What is Common CDS, AFCAT, CAPF?

CDS vs CAPF

Before comparing them, you should be aware that both are conducted for the central security forces. However, the medium and rank of both examinations differ.

CDS

Conducting body: Union public service commission (UPSC)
The maximum degree to apply: Candidates who have passed graduation or are in their final year
Age: Minimum 21 years, maximum 25 years
Frequency of conducting exam: twice a year
Age Relaxation: Is not given
The appointment/post: Lieutenant position in the army
Promotion: Lieutenant to lieutenant colonel
Pension: Is given
Selection Process: Written test, SSB interview, medical fitness, merit list
Probability to pass the written examination: Very high (about 7000 to 8000 aspirants)
Probability to pass the interview: Very rarely by SSB interview
Education Qualification: Applications can be filled even while in the final year of graduation.

CAPF

Conducting body: Union public service commission (UPSC)
The maximum degree to apply: Candidates who have passed graduation or are in their final year
Age: Minimum 21 years, maximum 25 years
Frequency of conducting exam: Once a year
Age Relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST & 3 years for OBC
The appointment/post: Assistant Commandant in BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, RSSB
Promotion: DIG or IG from Assistant Commandant
Pension: Is not given
Selection Process: Written Examination (Objective & Descriptive), Physical Fitness, Interview
Probability to pass the written examination: Very rarely (about 2000 to 2500 aspirants)
Probability to pass the interview: More via personal interview
Education Qualification: The application can be filled even after passing the graduation.

Now, we will compare the examination process of CDS & CAPF which includes written examination process for both CDS & CAPF, CAPF Personal Interview and SSB Interview for CDS,

Written Examination for CAPF

Candidates must answer multiple-choice questions on the first question paper as well as descriptive type answers on the second question paper in this exam.
Question paper one has a total of 200 questions, having a total of 250 marks and a time limit of 2 hours for this question paper.
In question paper one, questions about general awareness and intelligence are asked.
In Question Paper 2, candidates are asked a total of six descriptive type questions.
The total number of marks for question paper two is 200, and the time allotted is three hours.
In Question Paper 2, you will be asked questions about English Language, Comprehension, Essay, and General Studies.

Written Examination for CDS

Only objective type questions are asked of applicants in the CDS written examination.
In addition to the INA, IMA, and IFA exams, there are also OTA exams in this exam.
The INA, IMA, and AF cover English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics courses.
The OTA exam includes questions about English and general knowledge.
The INA, IMA, and IAF question papers are total of 6 hours in duration, with each question paper carrying 100-100 marks.
The examination includes two question papers. in both papers, with a total time limit of 4 hours and 100-100 marks for each question paper.

CAPF Personal Interview

It is not held for 5 to 6 days, as the SSB interview in the CDS exam is.
Personal and other physical questions were posed to the candidates during the CAPF interview.
CAPF Personal Interview consisting of 150 marks (only those candidates who qualified written exam can give CAPF personal interview).

CDS SSB interview

It lasted five days at the SSB Centre.
During this interview, the candidates engaged in a variety of physical and mental activities on a daily basis.
Candidates were also given personal interviews during the SSB interview.

Rank to achieve in both CDS & CAPF

In CAPF

Candidates who pass the CAPF examination are appointed as Assistant Commandants in the CISF, BSF, SSB, ITBP, and CRPF.
An Assistant Commandant is promoted to the rank of DIG or IG.

In CDS

Candidates who pass the CDS examination are promoted to the rank of Officer (Lieutenant) in the Army, Air Force, or Navy.
After promotion, a lieutenant officer was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, as were the majority of the brigadiers.

Physical Standards for CDS & CAPF

In CAPF

Female candidates must be 157 cm tall and male candidates must be 165 cm tall to join the CAPF.
A candidate must be at least 21 years old to apply for a post in the CAPF.

In CDS

To join CDS, a female candidate's height should be 152.5 cm, and a male candidate's height should be 157.5 centimetres.
Candidates for CDS positions must be at least 21 years old.

