UPSC CDS 2020-2024 Comprehensive Trend Analysis With PYQs & Cutoffs
The UPSC CDS 2 Exam Analysis has been released for the exam conducted on 1st September 2024. To accommodate the large number of candidates, the exam was held in three shifts: Morning (9:00 AM – 11:00 AM), Afternoon (12:00 PM – 2:00 PM), and Evening (3:00 PM – 5:00 PM). Additionally, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducted the CDS 1 Exam on 21st April 2024. Below is a comprehensive analysis of the exam to help candidates assess the difficulty level, topic-wise weightage, and expected cutoffs.
The UPSC CDS Exam is held twice a year to recruit candidates for prestigious institutions like the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). While IMA, INA, and AFA candidates must appear for three sections (English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics), OTA candidates are assessed only in English and General Knowledge.
CDS Exam PYQ (2024 – 2020)
UPSC CDS 2 2024 – Difficulty Level Analysis
The overall difficulty level of the UPSC CDS 2 2024 Exam was moderate. Below is a breakdown of the section-wise difficulty level:
| Paper |
Difficulty Level |
| English |
Easy to Moderate |
| General Knowledge |
Moderate |
| Mathematics |
Moderate |
CDS 2 2024 – Good Attempts Analysis
The UPSC CDS 2 Exam 2024 featured a balanced mix of easy, moderate, and difficult questions. To maximize their scores, candidates had to focus on accuracy while attempting a significant number of questions. Below is an analysis of good attempts for each section:
| Subjects |
Good Attempts Range |
| English Language |
80-90 |
| General Knowledge |
70-80 |
| Mathematics |
65-75 |
CDS 2 2024 – English Section Analysis
The English section assessed candidates on grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the topics covered along with the number of questions asked:
| Name of Topics |
Number of Questions Asked |
| Grammar |
10 |
| Vocabulary (Antonym and Synonyms) |
20 |
| Opposite Words |
5 |
| Reading Comprehension |
10 |
| Para Jumbles |
20 |
| Sentence Improvement |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks (Preposition) |
10 |
| Sentence Combination |
5 |
| Idioms and Phrases |
5 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
| Match the Following |
5 |
| Error Detection |
10 |
CDS 2 2024 – General Knowledge Section Analysis
The General Knowledge section covered a variety of subjects, including History, Polity, Geography, Science, and Current Affairs. Below is the detailed topic-wise distribution of questions:
| Name of Subject |
Number of Questions Asked |
| Environment and Ecology |
10 |
| Science and Technology, Defence Related Questions |
20 |
| Current Affairs |
15 |
| Geography |
20 |
| India Polity |
20 |
| History |
20 |
| Economics |
15 |
CDS 2 2024 – Mathematics Section Analysis
The Mathematics section tested candidates on fundamental mathematical concepts. Below is an overview of the topics covered, along with the number of questions asked:
| Topic |
Number of Questions Asked |
| Number System |
10-12 |
| Geometry |
8-9 |
| Mensuration |
9-10 |
| Trigonometry |
18-20 |
| Algebra |
7-8 |
| Time, Speed, and Distance |
6-8 |
| Mean-Median-Mode |
4-5 |
| Simple Interest/Compound Interest |
5-6 |
| Time and Work |
6-7 |
| Percentage |
4-5 |
| Profit/Loss |
4-7 |
| Mixture |
4-5 |
| Set Theory |
3-4 |
CDS 1 2024 – Difficulty Level Analysis
The overall difficulty level of the UPSC CDS 1 2024 Exam was moderate. Below is a section-wise difficulty level analysis:
| Paper |
Difficulty Level |
| English |
Easy to Moderate |
| General Knowledge |
Moderate |
| Mathematics |
Moderate |
CDS 1 2024 – Good Attempts Analysis
Candidates needed to strike a balance between speed and accuracy to maximize their scores in the UPSC CDS 1 2024 Exam. Here’s an analysis of good attempts for each section:
| Subjects |
Good Attempts Range |
| English Language |
80-90 |
| General Knowledge |
– |
| Mathematics |
– |
CDS 1 – 2024 Cut-off Marks
| Academy |
Written Exam (Aggregate marks of last qualified candidate) |
Final Exam (Marks of last recommended candidate) |
| IMA |
120 (Out of 300) |
244 (Out of 600) |
| INA |
100 (Out of 300) |
230 (Out of 600) |
| AFA |
128 (Out of 300) |
250 (Out of 600) |
| OTA (Men) |
87 (Out of 200) |
168 (Out of 400) |
| OTA (Women) |
87 (Out of 200) |
168 (Out of 400) |
Note: Candidates must secure a minimum of 18% marks in each subject.
