Which is the best NDA, CDS or AFCAT?

Updated On: October 28, 2024 06:21 PM | AFCAT

Thinking whether NDA, CDS or AFCAT is best and easiest for you to appear for? If you are confused about which to choose amongst the three popular defence recruitment exams, continue reading to uncover all your answers! Find all about NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT below.

Table of Contents

NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT: Overview
NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT: Eligibility Criteria
NDA or CDS or AFCAT: Exam Pattern
NDA or CDS or AFCAT: List of Training Centres
NDA or CDS or AFCAT: Salary/Stipend/Allowance
Faqs

Which is the best NDA, CDS or AFCAT: These three are amongst the most popular defence recruitment exams which prospective candidates appear to seek careers in the Indian Armed Forces — the Indian Navy, Indian Army, and Indian Air Force. Choosing which is better: NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT, students always get confused as to which will likely boost their probability of admittance to the military forces of the Republic of India. These three exams are conducted twice a year to fill out the vacant positions in the Indian Armed Forces.

The answer to which is the best NDA, CDS or AFCAT depends on a candidate’s career objective and interests behind joining the military forces . While these exams may commonly fulfil the purpose of admitting potential individuals to serve the nation; NDA or CDS or AFCAT differ in terms of difficulty levels, eligibility criteria, exam patterns, syllabi, salary, etc. This article details a thorough comparison of NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT across multiple parameters to help you decide which exam is best and easiest for you to appear.

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NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT: Overview

Given each exam has different purposes and career paths, it is not easy to distinguish between UPSC NDA, UPSC CDS, and the AFCAT exam. For this, the following table will help you out by highlighting some key parameters about the trio:

Key Parameter	NDA	CDS	AFCAT
Exam Name/Full Form	National Defence Academy and Navel Academy exam or UPSC NDA	Combined Defence Services Examination or UPSC CDS	Air Force Common Admission Test or AFCAT exam
Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)	Indian Air Force (IAF)
Departments	Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA	Different branches of the armed forces	For IAF only - Group ‘A’ Gazetted Officers in Technical and Non-Technical branches (Flying and Ground Duty)
Eligibility Criteria	Passed 10+2	Bachelor's Degree	Passed 10+2
Exam Frequency	Twice a Year	Twice a Year	Twice a Year
Application Mode	Online	Online	Online
Selection Process	Written Exam + SSB Interview	Written Exam + SSB Interview	Written Exam + AFSB Interview
Official Portal	upsc.gov.in	upsc.gov.in	afcat.cdac.in

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NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT: Eligibility Criteria

While choosing between NDA, CDS or AFCAT, eligibility parameters are important to keep in mind as they differ per marital status, educational background, age limit, etc. The following table outlines the eligibility comparison for NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT:

Key Parameter	NDA Eligibility	CDS Eligibility	AFCAT Eligibility
Age Limit/ Educational Background/ Marital Status	Applications are only accepted from single or unmarried female/ male applicants between the ages of 16.5 and 19.5 Pass the 12th grade on the 10+2 school education system or a comparable test/ diploma	Applicants' ages must range from 20 to 24 A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational board Academy (SSC Course for men) and unmarried female applicants for admission to the Officers' Training Academy (Non-Technical SSC Course for women) Only unmarried male applicants for IMA Only unmarried male applicants for the Indian Naval Academy Only unmarried male applicants for admission to the Officers' Training	Prospective applicants must be between the ages of 20 and 24 for Ground Duty and 20 and 26 for Flying Branch Only applicants without married partners are accepted Completed and passed the Class 12 on any accredited board

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AFCAT Vs CDS	NDA Vs CDS
AFCAT for Girls	Dos and Don’ts for AFCAT 2025

NDA or CDS or AFCAT: Exam Pattern

To understand the type of questions asked in the exam, their structure, format, difficulty level, recurring pattern, trickiness, number of questions/ sections, etc., test takers must comprehend the exam pattern beforehand. The following table outlines the exam pattern comparison for NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT:

