The CDS exam is tentatively held in the month of February. The candidates who are selected are placed in the Navy, Armed forces and Police forces respectively. The CDS exam is a dream come true for any candidate who wants to pursue a career in the defence network in India. 

Benefits of Cracking CDS

Working in the premier defence systems in India is a powerful and rewarding career opportunity. Let us look at a few perks of cracking the CDS exams.
 

• Transport allowance: Rs. 3,200/- + DA p.m. in A-1/A class cities and Rs. 1,600/- + DA.
• High Altitude Allowance: Rs 1,060 p.m. to Rs 11,200 per month.
• Dearness Allowances(DA): According to the Grade of Post held by the officer.
• Siachen Allowance: Rs 14,000/- per month.
• Highly Active Field Area Allowance: Rs 6,780/- to Rs 8,400/- p.m.
• Compensatory Modified Field Area Allowance: Rs 1,600/- to Rs 2,000/-
• Compensatory Field Area Allowance: Rs 4,200/- to Rs 5,200/- p.m.

Other than these benefits, the officers will be provided with insurance, medical claim and officers canteen services. To successfully crack the CDS exam, you need to understand the exam pattern in detail. Let us see the CDS exam pattern. 

CDS Exam Pattern

The CDS exam is written into 2 different sections. The first one is the Written Exam & the second one is the Interview and Personality Test.

 CDS Written Exam Pattern For IMA, AFA, INA

O.33 marks will be reduced for all the wrong answers in this section of the CDS exam. 

CDS OTA Written Exam

O.33 marks will be reduced for all the wrong answers in this section of the CDS Exam.

CDS Exam Interview

The Interview will be held in Stage 1 and Stage 2. Candidates who pass the stage 1 exam will be invited to take the stage 2 exam.

Stage 1: This is an OIR (Officer Intelligence Rating) test that includes picture perception and description tests (PP & DT). Candidates will be shortlisted based on their performance in the OIR Test, as well as their performance in the PP and DT.

Stage 2: Candidates who have passed the first stage will be invited to this stage. The Group Testing Officer Tasks, Interview, Conference, and Psychology Test are all included in this section. These tests are scheduled over four days.

Now that we have clarity of the CDS exam pattern, let us look at a few ways in which you can improve your CDS preparation. 

CDS Preparation Strategy

1. Improve Speed and accuracy by consistent Practice.

Once you find a consistent pace to practice the questions of the CDS syllabus, you can easily understand the flow of questions that appear in the exam. This can be improved every time by checking the specific area you are facing. Give special attention to these subject portions by taking ample time to look into the syllabus.

2. Previous year papers

If you're unsure about the CDS test syllabus, previous year papers are the best source of information for predicting the types of questions you'll be asked. Solving full-length tests based on the previous year question papers will help you understand the time you are taking to solve the CDS question paper. This will greatly help you in creating a flow of solving the questions and for your CDS preparation.  

3. Mock tests 

Mock tests are necessary for you to analyse your current status and determine how much work you need to do on the specific areas of English, Mathematics, and General Knowledge. Mock exams might also assist you in improving your overall speed. It will bring out the areas to put more focus on and improve. You can clearly understand that attending the CDS mock test is a good way of practising questions that will help you stay ahead in the CDS preparation. 

4. Enrol in an Online Coaching. 

If you believe that self-study will not suffice, you should seek professional help to prepare for the exam. This will help you understand the best types of preparation strategies. A good online CDS preparation will help you to get all the best materials to study. It will provide you with lectures that feature the best lecturers and power your CDS preparation. CDS preparation online is preferred because you can easily prepare from the comfort of your home. 

5. Start Early.

As we have previously stated, getting a head start on the CDS is critical. Most candidates begin preparing for it while still in college, and you should make sure you have as much time as possible. If you are enrolled in an engineering course, you will have an advantage in the written exam's mathematics part. Starting your CDS preparation early is required to have an advantage over other competitors. 

6. Manage Your Time

Because the CDS is a postgraduate exam, you may have to juggle between college studies and a professional career. Effective time management can also help you breeze through the various portions of the test during the exam. Making a schedule for your preparation is required to help your CDS preparation. 

Now that you have learnt about the CDS Exam Preparation Tips, let us look at a few points to remember while preparing for the CDS interview. 

CDS Interview Tips

• Read and update yourself with the latest current affairs books and news.
• Have a clear-cut idea about your strengths and weaknesses and improve on them daily. Questions will arise on the same and also ask you what you do to act on them.
• Have mock group discussions with your friends.
• Have a clear idea about your background and their reasons.
• Think of mock situations and practice such questions from different sources off of the internet.
• Watch a few videos of mock interviews and have a general idea of how to address them.
• If it is possible, you can get in touch with a person who has cracked the CDS and seek help in this.

upGrad Jeet and Its Role In CDS Preparation

upGrad Jeet has created an easy-to-follow CDS Preparation Online course to assist you in your preparation. This course has a lot of benefits and features. It is led by the best CDS lecturers in the business. The course incorporates the most recent syllabus developments offered in the CDS. It can both guide a novice and an experienced candidate through the CDS exam preparation process and help them improve their abilities. With the help of the CDS online course, students can confidently approach the CDS exam because it has the most recent question pattern. It also comes with a comprehensive mock test series to help you improve your exam-solving abilities.

UpGrad Jeet's CDS exam tutoring is a handy and effective way to prepare for the CDS exams. Since the course is online, it is available to you anywhere at any time. As a result, online classes are the ideal option for CDS preparation. We wish you the best of luck for the next CDS exam.