CDS 1 Question Paper 2026 - Download Subjectwise Question papers PDFs
The Union Public Service Commission releases the CDS 1 question paper 2026 a few weeks after the completion of the examination at the official website, upsc.gov.in. Candidates can access the memory-based question paper PDFs released by various coaching institutes released almost immediately after the completion of the examination. The official previous years’ question papers can be downloaded from the official website. The applicants preparing for the CDS exam must go through these question papers to prepare for the exam.
The UPSC CDS question paper can be directly downloaded from this page. Candidates can make use of the previous years question papers to prepare more thoroughly for the exam. The following article provides the CDS question papers PDF links, which the candidates can download.
CDS 1 Question Paper 2026 PDF
Candidates can download the CDS 1 2026 question paper PDFs for all sets (Set A, B,C, and D) shortly after the completion of the examination. The official PDFs and memory based papers will be updated below once available.
Paper | Download link |
English | Download here |
General Knowledge | Download here |
Elementary Maths | Download here |
As per the official schedule released by the UPSC, all the papers in the CDS exam will be conducted on the same day in multiple shifts. The exam schedule according to the timetable is as follows:
English - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
General Knowledge- 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Elementary Maths- 4:00 p.m. to 6 p.m.
CDS 1 2026 Exam Pattern
The candidates must understand the CDS 1 2026 exam pattern to prepare for the examination. The CDS 1 exam is an offline examination, conducted in two stages: written exam, and SSB Interview. The following tables provide detailed information about the exam pattern.
For IMA, INA, AFA
Subject | No. of questions | Marks | Duration |
English | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
General Knowledge | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
Elementary Maths | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
For UTA
Subject | No. of questions | Marks | Duration |
English | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
General Knowledge | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
Note: Each incorrect answer will be carrying a ⅓ negative marks.
Previous Years’ CDS Question Papers
Candidates are advised to solve at least the last 5 to 10 years CDS question papers along with the CDS 1 2026 question paper for better preparation. This would help the candidates understand the recurring patterns and exam trends. The following tables provide the previous years’ CDS question papers.
CDS 1 Previous Years’ Question Papers
Question Paper | English | General Knowledge | Elementary Maths |
CDS 1 2025 | Click here | Click here | Click here |
CDS 1 2024 | Click here | Click here | Click here |
CDS 1 2023 | Click here | Click here | Click here |
CDS 2 Previous Years’ Question Papers
Question Paper | English | General Knowledge | Elementary Maths |
CDS 2 2025 | Click here | Click here | Click here |
CDS 2 2024 | Click here | Click here | Click here |
CDS 2 2023 | Click here | Click here | Click here |
How to download the CDS 1 2026 Question Paper?
Candidates can follow the below steps to download the CDS 1 2026 question paper from the official website.
Visit the official website, upsc.gov.in
Navigate to the examination section
Click on the ‘Previous Question Papers’ tab
Select CDS examination
Download the required paper PDF
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Memory-based questions and answer keys are released immediately on exam day (April 12, 2026) by various coaching institutes, with the official UPSC paper released later.
The CDS 1 2026 paper is widely considered to be of a moderate difficulty level overall.
There is no limit on the number of attempts, provided you meet the age and eligibility criteria (typically 19–25 years depending on the academy).
Questions related to CDS
On Question asked by student community
CDS is a graduate-level defence entrance examination and candidates must satisfy the prescribed age, educational qualification and other eligibility requirements for the particular academy. Being born on January 1, 2010, you are currently below the age required for CDS. You would first need to complete graduation and then meet the
Hey there,
Yes — you may have a chance in CDS OTA 2027, but most likely only for CDS (I) 2027.
You were born 16 June 2002.
- CDS (I) 2027 – OTA: You should be age-eligible under the expected age criteria, subject to the official 2027 notification.
- CDS (II) 2027
Hello, for CDS OTA (II) 2027, candidates must be born between 2 July 2001 and 1 July 2007 as per the latest CDS II age criteria. Since your date of birth is 27 May 2003, you fall within this age range and meet the age requirement.
For more details check
Hello Student,
For CDS OTA, the usual age limit for women is 19–25 years. A candidate born on 27 May 2003 would be around 24 years old in 2027 and is likely to fall within the age limit. However, the exact eligibility depends on the DOB range specified in the
Hello, with a date of birth of 02 October 2002, you are eligible for the CDS OTA entry for CDS II 2026, as the prescribed age range is 02 January 2001 to 01 January 2007.