CDS vs AFCAT: choosing your graduate-entry route

Graduates preparing for a defence career often ask which exam to prioritise first — CDS or AFCAT — as if the two were substitutes. They aren't quite: CDS opens entries into the Army, Navy and Air Force (through IMA, INA, AFA and OTA), while AFCAT is specific to the Indian Air Force, for both flying and ground duty branches. Many serious aspirants eventually attempt both, since the preparation overlaps heavily.

Eligibility is the first real fork. CDS has service-specific age and physical criteria that vary by entry (IMA, INA, AFA, OTA), and OTA is open to both men and women for a Short Service Commission. AFCAT eligibility for the flying branch carries its own age band and requires clearing the AFSB along with a computerised pilot aptitude test (for first-time flying-branch applicants) — a step CDS candidates never face.