Defence Exams Syllabus 2026: NDA, CDS, AFCAT & Agniveer

Defence Exams Syllabus and Exam Scheme 2026 — Original Acadvik Guide

Defence recruitment in India includes officer-entry examinations, air-force selection, service-specific Agniveer recruitment and uniformed central armed police force recruitment. These routes have different eligibility rules, written papers, physical standards and selection procedures. This guide gives candidates a structured overview while keeping each route separate.

Important distinction: NDA, CDS and AFCAT are officer-entry routes; Agniveer recruitment is service-specific enlisted intake; CAPF Assistant Commandant is a separate UPSC examination. Do not use one exam’s syllabus or physical standards for another. Always follow the current official advertisement.

1. Major defence examination routes

Exam / entry	Target	Typical stages	Key syllabus focus
UPSC NDA & NA	Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA; Naval Academy entry subject to eligibility	Written exam → SSB interview → medical and final merit	Mathematics and General Ability Test (English + General Knowledge).
UPSC CDS	IMA, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers Training Academy (course/eligibility dependent)	Written exam → SSB interview → medical and final merit	English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics; OTA has no Mathematics paper.
Indian Air Force AFCAT	Flying and Ground Duty branches, subject to the notification	AFCAT written test; Engineering Knowledge Test for applicable technical candidates → AFSB → medical	English, General Awareness, Numerical Ability, Reasoning and Military Aptitude; technical entry requirements differ.
Agniveer Army	Army category/trade advertised in the intake	Online Common Entrance Examination → recruitment rally/physical and medical stages as notified	Subject combination depends on General Duty, Technical, Clerk/Store Keeper or Tradesman category.
Agniveer Navy	SSR/MR and other categories if notified	Stage I computer-based test → later shortlisting, physical fitness, written/medical stages as per intake	SSR generally has Science, Mathematics, English and General Awareness; MR has a narrower subject combination.
Agniveervayu	Indian Air Force Agniveervayu intake	Online test → physical fitness/adaptability and medical stages as specified	Science and/or non-science subject group determines the test combination.
UPSC CAPF (Assistant Commandant)	Officer-level recruitment in CAPFs, not the same as armed forces officer entry	Paper I → Paper II → Physical Standards/Physical Efficiency Tests → Interview/Personality Test → medical/final selection	General Ability and Intelligence, Essay/Comprehension/Language skills.

2. Exam scheme and marking overview

NDA & Naval Academy

Paper	Duration	Maximum marks	Focus
Mathematics	2 hours 30 minutes	300	School-level mathematics through algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus basics, statistics and probability.
General Ability Test (GAT)	2 hours 30 minutes	600	English (200 marks) and General Knowledge (400 marks).
SSB interview	Multi-day process	900	Officer-like qualities, psychological tests, group tasks and interview.

Written papers are objective. UPSC applies negative marking to wrong answers; the exact penalty and rules are in the current NDA notification. Candidates must meet the prescribed educational subjects and age/medical requirements for the wing they choose.

CDS

Academy	Written papers	Written total	Interview total
IMA / Indian Naval Academy / Air Force Academy	English (100), General Knowledge (100), Elementary Mathematics (100); 2 hours each	300	300
Officers Training Academy	English (100), General Knowledge (100); 2 hours each	200	200

CDS written papers are objective. Mathematics is not part of the OTA written exam. Negative marking applies as specified in the current UPSC notice. Air Force Academy and other entries may have additional educational, age, flying aptitude or medical requirements.

AFCAT

AFCAT commonly uses an online objective test with 100 questions for 300 marks in two hours, testing English, General Awareness, Numerical Ability, Reasoning and Military Aptitude. A penalty of one mark for a wrong answer has been used in the AFCAT pattern; confirm the current notification. Candidates for technical branches may also need the Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT) if the current advertisement prescribes it. AFSB and medical stages follow for shortlisted candidates.

Agniveer and CAPF

Agniveer exam patterns are service- and category-specific; online test subjects, marks, language options and physical tests can change between intakes. CAPF Assistant Commandant has its own Paper I/Paper II, physical tests and interview scheme. Use the current service recruitment notice rather than importing NDA/CDS rules.

3. Mathematics and Numerical Ability

NDA Mathematics

Algebra: sets, relations and functions, real numbers, complex numbers, binary operations, quadratic equations, sequences/series, permutations and combinations, binomial theorem and logarithms.
Matrices and determinants: operations, inverse, determinant properties and systems of linear equations.
Trigonometry: ratios, identities, multiple/submultiple angles, inverse trigonometric functions and applications.
Analytical geometry: two- and three-dimensional coordinates, straight lines, circles, conic sections, distance and direction concepts.
Differential calculus: functions, limits, continuity, derivatives and applications such as increasing/decreasing functions and maxima/minima.
Integral calculus and differential equations: basic integration, definite integrals, area applications and elementary differential equations.
Vector algebra: vectors in two/three dimensions, magnitude, direction and products.
Statistics and probability: data representation, central tendency, dispersion, correlation basics, random experiments, events and probability.

CDS Elementary Mathematics

Arithmetic: number system, divisibility, integers, fractions, percentages, ratio/proportion, time/distance, time/work, profit/loss and interest.
Algebra: basic identities, factorisation, linear/quadratic equations and simultaneous equations.
Geometry: lines, angles, triangles, congruence, similarity, circles, quadrilaterals and polygons.
Mensuration: area and volume of common plane figures and solids.
Trigonometry: standard ratios, identities and simple heights/distances.
Statistics: tables, graphs, measures of central tendency and basic dispersion.