Tie-Resolution Principles
If two or more candidates secure equal aggregate marks, the tie is resolved using these criteria:
- Older candidates are given a higher rank.
- If age is the same, higher marks in written papers decide the rank.
- If written marks are also equal, higher marks in General Knowledge determine the rank.
CDS 2 2023 – Difficulty Level Analysis
The overall difficulty level of the UPSC CDS 2 2023 Exam was categorized as easy to moderate. Below is a subject-wise breakdown:
| Paper |
Difficulty Level |
| English |
Easy to Moderate |
| General Knowledge |
Moderate |
| Mathematics |
Moderate |
CDS 2023 – English Paper Analysis
The English paper assessed comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary skills. Below is the detailed topic-wise analysis:
| Topic |
Details |
| Spotting Error |
10 |
| Idioms & Phrases |
10 |
| Reading Comprehension |
10 |
| Ordering of words in a sentence |
10 |
| Ordering of Sentences |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
| Antonyms |
10 |
| Cloze Composition |
10 |
| Synonyms |
10 |
| Parts of Speech |
10 |
| Completion of Sentence |
10 |
| Preposition & Determiners |
10 |
CDS 2023 – General Studies (GS) Analysis
The General Knowledge section included questions from multiple subjects. Below is the topic-wise distribution:
| Subject |
No. of Questions |
| History |
22 |
| Polity |
6 |
| Geography |
18 |
| Physics |
10 |
| Chemistry |
10 |
| Biology |
10 |
| Economics |
10 |
| CA/Env |
34 |
CDS 2023 – Mathematics Paper Analysis
The Mathematics paper tested candidates across various topics. Below is a detailed breakdown of the question distribution:
| Topics |
Number of Questions Asked |
| Algebraic Identities |
14 |
| Area and Perimeter(2D) |
1 |
| Average |
3 |
| Basic Operation and Factorisation |
2 |
| Circle |
6 |
| Data Interpretation |
2 |
| Divisibility |
1 |
| Geometry |
4 |
| HCF and LCM |
4 |
| Height & Distance |
7 |
| Linear Equations |
1 |
| Lines and Angles |
2 |
| Polynomials and Inequations |
1 |
| Powers and Roots |
3 |
| Problem on Age |
3 |
| Profit and Loss |
1 |
| Properties of Number System |
6 |
| Quadratic |
6 |
| Ratio and Proportion |
4 |
| SI and CI |
2 |
| Statistics |
3 |
| Time and Distance |
2 |
| Triangles |
6 |
| Trigonometry |
11 |
| Volume and Surface Area(3D) |
3 |
| Work and Time |
2 |
CDS (II) – 2023 Cut-off Marks
| Sr. No |
Academy |
Minimum Qualifying Marks in Each Subject |
Written Result (Aggregate Marks of Last Qualified Candidate) |
Final Result (Marks of Last Recommended Candidate) |
| 1 |
IMA |
20% |
127 marks (Out of 300) |
250 marks (Out of 600) |
| 2 |
INA |
20% |
110 marks (Out of 300) |
237 marks (Out of 600) |
| 3 |
AFA |
20% |
136 marks (Out of 300) |
259 marks (Out of 600) |
| 4 |
OTA (Men) |
20% |
104 marks (Out of 200) |
185 marks (Out of 400) |
| 5 |
OTA (Women) |
20% |
104 marks (Out of 200) |
188 marks (Out of 400) |
CDS 1 2023 – Exam Overview
The UPSC CDS 1 Exam Analysis 2023 was released on 16th April 2023. This analysis helps candidates understand section-wise difficulty levels, important topics, and question distribution.
