The selection process for CDS Recruitment consists of two phases:

• Written Exam
• Service Selection Board (SSB)

Written Exam:

First stage of the selection procedure consists of written exam. There are two types of exam pattern. One for IMA, INA and AFA and other for OTA.

Lets look at the exam pattern for both these types:

Exam Pattern for IMA, INA, and AFA:

Section	Number of questions	Duration	Maximum marks
English	120	2 hours	100
General Knowledge	120	2 hours	100
Elementary Maths	100	2 hours	100
Total		6 hours	300

Exam Pattern for OTA (Officer’s Training Academy):

Section	Number of questions	Duration	Maximum marks
English	120	2 hours	100
General Knowledge	120	2 hours	100
Total		4 hours	200

Service Selection Board (SSB):

There are two stages in SSB Interview:

Stage I: Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests

Stage II: Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests & Conference

Both the stages are successive for selection of candidates. Candidates need to qualify both the stages. Candidate’s performance in SSB Interview is accessed by three accessors:

• Interviewing Officer (IO)
• Group Testing Officer (GTO)
• Psychologist

Final Selection:

Final selection of the candidates is done on the performance of written exam and SSB interview. Selected candidates will have to undergo training at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai.

Salary structure:

In CDS the stipend given to the cadets during complete training duration in IMA and OTA is Rs. 56,100 per month. On successful commissioning, the officer will be in the pay matrix of level 10. In this article, we have discussed regarding CDS salary in detail:

Rank	Level	Salary (In Rs.)
Lieutenant	Level 10	56,100 -1,77,500
Captain	Level 10 B	61,300- 1,93,900
Major	Level 11	69,400 – 2,07,200
Lieutenant Colonel	Level 12A	1,21,200 – 2,12,400
Colonel	Level 13	1,30,600-2,15,900
Brigadier	Level 13A	1,39,600-2,17,600
Major General	Level 14	1,44,200-2,18,200
Lieutenant General HAG Scale	Level 15	1,82, 200-2,24,100
HAG+Scale	Level 16	2,05,400 – 2,24,400
VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG)	Level 17	2,25,000 (fixed)
COAS	Level 18	2,50,000 (fixed)

The Military Service Pay(MSP) to the officers from the rank of Lieutenant to Brigadier is a fixed amount of Rs. 15,500 per month.

Allowances in CDS:

Various types of allowance are offered under the CDS:

• Dearness Allowance
• Kit Maintenance Allowance
• Field Area Allowance
• High Altitude Allowance
• Siachen Allowance
• Uniform Allowance
• Transport Allowance
• Children Education Allowance

CDS Eligibility Criteria is divided into 4 sections: Nationality, Age, Marital Status, and Gender.

Nationality/Ctizenship:

• A citizen of India.
• A subject of Bhutan.
• A subject of Nepal.
• A Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India.
• A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Age Limit/Marital Status/Gender:

Category	Age (years)	Gender	Marital Status
Indian Military Academy (IMA)	19 – 24	Male	Unmarried
Indian Naval Academy (INA)	19- 22	Male	Unmarried
Air Force Academy	19- 23	Male	<25 years unmarried or >25 years both married and unmarried.
Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for Men)	19- 25	Male	Unmarried
Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course)	19 – 25	Female	Unmarried Women, issueless widows who have not remarried and issueless divorcees (in possession of divorce documents) who have not remarried are eligible.

Educational Qualification: 

Candidates who are applying for CDS Exam, have to be a graduate or at least appearing the final exam of eligible degree.

• For Indian Military Academy and Officers Training Academy, candidates must be a graduate.
• For Indian Naval Academy, candidates must have a degree in Engineering from a recognised university.
• For Air Force Academy, a degree or Bachelor of Engineering is necessary. Students must have studied Physics and Mathematics in Class 12.