NDA Exam Pattern	CDS Exam Pattern	AFCAT Exam Pattern
Section Name: Mathematics & General Ability Test Question Type: Objective Maximum Marks Allocated: 900 Exam Duration: 150 minutes or 2.5 hours	For Officer’s Training Academy Section: English and General Knowledge. For INA, IMA, and AFA Sections: General Knowledge/ English/ Elementary Mathematics. Question Type: Objective Maximum Marks Allocated for INA, IMA, and AFA: 300 Maximum Marks Allocated for Officer’s Training Academy: 200 Exam Duration: 120 minutes or 2 hours	Sections: Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test/ Verbal Ability/ General Awareness/ Numerical Ability Question Type: Objective Maximum Marks Allocated: 300 Exam Duration: 120 minutes or 2 hours

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NDA or CDS or AFCAT: List of Training Centres

The following table briefs a list of the comparable NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT training centres across India:

NDA Training Centres	CDS Training Centres	AFCAT Training Centre
Indian Military Academy (Dehradun) National Defence Academy (Khadakwasla, Pune) Indian Naval Academy (Ezhimala) Air Force Academy (Hyderabad)	Indian Naval Academy (Ezhimala) Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras) Air Force Academy (Hyderabad) Indian Military Academy (Dehradun)	Indian Air Force Academy

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AFCAT Physical and Medical Standards 2025	AFCAT Selection Process for Ground Duty Non-Technical

NDA or CDS or AFCAT: Salary/Stipend/Allowance

To learn more about the job responsibilities and potential for career advancement, applicants should analyse the NDA salary, AFCAT salary and CDS salary 2025 along with other benefits that are offered during the training period. The following table highlights the stipend/ allowance/ salary comparison for NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT:

NDA Salary/Stipend	CDS Salary/Stipend	AFCAT Salary/Stipend
During their training at IMA, male and female cadets would get a monthly stipend of Rs 56,100 (Starting Service salary in Level 10).	For the course of their training in the service academies at IMA and OTA, male and female cadets would earn a stipend of Rs 56,100 per month (starting salary in Level 10).	For a year, training allowances including Transport, Island Special Duty, Flying, Field Area, Siachen, Special Force, etc. totalling Rs. 56,100 per month will be credited to male cadets.

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How to Become a Ground Duty Officer in the IAF?	AFCAT Career Path

In summary, choosing which is the best NDA, CDS or AFCAT is based on an applicant’s career objectives and interests. The AFCAT is the easiest of all, followed by the difficulty level of CDS which is comparatively easier than NDA. So, the difficulty level of these three exams is as follows — NDA> CDS> AFCAT. This means NDA has the toughest level of questions asked in the written exam followed by an SSB interview compared to both CDS and AFCAT. Comparatively speaking to the NDA exam, however, the SSB interview for the CDS exam is exceedingly difficult.

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FAQs

What is the NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT selection process?

The NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT selection process is mostly similar as they all first conduct a written examination followed by a round of interviews. Thus, the two-stage selection procedure for NDA and CDS is the same i.e., Written Exam + SSB Interview. For AFCAT, the two-stage selection procedure includes a Written Exam + AFSB Interview.

CDS vs AFCAT which is easy?

Amongst CDS vs AFCAT, the latter one is considered relatively easier based on the previous year's trends and the topper's feedback. However, AFCAT is considered much easier compared to CDS and NDA as the type of questions asked and their difficulty are relatively easier of all.

NDA vs AFCAT which is easy?

Amongst NDA vs AFCAT, the latter one is considered relatively easier based on the previous year's trends and the topper's feedback. However, it is not the case that CDS is much easier compared to NDA, but the difficulty level of the questions is comparatively lower.

NDA vs CDS which is easy?

Amongst NDA vs CDS, the latter one is considered comparatively easier based on the previous year's trends and the topper's feedback. However, it is not the case that CDS is much easier compared to NDA, but relatively easier of the type of questions asked. Moreover, in contrast to the NDA exam, the SSB interview for the CDS exam is harder to pass.

Which is the best NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT?

Amongst NDA Vs CDS Vs AFCAT, the best exam for an average student would preferably be AFCAT as its difficulty level is comparatively less than both CDS and AFCAT. Moreover, second preference would be given to CDS, which is comparatively easier than NDA. While NDA has tougher questions asked in the written examination, the SSB interview for the CDS exam is harder to pass. Thus, whether NDA or CDS or AFCAT is better depends on an applicant’s interests, capabilities and career aspirations.