| Subjects |
Difficulty Level |
Good Attempts |
| English Language |
Easy to Moderate |
70-80 |
| General Knowledge |
Moderate |
80-90 |
| Mathematics |
Moderate |
60-70 |
CDS 1 2023 – English Paper Analysis
The English section tested candidates on various aspects of language proficiency, including grammar, comprehension, and vocabulary. Below is the topic-wise question distribution:
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Reading Comprehension |
10 |
| Synonyms |
10 |
| Sentence Completion |
10 |
| Ordering of Words |
10 |
| Cloze Composition |
10 |
| Preposition and Determiners |
10 |
| Ordering of Sentences |
10 |
| Word Meaning |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
| Usage of Paired Words |
10 |
| Spotting Errors |
10 |
| Parts of Speech |
10 |
CDS 1 2023 – General Knowledge Paper Analysis
The General Knowledge section covered a wide range of subjects, testing candidates on history, polity, geography, science, and current affairs. Below is the topic-wise question weightage:
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| History |
22 |
| Polity |
11 |
| Geography |
20 |
| Physics |
10 |
| Chemistry |
11 |
| Biology |
10 |
| Economics |
9 |
| Current Affairs |
27 |
CDS 1 2023 – Mathematics Paper Analysis
The Mathematics section assessed candidates on fundamental and advanced mathematical concepts. Below is the topic-wise question distribution:
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Geometry |
11 |
| Algebra |
1 |
| Profit & Loss |
1 |
| Simple & Compound Interest |
2 |
| Time, Speed & Distance |
1 |
| Time & Work |
4 |
| Trigonometry |
9 |
| Area and Perimeter |
6 |
| Circle |
5 |
| Average |
1 |
| Set Theory |
2 |
| HCF and LCM |
3 |
| Height & Distance |
2 |
| Logarithm and Exponential |
1 |
| Polynomials and Inequations |
3 |
| Decimal |
2 |
| Percentage |
1 |
| Properties of Number System |
8 |
| Quadratic Equations |
7 |
| Quadrilaterals and Polygons |
1 |
| Ratio and Proportion |
1 |
| Problems on Age |
1 |
| Statistics |
4 |
| Triangles |
5 |
| Volume and Surface Area |
6 |
CDS (I) – 2023 Cut-off Marks
| Academy |
Written Exam (Aggregate Marks of Last Qualified Candidate) |
Final Exam (Marks of Last Recommended Candidate) |
| IMA |
132 |
257 |
| INA |
122 |
247 |
| AFA |
142 |
266 |
| OTA (Men) |
101 |
181 |
| OTA (Women) |
101 |
184 |
Note: Subject to a minimum of 20% marks in each paper.
CDS English Paper Analysis – 4 September 2022
The CDS English Exam Analysis for 4 September 2022 is provided below, detailing the topic-wise distribution of questions.
Topic-Wise Distribution
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Reading Comprehension |
15 |
| Synonyms |
5 |
| Sentence Completion |
10 |
| Ordering of Words |
10 |
| Cloze Composition |
10 |
| Preposition and Determiners |
10 |
| Ordering of Sentences |
10 |
| Word Meaning |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
| Usage of Paired Words |
10 |
| Spotting Errors |
10 |
| Parts of Speech |
10 |
CDS General Studies (GS) Paper Analysis – 2022
The CDS GK Exam Analysis for 4 September 2022 is provided below.
