Which Is The Better Option Of NDA Or CDS ?

 

The most coveted defence entrance exams in the country are the NDA and CDS. There are, however, differences in the exam pattern, eligibility, salary, ranks, and so on. After reading you can have a clear idea about which exam is better. 

To select aspirants for the Indian Armed Forces, the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exams are held. Though both exams are held twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission, there are many similarities and differences in recruitment, training, salary, perks, promotion, eligibility, and so on. 

 Which Is The Better Option Of NDA Or CDS ?

 

The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the Indian Armed Forces' joint services academy. Cadets from the Army, Navy, and Air Force train together here before proceeding to their respective service academies for further pre-commissioning training. On the other hand, Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination is used to select candidates for the Indian Military Academy, Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy.

NDA Vs CDS: What are the eligibility criteria?

NDA is a test for candidates who have completed or are about to complete Class 12. In contrast, the CDS exam is only for candidates who have completed or are about to complete their graduation. Female candidates can now take both the CDS and NDA exams. The table below compares the eligibility requirements for the NDA and CDS exams.

Parameter	NDA	CDS
Age	16 ½ -19 ½ Years	19 to 25 Years
Eligibility	Men and Women	Men and Women
Educational Qualification	Class 10	Graduation

NDA Vs CDS: Training, Degrees Conferred, Ranks and Allowance

Both the NDA and the CDS use the same selection procedure: a written exam followed by an SSB interview. Candidates are given the rank of Lieutenant upon commissioning. Candidates are paid INR 21,000 per month while in training. Check out the training procedure, degrees available, and NDA and CDS exam training centres listed below.

Parameter	NDA	CDS
Duration of training	Four to Four and half years Three years at NDA and one year at IMA (For Army cadets) 3 years at NDA and 1 year at Naval Academy for Naval cadets 3 years at NDA and 1.5 years at AFA Hyderabad For AF cadets	18 months for IMA Cadets 37-40 months for Navy Officers 74 months for Air Force Officers
Training  centres	National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune Indian Military Academy, Dehradun Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala Indian Air Force Academy, Hyderabad	Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun for Army Cadets Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala for Navy Cadets Indian Air Force Academy, Hyderabad for Air Force Officers Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai
Degrees awarded	Army Cadets: BSc/BSc (Computer)/BA /BTech degree Naval Cadets: BTech degree Air Force Cadets: BTech degree	Army Cadets in IMA: Post Graduate Diploma in Military and Defence Management OTA Chennai: Post-Graduate Diploma in Defence Management and Strategic Studies

NDA Vs CDS: Exam Pattern:

Number of papers	Two	IMA, AFA and INA: Three OTA: Two
Name of the subjects	General Ability Test (GAT) and Mathematics	IMA, AFA and INA:  Elementary Mathematics, English and General Knowledge  OTA: English and General Knowledge
Exam duration	Each paper is for 2 ½	Each paper is held for two hours
Number of questions	GAT: 150 Mathematics: 120	Maths: 100 English: 120 General Knowledge: 120
Total marks	Written Exam: 900 SSB Interview: 900	IMA, INA, and AFA: 300 OTA: 200 The SSB Interview for IFA, IMA, and INA, is for 300 points each while for OTA, it is 200 marks
Negative marks	GAT: 1.33 Maths: 0.83	0.33
Nature of syllabus	The standard of NDA syllabus is of Classes 10, 11 and 12 levels	The topics covered in the CDS syllabus for Elementary Mathematics will be of Class 10 level. Other subjects' paper standards will be at the graduate level.

NDA Vs CDS: Pay, Allowances and Promotional Avenues:

Officers selected through the NDA and CDS exams receive significantly different pay and allowances. The pay, allowances, and promotional opportunities differ as shown below.

Rank	Promotional Avenues (Min. Commissioned Service for Promotion)
	NDA Officer	CDS Officer
Lieutenant	On Commission	On Commission
Captain	02 Years	02 Years
Major	06 years	06 years
Lieutenant Colonel	13 years	13 years
Colonel(Selection)	15 years	15 years
Colonel (Time Scale)	26 years	26 years
Brigadier	On Selection	23 years
Major General	On Selection	25 years
Lieutenant General	On Selection	28 years
General	On Selection	No restrictions

Rank	NDA Officer Salary (In INR)		CDS Officer Salary (In INR)
	Rank Pay	Grade Pay
Lieutenant	15,600-39,100	5,400	56,100-1,77,500
Captain	15,600-39,100	6,100	6,13,00-1,93,900
Major	15,600-39,100	6,600	6,94,00-2,07,200
Lieutenant Colonel	37,400-67,000	8,000	1,21,200-2,12400
Colonel	37,400-67,000	8,700	1,30,600-2, 15,900
Brigadier	37,400-67,000	8,900	1,39,600-2,17,600
Major General	37,400-67,000	10,000	1,44,200-2,18,200
Lieutenant General HAG Scale	67,000-79,000	-	1, 82, 200-2,24,100
HAG+Scale	75,500-80,000	-	2,05,400-2,24,400
VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG)	80,000	-	2,25,000 (fixed)
COAS	90,000 (fixed)	-	2,25,000 (fixed)