CDS 2025 Exam Analysis OUT: Check CDS 2 Difficulty Level for GK, Maths and English & Good Attempts
Combined Defence Services Exam 2025 ( CDS )
Registration - 10 Dec '25 - 30 Dec '25
CDS 2025 Exam Analysis: The CDS 2 2025 exam is conducting on September 14 at various centres across the country. After the completion of the exam, we are providing the exam analysis based on the feedback of the students, including the overall difficulty of the exam, good attempts, and more.
CDS 2 2025 English Analysis OUT
As per the students, CDS 2 2025 English paper overall difficulty level was moderate.
UPSC conducts the CDS exam for admission to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA). Candidates who seek recruitment in IMA, INA, and AFA are required to appear for all three sections, English, and Elementary Maths, while candidates seeking admission in OTA are required to appear for two sections only English and General Knowledge. The written exam for admission to IMA, INA, and AFA carries 300 marks while the exam for admission to OTA carries 200 marks. Based on their performance in the written exam, candidates are called for the SSB Interview.
- CDS 2 2025 Exam Analysis (English, GK and Maths)
- CDS 1 2025 Exam Analysis (English, GK and Maths)
- CDS 1 Exam Analysis Previous Year (English & GK)
- CDS 2 Exam Analysis Previous Year (English & GK)
- CDS 1 Exam Analysis Previous Year (Maths)
- CDS 2 Exam Analysis Previous Year (Maths)
- CDS Analysis 2025 FAQs
CDS 2 2025 Exam Analysis (English, GK and Maths)
The CDS 2 2025 exam is ongoing on September 14, 2025. The exam analysis for English, GK, and Maths is provided here after the conclusion of an exam based on the students' feedback. Also, several institutes will release the answer key and will also be updated here.
CDS 2 2025 English Analysis OUT
As per the students, CDS 2 2025 English paper overall difficulty level was moderate.
CDS 2 2025 English GK Analysis OUT
As per the students, CDS 2 2025 General Knowledge overall difficulty level is Moderate. Some felt Easy to Moderate.
CDS 2 2025 Exam Analysis Video
CDS 2 2025 Exam Analysis Video
CDS 1 2025 Exam Analysis (English, GK and Maths)
The CDS 1 exam 2025 was conducted on April 13, 2025. Analysis is provided here for CDS 1 English, GK and Maths Paper 2025.
CDS 1 2025 Maths Analysis
As per student reactions,
- Maths exam was lengthy.
- Overall Difficulty level: Moderate
- Graph Questions were asked
- Statistics asked more this time
- Same topics asked last year
- Cutoff will be high
CDS 1 2025 English Analysis
- Total questions attempted: 87-93
- Todays English paper was lengthy
- Paper pattern is almost same as compared to earlier one
- Overall difficulty: Moderate, some students felt Easy
- Some of the new questions were asked in the English exam
CDS 1 2025 GK Analysis
As per student reactions'
- Overall Difficulty level: Moderate
- History was tough
- Polity was moderate
- Factual questions asked from schemes
- Economics Some questions were hard
- Current affairs was government oriented
- Science was Easy
- Good Attempts: 85 to 90
- Expected Cutoff: High
CDS 1 2025 Maths Exam Analysis Video
CDS 1 2025 GK & English Exam Analysis Video
CDS 1 Answer Key 2025 by Major Kalshi
| Subject | CDS Answer Key |
|---|---|
| CDS 1 GK Answer Key 2025 (Set B) | Download Here |
| CDS 1 English Answer Key 2025 (All Sets) | |
| CDS 1 Math Answer Key 2025 | Available Soon |
CDS 1 Exam Analysis Previous Year (English & GK)
The candidates can check the CDS 1 exam review recorded at the exam centre from the students who took the CDS 1 exam: The overall difficulty was moderate.
CDS 1 2023 Analysis (English & GK)
The candidates who appeared for the CDS 1 exam gave their reviews of the exam. The overall difficulty was moderate.