Topic-Wise Distribution
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Science |
29 |
| History |
21 |
| Polity |
13 |
| Geography |
22 |
| Economics |
12 |
| Current Affairs |
15 |
| Static GK |
1 |
CDS (II) – 2022 Cut-off Marks
| Sr. No |
Academy |
Minimum Qualifying Marks in Each Subject |
Written Exam (Aggregate Marks of Last Qualified Candidate) |
Final Exam (Marks of Last Recommended Candidate) |
| 1. |
IMA |
20% |
126 marks |
249 |
| 2. |
INA |
20% |
118 marks |
248 |
| 3. |
AFA |
20% |
136 marks |
258 |
| 4. |
OTA (Men) |
20% |
98 marks |
180 |
| 5. |
OTA (Women) |
20% |
98 marks |
179 |
CDS 1 2022 Exam Analysis – Overview
The UPSC CDS 1 Exam Analysis 2022 was released on April 10, 2022, for Elementary Mathematics, English, and General Knowledge. Below is the section-wise difficulty level and good attempts:
| Subject |
Difficulty Level |
Good Attempts |
| English Language |
Easy |
67-72 |
| General Knowledge |
Easy to Moderate |
65-69 |
| Mathematics |
Moderate |
60-63 |
CDS 1 2022 – English Paper Analysis
The English section consisted of 120 questions covering various aspects of language proficiency. Below is the topic-wise question distribution:
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Ordering of Sentences |
10 |
| Synonyms |
10 |
| Completion of Sentence |
10 |
| Prepositions and Determiners |
10 |
| Reading Comprehension |
10 (5 per paragraph) |
| Parts of Speech |
10 |
| Antonyms |
10 |
| Cloze Composition |
10 |
| Idioms & Phrases |
10 |
| Ordering of Words in a Sentence |
10 |
| Spotting Errors |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
CDS 1 2022 – General Knowledge Paper Analysis
The General Knowledge section covered multiple subjects. Below is the topic-wise distribution:
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| History |
21 |
| Polity |
18 |
| Geography |
19 |
| Physics |
10 |
| Chemistry |
10 |
| Biology |
10 |
| Economics |
9 |
| Current Affairs |
21 |
| Static GK |
2 |
CDS 1 2022 – Mathematics Paper Analysis
The Mathematics section assessed candidates on a wide range of topics. Below is the topic-wise distribution:
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Mensuration |
12 |
| Geometry |
11 |
| Algebra |
5 |
| Number System |
10 |
| Profit & Loss |
2-4 |
| Venn Diagram |
4 |
| Simple & Compound Interest |
1-3 |
| Time, Speed & Distance |
5 |
| Time & Work |
2 |
| Trigonometry |
18 |
| Miscellaneous |
24 |
CDS (I) – 2022 Cut-off Marks
| Academy |
Written Exam (Aggregate Marks of Last Qualified Candidate) |
Final Exam (Marks of Last Recommended Candidate) |
| IMA |
136 marks |
258 |
| INA |
128 marks |
256 |
| AFA |
147 marks |
269 |
| OTA (Men) |
100 marks |
181 |
| OTA (Women) |
100 marks |
184 |
Minimum 20% marks required in each paper.
