CDS Previous Year Question Paper Free Pdf Download
CDS Exam is conducted twice a year by UPSC. If you are preparing for CDS exam, then solving previous year papers will help you understand exam pattern, marking scheme and difficulty level of the exam. In this blog you will get access to s CDS previous year question paper from 2019 to 2023 in PDF format.
Importance of Solving CDS Previous Year Question Paper
Understanding Exam Pattern: If you are preparing for CDS exam then it is important that you understand the exam pattern. Previous year question paper gives you a clear picture of what to expect in the exam question types, weightage of each sections, and difficulty level of the exam.
Understanding exam difficulty: If you are nervous about the exam difficulty level, then solving previous year CDS papers will help you understand the exam difficulty level.
Your Strengths & Weaknesses: Solve CDS previous year papers in the same time limit as of the actual exam. Analyze your performance to find the areas you are good at and those that require more attention.
Recurring Topics: Solving previous year CDS question paper will help you Identify topics that frequently appear, this will allow you to focus your studies more efficiently.
Time Management: If you practice solving questions under the same time limit as of real exam, this will help you to understand your pace and it will also improve your ability to manage exam pressure.
CDS Previous Year Question Paper PDF
In the table below, we have provided you all subject-wise CDS Previous Year Question Paper PDFs of past 5 years. Download CDS Previous Year Question Papers and Start preparing for your upcoming UPSC CDS Exams.
CDS EXAM Pattern
The CDS exam will be conducted for Indian Military Academy(IMA), Indian Naval Academy(INA), Air Force Academy(AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy(OTA).
| CDS Exam Pattern Overview 2024 | |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Sections | Air Force Academy (AFA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA – Three exams Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)- Two exams |
| Exam Language | Hindi and English |
| Exam Duration | 2 hours for each exam |
| Total Marks | IMA, INA and AFA- 300 OTA- 200(it consists of 2 exam) |
| Exam Type | MCQ (Multiple Choice question) |
| Conducted by | UPSC |
CDS Exam Pattern 2024 is not same for all military academics. Exam conducted for the Officers’ Training Academy(OTA) is different from other three academics in terms of total number of exam because for OTA there are only two exam GK and English. However, the syllabus for OTA exam will be same as other 3 academics exams.
CDS written exam is divided into three sections English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Each section will carry 100 marks and the duration will be 2 hours for each exam and for every incorrect answer one third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted. Maths and GK exam are available in both English and Hindi language.
CDS Exam Pattern For Indian Naval Academy (INA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), and Air Force Academy(AFA)
For Indian Naval Academy (INA), Indian Military Academy(IMA), and Air Force Academy(AFA). There will be three exams English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Each exam will carry 100 marks and the duration of each exam will be 2 hours and for wrong answer 1/3 of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted.
| Subjects | Exam Duration | Total Questions | Marks |
| Elementary Mathematics | 2 hours | 100 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
| English | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
CDS Exam Pattern for Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)
Elementary Mathematics is the only exam that is not included in OTA entrance exam. All other aspects of exam like duration, exam language and total marks, negative marking scheme are same for this exam.
| Subject | Exam Duration | Total Questions | Marks |
| General Knowledge | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
| English | 2 hours | 120 | 100 |
CDS exam Syllabus 2024 For IMA, INA and IAF
CDS exam Syllabus 2024 For IMA, INA and IAF is divided into three sections
English
- Idioms and Phrases.
- Synonyms & Antonyms.
- Sentence Arrangement or Jumbled.
- Spotting the Error
- Sentence Improvement or Sentence Correction
- Ordering of words in Sentence.
- Reading Comprehension.
General Knowledge
- Environment
- Political Science
- Geography
- Indian History
- Economics
- Current affairs
Elementary Mathematics
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Mensuration
- Trigonometry
- Statistics
- Arithmetic
CDS exam Syllabus 2024 for OTA
- English (Same as IMA, INA & AFA)
- General Knowledge (Same as IMA, INA & AFA)
Conclusion
If you’re preparing for CDS exam, it’s important that you understand the exam pattern and syllabus and CDS Previous Year Question Paper help you not only to understand exam pattern and syllabus, it also helps you to understand exam pattern, marking scheme and difficulty level of the exam. Plus, practicing within the time limit of the real exam can help you manage your time better and feel less stressed during the actual exam. As the CDS 1 Exam 2024 is approaching you should now dedicate your time revising your notes and practice solving previous year question paper.
FAQs
Date CDS 1 Exam 2024 is 21 April
Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam is a national level exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year. It selects officers for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).
Yes, you can choose your preferences for different academies in your application form.
OTA stands for Officers’ Training Academy, is a short term service in Army focuses on SSC (Short Service Commission) that allows both males and females in the regular Army for 10 to 14 years.