CDS previous year papers are an invaluable resource for candidates preparing for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam, conducted twice a year by UPSC. This prestigious exam recruits officers for the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy. Understanding the exam pattern and difficulty level is crucial, and reviewing previous year’s papers helps candidates get familiar with question types and structure.
The CDS exam is held in two phases—CDS-1 and CDS-2—each consisting of three sections: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics.
To aid your preparation, we are providing downloadable PDFs of CDS papers from previous years along with CDS topic-wise questions from previous years to enhance your exam readiness and improve your chances of success.
You can access the CDS Previous Year Question Papers with Answer Key PDFs here for your reference. Additionally, we provide CDS PYQ topic wise PDFs to help focus your preparation. The CDS 1 exam is set for April 13, 2025, and CDS 2 will be held on September 14, 2025, across three shifts. While the overall exam difficulty was moderate, the English section proved to be particularly challenging. Practicing these question papers will greatly enhance your preparation and boost your confidence for the upcoming exams.
CDS previous year papers, including CDS topic wise previous year questions, are beneficial for candidates preparing for the exam as they
The table below provides subject-wise links to the CDS Previous Year Question Paper 2024 PDFs for both CDS-1 and CDS-2 exams. These CDS PYQ PDFs include detailed question papers from previous years, helping you practice and understand the exam pattern. Accessing these PDFs will boost your preparation for the upcoming CDS exams by familiarizing you with the types of questions asked in each subject.
| Subjects | CDS-1 | CDS-2 |
| English | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| Elementary Mathematics | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| General Knowledge | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
The table below provides subject-wise links to the CDS Previous Year Question Paper 2023 PDFs for both CDS-1 and CDS-2 exams. These CDS PYQ PDFs offer a complete set of past exam papers, allowing you to analyze each subject’s question patterns and difficulty level. By practicing with these papers, you can enhance your time management skills and improve your readiness for the upcoming CDS exams.
| Subjects | CDS-1 | CDS-2 |
| English | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| Elementary Mathematics | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| General Knowledge | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
The table below provides subject-wise links to the CDS Previous Year Question Paper 2022 PDFs for both CDS-1 and CDS-2 exams. These CDS PYQ PDFs offer direct access to the exam format and question trends from previous years, helping you gain a clear understanding of the exam structure. Practicing with these papers will help you assess your strengths and weaknesses, improve your problem-solving speed, and enhance your overall preparation for the upcoming CDS exams.
| Subjects | CDS-1 | CDS-2 |
| English | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| Elementary Mathematics | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| General Knowledge | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
The table below provides subject-wise links to the CDS Previous Year Question Paper 2021 PDFs for both CDS-1 and CDS-2 exams. These CDS PYQ PDFs offer valuable insights into the exam pattern, question distribution, and difficulty level from the previous year. Reviewing these papers will help you familiarize yourself with the types of questions asked in each subject, allowing you to refine your preparation strategy and boost your confidence for the upcoming CDS exams.
| Subjects | CDS-1 | CDS-2 |
| English | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| Elementary Mathematics | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| General Knowledge | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
The table below provides subject-wise links to the CDS Previous Year Question Paper 2020 PDFs for both CDS-1 and CDS-2 exams. These papers serve as an excellent resource to understand the question trends, exam pattern, and level of difficulty from 2020. By practicing these question papers, you can assess your preparation, identify areas for improvement, and boost your readiness for the upcoming CDS exams.
| Subjects | CDS-1 | CDS-2 |
| English | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| Elementary Mathematics | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| General Knowledge | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
The table below provides subject-wise links to the CDS Previous Year Question Paper 2019 PDFs for both CDS-1 and CDS-2 exams. These question papers are valuable tools for understanding the exam structure, types of questions, and difficulty level from 2019. By practicing with these PDFs, you can familiarize yourself with the format, improve your time management, and enhance your problem-solving skills, ultimately strengthening your preparation for the upcoming CDS exams.
| Subjects | CDS-1 | CDS-2 |
| English | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| Elementary Mathematics | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
| General Knowledge | Question Paper PDF | Question Paper PDF |
To download the CDS Previous Year Paper, follow these simple steps:
We recommend watching a complete set of solved CDS Previous Year Questions (PYQs) in video format to boost your preparation for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam. Presented by Akshat Randev, these videos cover past CDS questions and offer detailed explanations and solutions. The series includes 20 parts, with the first 3 focusing on different aspects of the CDS exam. Each video provides valuable tips and strategies for tackling various question types. Candidates can access the full PYQ series on YouTube.
In conclusion, practicing with previous year question papers for the CDS exam is essential for effective preparation. It not only helps candidates familiarize themselves with the exam pattern and question types but also plays a key role in improving time management and problem-solving skills. By working through these papers, candidates can better assess their strengths and identify areas that need further attention. Our initiative to provide downloadable PDFs of CDS previous year question papers ensures easy access to valuable resources, aiding your preparation. This resource will help you approach the exam with confidence and enhance your chances of success.
Ans. While practising the previous year’s question papers is essential to CDS exam preparation, there may need to be more than just them to crack the exam.
Ans. The CDS exam is moderately difficult. You can easily crack the exam with a good understanding of concepts and strong problem-solving skills.
Ans. Candidates who want to crack the CDS exam in the first attempt need to understand the structure of the exam inside out. The candidates need to understand the CDS exam pattern, syllabus, and selection process to clear the CDS exam in the first attempt.
Ans. The CDS (Combined Defence Services) exam is considered a challenging but achievable exam, requiring dedicated preparation and a strong focus on the syllabus, especially for the General Knowledge and Mathematics sections.
Ans. It is possible to prepare for the CDS exam in 2 months, but it largely depends on your existing knowledge and aptitude, and the amount of time you can dedicate to preparing each day.
Related Content
CDS Previous Year Papers are valuable resources for understanding the exam pattern, question types, and difficulty level of the Combined Defence Services exam.
Practicing these papers helps candidates familiarize themselves with the structure of the exam and improve time management skills.
These papers cover various subjects like English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics, offering insight into each section’s focus.
Accessing CDS Previous Year Papers aids in identifying common question trends, allowing candidates to focus on important topics for better preparation.
Candidates can find CDS Previous Year Papers for different years and sessions in downloadable PDF format for offline practice.
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Chegg India does not ask for money to offer any opportunity with the company. We request you to be vigilant before sharing your personal and financial information with any third party. Beware of fraudulent activities claiming affiliation with our company and promising monetary rewards or benefits. Chegg India shall not be responsible for any losses resulting from such activities.