Best Books for UPSC CDS Exam 2024

Before buying the books, it is mandatory to go through the syllabus of CDS. Candidates won't be able to figure out the best books for CDS until they research well. The CDS syllabus consists of three subjects for IMA, INA, and IAFA and two subjects for OTA. English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics are the three subjects. The two subjects for OTA are English and General Knowledge. We have curated the list below of the best books for CDS preparation advised by the experts to crack the exam. 

Best Books for CDS IMA, INA, IAFA & OTA

As an abundance of books is available in the market, confusion is obvious for the candidates. To clear the confusion about which CDS books to buy? candidates can look below for the answer. 

CDS English Language
The UPSC candidates are tested for their grammar and vocabulary knowledge through the CDS English Language exam. The subject is out of 100 marks and the questions in total are 120. The time duration provided for the English exam is 2 hours. The syllabus for CDS English includes topics like Antonyms and Synonyms, Word substitution, Spotting Errors, Selecting Words, and more. Given is the table of books for CDS of the best authors. 

CDS General Knowledge 

Candidates are examined for their general awareness in the CDS exam. The exam is for 2 hours out of 100 marks, and the number of questions is 120. Physics, Chemistry, & Biology, Sociology, Sports are a few of the topics included in CDS General Knowledge. 

CDS Elementary Mathematics

Candidates are informed that the subject is out of 100 marks containing 100 questions. The time duration for the CDS Maths is 2 hours. Aspirants are tested for their mathematical aptitude. The subject includes the topics Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry, which have subtopics. 

How to Crack CDS Exam? Preparation Tips

Alike other competitive exams, CDS too has tough competition. More than lakhs of candidates apply for the Combined Defence Service examination and try their best to crack it. Every aspirant desires to hold the army badge with pride. Turning your dreams into reality requires effort and solid preparation. To crack CDS exam, candidates need to follow the below mentioned preparation tips.

• Candidates must be thorough with the CDS syllabus & pattern.
• Practice CDS mock tests and previous year question papers to speed up your practice and improve time management.
• As the exam consists of GK as a subject, candidates must make a routine of reading newspapers every day. Reading newspapers will let you know about the latest news and current affairs.
• Concepts should be clear before taking the CDS exam. Work on the concepts and start from the basics.
• Prepare a short way of revising your topics quickly before the exam.

FAQs

 Which book is best for CDS preparation?

Candidates preparing for CDS exam can go for Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, Pratiyogita Darpan by Pratiyogita Darpan Editorial Team, Pathfinder for CDS by Arihant Publications etc. Apart from these, NCERT books can also work for the CDS preparations. For a complete list of the best CDS books, candidates can visit the link. 

What is the salary of a CDS Officer?

When the UPSC candidates are selected after the selection process, they undergo Cadet training where they get a stipend as a basic salary of Rs 56100/month. The Officer’s salary differs according to the various posts in the CDS. For a Captain the monthly basic salary is Rs 61,300 – 1,93,900. For a Major the basic salary is Rs 69,400 – 2,07,200 and for Colonel the salary is Rs 1,30,600 – 2,15,900. 

How can I crack CDS exam?

Every aspirant desires to hold the army badge with pride. To crack CDS exam, candidates need to follow the below mentioned preparation tips.

• Candidates must be thorough with the CDS syllabus & pattern.
• Practice CDS mock tests and previous year question papers to speed up your practice and improve time management.
• As the exam consists of GK as a subject, candidates must make a routine of reading newspapers every day. Reading newspapers will let you know about the latest news and current affairs.
• Concepts should be clear before taking the CDS exam. Work on the concepts and start from the basics.
• Prepare a short way of revising your topics quickly before the exam.

Do CDS exams have repetitive questions?

In CDS exams the questions may or may not repeat. The basic exam structure remains the same. Candidates have to solve 100 questions in 120 minutes. The CDS question pattern will give candidates an idea about what type of questions are asked.