CDS eligibility criteria 2024: Many eligible applicants appear for Combined Defence Services Exam organized Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for those students who are willing to make their career in the government sector. Applicants need to check the entire eligibility norms uttered below

Union Public Service Commission conducts the Combined Defence Services Exam twice every year. As per the CDS exam eligibility norms 2024, Indian nationals who reside in age between the ages of 19- 25 years are eligible to apply for the CDS defense job exam.

CDS Eligibility Criteria 2024 as per Nationality

Applicants should be:

  • A citizen of India, or
  • A subject of Bhutan, or
  • A subject of Nepal, or
  • A Tibetan refugee who came over to India earlier than the 1st of January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
  • (v) A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, and East African Countries with the intention of permanently settling in India.
  • A certificate of eligibility is also compulsory for the Gorkha candidates of Nepal.

CDS Eligibility Criteria 2024

Educational Qualification

Academies

Educational Qualification

IMA and OTA

Graduation

INA

Engineering degree

AFA

Graduation or Bachelor of Engineering

 

Important points:

  • Graduates with the first choice of Army/Navy/Air Force need to submit provisional certificates of graduation on the date of commencement of the SSB Interview at SSB centers.
  • Those who are in their final year of graduation can also apply

Age Limit & Marital Status for CDS

Only unmarried candidates are eligible for the CDS exam.

Academy

Age Limit (In years)

Marital Status

IMA

19-24 

Unmarried

INA

19-22 

Unmarried

Air Force Academy

19-23 

Age should be below 25 years of age and must be unmarried

Married candidates above 25 years of age are eligible to apply but during the training period they will neither be provided married accommodation nor can they live with a family outside of the premises

Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course)

19-25 

Unmarried Women, issueless widows who have not remarried, and issueless divorcees (in possession of divorce documents) who have not remarried are eligible.

Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for Men)

19-25 

Unmarried

 

CDS Exam Centres 2024

Agartala

Ahmedabad

Aizawl

Allahabad

Bengaluru

Bareilly

Bhopal

Chandigarh

 

Physical Standards

  • Applicants should be physically fit as per the physical standard guidelines.
  • Several applicants get rejected on medical grounds.
  • Applicants need to be advised to get them medically examined before submitting their applications.

Physical standards for CDS exam 2024

Height Parameters

  • The minimum acceptable height for male category applicants is 157.5 cm (157 cm for Navy and 162.5 cm for Air Force).
  • For women category applicants, the minimum height is 152 cms.
  • For Gorkhas and those belong to the North-Eastern regions, Garhwali and Kumaon, the minimum height will be 5 cm less.
  • In the case of applicants from Lakshadweep, the minimum acceptable height can be reduced by 2 cm.

Height and Weight Standards (Males)

Height in Centimetres 

Weight in Kgs.

 

18 years

20 years

22 years

24 years

152

44*

46

47

48

155

46

48*

49

50

157

47

49

50

51

160

48

50

51

52

162

50

52

53

54

165

52

53

55

56

168

53

55

57

58

170

55

57

58

59

173

57

59

60

61

175

59

61

62

62

178

61

62

63

64

180

63

64

65

66

183

65

67

67

68

185

67

69

70

71

188

70

71

72

74

190

72

73

74

76

193

74

76

77

78

195

77

78

79

81

 

Height and Weight Standards (Females)

Height and Weight Standards (Females)

Height in Cms (Without shoes)

 

Weight in Kgs.

20 years

25 years

30 years

148

39

41

43

150

40

42

43.5

153

42

43.5

45

155

43

44

46

158

45

46

48

160

46

47

49

163

47

49

51

165

49

51

53

168

50

52

54

 

Visual Parameters

Vision standards for naval category applicants

Uncorrected without glasses

6/12, 6/12

Corrected with glasses

6/6, 6/6

Limits of Myopia

-1.5D

Limits of Hypermetropia

+1.5D

Binocular Vision

III

Limits of Colour Perception

I

 

Other Academies

Vision

Uncorrected VA 6/60 & 6/60 BCVA 6/6 & 6/6

Myopia -3.50 D SPH including astigmatism, Hypermetropia +3.50 D Sph including Astigmatism

Colour perception

CP-II

 

Steps to fill CDS 2024 Application Form

Check simple steps involved in CDS Application Process:

Step 1: CDS Registration

  • Visit UPSC CDS 2020 official website
  • On the home page click on Part 1 registration to open the registration form.
  • Enter your name, date of birth, parents’ name, address, category, mobile number, email ID and other basic information. 
  • Your registration no. will be sent to you as SMS and email. 

Step 2: Pay CDS Application Fee 

  • Pay application fees for CDS that is INR 200.
  • Female, SC, ST and need not to pay any amount of fee payment.
  • Fees can be paid in online mode via Debit/ Credit Card or SBI Netbanking and in offline mode by paying cash at any SBI Bank branch.
  • To pay the fees generate bank challan during the registration procedure
  • Submit the form along with the fees at any SBI bank branch.

UPSC CDS Application Fees 

Category

CDS Application Fees 2020

General/ OBC/ EWS

INR 200

Female (All Categories)

Exempted

SC/ ST

Exempted

PH

Exempted

 

Step 3: Fill CDS Application Form

  • Complete their form by entering personal and educational information.
  • Indicate your preferred position among IAF, IMA, INA and OTA.
  • Also, choose CDS Exam Center as per your preference.
  • Fill the form very cautiously as no correction will be permitted after closing of application process.

Step 4: Upload CDS Photo, Sign and Photo ID Proof

Documents

Size

Pixels

Bit

Format

Photo

20 – 300 Kbs

350×350 – 1000×1000

24

.jpg

Sign

20 – 300 Kbs

350×350 – 1000×1000

24

.jpg

Photo ID Card

20 – 300 Kbs

.pdf

 

Documents Required

Marticulation and Degree Certificates

Scanned copy of Photo

Scanned copy of Signature

Any Valid ID proof ( Adhaar card/ Voter ID/ PAN card/Driving license/ Passport)

Card or Net Banking details for online payment

 

End Note:

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