CDS (Combined Defence Services)

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English Language & Comprehension

Grammar Rules, Error Spotting, Cloze Test, One-Word Substitutions, Synonyms & Idioms

• Grammar & Sentence StructureCore grammar rules including tenses, subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions and modals.
• VocabularyWord-meaning skills covering usage, connotation and contextual application of English words.
• Idioms & PhrasesMeaning and correct usage of common English idioms and phrasal expressions.
• Cloze Test & Reading ComprehensionFilling contextual blanks in a passage and answering questions based on reading passages.
• Sentence & Para RearrangementReordering shuffled sentence parts and jumbled sentences into a logical sequence.
• Active & Passive VoiceConverting sentences between active and passive voice while preserving meaning and tense.
• Direct & Indirect SpeechConverting sentences between direct narration and reported indirect speech.
• Spotting ErrorsIdentifying the grammatically incorrect part within a divided sentence.
• Sentence ImprovementChoosing the best alternative to correct a highlighted part of a sentence.
• Fill in the BlanksCompleting sentences with contextually and grammatically appropriate words.
• One Word SubstitutionReplacing a phrase or definition with a single precise word.
• Synonyms & AntonymsIdentifying words with similar or opposite meanings to a given word.
• Spelling CorrectionDetecting misspelt words and identifying correctly spelled options.
• Homonyms & HomophonesDistinguishing words that sound alike or are spelled alike but differ in meaning.

General Awareness

Indian Polity, History, Geography, Economy, General Science, Environment & Current Affairs

• Indian Polity & ConstitutionConstitution, fundamental rights, Parliament, judiciary, amendments and governance structures.
• Indian HistoryAncient, medieval and modern Indian history with emphasis on the freedom struggle.
• GeographyIndian and world physical geography including rivers, climate, soil and important places.
• General SciencePhysics, chemistry and biology concepts at around tenth-standard level.
• EconomicsBasic macroeconomics, Indian economy, banking, budget and economic reforms.
• Current AffairsNational and international events of the last several months including schemes, sports and awards.
• Static GKUnchanging general knowledge on dances, dams, first-in-India, superlatives and miscellaneous facts.
• Art & CultureIndian classical dances, music, paintings, festivals and cultural heritage.
• Awards & HonoursNational and international awards, their fields and recent recipients.
• SportsSports events, tournaments, cups, terminologies and recent winners.
• Books & AuthorsFamous books and their authors, both classical and recently released titles.
• Important Days & ThemesNational and international days, their dates and yearly observance themes.
• Government SchemesCentral and state government schemes, their objectives and associated ministries.
• National & International OrganizationsUN bodies and other important world and Indian organizations with their headquarters and heads.
• Environment & Pollution ControlEcosystems, biodiversity, air/water/soil/noise pollution, waste, EIA, and the Indian Acts and boards that control pollution — the RRB JE CBT-2 environment block, also asked in…

Quantitative Aptitude

Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Number System, Percentages & Arithmetic

• Number System & SimplificationProperties of whole numbers, integers, fractions and decimals along with BODMAS-based simplification.
• PercentageConversion between fractions and percentages and their application in real-life expenditure, population and change problems.
• Ratio & ProportionComparison of quantities using ratios, proportions, variation and problems on ages and coins.
• Time, Work, Speed & DistanceWork efficiency problems combined with time, speed and distance including relative speed concepts.
• Averages, Simple & Compound InterestCalculation of arithmetic averages and growth of money through simple and compound interest.
• AlgebraAlgebraic identities, linear and quadratic equations, surds, indices and graphs of linear equations.
• GeometryProperties of lines, angles, triangles, circles, quadrilaterals and polygons including centres and similarity.
• TrigonometryTrigonometric ratios, identities, complementary angles and applications in heights and distances.
• Mensuration (2D & 3D)Area and perimeter of 2D figures and volume and surface area of 3D solids like prism, cone, cylinder and sphere.
• Data InterpretationAnalysis of data presented in tables, bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, histograms and caselets.
• Profit, Loss & DiscountTrading calculations involving cost price, selling price, marked price, profit, loss and discount.
• Pipes & CisternsFilling and emptying of tanks by inlet and outlet pipes, an application of time and work.
• Mixture & AlligationFinding ratios and mean values when two or more ingredients of different values are mixed.
• PartnershipDistribution of profit among partners based on their capital invested and time period.
• Boats, Streams, Trains & RacesRelative speed problems involving boats in water, trains passing objects and races.
• LCM & HCFLeast common multiple and highest common factor of numbers and fractions with word problems.
• Surds & IndicesLaws of exponents, simplification of surds and rationalisation of irrational expressions.
• Probability, Statistics & Permutation-CombinationBasic probability, measures of central tendency, dispersion and counting via permutation and combination.

Previous year papers

• Combined Defence Services Previous Year Question PapersOfficial papers with provenance, free to read.