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Geography for CDS/OTA

~10 min read

In 30 seconds
  • What: CDS/OTA Geography covers physical, human and Indian geography — Earth's motions, atmosphere, oceans, landforms, climate, soils, population, resources and maps.
  • Marks: ~20-25 questions × 4 = 80-100 marks in the General Knowledge paper.
  • Source: NCERT Class 6-10 Geography + Class 11-12 selected chapters. 765+ CDS/OTA Geography PYQs routed across 20 final topics.

Geography in the CDS/OTA Paper

CDS/OTA Geography is the heaviest single bucket within the GK paper. The questions favour map-based knowledge (rivers, peaks, straits), Indian physical geography (monsoon, soils, vegetation), and applied climatology. Class 6-10 NCERT covers ~70%; Class 11-12 chapters on climatology, oceanography and human geography close the gap.

20-Topic Syllabus

The CDS/OTA Geography taxonomy is now locked into 20 broad, exam-useful topics. Older micro-slugs have been removed so writers, teachers and students all follow the same structure.

Topic 1Earth, Coordinates and Map Basics Topic 2Earth Interior, Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes Topic 3Volcanoes and Endogenic Forces Topic 4Geomorphic Processes and Landforms Topic 5Atmosphere, Insolation and Heat Balance Topic 6Winds, Jet Streams and Weather Systems Topic 7Humidity, Clouds and Precipitation Topic 8Climate Regions and Climate Change Topic 9Oceans, Currents, Tides and Salinity Topic 10Coral Reefs and Marine Geography Topic 11India: Location, Physiography and Physical Divisions Topic 12Indian Drainage and Water Resources Topic 13Indian Climate, Monsoon and Hazards Topic 14Soils, Vegetation, Biodiversity and Wetlands Topic 15Population, Migration, Settlements and Human Development Topic 16Agriculture, Land Resources and Food Security Topic 17Minerals, Energy and Industries Topic 18Transport, Communication, Trade and Strategic Routes Topic 19World Geography: Continents, Peaks, Lakes and Water Bodies Topic 20Environment, Resources and Sustainable Development

8-Week Plan

  • Week 1: Map basics, coordinates, Earth interior, plate tectonics and earthquakes.
  • Week 2: Volcanoes, endogenic forces, geomorphic processes and landforms.
  • Week 3: Atmosphere, insolation, heat balance, winds, jet streams and weather systems.
  • Week 4: Humidity, clouds, precipitation, climate regions and climate change.
  • Week 5: Oceans, currents, tides, salinity, coral reefs and marine geography.
  • Week 6: Indian physiography, drainage, water resources, monsoon and hazards.
  • Week 7: Soils, vegetation, biodiversity, wetlands, agriculture, minerals and industries.
  • Week 8: Transport, strategic routes, population, human development and environment revision.

Reference Books

BookUse
NCERT Class 6-10 GeographyCore — covers ~70% of CDS/OTA Geography
NCERT Class 11 — Fundamentals of Physical GeographyClimatology, oceanography, geomorphology
NCERT Class 11 — India: Physical EnvironmentIndian physical geography, monsoon, soils, vegetation
NCERT Class 12 — Fundamentals of Human GeographyPopulation, migration, settlement, resources
NCERT Class 12 — India: People and EconomyCensus, agriculture, industry, transport
CDS/OTA Geography PYQs 2015-2025765 routed questions — practice asset

Drill CDS/OTA Geography

Topic-tagged Geography mocks across all 28 sub-topics, built on a decade of CDS/OTA PYQs.

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FAQs

How many Geography questions in CDS/OTA?

20-25 per paper in the General Knowledge section — single largest sub-bucket within GK.

Is Class 11-12 NCERT needed for CDS/OTA?

Class 6-10 covers 70%. For climatology, oceanography, population and Indian economic geography, add the four Class 11-12 NCERTs listed above.

Which is highest-weightage cluster?

Indian physical geography (rivers, soils, vegetation) and applied climatology (winds, monsoon, climatic types) — 8-12 questions per paper combined.

How do CDS/OTA Geography questions differ from NDA?

CDS/OTA leans more toward Indian geography and applied climate; NDA tilts toward physical and astronomical geography. Both share NCERT as the spine.