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Shikha Goyal
Assistant Manager
Updated on Sep 1, 2024 15:18 IST

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) released the CDS 2 GK question paper on September 1, 2024. Get the PDF links for the CDS GK question papers for preparation. Check the complete details of the CDS exam in the article.

UPSC CDS 2 GK Question Paper 2024 at upsc.gov.in

UPSC CDS 2 GK Question Paper 2024: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducted the CDS 2 question paper for the General Knowledge (GK) on September 1, 2024. The candidates can download the CDS 2 question paper here. However, the candidates can download the CDS GK previous years' question papers for preparation, to understand the exam pattern, weightage given to sections, repeated questions, and more. 

The CDS exam is taken twice a year to enroll cadets for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers' Training Academy (OTA). The candidates qualifying for the CDS 2024 will be called for the SSB Interview. 

Q:   How many questions are asked in the English section of CDS exam?

A:
Total number of questions asked in the English Language of CDS exam is 120. These questions are asked from different sections. These sections has been given below for the candidates: a) Basic Grammar b) Idioms & Phrases c) Synonyms and Antonyms d) Reading Comprehension Solving e) Substitution of Words f) Error Spotting g) Para Jumbles.

Q:   How many question should I answer to get a good score in the CDS exam?

A:
The candidates must solve more than 50 per cent questions to secure safe marks in order to qualify the CDS cut off. However, to qualify for the CDS exam, the candidates must secure more than 70 per cent marks to get selected for the CDS SSB interview surely. The candidates selected for the SSB interview will be assessed for their mental, physical, and medical ability. The candidates will be considered qualified for the SSB after qualifying the SSB interview. However, the marks of the interview can't be predicted as it completely depends upon the boards and interview panelists. The candidates must not that If they are NIT recommended by the board after the SSB interview they will not move forward for the next stage of the CDS selection to be come Commissioned Officers on the Indian Armed Forces.

Q:   What is the language of question paper in CDS exam?

A:
The language of CDS question paper is bilingual, i.e, English and Hindi. The question paper for the English subject is in the English Language, while the questions for General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics subjects are available in both English and Hindi languages. Candidates can choose the language in which they want to attempt the question paper while filling their application form. It is important to note that the question paper for each subject will be available in only one language, and candidates cannot switch between languages during the exam.

To clear the CDS exam a candidate needs practice and patience and one of the best ways to practice is solving the previous years' question paper. We have provided the CDS GK previous years' question paper PDF for the candidates in the article below.

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Also Read:

 CDS 2 Exam 2024 Live Updates

UPSC CDS Maths Question Paper 2024

CDS 2 GK Exam Shift Timing 2024 

The CDS GK exam will be conducted in the first shift along with the CDS English exam. The shift timing for the CDS exam is provided in the table below:

English

General Knowledge

9.00 am to 11.00 am

12.00 pm to 2.00 pm

UPSC CDS GK Question Paper 2024

Candidates can download the CDS 2 question paper for GK from the table provided below after the exam is concluded on September 1, 2024.

CDS 2 General Knowledge Question Paper 2024
CDS 2 GK Question Paper 2024 Click Here

The candidates can download the CDS 1 question paper for GK is provided in the table below after the exam was concluded on April 21, 2024:

Q:   How many questions are asked in the Maths section of CDS exam?

A:
The CDS question paper for Mathematics carries a total of 100 questions. The section from which the questions are asked has been given below for the candidates: a) Profit and loss b) Elementary Number Theory: Division algorithm c) Prime and composite numbers: Tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11. d) Multiples and factors e) Factorisation Theorem, etc. The candidates must go through these Maths section to secure maximum marks as these section comprise maximum marks in the question paper in the Maths section.

Q:   Is CDS Question Paper 2025 released officially?

A:

Yes, the examination authority will release the CDS Question Papers 2025 officially on the official website. The question papers will be released in the form of PDF. Candidates will be able to download the CDS question papers 2025 from this page also for free. The question papers will help candidates to check the difficulty level of the exam, questions asked, pattern changed or not, etc.

Q:   How do I download CDS Question papers 2025?

A:

Candidates can check below the steps to download the CDS question papers for free.

  • Visit our website; Shiksha.com.
  • Create your profile by mentioning certain details.
  • Once a profile is generated, you will be able to download the question papers for free.
  • Download and save it.

Q:   How many questions are asked in CDS General Awareness section?

A:
The CDS General Awareness section comprises 120 question for 100 marks. The candidates need to solve all the questions as all question are compulsory. If the candidates leaves the question no marks will be awarded for it, however, if the candidates answer it wrong then the penalty of 1/3 marks will given against the wrong answer. The General Awareness section comprises questions from the Current Affairs general Science, history, polity, geography, Maths etc. The candidates can prepare for the CDS General Awareness section by following the analysis of the CDS exam and solving the previous year's question papers. However, the candidates must pen down that the CDS exam follows a negative pattern and they must marks their answer correctly or they will get their marks deducted.

Q:   Is there any question repetition in the CDS exam?

A:
Yes, sometimes questions do get repeated in the CDS exam. However, the UPSC does not directly repeat the question word for word; instead, the basic part gets repeated. For example, you can SEE questions on Article 32 in different years framed differently. From the analysis of the previous year's question paper, it can be concluded that important themes get revisited in CDS. This is the same for GK, math, and English papers. This is why experts and toppers always suggest analyzing the previous year's question paper. By analyzing previous year's question Sets you can not just make a list of such repetitive themes but also understand the patterns in which questions can be framed. Hence, you must start CDS preparation by solving PYQ.
CDS 1 General Knowledge Question Paper 2024
CDS 1 GK Question Paper 2024 Click Here

CDS 2 English and GK Exam Analysis 2024

 

UPSC CDS GK Previous Year Question Paper

The candidates preparing for the CDS exam can download the CDS GK question paper in the table below. The question paper will help the candidate understand the CDS exam pattern, repeated question paper, and more:

UPSC CDS GK Previous Year Question Paper 
CDS 1 GK Question Paper 2023 Click Her
CDS 2 GK Question Paper 2023 Click Here
CDS 1 GK Question Paper 2022 Click Here
CDS 1 GK Question Paper 2021 Click Here

UPSC CDS Answer Key 2024

The candidates preparing for the CDS exam using the previous years' question paper will need the answer key to analyse their performance in the exam. The candidates can download the CDS answer key through the link given below. The candidates have to compare their responses with the answer key to get the marks. 

