NDA Vs CDS Similarities and Differences

UPSC conducts both NDA and CDS exams twice a year, offering candidates to join the Indian Armed Forces as officers. While NDA targets candidates after Class 12, CDS is for graduates.

NDA exam (National Defence Academy) and CDS exam (Combined Defence Services) examinations are important for individuals aiming become officers in the Indian Armed Forces. While both exams share the goal of officer recruitment, however, they differ significantly in age requirements, syllabus, eligibility criteria, exam patterns and training duration. In this blog we will all the major differences and similarities of CDS and NDA exam.

NDA vs CDS: What is the Difference?

	NDA	CDS
Age	16.5 to 19.5 Years	19 to 25 Years
Eligibility	Both unmarried Men and Women are allowed	Unmarried men are allowed to apply for IMA, INA, AFA and OTA Unmarried women are allowed to apply only for OTA as of 2024
Educational Qualification	Appearing or passed Class 12	Graduation
Examination Process	Written SSB & Medical	Written SSB & Medical
Exam Frequency	Twice a year	Twice a year
Training Duration	Three years at NDA and one year in the respective service academies for INA and IMA. Air Force cadets undergo 3 years training at NDA and 1 & ½ years at AFA	18 months for IMA Cadets 37-40 months for Navy Officers 74 months for Air Force Officers 46 weeks for OTA
Training Centres	National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune Indian Military Academy, Dehradun Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala Indian Air Force Academy, Hyderabad	Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun for Army Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala for Navy Indian Air Force Academy, Hyderabad for Air Force Officers Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai
Rank	Lieutenant	Lieutenant

NDA or CDS, which is easier?

It is said that CDS written exam is comparatively easier than NDA written exam but CDS SSB is tougher than NDA SSB.

CDS exam pattern and syllabus

CDS written exam is divided into three parts English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics.

Subjects	Exam Duration	Total Questions	Marks
English	2 hours	120	100
General Knowledge	2 hours	120	100
Elementary Mathematics	2 hours	100	100

Note: Elementary mathematics exam is not for OTA.

CDS exam syllabus

English

Reading Comprehension.
Spotting the Error
Synonyms & Antonyms.
Idioms and Phrases.
Sentence Arrangement or Jumbled.
Ordering of words in Sentence.
Sentence Improvement or Sentence Correction

General Knowledge

Current affairs
Indian History
Political Science
Economics
Geography
Environment

Elementary Mathematics

Arithmetic
Geometry
Algebra
Trigonometry
Mensuration
Statistics

OTA candidates will only appear for English and General Knowledge exam.

NDA exam pattern and Syllabus

NDA written exam is divided into two parts maths and GAT

Subjects	Exam Duration	Total Questions	Marks
Mathematics	2.5 hours	120	300
General Ability test (GAT)	2.5 hours	150	600

NDA exam syllabus

NDA Mathematics: Mathematics covers topics such as algebra, trigonometry, calculus, Analytical Geometry of 2d and Three Dimension and Statistics and Probability.

NDA GAT: GAT exam is divided into two parts English and General Knowledge.

English section has 50 questions and it checks your English vocabulary, grammar and reading comprehension.
General knowledge section has 100 questions and, this section, covers Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, Polity and Current Affairs.

NDA vs CDS Eligibility criteria

For NDA exam eligibility, candidates must have passed or be appearing in Class 12, with age limits between 16.5 to 19.5 years. This requirement ensures that candidates have the necessary educational foundation and age suitability to undergo the rigorous training required for officers in the Indian Armed Forces.

For CDS exam eligibility, candidates should have completed or be in the process of completing their graduation. The age limits for candidates range from 19 to 25 years. This criterion ensures that candidates possess the educational background necessary for officer roles in the Indian Armed Forces.

Conclusion

While NDA targets candidates post-Class 12, CDS focuses on graduates. However, they both offer the same positions. What you need to consider is which exam you are eligible for. If you are a 12th pass, you cannot attempt the CDS exam, but the NDA exam is suitable for you. Conversely, if you’re a graduate, typically above 20 years old, you cannot apply for the NDA exam, but you can for the CDS exam. If you have decided which exam is right for you and need help preparing, Noval Defence Academy provides the Best NDA and Best CDS coaching in Dehradun.

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