CDS 1 2022 Analysis (English & GK)
Questions are asked from error detection, grammar usage, idiom and phrases vocabulary, etc.
| Topics | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Ordering of Sentences |
10 |
| Ordering of words in a Sentences |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
| Spotting Error |
10 |
| Reading Comprehension |
10 |
| Antonyms |
10 |
| Synonyms |
10 |
| Part of Speech |
10 |
| Completion of Sentence |
10 |
| Cloze Composition |
10 |
| Preposition and Determiners |
10 |
| idioms & Phrases |
10 |
General Knowledge
In General Knowledge, questions were asked from Science, Polity, Economics, History, Geography, Defence GK, and Current Affairs. Candidates can check below the distribution of questions in this paper.
| Topics | No. Of Questions |
|---|---|
| Indian Polity |
21 |
| Indian History |
13 |
| Indian Economy |
6 |
| Geography |
22 |
| General Science |
30 |
| Environment |
3 |
| Science & Tech |
3 |
| Art & Culture |
3 |
| Current Affairs |
19 |
| Total |
120 |
CDS 1 2021 Analysis (English & GK)
General Knowledge
The distribution of questions in General Knowledge section is given below.
| Topics | Number of questions |
|---|---|
| Current Affairs |
12 |
| Economics
Financial software
|
13 |
| Geography |
18 |
| Medieval History |
5 |
| Modern History |
16 |
| Polity |
20 |
| Physics |
9 |
| Chemistry |
12 |
| Biology |
9 |
| Defence |
3 |
| Static GS |
3 |
English Language
The distribution of questions in English Language section is given below.
| Topics | Number of questions |
|---|---|
| 10 |
|
| Synonyms |
10 |
| Antonyms |
10 |
| 10 |
|
| Cloze Test |
10 |
| 10 |
|
| Fill in the blanks |
10 |
| Ordering of words in a sentence |
10 |
| Ordering of sentence |
10 |
| Completion of sentence |
10 |
| Preposition & Determinants |
10 |
CDS 1 2020 Analysis (English & GK)
General Knowledge
Questions in the GK section were asked from current affairs, history, geography, economics, science, polity, etc.
| Topics | Level of difficulty | Number of questions |
|---|---|---|
| History |
Moderate |
18 |
| Geography |
Moderate to Difficult |
17 |
| Polity |
Moderate |
13 |
| Economy |
Moderate |
14 |
| Current Affairs |
Easy to Moderate |
20 |
| Physics |
Moderate |
8 |
| Chemistry |
Moderate |
10 |
| Biology |
Moderate to Difficult |
9 |
| Static GK |
Easy to Moderate |
11 |
English
The questions in the English section assessed a candidate's understanding of the language. The questions in the English section were usually asked from topics like RC, spotting errors, fillers, antonyms, synonyms, idioms and phrases and cloze test, etc.
| Topics | Number of questions |
|---|---|
| Parts of Speech | 10 |
| Spelling Mistakes |
10 |
| Ordering of Sentence |
10 |
| Synonyms |
10 |
| Antonyms |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
| Ordering of Words in a Sentence |
10 |
| Idioms and Phrases |
10 |
| Comprehension | 2 Passages |
| Spotting Errors | 10 |
| Synonyms | 10 |
| Spelling mistakes | 10 |
| Transformation of sentences | 10 |
| Reported speech | 10 |
| Antonyms | 10 |
CDS 2 Exam Analysis Previous Year (English & GK)
Candidates can check below the CDS 2 2024 exam review recorded at the exam centre from the students who gave the CDS 2 exam 2024:
English Paper
- Total questions attempted: 90-93
- English paper was lengthy
- Paper pattern is different as compared to CDS 1
- Overall difficulty: Easy
- New questions asked in the English exam
GK Paper
Shiksha reporter Rupali Pruthi reported live from the centre in Delhi to gather the candidates' feedback regarding the difficulty level of the English and GK sections.
As per the student reactions', the overall difficulty level of the paper was Moderate.
CDS 2 Analysis 2023 (English & GK)
The CDS 2 2023 English section analysis was shared on September 3, 2023, after the exam got over. The overall difficulty level was moderate.
CDS 2 Exam Analysis 2021 (English & GK)
The overall and section-wise difficulty levels of CDS (2) 2021 exam are given below.
