Defence Exam

Are you an aspirant of Defence Exams? Get the latest information on all the upcoming Defence exams in India such as NDA, CDS, CAPF and AFCAT exam in the article.
The Defence exams are conducted to recruit eligible candidates in the Indian Armed Forces. Through various Defence exams, candidates get admission in the various Defence training academies such as –
- Indian Military Academy (IMA) – Dehradun
- Indian Naval Academy (INA) – Ezhimala
- Air Force Academy (AFA) – Hyderabad
- Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) – Chennai
Every year lakhs of candidates appear for various defence exams to fulfil their dream of being a part of the armed forces, which is undoubtedly highly admired in India. This article aims to provide relevant information on the defence exams in India for aspirants to prepare conveniently for upcoming Defence exams.
Candidates willing to appear for other Government exams can go through the link for information on upcoming exams.
Eying for a future in Defense services? Complement your Defence exams preparation with the following-
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Upcoming Defence Exams
Defence exams offer prestigious, dignified and lucrative career opportunities. Most of the defence exams in India are conducted by the UPSC – Union Public Service Commission. However, there are individual organisations also that conduct their own exams to fill up various vacancies.
The information related to the following Defence exams are given in the article-
- CAPF – Central Armed Police Force
- NDA – National Defence Academy/ Naval Academy
- CDS – Combined Defense Services
- AFCAT – Air Force Common Admission Test
Lets us have a close look at various Defence exams in India-
Defence Exam Eligibility
Aspirants of various Defence exams have to fulfil the basic eligibility requirement as mentioned by the conducting body in the respective exam notification.
Every citizen of India, irrespective of class, caste, religion and community is eligible to appear for defence exams provided they meet the criteria such as physical standard, age and educational qualification.
The criteria for Defence exams eligibility are as follows-
Defence Exam Age Limit
The age limit for different Defence exams in India are different which is highlighted below-
Defence Exam Age Limit | ||
Exams | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
CAPF | 20 years | 25 years |
NDA | 16 years | 19 years |
CDS | 19 years | 22 years – INA 23 years – AFA 24 years – IMA 25 years – OTA |
AFCAT Exam | 20 years | 24 years – Flying Branch 26 years – Ground Duty |
Defence Exam Education Qualification
The minimum education qualification required to appear for the defence exam is 12th Board pass. The details for education requirements for different Defence exams is as follows-
Defence Exam Educational Qualification | |
Exams | Minimum Education Requirement |
CAPF | A Bachelor’s degree from any Government recognised University Or Deemed to be University |
NDA/NA Exam | 12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent examination |
CDS Exam | Graduation/Bachelors from a Government recognised University |
AFCAT Exam | A Graduation degree from any Government recognised University |
All the Defence exams have certain physical and medical standards that are mandatory to be fulfilled by the candidates in order to be eligible for the examination. Aspirants can go through the detailed eligibility requirements of various Defence exams on the links provided below-
- CAPF Eligibility
- NDA Eligibility
- CDS Eligibility
- AFCAT Eligibility
Defence Exam Vacancy
The Defence exam vacancies are announced by the conducting bodies along with the release of the official notification.
Candidates can go through the Defence exam vacancy for various Defence exams in India highlighted below
Defence Exam Vacancy 2020 | ||
Defence Exams | Exam 1 Vacancy | Exam 2 vacancy |
NDA/NA | NDA – 370 Naval Academy – 48 | NDA – 370 Naval Academy – 43 |
CDS | Army/Navy/Air Force – 177 Officers Training Academy – 241 | Army/Navy/Air Force – 158 Officers Training Academy – 186 |
AFCAT | 249 | 256 |
CAPF | 209 Assistant Commandants in (SSB, ITBP, CISF, BSF, CRPF) |
For detailed information on Defence Exam vacancy please refer to the notification page for respective exams.
