CDS Syllabus 2027: English, GK and Maths Topic-wise
The CDS syllabus covers three written papers: English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. The papers are set at graduation level for English and GK and at matriculation level for Mathematics, and they stay broadly the same from one cycle to the next. That makes syllabus preparation a long-term job, not something to start only after the notification.
One point worth knowing before you build a study plan: UPSC publishes a detailed topic list only for Elementary Mathematics. For English and General Knowledge it gives a short description, so the topic lists you see elsewhere are interpretations drawn from past papers. This page follows the same approach and says clearly which parts are official and which are practical guidance.
Table of Contents
CDS Exam Pattern in Brief
What Is Official and What Is Interpretation
CDS English Syllabus
CDS General Knowledge Syllabus
CDS Elementary Mathematics Syllabus
Syllabus for OTA Candidates
SSB Interview: Is There a Syllabus?
Where to Spend Your Time
Common Mistakes While Covering the Syllabus
How to Cover the Syllabus Step by Step
CDS Exam Pattern in Brief
Knowing the pattern first helps you judge how deeply each topic needs to be studied.
Paper | Questions | Marks | Duration | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
English | 120 | 100 | 2 hours | IMA, INA, AFA, OTA |
General Knowledge | 120 | 100 | 2 hours | IMA, INA, AFA, OTA |
Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 100 | 2 hours | IMA, INA, AFA only |
All questions are objective type and the exam is held offline. A wrong answer costs one-third of the marks of that question, so topics you only half know can cost you marks instead of earning them.
What Is Official and What Is Interpretation
Many candidates lose time because different websites list different topics. The table below shows how to read them.
Paper | What UPSC publishes | What this means for you |
|---|---|---|
English | A short description of the paper | Topics are inferred from past papers, so practise all the question types seen in recent years |
General Knowledge | A broad description covering current events and everyday science | Scope is wide, so prioritise by how often areas are asked |
Elementary Mathematics | A detailed topic list | Follow it closely; every topic is fair game |
Always confirm the final wording in the latest notification on the UPSC website, since UPSC can revise it.
CDS English Syllabus
The English paper checks your command of grammar, vocabulary and comprehension rather than literature. With 120 questions in two hours, speed matters as much as knowledge.
Topic area | What is usually asked | How to start |
|---|---|---|
Reading comprehension | Passages followed by questions on meaning, inference and tone | Read one editorial daily and summarise it in two lines |
Error spotting | Finding the part of a sentence that has a grammatical mistake | Revise subject-verb agreement, tenses, articles and prepositions |
Sentence improvement | Choosing the best replacement for an underlined part | Practise alongside error spotting, since the rules overlap |
Fill in the blanks | Choosing the word that fits grammar and meaning | Learn common word pairs and confusing words |
Synonyms and antonyms | Words with similar or opposite meanings | Keep a running word list with example sentences |
Idioms and phrases | Meaning of common expressions | Learn them in context, not as isolated lists |
Sentence arrangement | Putting jumbled sentences or parts in a logical order | Look for the opening sentence and linking words first |
Word ordering | Arranging words to form a correct sentence | Practise under a timer; this type rewards pattern recognition |
Practical tip for English
Grammar-based questions are the quickest marks because each takes seconds. Secure those first and keep comprehension passages for the second half of your time, so one long passage does not eat into the whole paper.
CDS General Knowledge Syllabus
The GK paper is the least predictable of the three, but the questions tend to stay at a basic to moderate level. Understanding concepts helps more than memorising isolated facts.
Area | Topics to cover | Preparation focus |
|---|---|---|
History | Ancient, medieval and modern India; freedom movement; world events of general importance | Timelines, key movements and personalities |
Polity | Constitution, fundamental rights and duties, governance, institutions | Core concepts and recent amendments in the news |
Economy | Basic terms, banking, budget, major economic indicators | Definitions and current developments |
Geography | Physical features of India and the world, climate, rivers, resources, maps | Map-based revision |
Environment and ecology | Ecosystems, biodiversity, pollution, climate-related terms | Terms, conventions and recent events |
General science | Physics, chemistry and biology as seen in everyday life | School-level concepts and applications |
Current affairs | National and international events, awards, sports, summits | Short monthly notes covering the last six to twelve months |
Defence awareness | Armed forces, major exercises, equipment, defence-related news | Regular reading of defence news; useful for SSB as well |
Defence awareness is not a separate paper, but it appears naturally in current affairs and in the SSB interview. Candidates who follow it from the start gain on both fronts.
