CDS-2 2026 Paper Analysis and Expected Cutoff Marks

The much-awaited CDS-2 2026 exam conducted by UPSC is finally over, and the candidates are now looking forward to knowing how the papers were and the cut-off marks that they can expect. Defence Guru has done an analysis of all three papers to give the aspirants a brief yet precise overview of the examination.

CDS-2 2026 ANALYSIS OF ALL THREE PAPERS:

The CDS written examination consisted of three papers, namely, English, General Knowledge (GK), and Elementary Mathematics. The questions asked in the examination were based on different subjects and topics, and the difficulty level of the questions varied too. A similar kind of description of the difficulty level and a good attempt range of the papers is given below:

CDS-2 2026 ENGLISH PAPER ANALYSIS:

As per the CDS syllabus, the English paper had 120 questions. The paper tested candidates' vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and overall understanding of the English language.

In the table below, you can see the topic-wise distribution of the number of questions that were asked in the exam, along with their difficulty levels:

Overall, the English paper was of a moderate level. The paper had a mix of direct and conceptual questions, allowing aspirants who prepared well to answer a good number of questions correctly.

CDS-2 2026 GK PAPER ANALYSIS:

The GK paper had 120 questions and tested students on a variety of topics, including History, Geography, Polity, Economics, General Science, and Current Affairs.

A simple subject-wise breakdown is given below:

Overall, the GK paper was balanced and covered questions from various topics of the CDS syllabus. Candidates who have regularly prepared static subjects along with current affairs were in a better position to attempt this paper.

CDS-2 2026 ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS ANALYSIS:

The Elementary Mathematics paper had 100 questions and was a mandatory paper for candidates appearing for IMA, INA, and AFA. The paper had important areas of the CDS Mathematics syllabus, and candidates were required to maintain speed as well as accuracy.

The topic-wise distribution is given below:

Overall, the Mathematics paper was of a moderate level. Those who have practiced previous years questions and focused on speed and accuracy could attempt the paper well.

CDS-2 2026 EXAM EXPECTED CUT OFF MARKS:

Candidates must note that the UPSC will announce the official CDS-2 2026 cut-off marks after declaring the result.

However, as per the analysis of all three papers and their level of difficulty, the expected cut-off marks for the CDS-2 2026 written examination are given below:

These are the expected cut-off marks according to the paper analysis. The actual cut-off marks will be released by the UPSC, which might vary as per the performance of the candidates and other factors.

CDS WRITTEN EXAM PREVIOUS YEARS’ CUT-OFF MARKS:

The cut-off marks of the previous years' CDS written examination may assist the candidates in getting an overview of the changes in trends of the examination. By comparing the previous cut-off marks with the expected CDS-2 2026 cut-off, the aspirants may have a fair understanding of the marks required to qualify for the next stage

Candidates can also check the CDS-2 2026 answer key, detailed paper analysis, and other examination-related updates to assess their performance and plan their preparation for the next stage.