UPSC CDS 2026 Syllabus

From the official Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) documents · last checked 3 October 2026

Written Exam

English

  • Your understanding of English
  • Practical, correct use of words (described officially as 'workmanlike use of words')

General Knowledge

  • Current events
  • Science in everyday life: things you observe and experience daily, at the level of an educated person who has not studied science specially
  • History of India (at a level you can answer without special study)
  • Geography (at a level you can answer without special study)

Elementary Mathematics - Arithmetic

  • Number system: natural numbers, integers, rational and real numbers
  • Basic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division; square roots; decimal fractions
  • Unitary method, time and distance, time and work
  • Percentages, simple and compound interest, profit and loss
  • Ratio and proportion, variation

Elementary Mathematics - Elementary Number Theory

  • Division algorithm; prime and composite numbers
  • Divisibility tests for 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11
  • Multiples and factors; factorisation theorem
  • HCF and LCM; Euclidean algorithm
  • Logarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms, use of log tables

Elementary Mathematics - Algebra

  • Basic operations, simple factors, Remainder Theorem, HCF and LCM
  • Theory of polynomials
  • Quadratic equations and the link between roots and coefficients (real roots only)
  • Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns (by calculation and by graph)
  • Simultaneous linear inequations in two variables
  • Word problems leading to two linear equations/inequations or a quadratic equation in one variable
  • Set language and set notation
  • Rational expressions and conditional identities; laws of indices

Elementary Mathematics - Trigonometry

  • Sine, cosine and tangent of an angle x where 0 deg < x < 90 deg
  • Values of sin x, cos x and tan x for x = 0, 30, 45, 60 and 90 degrees
  • Simple trigonometric identities; use of trigonometric tables
  • Simple heights and distances

Elementary Mathematics - Geometry

  • Lines and angles; plane and plane figures
  • Theorems on angles at a point and on parallel lines
  • Sides and angles of a triangle; congruent triangles; similar triangles
  • Concurrence of medians and altitudes
  • Angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle and square
  • Circles and their properties, including tangents and normals
  • Loci

Elementary Mathematics - Mensuration

  • Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangles and circles
  • Areas of figures that can be split into these shapes (field book)
  • Surface area and volume of cuboids
  • Lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders
  • Surface area and volume of spheres

Elementary Mathematics - Statistics

  • Collecting and tabulating data
  • Graphs: frequency polygons, histograms, bar charts, pie charts and similar
  • Measures of central tendency

SSB Interview

Stage I

  • Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests
  • Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT)
  • Shortlisting is based on combined performance in both

Stage II (over 4 days)

  • Interview
  • Group Testing Officer tasks
  • Psychology tests
  • Conference
  • The tests look for Officer Like Qualities and whether the candidate can be trained

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