CDS & CAPF Physical Fitness Exam

In CDS

Candidates in the CDS examination are not subjected to any kind of physical fitness test. During the SSB interview, all physical fitness tests were conducted between 5 & 6 days.

In CAPF

Candidates in the CAPF examination were given a written test in the form of a physical fitness test such as a race shot put, long jump, and so on.

Now, we will compare AFCAT vs CDS

AFCAT vs CDS

Both the AFCAT and the CDS exams differ significantly from one another, and the following are the key differences between the two:

AFCAT

Conducting Body: The AFCAT is conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) twice a year.
Type of Force: As the name implies, the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) is a test used to select young boys and girls for the Air Force only.
Eligibility Criteria (For AFCAT, you must be a graduate (BA, B. Com, B. Tech, etc.) with additional qualifications based on the type of service you wish to join. For AFCAT exam, there is even a difference in age.): For the AFCAT, the age depends on the course one wants to join.
- Age limit is: Flying (19 to 23 years), Technical (18 to 28 years)
- Ground Duties: Graduate (20 to 23 years), PG (20 to 25 years), LLB (20 to 26 years), MEd/Ph.D./CA/ICWA (20 to 27 years)
Courses Offered: AFCAT makes the boys and girls join the Indian Air Force in Flying, Technical or Ground Duty course.
The pattern of Examination: The AFCAT exam consists of a single paper that includes English, GA, Mathematics, and reasoning, for a total of 100 questions to be completed in 2 hours.
- English: There is less variety, antonym-synonym is difficult, and passage is simple.
- General Awareness: Consists primarily of Current Affairs, and the level is more comfortable than CDSE.
- Mathematics: Simple questions from the 10th class level in mathematics.
Time of notification & Exam:
- The AFCAT1 notification comes in the first week of December and is valid for one month.
- The notification for the AFCAT2 comes in the first week of June, and applications are accepted for a month.
- The AFCAT1 is held in the last week of February, and the AFCAT2 is held in the last week of August. May is the month for applications, and applications are accepted for a month
Time of result announcement: Generally, AFCAT results are announced within a month of the exam's completion, i.e. for the AFCAT1 by the end of March and for the AFCAT2 by the end of September, after which qualified Aspirants are invited to SSBs.

CDS

Conducting Body: The CDSE is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year.
Type of Force: The CDSE, or Combined Defence Service Examination, is an examination used to select Aspirants for all three wings, namely the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Eligibility Criteria (For AFCAT, you must be a graduate (BA, B. Com, B. Tech, etc.) with additional qualifications based on the type of service you wish to join. For AFCAT exam, there is even a difference in age.): For the CDSE, the age limit differs for the different forces:
- Indian Army: 19 to 24 years
- Indian Air force: 19 to 23 years
- Indian Navy: 19 to 22 years
Courses Offered: CDSE makes way for the young boys to join the Indian Air Force for the Flying course only, girls can enter only the OTA, i.e. SSC for Non-Technical course of Army and no other wing of the Defence through the CDSE.
The pattern of Examination: The CDSE exam consists of three papers: English, General Ability, and Mathematics (optional for the OTA Aspirants). Each paper has 120 questions and a time limit of 2 hours.
- English: The variety of questions is greater, and the level is acceptable and simpler.
- General Awareness: A mixed bag of questions, the level is quite difficult, and a solid understanding of the fundamentals is required.
- Mathematics: A range of questions from the 10th level, which is slightly higher than the AFCAT level.
Time of notification & Exam:
- The notification for CDSE1 usually comes in early November, and the application process takes about a month.
- The CDSE2 notification arrives in the last week of May, and applications are accepted for one month.
- The CDSE1 is held at the beginning of February, and the CDSE2 is held at the beginning of September.
Time of result announcement: The written CDSE1 results are announced in June, and the CDSE2 results are announced in January, followed by SSB for qualified Aspirants.

We have provided you with all the basic comparison categories between AFCAT, CAPF, and CDS. It is recommended that you work hard for AFCAT, CAPF, and CDS. However, in general, the standard of questions differs in these three exams. When compared to the AFCAT, the CDSE has more difficult questions, similarly, when compared to CDS, CAPF has more difficult questions.