UPSC CSE
Union Public Service Commission
The Civil Services Examination is UPSC's annual three-stage recruitment for the IAS, IPS, Indian Foreign Service, the Indian Revenue Services and oth…
26 papers · up to 2025View Papers
UPSC CDS Previous Year Question Papers
Combined Defence Services Examination
Union Public Service Commission18 papers · 2023–2025Verified 3 Oct 2026
Papers by year
About UPSC CDS
The CDS examination, held twice a year, is the graduate-level entry to officer training at the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and the Officers' Training Academy, Chennai. Candidates aiming for IMA, INA or AFA write three objective papers. Those applying only for the OTA Short Service Commission, which is also open to women, write two. Qualified candidates then appear before a Services Selection Board.
Eligibility (summary)
Graduates or final-year students: any degree for IMA/OTA; engineering degree (or B.Sc. with Physics) for INA; degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 or engineering for AFA. Age bands differ by academy (for example 19-25 for OTA in CDS-II 2026); women are eligible for the OTA SSC entry. Read the latest notification for exact age limits, relaxations and qualifications.
Stages & subjects
- 1
Written Examination
Offline objective papers; three for IMA/INA/AFA, two for OTA
- 2
SSB Interview
Intelligence and personality test at a Services Selection Centre
EnglishGeneral KnowledgeElementary Mathematics
Exam pattern
Summarised from the official notification. Patterns change; confirm in the latest notice.
| Stage | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Written Examination | IMA/INA/AFA: English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics, 100 marks and 2 hours each (300); OTA: English and General Knowledge only (200); objective questions; negative marking of one-third (0.33) per wrong answerCDS (II) 2026 notification (Exam Notice 11/2026-CDS-II) · source |
| SSB Interview | Interview carries the same maximum marks as the written test for each course: 300 for IMA, INA and AFA; 200 for OTACDS (II) 2026 notification (Exam Notice 11/2026-CDS-II) · source |
Preparing with UPSC CDS papers
- Start with the most recent paper (2025) to see the current style, then work backwards.
- Practise each stage separately: Written Examination, SSB Interview.
- Re-check the syllabus in the latest notification before relying on older papers.
FAQs
Where can I download UPSC CDS previous year papers?
PYQSathi lists 18 UPSC CDS papers from 2023 to 2025, each linked to its official source. Open the paper library above and pick a year.
Who conducts UPSC CDS?
UPSC CDS is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Notifications, dates and results are published on its official website.
Is this information official?
No. PYQSathi is independent. We summarise official documents and link to them, last checked 3 Oct 2026. Always confirm on the official website before applying.
Official sources
- Union Public Service Commission — official website
- UPSC CDS (II) 2026 Examination Notice No. 11/2026-CDS-II
Last verified 3 Oct 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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