Updated By Jahanvi Bakshi on 25 Mar, 2025 09:16
18 days Remaining for the exam
UPSC CDS exam analysis 2024 is out now. The English section has 100 questions of easy to moderate difficulty level. General Knowledge had 100 questions with the difficulty level ranging from moderate to tough. The Elementary Mathematics section had 100 questions with moderate to high difficulty level.
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UPSC CDS exam analysis 2025 will be available here after the UPSC CDS 1 exam 2025 has been successfully conducted. The UPSC CDS 1 2025 exam is scheduled to be held on April 13, 2025. With the help of the CDS exam analysis, students will be able to analyze their performance and make a rough estimate of their probable score in the CDS examination. The Union Public Service Commission has released the exam schedule for the CDS 1 2025 examination. By referring to the UPSC CDS paper analysis, students will find out about the difficulty level of the questions, important topics for each section, and the number of successful attempts with the full subject-wise UPSC CDS 1 2025 exam analysis.
The UPSC CDS exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission twice a year to recruit candidates for various positions in the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Indian Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officerโs Training Academy (OTA). Students who wish to join the IMA, INA, or AFA, are required to take all three sections of the CDS exam: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Each of these sections is of 100 marks, making it a total of 300 marks. As for the OTA CDS exam, it carries a total of 200 marks. Till the time the CDS 1 2025 exam analysis is out, you can check the detailed CDS 2024 exam analysis below.
The overall difficulty level of the UPSC CDS 2 2024 Exam was moderate.
The difficulty levels of individual sections have been provided below:
CDS 2 Paper | Difficulty Level |
---|---|
English | Easy to Moderate |
General Knowledge | Moderate |
Mathematics | Moderate |
The UPSC CDS 2 question paper comprised 3 sections โ English Language, General Knowledge, and Mathematics. It is challenging to attempt a maximum number of questions with accuracy within the specified time frame. Gaining insights into good attempts is crucial to evaluate their performance and strategize their approach toward attempting questions in the future CDS exams. The good attempts for each section have been provided below:
CDS 2 Subjects | Good Attempts Range |
---|---|
English Language | 80-90 questions |
General Knowledge | 70-80 questions |
Mathematics | 65-75 questions |
The overall difficulty of this section ranged from low to moderate. There were a range of topics, each with varying difficulty levels in the English section of the UPSC CDS 2 2024 Exam. Questions were framed on the same lines like that of CDS 1. The topics covered along with the number of questions:
Name of Topics | Number of Questions Asked | Good Attempts |
---|---|---|
Opposite Words | 5 | 3-4 questions |
Fill in the Blanks | 10 | 6-8 questions |
Idioms and Phrases | 5 | 3-4 questions |
Para Jumbles | 20 | 12-16 questions |
Grammar | 10 | 6-8 questions |
Reading Comprehension | 10 | 6-8 questions |
Fill in the Blanks (Preposition) | 10 | 6-8 questions |
Error Detection | 10 | 6-8 questions |
Vocabulary (Antonym and Synonyms) | 20 | 12-16 questions |
Match the Following | 5 | 3-4 questions |
Sentence Combination | 5 | 3-4 questions |
Sentence Improvement | 10 | 6-8 questions |
The overall difficulty of this section ranged from moderate to high. Questions from various subjects are asked in this section each contributing to the overall assessment of the knowledge of candidates reagrding different topics. The difficulty level of this section was higher than CDS 1. The topics covered in this section along with the number of questions have been provided in the table below:
Name of Subject | Number of Questions Asked | Good Attempts |
---|---|---|
Geography | 20 | 12-16 questions |
Current Affairs | 15 | 9-12 questions |
History | 20 | 12-16 questions |
Science and Technology, Defence Related Quetions | 20 | 12-16 questions |
India Polity | 20 | 12-16 questions |
Environment and Ecology | 10 | 6-8 questions |
Economics | 15 | 9-12 questions |
The overall difficulty level of this section was moderate. The topics covered under this section along with the number of questions have been provided below:
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 |
The section-wise UPSC CDS 1 Exam Analysis 2024 will be made available to candidates after the exam has been conducted on April 21, 2024. The following table will cover section-wise difficulty levels of English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics sections, along with the total number of questions and the number of subject-wise good attempts.