AFCAT / Agniveer numerical ability

Prepare number systems, simplification, decimals/fractions, percentage, ratio, average, profit/loss, interest, time/work, speed/distance, mensuration and data interpretation at the level required by the particular intake. Do not use NDA-level calculus for an exam that does not prescribe it.

4. English Language

Grammar: parts of speech, tenses, subject–verb agreement, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, modifiers and sentence structure.
Vocabulary: synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases, one-word substitutions, spelling and contextual usage.
Comprehension: main idea, inference, tone, factual detail and vocabulary in context.
Sentence correction, error detection, fill-in-the-blanks, cloze tests and sentence ordering.
For CDS and NDA GAT, practise the prescribed level of grammar, vocabulary and passage comprehension. For CAPF Paper II, prepare essay, précis, comprehension and language skills as set out in the notification.

5. General Knowledge / General Ability

Physics: motion, force, energy, heat, sound, light, electricity, magnetism and everyday applications.
Chemistry: matter, elements, compounds, chemical reactions, acids/bases/salts, metals/non-metals and common materials.
Biology: cells, human physiology, nutrition, diseases, plants, ecology and environment.
History: ancient and medieval foundations, modern India, freedom struggle, national movement and major world events at the prescribed level.
Geography: earth structure, climate, rivers, oceans, resources, agriculture, population and Indian/world geography.
Polity and economy: Constitution, institutions, governance, basic economics, budget, inflation and national development.
Current affairs: national/international events, defence exercises, appointments, awards, sports, science/technology, environment and major government programmes.
Defence awareness: roles of the armed services, commands and ranks at a basic level, important exercises and equipment, national security developments and service ethos. Verify factual updates from reliable official sources.

6. AFCAT technical entries and specialised preparation

Technical branch eligibility and knowledge requirements depend on the educational degree and branch. Prepare the official engineering disciplines and topics stated in the current notification; do not assume one EKT syllabus applies to every technical entry. Relevant foundations may include electrical/electronics, mechanical, computer science, communication, engineering mathematics and core engineering subjects only where prescribed.

7. Agniveer recruitment: service-specific syllabus

Army General Duty: commonly General Knowledge, General Science, Mathematics and reasoning/intelligence at the level and question distribution stated in the intake notice.
Army Technical: science and mathematics-focused syllabus based on the notified educational stream, alongside any required general awareness.
Clerk/Store Keeper Technical: English, Mathematics/Accounts, Computer Knowledge and General Awareness as specified in the intake notification.
Tradesman: subject combination and educational level depend on the category and notice.
Navy SSR: generally Science, Mathematics, English and General Awareness; MR typically uses Science/Mathematics and General Awareness at the prescribed level. Check the current recruitment advertisement.
Air Force Agniveervayu: candidates in the Science group prepare Mathematics, Physics and English; other-subject groups use the prescribed English, Reasoning and General Awareness combination. Check the exact intake rules.

All service intakes may include physical fitness/adaptability and medical stages. Standards, test order and qualifying rules are not interchangeable between services.

8. SSB / AFSB, physical fitness and medical

Stage I screening: for entries using SSB/AFSB, prepare for officer aptitude/intelligence screening and picture perception/group discussion where prescribed.
Psychological assessment: story writing, word association, situation responses and self-description may form part of the assessment process. Practise honest, consistent responses rather than memorised scripts.
Group testing: communication, teamwork, planning, practical reasoning and constructive participation.
Interview: personal background, motivation, academics, awareness, responsibility and decision-making.
Fitness: develop running, strength, mobility and endurance gradually, guided by the applicable service standards.
Medical: visual acuity, hearing, general health, anthropometry and other service-specific standards can be strict. Review the official medical criteria before committing to a route.

9. Ten-week preparation plan

Weeks	Focus	Checkpoint
1–2	Read the target notification, take a diagnostic test, begin Mathematics and English basics.	Know the exact papers and eligibility.
3–4	Complete core maths/aptitude and build GK notes; start timed question sets.	Topic tracker and error log.
5–6	Previous-year papers, science/history/geography and current affairs; technical topics if applicable.	Sectional accuracy improving.
7–8	Full mock tests under exam timings; revise weak topics; begin descriptive practice if needed.	Track score, accuracy and time.
9–10	Mock analysis, revision sheets, SSB/AFSB preparation and safe physical training.	Final syllabus and document checklist.

10. Official sources and Acadvik resources

UPSC official website — NDA, CDS and CAPF notifications and syllabus.
Indian Air Force AFCAT portal — AFCAT notification and instructions.
Join Indian Army — Agniveer and other Army entries.
Join Indian Navy — Navy recruitment and intake details.
Agniveervayu portal — Air Force Agniveer intake.
Acadvik Exam Preparation Hub · Practice Centers · Previous Year Papers · Current Affairs

FAQs

Is NDA the same as CDS?

No. NDA is primarily an entry after school for the NDA/NA training pathway; CDS is a graduate-entry examination for specified academies. Their papers and eligibility differ.

Is Agniveer recruitment an officer-entry examination?

No. Agniveer recruitment is a separate service-specific enlisted intake. Follow the relevant Army, Navy or Air Force notice.

Does every defence exam include the same physical test?

No. Physical and medical standards vary by service, branch, role and intake. Verify the exact official requirements.

Final note: this is an original overview across several defence-related routes. Exact subject combinations, question counts, marks, negative marking, age limits and selection stages must be confirmed from the current official notification.