UPSC CDS 2 2021 Exam Analysis – Overview
The UPSC CDS 2 Exam Analysis 2021 provided insights into the difficulty level and good attempts:
| Subject |
Difficulty Level |
Good Attempts |
| English Language |
Easy |
86-94 |
| General Knowledge |
Easy to Moderate |
68-73 |
| Mathematics |
Moderate |
65-70 |
CDS 2 2021 – English Paper Analysis
The English paper was relatively easy. Below is the topic-wise question distribution:
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Spotting Errors |
10 |
| Sentence Arrangement |
– |
| Synonyms & Antonyms |
20 |
| Word Selection |
10 |
| Idioms & Phrases |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
8-10 |
| Word Ordering |
– |
| Reading Comprehension |
10 |
| Sentence Ordering |
10 |
CDS 2 2021 – General Knowledge Paper Analysis
The General Knowledge section was of easy to moderate difficulty. Below is the topic-wise distribution:
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Biology |
10 |
| History |
22 |
| Chemistry |
11 |
| Physics |
10 |
| Polity |
11 |
| Geography |
20 |
| Economics |
9 |
| Current Affairs |
27 |
CDS 2 2021 – Mathematics Paper Analysis
The Mathematics section was of moderate difficulty. Below is the topic-wise question distribution:
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Algebraic Identities |
1 |
| Area and Perimeter (2D) |
6 |
| Circle |
5 |
| Geometry |
11 |
| Average |
1 |
| Data Interpretation |
0 |
| Profit and Loss |
1 |
| Set Theory |
2 |
| HCF and LCM |
3 |
| Height & Distance |
2 |
| Linear Equations |
0 |
| Logarithm and Exponential |
1 |
| Polynomials and Inequations |
3 |
| Decimal |
2 |
| Percentage |
1 |
| Properties of Number System |
8 |
| Quadratic Equations |
7 |
| Quadrilaterals and Polygons |
1 |
| Ratio and Proportion |
1 |
| Problem on Age |
1 |
| SI and CI |
2 |
| Statistics |
4 |
| Time and Distance |
1 |
| Triangles |
5 |
| Trigonometry |
9 |
| Volume and Surface Area (3D) |
6 |
| Work and Time |
4 |
CDS (II) – 2021 Cut-off Marks
| Course |
Minimum Qualifying Marks in Each Subject |
Minimum Aggregate Marks of Last Qualified Candidate |
Marks of Last Recommended Candidate |
| IMA |
20 marks (i.e., 20%) |
138 marks (i.e., 46%) |
263 |
| INA |
20 marks (i.e., 20%) |
132 marks (i.e., 44%) |
256 |
| AFA |
20 marks (i.e., 20%) |
148 marks (i.e., 49.33%) |
270 |
| OTA (Men) |
20 marks (i.e., 20%) |
102 marks (i.e., 51%) |
183 |
| OTA (Women) |
20 marks (i.e., 20%) |
102 marks (i.e., 51%) |
184 |
UPSC CDS 1 2021 Exam Analysis
The UPSC CDS 1 Exam 2021 was conducted in February 2021 for English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Below is an overview of the difficulty level, number of questions, marks, and good attempts for each section.
Overall Exam Overview
| Subject |
Difficulty Level |
Total Questions |
Total Marks |
Good Attempts |
| English Language |
Easy |
120 |
100 |
85-90 |
| General Knowledge |
Moderate-Difficult |
120 |
100 |
85-90 |
| Mathematics |
Easy-Moderate |
100 |
100 |
78-83 |
CDS 1 2021 – English Paper Analysis
The English paper was held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and contained 120 questions. The difficulty level was Easy to Moderate, covering topics such as grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Topic-Wise Question Distribution
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Ordering of Words |
10 |
| Antonyms |
10 |
| Ordering of Sentences |
10 |
| Parts of Speech |
10 |
| Idioms and Phrases |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
| Spelling Mistakes and Correction |
10 |
| Synonyms |
10 |
| Completion of Sentences |
10 |
| Spotting Errors |
10 |
| Reading Comprehension |
10 |
| Prepositions & Determiners |
10 |
CDS 1 2021 – General Knowledge Paper Analysis
The General Knowledge paper was held from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM and consisted of 120 questions for 100 marks. Candidates found the section Moderate to Difficult.
Topic-Wise Question Distribution
| Subject |
Number of Questions |
| Geography |
22 |
| History |
22 |
| Economy |
9 |
| Polity |
18 |
| Physics |
10 |
| Chemistry |
10-12 |
| Biology |
9 |
| Current Affairs |
16 |
| Miscellaneous |
1 |
CDS 1 2021 – Mathematics Paper Analysis
The Mathematics paper was conducted from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM and contained 100 questions for 100 marks. The difficulty level was Easy to Moderate.
