Which is Better- NDA, CDS, or AFCAT?

The NDA, CDS, and AFCAT are all defense related entrance exams. NDA stands for National Defense Academy, CDS for Combined Defense Services, and AFCAT for Air Force Common Admission Test.

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Joining the defense forces is the childhood dream of many Indians. Every year lakhs of aspirants appear to join the decorated services and realize this dream come true. After completing 12th or graduation, candidates can appear for the national-level defense entrance exam such as NDA, CDS (both conducted by UPSC), and AFCAT(conducted by Indian Air Force).

However, many of you are not clear on what to choose or which job is better, serving both your interests and which can add value to your lives. By comparing various aspects of these exams you can get a fair idea and begin your preparation accordingly. Whether it is NDA, CDS, or AFCAT, you end up serving the nation, but finding your true calling is equally important to enjoy your service upon cracking these celebrated exams.

What is NDA, CDS, and AFCAT?

All these are defense entrance exams and the candidates can check the detailed information about them in the sections below. All these exams are conducted by the Union Public Service Commission to recruit officers into different branches. One can take admission into NDA after they have completed their 12th, while for CDS and AFCAT exams, one needs to have passed their bachelor's.

NDA (National Defence Academy)

It is India’s top tri-service training academy of the Indian Armed Forces, located in Khadakwasla, Pune. The exam conducted by the NDA is considered one of the toughest exams for getting selected for the Armed Forces Services training. The degrees conferred to the candidates in NDA are affiliated with Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. At NDA cadets of the Army, Navy, and Air Force train together before going on to their respective service academies for their pre-commissioning training.

CDS (Combined Defence Services)

The Combined Defence Services examination is a national-level examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year. It is a direct route for those aspiring to become officers in the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy (AFA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA).

AFCAT (Air Force Combined Admission Test)

AFCAT stands for Air Force Common Admission Test. It is one of India’s most sought examinations for getting admitted into the Indian Air Force. AFCAT is held twice every year, usually in February and August. Candidates after qualifying for the AFCAT exam get training at the Indian Air Force Academy at Dundigal, Telangana in their respective branches i.e. Flying Branch and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) Branch.

Read More: Difference Between AFCAT and CDS

Exam Overview of NDA vs CDS vs AFCAT

The basic overview of NDA, CDS, or AFCAT, and which is better, has been detailed below for the candidate's ease. It will help to get a clear picture of each exam. You need to analyze all three entrance exams based on exam pattern, exam difficulty level, selection process, training sessions, and after-job security closely.

Feature	NDA	CDS	AFCAT
Conducting Body	UPSC	UPSC	Indian Air Force
Mode of Exam	Written Exam followed by SSB Interview	Written Exam followed by SSB Interview	Written Exam followed by AFSB Interview
Eligibility Criteria	10+2 passed or appearing, Age: 16.5 - 19.5 years.	Graduation in any discipline, Age: 19 - 25 years (varies for different academies), Unmarried male/female candidates (varies for different academies)	Graduation in any discipline (varies for different branches), Age: 20 - 24 years (varies for different branches), Unmarried male/female candidates
Duration of Exam	Mathematics: 2.5 hours, General Ability Test: 2.5 hours	English: 2 hours, General Knowledge: 2 hours, Elementary Mathematics (for IMA, INA, AFA): 2 hours	Varies depending on the branch
Total Marks	900 (Mathematics: 300, General Ability Test: 600)	300 (for IMA, INA, AFA), 200 (for OTA)	Varies depending on the branch
Number of Papers	2 (Mathematics, General Ability Test)	3 (English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics) for IMA, INA, AFA, 2 (English, General Knowledge) for OTA	1 (AFCAT), 2 (AFCAT and EKT for technical branches)
Training Academy	National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla	Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala, Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal, 1 Officers' Training Academy (OTA), Chennai 2	Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal

NDA vs CDS vs AFCAT Exam Patterns

To understand the exam pattern of NDA, CDS, and AFCAT, refer to the table below. You must note that the mode of exam, chapters included, marking scheme, duration of the exam, and other factors make the paper pattern different. You must carefully analyze the paper patterns and syllabus to differentiate between all the defense exams.

Feature	NDA	CDS	AFCAT
Exam Mode	Offline	Offline	Online
Subjects/Sections	Mathematics, General Ability Test (GAT)	English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics (for IMA, INA, AFA) OR English, General Knowledge (for OTA)	General Awareness, Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, Reasoning & Military Aptitude Test
Question Type	Objective (Multiple Choice)	Objective (Multiple Choice)	Objective (Multiple Choice)
Marking Scheme	Varies for each question, negative marking for incorrect answers	+1 for each correct answer, 0.33 deducted for every incorrect answer+1 for each correct answer, 0.33 deducted for every incorrect answer	+3 for each correct,-1 for every for every incorrect answer
Additional Tests	SSB Interview (for all)	SSB Interview (for all)	AFSB Interview (for all), Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT) for technical branches

Salary and Allowances for NDA vs CDS vs AFCAT

Knowing the remunerations and allowances gives an idea about what to financially expect from these coveted services during training periods and after commissioning. The details of the CDS, NDA, and AFCAT salary have been shared in the table below.

Feature	NDA	CDS	AFCAT
Stipend during Training	INR 56,100 per month (fixed)	INR 56,100 per month (fixed)	INR 56,100 per month (fixed)
Starting Salary (after Commissioning)	Varies by rank, typically starts around INR 56,100 - INR 1,77,500 per month (Level 10)	Varies by rank, typically starts around INR 56,100 - INR 1,77,500 per month (Level 10)	Varies by rank, typically starts around INR 56,100 - INR 1,77,500 per month (Level 10)
Allowances	Dearness Allowance, Kit Maintenance Allowance, High Altitude Allowance-Siachen Allowance, Uniform Allowance Free Rations, Transport Allowance, Children Education Allowance	Dearness Allowance, Flying Allowance (for Army Aviators/Pilots) High Altitude Allowance-Siachen Allowance, Uniform Allowance, Field Area Allowance, Transport Allowance, Children Education Allowance	Dearness Allowance, Flying Allowance (for Flying Branch Officers), Technical Allowance (for Technical Branch Officers), High Altitude Allowance-Siachen Allowance, Uniform Allowance, Field Area Allowance, Transport Allowance, Children Education Allowance, Special Compensatory Allowances (for certain postings).
Other Benefits	Subsidized housing, Comprehensive medical insurance for self and family, Canteen and mess facilities, Leave Travel Concession (LTC), Loan facilities at concessional rates	Subsidized housing, Comprehensive medical insurance for self and family, Canteen and mess facilities, Leave Travel Concession (LTC), Loan facilities at concessional rates	Subsidized housing, Comprehensive medical insurance for self and family, Canteen and mess facilities, Leave Travel Concession (LTC), Loan facilities at concessional rates

Which is better, NDA, CDS, or AFCAT, is a choice depending upon the individual’s personal interest and career goals. If the difficulty is the question, NDA is considered the toughest among the three choices. But, it also gives candidates unlimited opportunities just after completing their 12th.

The order of difficulty of these exams would be NDA>CDS>AFCAT, but everything boils down to career choice and individual aspirations.