Defence Exam Syllabus & Exam Pattern
The UPSC and Air Force, reserves the right to set and make changes in the exam pattern and syllabus of CDS, NDA, CAPF and AFCAT respectively.
The notification published by the conducting body mentions the Defence exam syllabus and exam pattern in detail.
Aspirants of various defence exam in India can go through the highlights of patterns and Defence exam syllabus given below-
Defence Exam Syllabus & Exam Pattern | ||
Defence Exams | Exam Pattern | Syllabus |
CAPF | Paper-I – Objective; 250 marks Paper-II – Subjective; 200 marks Physical Efficiency Test – on qualifying Paper I & II Personality test/Interview – 150 marks | Paper I – General Ability and Intelligence Paper-II – General Studies, Essay and Comprehension |
NDA | Written Exam ( Part I – Maths – 300 marks, Part II – GAT – 600 marks) SSB Interview – Two stages – 900 Marks | Written exam – broadly covers subjects like Maths, English, and General knowledge |
CDS | Written Exam – (INA/IMA/AFA – 300 marks & OTA – 200 marks) SSB Interview | English, General knowledge and Elementary Mathematics |
AFCAT | Written test (compulsory for all branches) – 300 marks EKT(Only for Technical) – 100 marks | Written test– General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test EKT– Mechanical, Computer Science and Electrical & Electronics |
Candidates can check the detailed Defence exam syllabus for different exams on the link provided below –
- CAPF Syllabus
- CDS Syllabus
- NDA Syllabus
- AFCAT Syllabus
Aspirants of various Defence exams in India must be willing to know the remuneration, perks and allowances admissible to candidates selected in these exams. Hence, they can refer to the links provided below to know the Defence exam salary-
Defence Exam Salary | |
CDS Salary | NDA Salary |
CAPF Salary | AFCAT Salary |
Defence Exam Result
The various exam conducting bodies announce the Defence exam result within a month’s time span after the completion of the examination. This section will highlight the information regarding Defence exam results.
- CAPF Result – Since the exam for CAPF 2020 is scheduled to be conducted on 20th December 2020, the result for the same can be expected in February 2021. Details on CAPF results are elaborated on the CAPF exam page.
- NDA Result – UPSC has announced the result of NDA 1 and NDA 2 exam 2020 on October 9th. The common exam for NDA 1 and 2 was conducted on September 6th 2020. Check the details on NDA Result in the given link.
- CDS Result – The commission will announce the Defence exam result for CDS 2 in December 2020 as the exam is scheduled to be conducted on November 8th 2020. UPSC has announced the CDS 1 result on March 23rd, the exam for which was conducted on February 2nd 2020. Go through the detailed information on CDS Result in the linked article.
- AFCAT Result – The Indian Air Force announced the result of AFCAT 1 on March 17th 2020. The exam was conducted on February 22nd and 23rd. However, the result for AFCAT 2 released on October 21st 2020. Check further details on the AFCAT result page linked here.
Defence Exam Preparation
Aspirants of various Defence Exams in India must follow a strategic approach for defence exam preparation. They can follow the below-given tips for preparation of Defence exam-
- Set a schedule for your Defence exam preparation and make sure you stick to it.
- Socialize with people who are preparing for the same or have already qualified for the exam. Utilise this time to discuss preparation and clarifying doubts.
- While studying for the Defence exam, make notes as you go through the study material. These are short and effective and help for last-minute revision.
- Listen to the short news and do not waste time listening to unnecessary news based on discussion unless the topic demands it.
- Speed up your learning by following some memory techniques.
- Give tests and practice writing answers frequently.
- Practice mock papers, identify your mistakes and the area where you lack knowledge. This is an essential part of regular preparations for successful candidates. Also, it helps to increase your speed to solve the exam on time.
Candidates can go through preparation strategies for competitive exams to do diligent preparation for the examination.
Aspirants can also details related to Government exams after 12th in the given link.
Candidates who aspire to appear for various government exams can check the links below for relevant details-
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