OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Exam Details 2026

The CDS (Combined Defence Services) syllabus is for a UPSC exam in India for officer positions in the military. It covers English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics to test candidates skills and knowledge. The comprehensive CDS exam syllabus PDF can be found in this article and downloaded for future reference.

OTA vs IMA Pattern

One of the most consequential aspects of the CDS 2026 exam overview is the difference in paper structure between the two application categories. The following table presents this distinction clearly:

| Parameter | IMA / INA / AFA | OTA (Officers Training Academy) |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Number of Papers | 3 | 2 |

| Subjects | English, GK, Elementary Maths | |

| English, GK | Total Marks (Written) | 300 |

| 200 | Duration per Paper | 2 Hours |

| 2 Hours | Negative Marking | |

| Yes (1/3 mark) | Yes (1/3 mark) | |

| Total Duration | 6 Hours | 4 Hours |

Check out CDS Salary here.

The CDS syllabus is divided into three subjects: General Knowledge, English, and Elementary Mathematics (not required for OTA). UPSC conducts the CDS exam twice a year, providing students with the opportunity to take the exam more frequently. To crack the UPSC CDS 2026 exam, it is crucial to know the syllabus, which is the basis for the exam questions. The detailed syllabus, along with a CDS Syllabus PDF version, is provided below for the candidates benefit.

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The General Knowledge paper is widely regarded as the most expansive component of the CDS Syllabus 2026, covering a broad thematic range that spans history, geography, polity, science, and current affairs. It demands both long term conceptual preparation and short term current awareness maintenance.

Static GK

Static general knowledge (GK that does not change over time) forms the foundational layer of this paper:

Indian History:

• Ancient India: Vedic Age, Mauryan and Gupta Empires, major dynasties
• Medieval India: Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, Bhakti and Sufi movements
• Modern India: British colonialism, Indian independence movement, key personalities

Indian and World Geography:

• Physical features: Mountain ranges, rivers, plateaus, coastal regions
• Climate patterns and monsoon systems
• Geopolitical boundaries and international organisations
• World geography: Continents, oceans, important straits and passes

Indian Polity and Constitution:

• Constitutional framework: Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles
• Parliament, Executive, Judiciary structure and functions
• Constitutional Amendments of significance
• Defence related constitutional provisions

Indian Economy:

• National income concepts: GDP, GNP, NNP (Gross/Net National Product)
• Five Year Plans and NITI Aayog
• Monetary and fiscal policy basics
• Major economic indices and institutions

Current Affairs Last 12 Months

Current affairs coverage in the CDS GK paper focuses on the most recent 12 months preceding the examination, with particular emphasis on:

• National and international political developments
• Defence acquisitions, exercises, and strategic agreements
• Science and technology milestones in India
• Sports championships and major awards
• Government schemes and social sector policies

General Science NCERT Based Approach

The General Science component follows the NCERT Class VIII–X framework and covers:

• Physics: Laws of motion, work and energy, light, sound, electricity
• Chemistry: Elements and compounds, acids bases salts, metals and non metals, carbon compounds
• Biology: Cell biology, human physiology, nutrition, reproduction, ecology and environment
• Science in Defence: Basic principles of radar, missiles, satellite technology, and nuclear energy

Check out CDS Apply Online Process to know all details regarding the application process

The English section of the CDS Exam Syllabus tests candidates understanding of basic English, including vocabulary, basic grammar, error detection, and idioms & phrases. The syllabus for the CDS English paper is divided into three sections: Vocabulary, Reading Passage, and Grammar.

| CDS English Syllabus Topics | Section | Topics |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Description | Vocabulary | Basic Grammar , Idioms & Phrases , Synonyms & Antonyms , Sentence Completion, etc. |

| This section tests the candidates knowledge of English vocabulary. | Reading Passage | |

| Reading Comprehension Solving , Para Jumbles , Understanding the main idea and supporting details, Answering questions based on the passage, etc. | This section tests the candidates ability to understand and interpret written English. | |

| Grammar | Error Spotting , Sentence Improvement, Cloze test, Active and passive voice, Direct and indirect speech, Transformation of sentences, etc. | This section tests the candidates knowledge of English grammar. |

Check out the CDS previous year papers to boost your preparation.

The CDS Maths Syllabus is vast and further divided into sections like Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, and Static. The CDS Maths Syllabus section is included in the written exam for INA and IMA, whereas candidates appearing for OTA need not prepare for this section. Check the details of all the sections given below.

| CDS Maths Syllabus Topics | Section | Topic |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Arithmetic | - Number System: Natural numbers, Rational & Real numbers, Integers <br> - Fundamental operation: Subtraction, multiplication, addition, division, Square roots, Decimal fractions <br> - Time and work <br> - Percentage <br> - Time and distance <br> - Simple & Compound interest <br> - Ratio and proportion <br> - Profit and loss <br> - Elementary Number Theory: Division algorithm <br> - Prime and composite numbers: Tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11. <br> - Multiples and factors <br> - Factorisation Theorem <br> - L.C.M. and H.C.F. <br> - Euclidean algorithm <br> - Logarithms to base 10, use of logarithmic tables <br> - Laws of logarithms | |

| Algebra | - Basic Operations <br> - Simple factors <br> - H.C.F. and L.C.M. <br> - Remainder Theorem <br> - Theory of polynomials <br> - Solutions of quadratic equations, the relation between its roots & coefficients (Only real roots to be considered) <br> - Linear inequalities in two variables and their solutions <br> - Linear equations in two unknownsanalytical & graphical solutions <br> - Practical problems leading to two simultaneous linear equations or inequalities in two variables or quadratic equations in one variable & their solutions <br> - Rational expressions and conditional identities <br> - Set language & set notation <br> - Laws of indices. | |

