Combined Defence Service (CDS) is an entrance exam held by UPSC for the selection of the candidates of all the wings of Indian Defence Services. It includes Indian Naval Academy (INA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), Navy, Air Force Academy, and Officers Training Academy (OTA).
The CDS Exam is held twice in the year i.e. CDS I & CDS II. Candidates who crack the written exam are selected for the fields as preferred by them.
With the given CDS Syllabus there are few things applicants need to focus before starting the preparation of Combined Defence Service Exam. Here are some useful tips which everyone should follow to get a decent score while preparing.

Know the Syllabus

You must know the complete list of topics to be covered for the CDS exam. Check the official website for the comprehensive syllabus of the subjects. The written exam for IMA, INA & Airforce comprises three subjects i.e. Mathematics, English & General Knowledge & for OTA there are only two subjects English & GK.

Know the Pattern of CDS Exam

Candidate should prepare for the exam depending on the pattern of the marks per topics. For IMA, INA & Airforce maximum marks allotted is 300, 100 marks each subject. While, for OTA, the written exam contains max 200 marks.
The time allowed for the exam is 2 hours.

Stay Updated

Many aspirants don’t get adequate time to prepare due to their studies or other work commitments. To prepare well, build up the habit of reading newspaper on a daily basis to improve your general knowledge & also reading English newspaper help s you in growing vocabulary.

Plan Well

Your CDS or any other exam preparation depends on how you plan your studies. You need to set a routine, which topic you want to cover at a particular time. After knowing the detailed syllabus it is important to follow the plan consistently to crack the exam.

Best Books for CDS Exam 2020

English - Pathfinder CDS Mathematics - R.S Aggarwal, N.K. Singh and NCERT (class 6th-12th) Geography & History - NCERT (class 6th-12th), Oxford School Atlas (geography) Science: - NCERT (7th-10th), few topics from 11th & 12th Indian Polity - By M. Laxmikanth. General Awareness - By Manohar Panday (Arihant Publisher) Current Affairs - Mammen Mathew Note - Daily read online news articles and newspapers for latest updates.