Overall Difficulty
The overall difficulty level of CDS (II) exam was moderate.
| Sections | Number of Questions | Level |
|---|---|---|
| English |
120 |
Moderate |
| General Knowledge |
120 |
Moderate |
| Elementary Mathematics |
100 |
Tough |
| Overall |
300 |
Moderate |
English Language
Questions in the English Language are asked from Error Detection, Grammar Usage, Idiom and Phrases Vocabulary, etc.
| English | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Cloze Test |
10 |
| Preposition & Determinants |
10 |
| Completion of Sentence |
10 |
| Antonyms |
10 |
| Part of Speech |
10 |
| Spotting Error |
10 |
| Ordering of Word in a Sentence |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
| Synonyms |
10 |
| Idioms & Phrases |
10 |
| Ordering of Sentences |
10 |
| Total |
120 |
General Knowledge
Questions in General Knowledge were asked from Science, Polity, Economics, History, Geography, Defence GK, and Current Affairs.
| Subjects | No. Of Questions |
|---|---|
| Geography |
16 |
| History |
24 |
| Economy |
11 |
| Polity |
17 |
| Physics |
11 |
| Chemistry |
17 |
| Biology |
7 |
| Current Affairs |
18 |
| Static/Misc. |
2 |
| Total |
120 |
CDS 2 Analysis 2020 (English and GK)
Overall Analysis
| Subjects | Difficulty level | Good attempts |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge | Moderate to Difficult | 80-90 |
| English | Easy | 85-95 |
English Language
Questions in this section were asked from Spell Check and Correction, Synonyms, Antonyms, Spotting Errors, Ordering of Sentences, Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Rearrangement of Sentences, Idioms and Phrases, Parts of Speech.
| Topics | No. of questions |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | 10 |
| Ordering of words | 10 |
| Antonyms | 10 |
| Spelling Mistakes | 10 |
| Comprehension | 10 |
| Error Spotting | 10 |
| Idioms and Phrases | 10 |
| Fill in the blanks | 10 |
| Cloze test | 10 |
General Knowledge
| Topics | Number of questions |
|---|---|
| Physics | - |
| Biology | - |
| Current Affairs | - |
| Polity | 5 to 6 |
| Modern History | 5 to 6 |
| Medieval | 2 to 3 |
| Ancient History | 3 to 4 |
| Geography | 5 to 6 |
CDS 1 Exam Analysis Previous Year (Maths)
CDS 1 Analysis 2022 (Maths)
The distribution of questions in Maths paper is given below.
| Topic | Number of questions |
|---|---|
| Mensuration |
12 |
| Geometry |
11 |
| Algebra |
6 |
| Number system |
9 |
| Trigonometry |
17 |
| Time and Work |
1 |
| Speed & Distance |
4 |
| Simple Interest and Compound Interest |
1 |
| Ven Diagram |
4 |
| Profit and Loss |
2 |
| Miscllaneous |
24 |
| Total |
100 |
CDS 1 2021 Analysis (Maths)
Mathematics
| Topic | No. of questions |
|---|---|
| Logarithm |
2 |
| Trigonometry |
16 |
| 12 |
|
| 2 |
|
| Time & Distance |
2 |
| Profit & Loss |
2 |
| Simplification |
11 |
| Statics |
5 |
| Triangle |
10 |
| 3D Mensuration |
16 |
| 4 |
|
| Average |
2 |
| Quadrilateral |
3 |
| Circle |
1 |
| Polynomial |
3 |
| Sequence & Series |
1 |
| Divisibility Rule |
2 |
| Remainder Theorem |
1 |
| LCM & HCF |
2 |
| Time & Work |
2 |
| 2D Mensuration |
1 |
CDS 1 Exam Analysis 2020
Overall Analysis
| Sections |
Total Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge |
120 |
Easy to moderate |
| English Language |
120 |
Easy to Moderate |
| Elementary Mathematics |
100 |
Difficult |
| Total |
340 |
Moderate to difficult |
CDS 1 2020 Analysis (Maths)
The Elementary Maths paper was conducted for 100 marks. Questions were asked from the topics like Arithmetics, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, Simplification, Profit and Loss, Ratio and Proportion, average, etc.
| Topics |
Level of difficulty |
Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Number System |
Easy |
20 |
| Mensuration |
Moderate |
15 |
| Geometry |
Moderate to Difficult |
11 |
| Time, Speed and Distance |
Moderate |
6 |
| Easy |
2 |
|
| Trigonometry |
Moderate |
12 |
| Algebra |
Moderate to Difficult |
10 |
| Percentage |
Moderate |
4 |
| Mixture |
Moderate |
1 |
| Time and Work |
Moderate |
5 |
| Ratio & Proportion |
Easy |
2 |
| Profit/Loss |
Moderate |
1 |
| DI & DS |
Moderate |
3 |
| Statistics |
Easy |
8 |
CDS 2 Exam Analysis Previous Year (Maths)
CDS 2 2024 Maths Analysis
The CDS 2 Maths exam was successfully conducted on September 1, here we have provided the exam analysis including the difficulty level, student reactions, and more.
