What Is OTA in CDS - Know All About UPSC CDS Exam for OTA

26-July 2022...........

The Officers Training Academy (OTA), located in Chennai, is an Indian Army training facility that prepares candidates for the Short Service Commission (SSC). The OTA, which trains both male and female candidates, is one of India's leading defence training institutions with a long and rich history. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) holds a national-level entrance examination twice a year, known as the Combined Defence Services - CDS Exam, to induct eligible candidates into the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. The exam notification for UPSC CDS OTA is normally released in the months of October and June, with the exams taking place in February and November, respectively. Let's take a closer look at what OTA in CDS is and other crucial details about it.

Overview of the UPSC CDS Exam for OTA

Specifications	Details
Exam Name	Combined Defence Services - CDS OTA
Exam Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Official Website to Apply Online	https://upsconline.nic.in/
Exam Frequency	Twice a year
Mode of Application	Online
Applicable Category	Both male and female
Application Fee	INR 200/-
Mode of Exam	Offline
Nature of Questions	Objective
Subjects Covered	English General Knowledge
Selection Process	Written Exam SSB Interview Medical Exam

Eligibility Criteria for UPSC CDS Exam for OTA

Those interested in joining the OTA Chennai should acquaint themselves with the eligibility requirements defined by the Union Public Service Commission in its notification. In the section below, aspirants can get extensive information about the eligibility requirements for the UPSC CDS exam.

Nationality: Indian
Educational Qualification: Graduate
Age Limit: 19-25 years
Marital Status: Unmarried
Category: Both Male and Female

Applicants in their final year/semester of a degree program who have not yet passed their final year of degree examination are also eligible to apply. Before applying for the UPSC CDS written exam, students should read the official notification for a detailed analysis of the various aspects.

CDS OTA Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

English and General Knowledge are the two main components of the UPSC CDS Exam for OTA. The UPSC CDS OTA written exam is held in an offline format and contains solely objective-type questions with responses to be marked on an OMR sheet.

Specifications	Details
Papers	Paper I - English Paper Paper II - General Knowledge Paper
Number of Questions	240 Questions (120 in each paper)
Maximum Marks	200 Marks (100 in each paper)
Nature of Questions	Multiple-Choice Questions
Mode of Exam	Offline (OMR-Based)
Positive Marking	0.833 for every correct answer
Negative Marking	0.277 for every wrong answer
Time Duration	4 Hours (2 Hours for each paper)
Exam Shift	First Shift - English Paper Second Shift - General Knowledge Paper