CDS-1 2026 Paper Analysis and Expected Cut-Off Marks

The highly anticipated CDS-1 2026 exam held by UPSC on 12th April 2026 is finally over, and candidates are curious to find out how it went and what the predicted cut-offs would be. Centurion Defence Academy has made an intensive analysis of the exam to provide you with a brief yet precise breakdown.

CDS-1 2026 ANALYSIS OF ALL THREE PAPERS:

There were three papers in the exam: English, General Knowledge (GK) and Elementary Mathematics. A similar description of the difficulty and good attempt ranges of the papers is given below:

CDS-1 2026 ENGLISH PAPER ANALYSIS:

According to the CDS syllabus, the English section had a total of 120 questions. Here is a summary of the kinds of questions asked and their levels of difficulty:

Most aspirants found that the paper was easy to tackle, with a good mix of easy and challenging questions.

CDS-1 2026 GK PAPER ANALYSIS:

The GK paper had a total of 120 questions covering a wide range of topics. Here’s a simple breakdown:

Overall, the GK paper was well-balanced, though Current Affairs required thorough preparation.

CDS-1 2026 ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS ANALYSIS:

The Mathematics paper was of a moderate difficulty level and compulsory for IMA, INA and AFA candidates. Here's a topic-wise summary:

CDS-1 2026 WRITTEN EXAM EXPECTED CUT-OFF MARKS:

CDS aspirants are asked to kindly note that the UPSC will declare the CDS-1 2026 cut-off score of the written test after the declaration of the final result.

However, as per the analysis of all three papers and the difficulty level of questions, the cut-off marks for the CDS-1 2026 written test are approximately mentioned below:

CDS WRITTEN EXAM PREVIOUS YEARS’ CUT-OFF MARKS:

Through previous years' cut-off marks of CDS written exams, you can have an idea about the expected cut-off mark for the CDS-1 2026 exam. It will also make you understand the current trends of the CDS exam.