPSC CDS syllabus is categorised into two parts. The first part is for IMA, INA and AFA while the second part is for OTA. The major highlights of the CDS syllabus are as follows:
- CDS syllabus for OTA has two papers, i.e. English and General Knowledge of 100 marks each.
- CDS syllabus for IMA, INA and AFA has three subjects, i.e. English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics for 100 marks each.
No changes are expected in the CDS 2025 syllabus. Defence exam aspirants seeking a job in the Indian Armed Forces must check out the CDS syllabus that has been explained in detail here. CDS exam aspirants have to qualify the written and SSB interview to be eligible for an appointment into the armed forces. Candidates can also download CDS syllabus PDF from here. Get to know the subject wise syllabus, important topics, etc on this page.
CDS 2025 Syllabus PDF Download
The CDS syllabus 2025 PDF be downloaded by the candidates who will be appearing in the exam. By downloading the syllabus, one will be able to know the important topics that will be asked in the exam. Furthermore, candidates will also be able to set a strategy that will allow them to complete the syllabus and the important topics covered in it. We have shared the UPSC CDS syllabus PDF download link below here.
| UPSC CDS PDF Download Link | Download PDF |
CDS Syllabus for OTA
CDS Syllabus for IMA, INA and AFA
CDS Syllabus 2025 for GK, English & Maths
It is important to know the CDS syllabus subject wise so that you can allot your time accordingly for the preparation of each subject. Every subject has a number of topics that need to be studied thoroughly by the candidates. The syllabus for the following subjects has been discussed here in great detail:
- CDS Syllabus for General Knowledge
- CDS English Syllabus
- CDS Maths Syllabus
Check out the CDS previous year papers to boost your preparation.
CDS General Knowledge Syllabus
The CDS General Knowledge syllabus covers the subjects that are to be known by any candidate who appears for the competitive exams. It covers subjects such as Polity, History, Science, Geography, Economics, Defence news and well as Current Affairs. The subject-wise syllabus for the CDS exam are as follows:
| Subjects | Topics |
| International and national summits/conferences, awards, latest appointments, sports-related news, books and authors, etc. | |
| Polity | Constitutional Framework, Fundamental Rights and Duties, DPSP, Union Territories & Local Government, Constitutional Bodies, Emergency Provisions, etc. |
| Indian History | Ancient, Medieval and Modern History |
| Economics | Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, Five Year Plans, etc |
| General Science | Physics: Motion, Light, Sound, Reflection and Refraction, Gravitation, etc. Chemistry: Atoms and Molecules, Matter, Chemical Reactions, Acid, Bases and Salts, etc. Biology: Cell, Food and Hygiene, Diseases and their cure, Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, Heredity and Evolution, Reproduction, etc. |
| Defence Related News | Deals and excercise between countries, important days related to defence, etc. |
Know about CDS Eligibility Criteria
CDS English Syllabus
The CDS English syllabus consists aims to test your basic vocabulary. For this, the candidates should be well aware of the usage of nouns, pronouns etc. Check the important topics related to it in the table below.
| Subject | Topics |
| CDS English Syllabus | Basic Grammar Idioms & Phrases Para Jumbles Synonyms and Antonyms Reading Comprehension Solving Substitution of Words Error Spotting Sentence Improvement or Sentence Correction |
CDS Mathematics Syllabus
CDS Mathematics syllabus consists of topics such as Mensuration, Statistics, Trigonometry, Geometry, Percentage, Profit and Loss, Statistics, etc. Check the important topics CDS Maths syllabus below in the table.
| CDS Maths Topic | Details |
| Arithmetic | Number System, Fundamental operations, Percentage, Time & Work, Simple & Compound Interest, Time & Distance, Ratio & Proportion, Profit & loss, Theorem of factorisation, Factors & Multiples, Euclidean algorithm, laws of algorithm & algorithmic tables, etc. |
| Algebra | Remainder theorem, L.C.M. & H.C.F, Polynomial theories, Quadratic equations, Linear equations in 2 variables, Sets, Laws of indices, Conditional identities, Rational Expressions, etc. |
| Trigonometry | Trigonometric identities, Trigonometric tables, Problems on Height and Distance, etc. |
| Geometry | Plane & plane figures, Lines, and angles, Parallel lines, Congruency of triangles, Medians & Altitudes, Similar triangles, Parallelograms, etc. |
| Mensuration | Area of circles, Triangles, Rectangles, Squares, Parallelograms, Volume, Surface area of cuboids, Cones, Cylinders, Spheres, etc. |
| Statistics | Tabulation of statistical data, Graphical representation of frequency polygons, Bar graphs, Histograms, Pie charts, Measures of central tendency, etc. |
Best Books for CDS Syllabus Preparation
To be able to prepare the CDS syllabus, candidates need to have the best books that could solve their query at best. Having the best subject wise books for CDS exam preparation enables your doubts to get clarified at the best. We have listed the subject wise books for CDS exam preparation below.
| Subject Wise Books for CDS Syllabus Preparation | |
| Subject | Name of the book |
| Mathematics | Mathematics for CDS by RS Aggarwal Quantitative Aptitude for Examinations paperback by RS Aggarwal Pathfinder for CDS by Arihant Publications Quantitative Aptitude for examinations paperback by RS Aggarwal |
| English | Wren and Martin – High School English Grammar & Composition Objective General English by SP Bakshi Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis |
| General Knowledge | General Awareness by Manohar Panday Magazines such as Pratiyogita Darpan, Competition Success Review (CSR), and Yojana Manorama Yearbook Other than this, one should also read newspapers such as The Hindu, Indian Express, etc. to get acquainted with Current Affairs |
CDS Exam Pattern 2025
UPSC prescribes the CDS exam pattern along with its notification. The CDS exam is held in offline mode, i.e. pen and paper mode. The question paper is set in both English and Hindi languages, except for English paper. The CDS exam is for a total of 300 marks and is held for six hours. For admission to OTA, the written exam comprises two sections: English and General Awareness. The candidates who are admitted in IMA, INA and AFA will have to appear for English, General Knowledge and Mathematics subjects. CDS exam pattern for the written exam is given below:
| CDS Exam Pattern for IMA, INA and AFA | ||
| Subject | Duration | Maximum marks |
| English | 2 Hours | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 2 Hours | 100 |
| CDS Exam Pattern for OTA | ||
| Subject | Duration | Maximum marks |
| English | 2 hours | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 hours | 100 |