Subject | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
---|---|---|---|
English | 120 | Moderate to Difficult | 80-90 |
General Knowledge | 120 | Moderate | 73-78 |
Elementary Mathematics | 100 | Difficult | 63-67 |
Overall | 340 | Moderate to Difficult | - |
The overall difficulty level of the UPSC CDS 1 English paper was moderate to difficult with a variety of questions. Two new types of questions were asked in the paper which included Matching Lists and Correlating Sentences. Other topics that were asked in the exam included usage of Paired words, Prepositions & Determiners, Identifying the Word Class, Reading Comprehension, Synonyms, etc. Check the topic-wise distribution in the table below:
Topics | No. of Questions |
---|---|
Adverb | 06 |
Antonyms | 10 |
Cloze Composition | 10 |
Commonly Used words | 7 |
Completion of Sentence | 10 |
Determiners | 1 |
Fill in the Blanks | 10 |
Idioms & Phrases | 12 |
Noun | 08 |
Ordering of Sentences | 10 |
Ordering of words | 10 |
Participle | 5 |
Parts of Speech | 10 |
Preposition & Determiners | 10 |
Reading Comprehension | 12 |
Spotting Error | 10 |
Synonyms | 10 |
Total | 120 |
The UPSC CDS 1 GK 2024 paper was moderately difficult for most students. The Science portion was a bit tricky with Physics questions being balanced while Biology and Chemistry were on the doable side. Candidates were also asked questions on areas like Indian Economics, Current Affairs, Geography, etc. Take a look at the topic-wise questions right here:
Topics | No. of Questions |
---|---|
Current Affairs | 17 |
Modern History | 16 |
Geography | 15 |
Polity | 18 |
Chemistry | 14 |
Economics | 12 |
Physics | 10 |
Medieval History | 7 |
Biology | 9 |
Defence | 2 |
The Mathematics paper for UPSC CDS 1 2024 was challenging for most students. Some of the most commonly asked questions were from topics like Arithmetic, Geometry, Time and Work, etc. Take a look at the topic-wise distribution for UPSC CDS 1 Mathematics mentioned below:
Topics | No. of Questions |
---|---|
Algebra | 9 |
Clock | 4 |
Geometry | 20 |
Mean-Median-Mode | 5 |
Mensuration | 16 |
Mixture | 1 |
Number System | 18 |
Percentage | 3 |
Profit/Loss | 2 |
Set Theory | 2 |
Simple Interest/Compound Interest | 4 |
Time and Work | 4 |
Time Speed and Distance | 5 |
Trigonometry | 12 |
We have determined the UPSC CDS Exam Analysis 2023 difficulty level for every section based on feedback provided by applicants who took the exam. English and GK were easier to moderate this year. Over the past ten years, the CDS exam's overall difficulty level has been regarded as moderate to difficult. The subject-specific difficulty level, subjects covered, and question weightage for the CDS exam this year are listed below.
Based on student feedback, the analysis of the UPSC CDS 2 exam indicates that the English section was perceived as moderately difficult, with students aiming for approximately 68 to 74 good attempts. Similarly, in the General Knowledge section, students aimed for around 65 to 72 good attempts, also categorized as moderate in difficulty. However, the Mathematics section posed a slightly greater challenge, with students targeting approximately 55 to 60 good attempts, indicating a moderate to difficult level. The following table provides an overview of the section-wise difficulty levels and good attempts for various sections of the CDS 2 2023 Exam.
