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CDS Exam 2025 was held in two phases: CDS 1 on 13 April and CDS 2 on 14 September. In the CDS exam, English was easy, GK was tough, and Maths was moderate but time-consuming. Good attempts were around 60–70 for English, 70–80 for GK, and 45–55 for Maths. Expected cut-offs are 130–135 for IMA and 95–100 for OTA. Overall, the exam was moderate with a few surprises.
CDS 2 Exam Analysis 2025: UPSC held the Combined Defence Services Exam (CDS 2) 2025 on 14th September 2025 in three sessions—English (9:00 AM–11:00 AM), General Knowledge (12:30 PM–2:30 PM), and Elementary Mathematics (4:00 PM–6:00 PM). The exam is held to select students for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA.
This time, the English paper was easy, the GK paper was tough, and the Maths paper was of medium level but needed good time management.
CDS Exam Analysis 2025 for Combined Defence Services Examination (1) was held on 13th April 2025, which reveals that the English section saw unexpected pattern shifts, making it trickier than previous years. CDS 1 was conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select candidates for elite defense forces.
As students finish their preparation, it is also important to know how the CDS Exam Analysis 2025 can help them. The analysis will show how tough the exam was, how many questions can be called good attempts, and what the expected cut-off marks might be.
This CDS Exam Analysis 2025 will help students understand what kind of paper they can face, what type of questions may come, and how they can check their performance after the exam.
CDS Exam Analysis 2025 provides insights into both CDS 1 (13 April 2025) and CDS 2 (14 September 2025), conducted by UPSC in offline mode for IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA. Each paper lasted 2 hours, covering English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics (only English & GK for OTA).
CDS Exam Analysis 2025 Overview | ||
Particulars | CDS 1 2025 | CDS 2 2025 |
Exam Name | Combined Defence Services (CDS) 1 | Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2 |
Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
Exam Date | 13 April 2025 | 14 September 2025 |
Mode of Exam | Offline (Pen & Paper) | Offline (Pen & Paper) |
Duration | 2 hours for each paper | 2 hours for each paper |
Total Papers | 3 (For IMA, INA, AFA) | 3 (For IMA, INA, AFA) |
Subjects | English, General Knowledge, Mathematics | English, General Knowledge, Mathematics |
Language | Bilingual (English & Hindi) | Bilingual (English & Hindi) |
For OTA | English & General Knowledge only | English & General Knowledge only |
Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS 2) 2025 was conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on 14th September 2025. The exam was held to shortlist candidates for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA).
The CDS Exam 2025 had both new changes and some regular parts in its three sections.
The English paper was different this time, which surprised many students. It showed how important it is to know grammar rules and vocabulary well.
The General Knowledge (GS) paper was of a medium level. It had both current events and basic topics, so students needed a clear understanding.
The Maths paper was mostly the same as before. It focused on basic concepts and simple problem-solving.
Overall, students who practiced regularly and understood the basics were able to do better in the exam.
CDS 1 Exam Analysis 2025
Paper
Total Questions
Difficulty Level
Good Attempts (with Accuracy)
English
120
Moderate to Difficult
60 – 70
General Knowledge
120
Moderate
70–80
Mathematics
100
Moderate
45 – 55
One of the most critical aspects of the CDS Exam Analysis 2025 is estimating the number of good attempts. This helps candidates gauge how they may have performed. Here are the good attempts for each paper:
CDS Exam Analysis Good Attempts (Expected)
Subject
Good Attempts (with Accuracy)
English
60 – 70
General Knowledge
70–80
Mathematics
45 – 55
These attempts are considered safe with 80–90% accuracy. Remember, due to negative marking, guessing should be minimized.
Understanding the CDS Exam Pattern 2025 is essential to evaluating the difficulty and strategizing for good attempts. It will also help aspirants align their strategy with the real-time format. The CDS exam varies slightly for different academies like IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA. Here is the paper-wise structure:
For IMA, INA & AFA
Subject
Marks
Duration
English
100
2 hours
General Knowledge
100
2 hours
Mathematics
100
2 hours
For OTA (Officers’ Training Academy)
Subject
Marks
Duration
English
100
2 hours
General Knowledge
100
2 hours
Negative Marking: One-third of the marks allotted to a question will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
The CDS Expected Cut Off 2025 helps in estimating your chances of clearing the written exam. These values are not final but based on previous year trends, the number of candidates, and expected paper difficulty.
While the official cut-offs will be released after the result declaration, here’s a tentative CDS Expected Cut Off 2025 based on trends:
CDS Expected Cut Off 2025
Academy
Written Exam Cut Off (Out of 300/200)
Final Cut Off (Out of 600)
IMA
130–135
250–260
INA
120–125
245–255
AFA
145–150
270–280
OTA (Men)
95–100 (Out of 200)
170–180 (Out of 400)
OTA (Women)
95–100 (Out of 200)
170–180 (Out of 400)
Note: Cut-offs are subject to variation depending on exam difficulty and the number of candidates.
This is a common query among aspirants, which helps candidates measure which sections require more focus during the last-minute revision. Common types of questions include:
Section | Key Topics Covered |
English | Spotting errors, Sentence improvement, Antonyms/Synonyms, Cloze test, Comprehension passages |
General Knowledge | Current affairs (national & international), History (Modern India), Geography, Polity, Science, Economy |
Mathematics | Number system, Percentage, Time and work, Trigonometry, Algebra, Mensuration, Statistics |
These sections are designed to test both accuracy and time management skills.
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The CDS Exam Analysis 2025 shows why smart preparation and knowing the CDS Exam Pattern 2025 are important. The exam has a mixed level of difficulty, so students should focus on accuracy and managing time well. As the exam day comes close, stay calm, revise the main topics, and try to score enough marks to reach the CDS Expected Cut Off 2025 for a career in defence.
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OTA candidates will attempt only English and General Knowledge, each of 100 marks, in a two-hour duration.
The CDS 2 Exam 2025 had a moderate difficulty level overall, with some sections like English being slightly tougher due to a change in pattern.
In the CDS 2 Exam 2025, good attempts are considered to be 60-70 in English, 70-80 in GS, and 45-55 in Mathematics.
CDS 2025 includes objective questions on grammar, comprehension, current affairs, history, and Class 10-level mathematics.
The expected cut-off for IMA is 130–135, for AFA is 145–150, and for OTA is 95–100 out of 200 marks.
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