| Trigonometry | - Sine ×, cosine ×, Tangent × when 0° < × < 90° Values of sin ×, cos × and tan ×, for × = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° <br> - Simple trigonometric identities. <br> - Use of trigonometric tables. <br> - Simple cases of heights and distances. | |

| Geometry | - Plane & plane figures, Lines & angles <br> - Theorems on <br> - Properties of angles at a point <br> - Parallel lines <br> - Sides & angles of a triangle <br> - Congruency of triangles <br> - Similar triangles <br> - Concurrence of medians and altitudes <br> - Properties of angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, square and rectangle <br> - Circles and their properties including tangents and normals <br> - Loci | |

| Mensuration | - Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangles and circles. <br> - Surface area and volume of cuboids, lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders, Areas of figures which can be split up into these figures (Field Book), surface area and volume of spheres | |

| Statistics | - Collection and tabulation of statistical data <br> - Graphical representation frequency: Polygons, Histograms, Bar charts, Pie charts <br> - Measures of central tendency | |

The SSB selection process consists of two stages stage I and stage II. Candidates who clear stage I can appear for stage II.

Candidates personalities are assessed by three assessors: Interviewing Officer (IO), Group Testing Officer (GTO), and Psychologist. There is no separate weightage for each test, and marks are given based on overall performance in all tests, including Conference. IO, GTO, and Psych tests are designed to identify Officer Like Qualities and trainability. Candidates recommendations are based on their SSB performance.

| CDS Syllabus for SSB Selection | Stage | Test |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Stage 1 | - Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) <br> - Picture Prescription and Descriptive Test | |

| Stage 2 | - Interview <br> - Group Testing Officer (GTO) Tasks <br> - Psychology Test <br> - Conference | |

| Stage 3 | Group Discussion | |

The CDS Exam pattern consists of a written examination and an interview process. The written test includes papers on English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics, each varying in duration and marks. The interview assesses candidates personalities, leadership qualities, and suitability for commissioning into the Indian Armed Forces.

| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |

| --- | --- | --- |

| English | 2 Hours | 100 |

| General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |

| Mathematics | 2 Hours | 100 |

| SSB/Interview | 5 Days | 300 |

| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |

| --- | --- | --- |

| English | 2 Hours | 100 |

| General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |

| SSB/Interview | 5 Days | 300 |

Check the UPSC CDS Exam Pattern here in detail to know the marking scheme , type of questions and sectional weightage in detail.

Hope this article on the CDS syllabus 2026 was informative for you. If you have any queries regarding any topic or syllabus, leave a comment below. Further, you can also download the Testbook App for comprehensive courses, PDF study notes, and new test series for your exam preparation.

In-hand Salary is the amount of salary that gets credited into the bank account of the officer at the end of every month after having the allowances added and the necessary deductions.

An OSSSC ICDS Supervisor gets an In-hand salary of around Rs 45,700 along with the addition of all the allowance amounts and deducting all the necessary deductions.

On completion of the OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Selection Process 2026 and getting selected for the post, new recruits will be put on Probation Period for 2 Years. This time span of 2 years is crucial for every new recruit. They will undergo the necessary training and evaluation to ensure their competency for the post. They will be trained to adapt to new challenges that will come in their way being an ICDS Supervisor. They will be required to attend training sessions and workshops to enhance their knowledge and skills in various areas such as child nutrition, health, and development.

A candidate who has joined as an ICDS Supervisor will be able to appear for the promotion exams and get promoted to the top level. The chronology of posts starting from an ICDS in ascending order are as follows-

• Integrated Child Development Services(ICDS) Supervisor
• Assistant Child Development Program Officer(ACDPO)
• Child Development Program Officer(CDPO)

We hope that this article helped you understand the OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Salary and Job Profile including elements like salary structure, career growth opportunities, and job profile of an ICDS Supervisor. Feel free to contact us if you have any queries on the upcoming OSSC ICDS Supervisor Recruitment 2026. Candidates can download the Testbook Application to know about exam pattern, syllabus, practice set, mock tests, and many more of the exams they are preparing for.

Candidates who wish to apply for the post of OSSSC ICDS Supervisor must have pursued graduation in any discipline for a recognized university.

| OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Educational Qualification | Name of the post |

| --- | --- |

| ICDS Supervisor | |

| Educational Qualification | |

| Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university | |

Candidates must fall within the age limit 21 - 38 Years. This means candidates must not be less than 21 years and must not be more than 38 years as on the date mentioned in the official notification. Relaxations will be applicable on the upper age limit category-wise as per the government norms

| OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Age Limit | Name Of the post |

| --- | --- |

| ICDS Supervisor | |

| Lower Age Limit | |

| Not Below 21 Years | |

| Upper Age Limit | |

| Not Above 38 Years <br> Below are the category-wise age relaxations on the upper age limit | |

| OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Category Wise Age Relaxations | |

| Category | |

| Age Relaxation | |

| SC/ ST/ SEBC Women | |

| 5 years | |

| PwD | |

| 10 years | |

| Ex-Servicemen | |

| Total period of service rendered | |

Candidates interested in the OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Recruitment 2026 must be Indian National. They must have supporting documents in support of their nationality like

• Aadhar Card
• Voter ID
• PAN Card
• Passport

It is mandatory for candidates who wish to apply for the post of OSSSC ICDS Supervisor to have studied the Odia Language at the school level at 7th Standard or above. Candidates having a valid certificate in support of having proficiency in the Odia Language will also be considered.

OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Work Experience

Candidates need not have prior work experience in the relevant field to be eligible in the OSSSC ICDS Recruitment 2026.

OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Number Of Attempts

There is no mention of restriction in the number of attempts. Hence candidates can appear for the OSSSC ICDS Supervisor Exam as long as their age limit permits