Graduate entries. Officer careers.
A four-month course that prepares graduates and final-year students for the Combined Defence Services, the Air Force Common Admission Test and the CAPF Assistant Commandants examination, at the Sevasadan branch in Sitabuldi.
CDS, AFCAT and CAPF test many of the same skills: English, general knowledge, numerical ability and reasoning. This course builds that common core first, then trains each candidate for the paper they are taking.
Students work through the syllabus with regular sectional tests and full-length mock papers for their chosen exam. Guidance on the next stage, whether the SSB, the AFSB or the CAPF physical tests and interview, is part of the course.
A summary of the written stage of each exam. Age limits and qualifications vary by entry and can change, so always check the current notification.
| CDS | AFCAT | CAPF (AC) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conducted by | UPSC | Indian Air Force | UPSC |
| Held | Twice a year | Twice a year | Once a year |
| Leads to | Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers Training Academy | Flying and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches of the IAF | Assistant Commandant in BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB |
| Written exam | English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics, 100 marks each. OTA candidates take English and General Knowledge only. | 100 questions, 300 marks, 2 hours: General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, Reasoning and Military Aptitude. +3 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one. | Paper I: General Ability and Intelligence, 250 marks, objective. Paper II: General Studies, Essay and Comprehension, 200 marks, descriptive. |
| Next stage | SSB interview | AFSB interview | Physical and medical tests, then a 150-mark interview |
| Typical age limit | 19 to 24 (OTA 19 to 25, AFA 20 to 24) | 20 to 24 for Flying, 20 to 26 for Ground Duty | 20 to 25 |
Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and error spotting for all three exams, plus essay and précis writing for CAPF Paper II.
History, geography, polity, economy, science and defence affairs, with weekly current affairs updates.
Elementary Mathematics for CDS and Numerical Ability for AFCAT, from basics to exam speed.
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning and spatial ability for AFCAT, and general ability and intelligence for CAPF Paper I.
An introduction to the SSB and AFSB process, and to the CAPF physical tests and interview. For full SSB training, see our one-month SSB course.
Graduate entries. Officer careers.