Topic-Wise Question Distribution
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Logarithm |
2 |
| Trigonometry |
16 |
| Number System |
12 |
| Percentage |
2 |
| Time & Distance |
2 |
| Profit & Loss |
2 |
| Simplification |
11 |
| Statistics |
5 |
| Triangle |
10 |
| 3D Mensuration |
16 |
| Data Interpretation |
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 (I) – 2021 Cut-off Marks
| Academy |
Aggregate Marks of Last Qualified Candidate (Written Exam) |
Marks of Last Recommended Candidate (Final Exam) |
| IMA |
145 |
268 |
| INA |
136 |
260 |
| AFA |
158 |
281 |
| OTA (Men) |
107 |
189 |
| OTA (Women) |
107 |
191 |
*Subject to a minimum of 20% marks in each paper.
UPSC CDS 2 2020 Exam Analysis
The UPSC CDS 2 Exam 2020 was conducted on 8th November 2020. Below is the difficulty level and number of questions for each section.
| Subject |
Difficulty Level |
Total Questions |
| English Language |
Moderate to Difficult |
120 |
| General Knowledge |
Easy to Moderate |
120 |
| Elementary Mathematics |
Easy to Moderate |
100 |
| Overall |
Easy to Moderate |
340 |
CDS 2 2020 – English Paper Analysis
The English paper contained 120 questions, covering vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension.
Topic-Wise Question Distribution
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Ordering of Sentences |
10 |
| Antonyms |
10 |
| Cloze Test |
20 |
| Parts of Speech |
10 |
| Idioms and Phrases |
10 |
| Fill in the Blanks |
10 |
| Spelling Mistakes and Correction |
10 |
| Synonyms |
10 |
| Sentence Rearrangement |
10 |
| Spotting Errors |
10 |
| Reading Comprehension |
10 |
CDS 2 2020 – General Knowledge Paper Analysis
The General Knowledge section consisted of 120 questions, covering a broad range of topics.
Topic-Wise Question Distribution
| Subject |
Number of Questions |
| Geography |
21 |
| History |
21 |
| Economy |
7 |
| Polity |
17 |
| Physics |
10 |
| Chemistry |
10 |
| Biology |
10 |
| Current Affairs |
22 |
| Static/Misc. |
2 |
CDS 2 2020 – Mathematics Paper Analysis
The Mathematics paper contained 100 questions, testing various mathematical concepts.
Topic-Wise Question Distribution
| Topic |
Number of Questions |
| Number System |
13 |
| Mensuration |
23 |
| Geometry |
14 |
| Time, Speed and Distance |
4 |
| Simple & Compound Interest |
2 |
| Trigonometry |
11 |
| Algebra |
2 |
| Percentage |
1 |
| Linear Equations |
6 |
| Time & Work |
2 |
| Ratio & Proportion |
1 |
| HCF and LCM |
3 |
| Quadratic Equations and Inequations |
4 |
| Statistics |
11 |
| Logarithms |
1 |
| Square Roots and Cube Roots |
2 |
CDS (II) – 2020 Cut-off Marks
| Academy |
Aggregate Marks of Last Qualified Candidate (Written Exam) |
Marks of Last Recommended Candidate (Final Exam) |
| IMA |
139 marks (46.33%) |
263 |
| INA |
134 marks (44.67%) |
257 |
| AFA |
152 marks (50.67%) |
279 |
| OTA (Men) |
97 marks (48.5%) |
179 |
| OTA (Women) |
97 marks (48.5%) |
178 |
*Minimum qualifying marks in each subject: 20%.
CDS (I) – 2020 Cut-off Marks
| Academy |
Aggregate Marks of Last Qualified Candidate (Written Exam) |
Marks of Last Recommended Candidate (Final Exam) |
| IMA |
130 |
250 |
| INA |
118 |
242 |
| AFA |
143 |
274 |
| OTA (Men) |
93 |
173 |
| OTA (Women) |
93 |
177 |
*Minimum qualifying marks in each subject: 20%.
