CDS Interview 2020

CDS Interview 2020

ByNaveen Singh  |  Updated on: Oct 22, 2020
CDS exam is a National Level Entrance exam conducted twice a year, first in the Month of February and second in the month of November. Get to know about the UPSC CDS 1 & 2 exam details here.

Candidates who are qualified in the written examination shall be called for CDS Interview 2020. Only after the candidate registration, the allotment of the interview centres and CDS Interview 2020 date will be released. Interview procedure for CDS will be conducted for 5 days. Service Selection Board administers this Interview to select the aspirants for Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Officers Training Academy and Indian Air Force Academy in Combined Defence Services. The CDS Interview 2020 consists of two different tests.

CDS Interview Process

The selection method will be based on Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) and Picture Perception Description Test (PP and DT). The applicant's representation in both these tests together will be concurrently examined to see if they are a correct fit for the further rounds of Interview. ]The candidates who get qualified in the Service Selection Board round are prompted to the final merit list of the CDS and will be appointed for the vacancies as per their ranks.

The CDS Interview 2020 will be conducted for 5 long days. Below are the specifications

CDS Interview Day 1 - Screening Test

  • Reporting - Once the candidate arrives at the SSB centre, they have to fill the form and show necessary documents.

  • Screening - On day one, all the candidates shall be screened based on the non-verbal test, verbal test and PPDT (Picture Perception and Description Test). Candidate has to clear this round to move forward.

CDS Interview Day 2 - Psychology Test

  • Thematic Apperception Test - This TAT test is related to the Picture Perception and Description Test. The examinees will be displayed with 11 images, and the 12th image will be blank. Every image will be displayed for 30 seconds, and the candidates have to write the story based on the images.

  • Word Association Test - In this test officials will display 15 different words which are used in our daily life. The examinees have to write a paragraph or story based on those words.

  • Situation Reaction Test - For this test, the candidate will be given with a booklet which comprises 60 different situations. The candidate has to answer those questions within 30 minutes.

  • Self Description Test - SD test shall have 5 questions which would be related to your family, friends, teachers and perception about yourself. This will be conducted for 15 minutes.

CDS Interview Day 3 and Day 4 - Group Test by GTO

  • Group Discussion - In this test, the entire group will be given a topic by the group testing officer to discuss. The authorities will monitor every candidate of the group in this discussion.

    • Group Planning Exercise - One candidate will be given a map for which he/ she has to solve a problem. After providing the solution, it has to be discussed with the group, and they have to provide a solution mutually.
    • Progressive Group Task - This test will be conducted in four different stages, it has to be crossed along with the group members using materials such as wood log, rope, etc.

  • Group Obstacle Race/ Snake Race - This test will have two different groups, and they have to contend with each other.

    • Half Group Task - This task is related to the PGT (progressive group task), whereas, one particular group will be split into two halves, and respective tasks will be given.
    • Individual Lecturette/ Individual Obstacle Task - This task is an individual task, which will have 4 topics, and the candidate has to explain any 1 topic from it in 3 minutes. They will also have individual tasks to be done in this test.
  • Personal Interview - The interviewing officer will conduct a personal interview individually.

  • Final Group Task - This is similar to the PGT test, in which the candidate has to show his potential along with the group.

CDS Interview Day 5 - Final Assessment and Conference

  • A group of officers shall conduct the final test individually. The main aim of this stage is to examine the confidence and attitude of the applicant with regards to common problems in life.
  • After conducting this round, the panel will declare the results within an hour.
  • The candidates who are shortlisted will undergo a medical examination which would be conducted by a special medical board.

CDS Interview Preparation Tips 2020

The candidate who clears the written exam of CDS, the next level is to qualify the Interview Round. Below are a few useful and effective CDS Interview Preparation Tips 2020 that will help you prepare for the CDS Interview 2020 well.

  • Be prepared with questions concerning your family background, hobbies, likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Interviewers are more than likely to question you in and around these points somewhere at the beginning of the Interview.
  • Prepare smart answers that point toward your willingness and passion for serving in the defence forces.
  • Essentially, you must know the complete procedure and process of the Interview.
  • Attend mock interviews or read about the commonly asked questions in CDS interviews and the winning responses of qualifying candidates. Prepare your answer accordingly.
  • Practice staying calm even if you don't know the answer to a question.
  • You may be questioned about your career goals, achievements, customary instructive questions which could be based on creativity, leadership skills, communications, positive attitude, etc. Practising answering different genres of Interview questions, so that you don't feel lost at the time of Interview
  • Make sure to have adequate knowledge about Indian Armed, Indian Politics, Current affairs and History of India. This knowledge shall give you an edge over others.
  • Practice answering situational questions with reference to your life events. This adds uniqueness to your personality in the minds of the interviewers.
  • It is very necessary to stay fit and healthy as it is compulsory to go through a physical test at the time of SSB Interview process.
  • Communication skill matters the most, and you have to improve them in order to perform well in the group discussion and personal interview rounds.

General Information Regarding CDS Interview 2020

  • The aspirants will be notified about the time, date and venue information of the Interview by a call letter.
  • The date and venue details of the Interview will not be altered by any chance. However, under unexpected conditions, the supplementary method of the Interview could be handled by the applicants.
  • The candidates must download the call letter before coming to the CDS Interview 2020.
  • Based on the entire open vacancies, the cut off marks will be chosen and after which the candidates will be shortlisted for the Interview round.
  • Your posture means a lot in the Interview. Hence maintain your posture, and do not swing your hands and legs carelessly.
  • Candidates who have applied under any reservation categories must carry the requisite documents to the Interview round that prove their candidature under the same.
  • It is really necessary to look sharp, formally dressed, smart and optimistic. Ensure your attitude indicates positivity. Make sure that you stay calm and attentive throughout the process.

Some Common CDS Interview Questions 2020

Gradeup's competitive exam experts have compiled a set of popular Interview questions to help candidates prepare for the CDS Interview 2020. They are as follows.

  • Tell us about your educational qualification.
  • If you are made DC of your area, which steps will you take for the overall development of your area?
  • Why do you want to be an officer if you are presently serving as a soldier?
  • Which is the smallest continent in the world?
  • What are you currently doing in order to prepare for the officer's training?
  • Where are the headquarters of the Union Public Service Commission located?
  • What have you accomplished that show your initiative and willingness to work hard?
  • Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgement and logic in solving a problem.
  • Which state in India is the largest producer of lignite coal?
  • Which is the longest national highway in India?

CDS Interview FAQs

  •  No, there is no fee payment associated with Interview. You have to make the application fee at the time of registration, and that is all.

  • There is no fixed syllabus for the Interview round. Interviewers can ask questions from anywhere.

  • Yes, after your written exam results are out, and you are shortlisted for the Interview round, you can register yourself on the official portal and choose your preferred centres.

  • The Interview will be conducted in English, and the whole training procedure will also be in English.

  • You will receive an Interview call letter for the Interview. You can download this on the website. In the Interview call letter, you find all the details of the Interview such as Interview time and venue.

CDS & Defence

NDACDSAFCATCAPFCRPF and BSFOthers