CDS OTA Cut-off 2020-2021: Here’s All About CDS OTA Expected & Previous Years Cut-offs
Officers Training Academy is one of the defence academies which recruits cadets through the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam. Other academies that recruit cadets through the CDS exam are the Indian Military Academy (IMA), the Indian Naval Academy (INA), and the Indian Air Force Academy (IAFA). OTA is chosen by the candidates who want to work in defence as well as want to pursue their personal goals.
In this article, we will discuss the CDS OTA Cut-off 2021 expectation as well as see some of the previous year’s cut-offs. Read the article till the end to know all about it.
CDS OTA Exam Pattern
The OTA exam is taken in two stages:
- Written Exam
- SSB Interview (Personality tests)
A candidate will have to secure minimum qualifying marks to advance in further stages.
The written exam consists of two papers:
- English
- General Knowledge
The questions in the written exam are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). There will be a deduction of ⅓ marks for every wrong answer. There will be no penalty for wrong answers. The exam pattern is:
| Subject | Duration | Marks |
| English | 2 Hours | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 Hours | 100 |
OTA SSB Interview
The SSB interview consists of two stages:
- Officers Intelligence Tests (OIT)
- Stage two is an interview, Group Testings Officers Task (GTO), psychological tests, and the conference.
The Officers Intelligence Tests are Pictures Perception and Description Tests (PP & DT). A candidate will need to pass these tests to advance in stage two of the SSB interview.
CDS OTA Cut-off
The cut-off depends on many factors. The factors are:
- The difficulty of the paper
- Number of candidates appearing for the paper
- Number of seats available
Some previous year cut-off were:
| Years | Cut-off (Men) | Cut-off (Women) |
| CDS 2 2019 | 95 | 95 |
| CDS 1 2019 | 78 | 78 |
| CDS 2 2018 | 80 | 80 |
| CDS 1 2018 | 69 | 69 |
| CDS 2 2017 | 86 | 86 |
| CDS 1 2017 | 82 | 82 |
Also Read: CDS Exam for Girls: Can Girls Apply for CDS? Learn More on CDS
CDS OTA Cut-off Subject Wise
Every candidate has to secure minimum qualifying marks in each subject. If unable to do so the candidate will be disqualified from the further process even if he or she is able to secure the qualifying score in one subject. The minimum qualifying marks are:
| OTA | Minimum cut-off for each subject |
| Men | 20 Marks (20 % for each subject) |
| Women | 20 Marks (20 % for each subject) |
CDS OTA Cut-off 2021 Expectations
By looking at the previous year’s paper cut-offs and considering the difficulty of the question papers we can get a range of the expected cut-off. The candidates want to know the expected cut-off so that they start preparing for their SSB interview. The expected cut-off is:
| OTA | Expected cut-off |
| Men | 95 to 98 |
| Women | 95 to 98 |
OTA Combined Defense Services Syllabus for English
The question paper will be designed to test the candidates’ understanding of English and workmanlike use of words.
OTA Combined Defense Services Syllabus for GK
General Knowledge including knowledge of current events and of such matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. The paper will also include questions on the History of India and Geography of nature which the candidate should be able to answer without special study.
Note: The candidates aiming to be part of the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy will also have to write a paper on Elementary Mathematics.
CDS OTA Salary
The stipend given during the OTA training is around 56,100 per month. The salary increases as you are promoted up in rank.
| Rank | Pay Scale |
| Lieutenant | 56,100-1,77,500 INR |
| Captain | 61,300-1,93,900 INR |
| Major | 69,400-2,07,200 INR |
| Lieutenant Colonel | 1,21,200-2,12,400 INR |
There are further promotions in the IMA or if the cadet is deciding to shift in the Indian Army after 14 years of service.
Also Read: CDS OTA Training Period: All you Need to Know about OTA
Conclusion
Officers Training Academy is a choice for many youngsters nowadays. For an OTA officer, the service commission is of 10 years which can be extended to 14 years. After 14 years the officer will be given the option of whether he wants to continue or retire.
The CDS OTA cut-off 2020 is expected to be too close to CDS OTA cut-off 2019. Those who are confident about their qualification should start their SSB interview preparation as soon as possible. The cut-off for men and women is generally the same for the Written Exam.
Wish you all the best for your preparation!