Subject | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
---|---|---|---|
English | 120 | Moderate | 68-74 |
General Knowledge | 120 | Moderate | 65-72 |
Elementary Mathematics | 100 | Moderate to Difficult | 55-60 |
Overall | 340 | Moderate to Difficult |
Based on student feedback, the analysis of the UPSC CDS 1 exam suggests that the English section was perceived as moderately difficult, with students aiming for approximately 67 to 72 good attempts. Similarly, in the General Knowledge section, students targeted around 60 to 71 good attempts, also categorized as moderate in difficulty. The table below offers insights into the analysis of the CDS 1 2023 Exam, providing details on the difficulty levels of its sections and the good attempts for English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics.
Subject | Number of Questions | Level | Good Attempts | Difficulty Level |
---|---|---|---|---|
English | 120 | Moderate | 67-72 | Moderate |
General Knowledge | 120 | Moderate | 60-71 | Moderate |
Elementary Mathematics | 100 | Moderate | 52-58 | To be Announced |
Overall | 340 | Moderate | - | - |
The English language part, according to candidates, was Moderate. The table below shows the subjects and question weightage from this year.
Topic | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
---|---|---|
Reading Comprehension | 15 | Moderate |
Synonyms | 5 | Moderate-Difficult |
Sentence Completion | 10 | Easy-Moderate |
Ordering of Words | 10 | Moderate |
Cloze Composition | 10 | Moderate-Difficult |
Preposition and Determiners | 10 | Easy-Moderate |
Ordering of Sentences | 10 | Moderate-Difficult |
Word Meaning | 10 | Moderate |
Fill in the Blanks | 10 | Moderate-Difficult |
Usage of Paired Words | 10 | Moderate |
Spotting Errors | 10 | Moderate |
Parts of Speech | 10 | Easy-Moderate |
Total | 120 | Moderate |
This year, the majority of the questions came from the fields of science, politics, history, economics, etc. The general knowledge exam was rated as Moderate by candidates. For information about this year's topics and question weightage, see the table below.
Name of Sub Section | Difficulty Level |
Science | Easy-Moderate |
History | Moderate-Difficult |
Polity | Moderate |
Geography | Easy-Moderate |
Economics | Moderate |
Current Affairs | Moderate-Difficult |
Static GK | Moderate |
Total | Moderate |
Candidates expressed how challenging the mathematics section was. Examine the subjects and the importance of the questions.
Topic | Difficulty Level |
---|---|
Algebraic Identities | Moderate |
Area and Perimeter(2D) | Moderate |
Circle | Moderate-Difficult |
clock and time | Moderate-Difficult |
Data Interpretation | Easy-Moderate |
HCF and LCM | Easy-Moderate |
Height & Distance | Moderate |
Linear Equations | Moderate |
Logarithm and Exponential | Moderate-Difficult |
Polynomials and Inequations | Moderate |
Powers and Roots | Moderate-Difficult |
Properties of Number System | Easy-Moderate |
Quadratic | Moderate-Difficult |
Quadrilaterals and Polygon | Moderate-Difficult |
Ratio and Proportion | Moderate |
Reminders | Easy-Moderate |
Sequence and Series | Moderate-Difficult |
SI and CI | Moderate-Difficult |
Statistics | Moderate |
Time and Distance | Moderate |
Triangles | Moderate |
Trigonometry | Moderate-Difficult |
Volume and Surface Area (3D) | Moderate-Difficult |
Work and Time | Moderate |
Overall | Difficult |
Want to know more about UPSC CDS
A candidate is given the Lieutenant rank after clearing the CDS examination.
A safe score in the English CDS section is considered to be 70+ marks.
Both the CDS and the NDA exams are conducted by UPSC and both of these exams are believed to be quite challenging. Out of the two, the written exam of the CDS exam is considered to be easier. However, the SSB interview round of the CDS exam is quite rigorous and could be quite tough for the students.
According to studentsโ opinions, the overall difficulty level of the CDS 1 2024 examination was moderate to difficult. The General Knowledge section was difficult and the English section was easy.
The UPSC CDS 2025 syllabus includes three sections: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. However, the syllabus for the OTA CDS exam includes English and General Knowledge only.
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