Shiksha reporter Rupali Pruthi reported live from the centre in Delhi to gather the candidates' feedback regarding the difficulty level of the Maths section. As per the students, overall Difficulty level of the CDS 2 2024 Maths question paper was Moderate. Pattern was changed. Statement questions were asked. Trignometry questions were there. Expected cutoff 120-150. Good attempts 70-80.
CDS 2 2023 Exam Analysis Maths
Check the reaction of the students who have taken the CDS 2 maths exam below:
- Maths was a little difficult as compared to the other sections. The paper was lengthy and the questions from algebra were dominant in the exam. Further, the exam was good and the difficulty level of the maths paper was high and the questions were asked from advanced algebra. The expected cut-off will be around 120".
CDS 2 2021 Analysis Maths
Most of the questions in Elementary Maths were based on formulas and were calculative. The questions were asked from basic Mathematics.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Mensuration |
14 |
| Geometry |
20 |
| Algebra |
7 |
| Number system |
20 |
| Trigonometry |
14 |
| Average/Statistics |
4 |
| Time and Work |
3 |
| Speed & Distance |
6 |
| Simple Interest and Compound Interest |
5 |
| Percentage |
2 |
| Clock |
2 |
| Profit and Loss |
1 |
| Mixture and allegation |
1 |
| Set Theory |
1 |
| Total |
100 |
CDS 2 2020 Analysis Maths
The Mathematics section was moderate. Questions were asked from Number System, Mensuration, Geometry, Time, Speed and Distance, Simple Interest/Compound Interest, Trigonometry, Algebra, Percentage, Mixture, Time and Work, Ratio and Proportion, Profit/Loss, DI and DS, Statistics.
| Topics | No.of questions |
|---|---|
| Number System | 20 |
| Mensuration | 15 |
| Geometry | 11 |
| Time, Speed and Distance | 6 |
| Simple Interest/Compound interest | 2 |
| Trigonometry | 12 |
| Algebra | 10 |
| Percentage | 4 |
| Mixture | 1 |
| Time and Work | 5 |
| Ratio & Proportion | 2 |
| Profit/Loss | 1 |
| DI & DS | 3 |
| Statistics | 8 |
Also Read:
CDS Analysis 2025 FAQs
Refer CDS Analysis FAQs Here
CDS Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 16 hours ago
Here are the list of some of the books which can help candidates in their preparation.
- High School English Grammar & Composition Edition by Wren and Martin
- Objective General English by SP Bakshi
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- English Grammar & Composition by S.C Gupta
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 17 hours ago
The authority released a total of 453 vacancies for the CDS 2 exam 2025 for admission to the Indian Air Force, Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy for courses.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 17 hours ago
It is recommended to the candidates to reach the CDS exam centre at least one hour prior to the reporting time. The CDS exam centre allotment is done on a first-apply-first-allot basis.
C
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 17 hours ago
Yes, the English section of the CDS exam is scorable if it is prepared properly. Usually the difficulty level of the exam is moderate.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 18 hours ago
Candidates can check the cut off marks for the CDS exam by visiting the official website at upsc.gov.in. The UPSC will release the cutoff according to the academy or course.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 18 hours ago
The steps to check the CDS cut off marks is provided below:
- Visit at upsc.gov.in
- Click on the :Examination" tab
- Go to the "Cut Off Marks" dropdown menu.
- Click on the download link and save it for future reference
I
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes. In the CDS exam there is a negative marking. One-third mark will be deducted for an incorrect answer. No mark will be deducted for unanswered questions.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
The CDS exam is conducted in an offline mode that is in a pen-paper mode. The exam consists of objective type questions and need to mark their answers in an OMR sheet.
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Apart from the salary, CDS officers receive several allowances, including DA, high altitude allowance, uniform allowance, transport allowance, medical aid, accommodation, children's education allowance, etc. It depends upon the amount of salary, and it varies depending on the designation and academy
G
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Candidates can check below the CDS 2 2025 age limit:
- IMA: Candidates for IMA should be unmarried and must have been born not earlier than July 2, 2002, and not later than July 1, 2007.
- INA: Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than July 2, 2002, and not later than July 1, 2007, can apply for INA
N
Contributor-Level 6
Upcoming Sarkari Exam Dates
SSC CPO application form 2025 26 Sep '25 - 16 Oct '25 UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Prelims Application Form 26 Sep '25 - 16 Oct '25
What are the best books for the English subject for CDS preparation?