CDS Elementary Mathematics Syllabus
This is the paper where the syllabus is officially detailed. The level is matriculation, which means the concepts are familiar, but the volume and the negative marking make speed and accuracy the real test.
Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
Arithmetic | Number system, unitary method, time and distance, time and work, percentage, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, variation |
Elementary number theory | Division algorithm, prime and composite numbers, divisibility tests, HCF and LCM, logarithms to any base |
Algebra | Basic operations, polynomials, remainder theorem, quadratic equations, simultaneous linear equations, inequalities, set theory, laws of indices |
Trigonometry | Trigonometric ratios, standard angles, identities, heights and distances |
Geometry | Lines and angles, triangles, congruence and similarity, quadrilaterals, circles and tangents, locus |
Mensuration | Areas of plane figures; surface area and volume of cuboid, cylinder, cone and sphere |
Statistics | Tabulation, bar graphs, histograms, frequency polygons, pie charts, mean, median and mode |
Order of study for Mathematics
Start with arithmetic and number theory: these topics feed almost every other unit and give quick scoring practice.
Move to algebra and mensuration: formulas are limited, so regular revision fixes them quickly.
Then take trigonometry and geometry: these need reasoning and diagrams, so give them longer sittings.
Finish with statistics: it is short and usually inexpensive in time once you know the formulas.
Syllabus for OTA Candidates
If you are applying only to the Officers Training Academy, you appear for English and General Knowledge. Elementary Mathematics is not part of your written exam. Your written total is 200 marks, followed by an SSB interview of 200 marks. If you apply to OTA along with other academies, you will still need to take Mathematics for the other academies.
SSB Interview: Is There a Syllabus?
The SSB does not have a syllabus in the way the written exam does. It is an assessment of personality and officer-like qualities over several days.
Stage | What it includes |
|---|---|
Stage I | Officer Intelligence Rating test and Picture Perception and Description Test |
Stage II | Around four days of psychology tests, group tasks, personal interview and conference |
The best preparation is steady: clear communication, honest self-awareness, physical fitness and awareness of current and defence affairs. These cannot be built in the last week.
Where to Spend Your Time
Not every topic deserves equal time. Use this as a planning guide, then adjust it after your first few mock tests.
Priority | Areas | Reason |
|---|---|---|
High | English grammar questions, arithmetic, current affairs, polity, history | Frequent, manageable and quick to score |
Medium | Comprehension, algebra, mensuration, geography, general science | Regular presence, needs steady practice |
Lower | Locus, uncommon theory, rarely asked static facts | Cover after the core areas are secure |
The priorities above are a practical reading of past papers, not an official ranking, so treat them as a starting point and let your mock test results guide changes.
Common Mistakes While Covering the Syllabus
Treating Maths as easy because it is matriculation level: the concepts are simple, but 100 questions in two hours leave little thinking time. Practise shortcuts and mental calculation along with the concepts.
Ignoring English until the last month: vocabulary and grammar instincts build slowly. A little daily reading works better than a long crash course.
Relying only on current affairs for GK: static areas like history, polity and geography carry a large share of the paper and do not change from year to year.
Collecting too many books: one reliable source per subject, revised several times, beats many sources read once.
Skipping test analysis: a mock test is only useful if you study the wrong answers, the guesses and the questions that took too long.
Using an old syllabus list: check the latest notification for any change before you finalise your plan.
Another useful habit is to keep a single error log for all three papers. Write down the question type, why you missed it and the rule or fact you needed. Reviewing the log every week shows you which parts of the syllabus are costing you marks, so you can fix them before the exam.
How to Cover the Syllabus Step by Step
Weeks 1 to 4, build the base: Revise school-level Maths and grammar. Read standard books for history, polity and geography. Begin a daily current-affairs habit.
Weeks 5 to 10, practise by topic: Take topic-wise tests so you can see which units are weak. Solve previous year papers section by section.
Weeks 11 to 14, move to full papers: Attempt full-length mocks in the exam format. Keep the three-paper schedule in mind and practise switching between subjects.
Final weeks, revise and refine: Revisit error logs, short notes and formulas. Avoid starting new topics.
The timeline can be stretched or compressed depending on when you begin. What matters is the order: concepts first, topic practice next, full mocks last.
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