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How to Crack CDS Exam in First Attempt?

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 25th, 2023

We are providing you with tips on “How to Crack CDS Exam in First Attempt?” in this article. The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination offers an excellent opportunity for graduates to serve our country. So, for all the aspirants preparing for this exam, here are some important tips to crack the CDS exam in first attempt. The exam is going to be conducted on 16 April 2023 across the country and candidates are studying hard to face the competition.

The students who are preparing for the exam for the first time need to know some basic details about the exam first. Check out the tips to crack the CDS exam in first attempt below along with other important information about the paper.

How to Crack CDS in First Attempt?

We will now talk about the prime topic of our discussion, i.e., the best strategy to crack the CDS exam in first attempt. Here are some of the tips and tricks to achieve that:

  1. First of all, take one or two unsolved CDS Previous Year Papers, each of English, General Awareness and Elementary Mathematics and solve them within the stipulated time limit.
  2. Solving an entire paper may sound a bit ambitious but correctly solving the entire paper is not the objective of this activity. This activity will help you to identify your strong and weak areas. You will have an idea of which sections you are comfortable in and which sections need effort to improve further. Besides, this will also help you get acquainted with the CDS Exam Pattern.
  3. After identifying your weak areas, follow any good study material (from books for the CDS exam or online material) to brush up on those topics. It is advisable to not cramp yourself with a humongous volume of CDS Study Material from multiple sources as you will end up studying nothing. Please remember, in competitive exams, the quality of study should take preference over the quantity of study.
  4. Solve the question papers of at least the last 8-10 years, of all three sections extensively while keeping keynotes on questions/topics of importance. The questions in the examination may or may not repeat over the years but the basic framework of the paper remains the same. So, solving previous years will give an insight into what type of questions you may expect in the CDS 1 examination 2023.
  5. Follow online sources for CDS Mock Tests and current affairs capsules. They help you to skip extensive study for the General Awareness part and impart consolidated knowledge which will otherwise require time and effort. Mock tests will help you assess your preparation level. Please solve as many problems as possible, in form of mock tests, previous year papers etc., because this holds the key to success.
  6. Time Management is of extreme importance. You will have to solve 100-120 questions in 120 minutes.
    Besides, marking bubbles in the answer sheet and signing attendance in the examination hall will roughly take a minimum of 15-20 minutes. So, effectively you have about 100 minutes, and hence, 50 seconds per question to read, comprehend and solve the problem. Manage your time accordingly and do not waste too much of your time on any particular question.
    So, maintaining an excellent flow in solving problems is of utmost importance.
  7. In the first go, read and comprehend the type of the problem (i.e. easy, medium or hard) and solve the problem if you find it to be easy. If you feel the problem will take time then skip that question and continue with forthcoming problems. Solving easy problems first helps you gain confidence and also assists you in maintaining the necessary pace and concentration to attempt the harder problems. After the thorough first attempt, go for the questions you found moderate or tough in the first go.
  8. Go through Strategy to Crack CDS SSB Interview.

Preparing the syllabus efficiently, practicing an ample amount of questions and mock tests and following the above-mentioned tips will definitely help you crack the CDS exam in the very first attempt.

Preparation Tips to Crack CDS Exam in First Attempt

The examination is conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) twice a year with titles CDS 1 and CDS 2 for recruiting officers in Indian Armed Forces (i.e. IMA, INA, OTA and IAFA). For beginners, the basic and most important tip to crack the CDS Exam in first attempt, or for that matter any examination, is to have a basic understanding of the exam like eligibility criteria, CDS Syllabus, paper pattern, cutoff etc. One should be well aware of these exam details for efficient preparation and to crack the CDS 2023 exam in the first attempt.

CDS Exam in First Attempt – Syllabus

To crack CDS exam in first attempt, one needs to be well-versed in the exam syllabus. The official notification mentions the standard of Elementary Mathematics to be of matriculation level while the standard of the other two papers will be of graduation level of an Indian university.

  1. English:
    Basics of Grammar so as to be able to use workmanlike words is a prerequisite.
  2. General Knowledge:
    Current events and knowledge of any such matters of everyday observation. Basics of History of India, Geography.
  3. Elementary Mathematics- –
  • Number System
  • Algebra
  • Trigonometry
  • Geometry
  • Mensuration
  • Statistics

Candidates can also check the exam pattern and detailed syllabus of the CDS exam shared by us earlier to know the exact pattern and topic-wise expected number of questions from different sections for better preparation for this exam.

CDS Exam in First Attempt – Cut Off

UPSC notification does not mention anything about the paper-wise individual cutoff. Though a general trend to assume 20% of the maximum marks as the individual cut off is prevalent. But to clear any examination in such times of ruthless competition, just clearing the cutoff won’t take you anywhere. So a serious candidate should not be bothered about this part.
However, you may go through the previous year’s CDS Cut Off to get an idea of the minimum safe attempts for this exam.

Hope you find this information about how to crack CDS exam in the first attempt useful for the upcoming exam preparation.

Thanks

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