CDS Answer Key Download Link: Year Wise CDS Answer Key

UPSC CDS Exam Pattern 2024

CDS exam pattern 2024 is divided into a written exam and SSB Interview. The written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA comprises three sections: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. The test paper for admission to OTA comprises two sections: English and General Knowledge. Each section is held for two hours. The total marks of the test for IMA, INA, and AFA are 300, while it is 200 for OTA. The SSB Interview for IMA, INA, and AFA carries 300 marks each while it is 200 marks for OTA. The SSB Interview procedure consists of two stages: I and II. Stage I of the SSB Interview comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT) and Interviews, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and Conferences.

Also Read: CDS Syllabus 2024

CDS Exam Pattern 2024 for SSB Interview

The SSB Interview for IMA, INA, and AFA is for 300 marks each while for OTA, it is 200. The SSB Interview procedure consists of two stages: I and II. Only those candidates who qualify the stage I are permitted to appear in stage II. The details of both stages are given below: 

  • Stage I comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT)
  • Stage II comprises Interviews, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and Conferences. These tests are conducted over days

UPSC CDS Negative Marking 2024

For a better understanding of the marking system of the CDS exam, the marking scheme of the CDS exam is given below. The candidates can review the points to understand the exam marking scheme and CDS exam pattern. The section-wise marking scheme is also provided for the candidate's ease on the page below.

  • For the incorrect answer, 1/3 mark is deducted
  • Candidates marking more than one option are treated as incorrect 
  • If a question is left unanswered, there will be no negative marking 

Read More: UPSC CDS English Question Paper 2024

CDS GK Question Paper 2024 FAQs

Q: How many question should I answer to get a good score in the CDS exam?

A: The candidates must solve more than 50 per cent questions to secure safe marks in order to qualify the CDS cut off. However, to qualify for the CDS exam, the candidates must secure more than 70 per cent marks to get selected for the CDS SSB interview surely. The candidates selected for the SSB interview will be assessed for their mental, physical, and medical ability. The candidates will be considered qualified for the SSB after qualifying the SSB interview. However, the marks of the interview can't be predicted as it completely depends upon the boards and interview panelists. The candidates must not that If they are NIT recommended by the board after the SSB interview they will not move forward for the next stage of the CDS selection to be come Commissioned Officers on the Indian Armed Forces.

Q: What is the exam pattern for OTA CDS exam?

A: The OTA (Officer's Training Academy) CDS exam pattern is similar to the CDS exam pattern for the other academies, with a few differences. The OTA CDS exam is conducted in two stages: a written exam which is followed by an interview. The written exam consists of two papers: a) English This paper is of two hours duration and consists of objective-type questions designed to test the candidate's understanding of English grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and usage. B) General Knowledge: This paper is also of 2 hours duration and consists of objective type questions on various topics such as Current Affairs history, geography, economics, and general Science. It is important to note that there is no Elementary Mathematics paper for the OTA CDS exam Also, the OTA CDS exam is conducted only for the candidates who have applied for Short Service Commission (Non-Technical) course. The interview for the OTA CDS exam is similar to that of the other CDS academies and includes a Psychological Aptitude Test and a Personal Interview.

Q: Is there a time limit for each subject in CDS exam?

A: Yes, there is a time limit for each subject in the CDS exam. The exam is conducted in three stages, namely a written exam, an interview, and a medical exam. The written exam comprises three papers: English General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics, and each paper has a specific time limit as mentioned below: a) English 2 hours b) General Knowledge: 2 hours c) Maths 2 hours The total time duration of the CDS exam is 6 hours. It is essential to manage time effectively during the exam to attempt all questions within the given time frame. Candidates should also keep in mind that there is a negative marking for incorrect answers and they should answer the questions carefully.

About the Author
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Shikha Goyal
Assistant Manager

Shikha Goyal is an author with expertise in various domains, especially engineering. She has postgraduate degrees in Mathematics as well as Mass Communication and Journalism. She has devoted her life to helping stud... Read Full Bio

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Answered 3 weeks ago

If you have completed Part I and Part II of the application form for UPSC CDS and also paid, but are not able to select an exam center, then there are a few things you can do;

Check your Form:

Ensure that each required section is filled in appropriately in both parts of the application form.
Sometimes,

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Ujjwal Gupta

Contributor-Level 9

Answered 4 weeks ago

CDS 1 2025 application form correction window was closed. The authority extended the last date to apply for the CDS 1 2025. The last date to apply for CDS 1 2025 was January 1, 2025.

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Gunjan Majumder

Beginner-Level 2

Answered a month ago

Your sister can surely give the CDS exam. Since she is class 12 and studying Biology, she needs to complete her graduation first, as CDS exam requires candidates to be a graduate from any recognised university.

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Khushi Gupta

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

Any OBC girl is free to apply for the CDS-I examination under reservation benefits extended by the government.

The eligibility of OBCs, including girls, is similar to that of general categories regarding age and educational qualifications. However, here his age limit has been relaxed and certain seat

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Udaya Bhaskar rao

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