COMBINED DEFENCE SERVICES (CDS) EXAMINATION Tips for preparation 

CDS Exam: Tips For Preparation Strategy & Books

For achieving success in any exam there are some fundamental rules common to all exams and there are some exam specific preparations

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Fundamentals Tips for CDS Exam Preparation

Construction of knowledge in your mind is the key because only you have to reproduce this knowledge in CDS exam. Teaching (Instructions) from school / coaching class / digital media are methods of giving knowledge to you but far more important is how much have you gained (construction of knowledge in your mind) and for that only your efforts will matter.  Memorising is short lived. Learning is lasting as you have put in efforts to understand each topic. In objective exams there is no shortcut to learning

After school / college teaching if you go to coaching classes, you have moved from teaching mode again to teaching mode but what is required is to move to learning mode because you have already received instructions (teaching) once and now it is important to construct (learning) them in your mind because only this mind has to reproduce knowledge in CDS exam. If you have enough time, coaching will help by further reinforcing instructions (teaching) but if time is a constraint, you have carefully to plan time management – may be take help in weak subjects. But even after coaching, learning is a must. Teaching should complement learning which is final goal in your education endeavour.  

Remember learning can be effectively undertaken when you understand what is known to you, what remains to be known and initiate steps to bridge the gap. Third party only will be able to tell you what is not known to you. Here CDS self assessor is effective tool. Once you have identified gap in topic or key concept (questions done incorrectly in self assessor), first try to resolve it yourself by referring to any standard CDS book. Thereafter take help of your colleagues or teacher. Kindly do not leave these gaps unattended/ unresolved. Fill them same day as next day you tend to forget and there are other topics to be completed in your schedule. Master this topic well before moving. Rome is built brick by brick.
1. Understand your goal – CDS – Please go through tentative dates of the CDS exam and syllabus and define your weekly schedule to cover each topic. You have to master subject each CDS topic wise step by step and the practice for final exam around two months before exam date. Please also understand CDS exam pattern, go through exam analysis to understand the way exam was in last year and remember cut offs as they will help to bench mark your performance Go through the syllabus thoroughly. Most of your CDS syllabus will be similar to that of 11th and 12th class of CBSE. Knowing your goal fuels achievement. Quantify your goals. Goals which cannot be measured are never achieved. For example your goal can have a short term objective - I shall complete laws of motion in next two days and shall be able to answer 80% objective questions on concepts and problems of laws of motion correctly and there after assess yourself to measure whether you have achieved your short term objective

2. Build timelines – Ideal start time will be after 12th class. Build your study schedule week wise alongside the schedule of your college curriculum.
3. Daily steps
• Concentrate during classes whether in school /college or coaching institutes.
• Take your notes, jot important points to remember
• Review the knowledge you have gained subject wise /topic wise/ subtopic wise or keyword wise by assessing yourself through self tests daily/weekly depending upon the depth of your course curriculum in CDS Self Assessor. Remember to build enough challenge in your tests as this not only assesses your learning properly but also adds lot to your knowledge from its own knowledge pool during CDS assessment.

• Analyse your CDS self test results carefully. You would have committed some silly mistakes. Try to avoid them next time. There would be many areas at your level which were unknown to you but are required to be understood for the exam you are preparing for. Try to understand/clear your doubts preferably same day on these areas by referring back to your CDS books, discussing with your colleagues or from your teacher next day. Do not leave this to unattended because on next day other topics are waiting to be mastered
• On completing the CDS subject you can simulate CDS mock tests/old papers and more tests from test patterns of CDS in Test Simulator. As these tests simulate exam like environment, you will have first hand experience of your knowledge depth, speed and accuracy. In addition you will be able to benchmark your performance with previous year results and shall have good information on your level of preparedness
• The CDS test taken by you are kept as a history for a limited time. You can access the same, analyse the results and discuss the same with your teachers/guides/ mentors to improve further

The key in competitive exam is :
It is important how much you know about a subject but what is more important is how much you know more than others. That is what differentiates a winner from a loser

Some Most Important CDS Books you have to must read for CDS Exam Preparation as examination is the first step to your success, so read good books to improve your knowledge.

1. Best Book to prepare your knowledge in all subjects is “General Knowledge Manual by Pearson Publication – writer Thorpe & Thorpe

2. NCERT Books class 6th to 12th for Social Studies  

3. NCERT History books class 11^th & 12^th 

 4. History of Medieval India - writer Satish Chandra

5. A History of Modern India - writer Bipin Chandra

6.  For Indian Polity : Our Parliament & Our Constitution - writer Kashyap Subhash

7. India Year Book

8. R.S.Agarwal for quantitative aptitude.

9. Indian Economy – writer Dutta & Sundram

10. Objective General English: writer R.S. Aggarwal

11. Magazines Pratiyogita Darpan, Competition Success Review (CSR), & Yojana help you understand the latest development around the country

12. The Newspapers The Hindu will help the aspirants in vocabulary & general awareness.

Remember Some Basic Facts which is helpful in any competitive exam:-

I. First of all try to understand what questions say? If you understand the question, you can easily give the right answer for that question. So you should have to read the question carefully.

 II. Every time tries to solve questions with proper formulas and shortcut tricks. As time is most important part your Exam.

III. Most important doesn’t waste your time on a particular question. Always give proper time for all the questions. Always attempt first those questions which you will answer quickly then try to attempt for others. As you should remember time is a most important key to success in competitive exam.

IV. Most Important Formula or Rule to Success in any exam- “Practice makes perfect “. So you need to practice lots of questions and Mock test for CDS Exam according to syllabus.