CDS for Girls – Supreme Court Allows Women To Appear!

Supreme Court Allows Women to Appear for NDA Exam! NDA and CDS are going to be conducted in 13th April 2025. Combined Defence Services exam, commonly known as CDS/CDA, is conducted biannually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of candidates into the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings of defence of India. UPSC has released the official notification for the CDS 1 exam 2025 on 11th December 2024 on its official website.

Women too can apply for the CDS exam. However, they cannot be taken into the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force on the basis of their selection in the CDS exam. CDS for girls is only for the recruitment for the post of OTA (Officer’s Training Programme). The CDS/CDA exam will be held on 13th April 2025. Relevant information about CDS for girls have been discussed in this article.

Read here about CDS Exam!

18th August 2021: Supreme Court Allows Women to Appear for NDA Exam!

The Supreme Court of India on 18th August 2021 has announced, that women candidates can appear for the upcoming National Defence Academy (NDA) which is scheduled to take place in November. This exam is an opportunity to join the Indian Army after clearing Class 12th. This petition was filed by Kush Kalra.

Check more details regarding NDA for Girls Here!

How to Apply for CDS for Girls?

The online application for the UPSC CDS 1 exam 2025 will begin from 11th December 2024. Interested candidates who wish to apply for CDA for girls can follow the steps given below to go through with the application process:

Step 1: Visit the official website.

Step 2: Click on the column against Combined Defence Services Examination (II) that says “Click Here for PART I”.

Step 3: When the page opens, read the instructions carefully and click “Yes” in the bottom.

Step 4: The page of the application form will open. Fill the form carefully.

Step 5: On completion, your registration ID will be generated.

Step 6: Click next. Females are exempted from paying the application fee.

Step 7: Select your desired centre for examination.

Step 8: Upload the documents required in the correct file size.

Step 9: Submit and take a print out of the application form.

Check out What is OTA in CDS? here, and read about its eligibility for women.

CDS for Girls: Eligibility Criteria

Women who wish to apply for the OTA post must fulfill the eligibility criteria set for CDS for girls. Discussed below are the eligibility criteria for CDS for girls based on different parameters such as age, nationality, marital status and educational qualification:

1. The candidate must be between 20 years and 24 years of age, born not earlier than 2nd July 1997 and not later than 1st July 2003.
2. The candidate must be a graduate from a recognized University.
3. The candidate must be unmarried. She can be widowed or divorced who has not remarried.
4. The candidate must be physically and mentally fit to clear all the fitness tests for CDS for girls.
5. The candidate must have a minimum height of 152 cm.

Check out the CDS Apply Online process here!

CDS for Girls: Selection Process

The CDS written exam will be conducted on 16 April 2023. Results for the exam would be released in a month. The selection procedure of the UPSC CDA for girls is divided into four stages, as discussed below:

1. Written Exam
2. SSB Interview
3. Document Verification
4. Medical Examination

Check out the online courses for CDS here!

CDS for Girls: Exam Pattern

The written exam for UPSC CDS for girls is divided into two sections. The questions are multiple choice types and each wrong answer can lead to a deduction of ⅓ rd of the marks assigned for that question. The details of the exam pattern for the CDS exam for the post of OTA is given in the table below:

CDS for Girls: Syllabus

The CDS exam syllabus covers English, General Ability Test, and Elementary Mathematics. However, the candidates who are appearing for CDS for girls do not have mathematics in their syllabus. The subject-wise syllabus for the CDS exam is discussed below:

English

The English section of the CDS written exam tests the basic grammar knowledge and language skills of the candidates. The syllabus for the English section is given below:

1. Spotting error
2. Sentence arrangement
3. Synonyms and antonyms
4. Selecting words
5. Ordering of sentence
6. Comprehension
7. Ordering of words in a sentence
8. Idioms and phrases
9. Fill in the blanks

General Ability Test

General ability test of the CDS written exam tests the general awareness of the candidates. The syllabus is divided into various subjects. Candidates can refer to the syllabus of 10th, 11th, and 12th standard to prepare for the following subjects:

1. Current affairs
2. Biology
3. Chemistry
4. Physics
5. History
6. Geography
7. Politics
8. Defence-related awards
9. Sociology
10. Economics
11. Sports and culture
12. Environmental Science

If you are preparing for the UPSC CDS exam 2023, check Defence Exam Questions here!

CDS for Girls: Exam Centre

The UPSC CDS for girls will be conducted on 16th April 2023 across various exam centres. The candidates can choose the exam centres according to their preference while filling the application form online.

Given below is a list of the exam centres for the UPSC CDS exam:

1. Agartala
2. Ahmedabad
3. Aizawl
4. Allahabad
5. Bengakuru
6. Bareilly
7. Bhopal
8. Chandigarh
9. Chennai
10. Cuttack
11. Dehradun
12. Delhi
13. Dharwad
14. Dispur
15. Gangtok
16. Imphal
17. Itanagar
18. Jaipir
19. Jammu
20. Jorhat
21. Kochi
22. Kolkata
23. Kohima
24. Lucknow
25. Mumbai
26. Nagpur
27. Panaji
28. Patna
29. Port Blair
30. Raipur
31. Ranchi
32. Sambalpur
33. Shillong
34. Srinagar
35. Thiruvananthapuram
36. Tirupati
37. Udaipur
38. Visakhapatnam

Check out the CDS Answer Key here!

What After the CDS Written Exam?

After the candidates who have cleared the written exam for UPSC CDS/CDA for girls have to pass a medical examination that will test their physical fitness. They get to sit for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview upon passing the medical examination. The candidates who have cleared the three selection rounds along with their document verification are allotted a short service commission (SSC) for the non-technical cadre. Thereafter, they undergo training at the officer’s training academy in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Preparation Strategy for UPSC CDS for Girls

UPSC CDS for girls in a national-level competitive exam, which requires thorough preparation to secure a good rank. The candidates preparing for the CDS exam can follow the strategies given below to boost their preparation:

1. Make sure to read English newspapers everyday to learn new words in English and to have the current affairs section updated.
2. Make a weekly routine and divide all the subjects into it smartly so that you cover all the important topics for the exam.
3. Religiously revise everything that you have studied in the week by the weekends to check how much you have retained.
4. Solve ample CDS previous year papers and mock tests to acquire time management and pace.
5. Eat healthy and sleep well to keep yourself physically and mentally fit.

We hope this article was helpful in resolving all your queries about how to apply for CDS for girls. Download our Testbook app to be able to access mock-test series, previous years’ papers, and study materials for your exam.