The CDS 1 2025 exam, held on April 13, 2025, is a pivotal moment for candidates aspiring to join the Indian Armed Forces. As with every iteration of the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination, this year’s exam tested candidates on various fronts, including English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. In this article, we provide a detailed overview of the CDS 1 2025 question paper, including its difficulty level, topic-wise analysis, and where to download the original PDFs for all sets.
Overview of the CDS 1 2025 Exam
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select candidates for prestigious institutions such as the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). The CDS 1 2025 exam saw participation from numerous defense aspirants across the country, all vying for a limited number of seats in these esteemed academies.
CDS 1 2025 Exam Structure
The CDS exam consists of three main sections:
- English
- General Knowledge
- Elementary Mathematics
For those applying to IMA, INA, and AFA, all three papers are mandatory. However, candidates applying for OTA are required to attempt only the English and General Knowledge papers. Each paper is conducted in an offline mode with a total duration of 2 hours.
Analysis of the CDS 1 2025 English Section
The CDS 1 2025 English paper was of easy to moderate difficulty level, featuring questions predominantly from conventional topics regularly seen in previous CDS exams. These included Spotting Errors, Idioms & Phrases, Fill in the Blanks, Ordering of Words, Ordering of Sentences, Prepositions & Determiners, and Word Classes (Parts of Speech).
However, in a notable departure from tradition, some long-standing topics such as Antonyms, Synonyms, and Reading Comprehension were not included in this attempt.
As is customary with the CDS English paper, a few new elements and twists were introduced. This included:
- Fill in the Blanks with appropriate discourse markers or expressions
- Modified question patterns in areas like Word Classes and Commonly Used Words
- Introduction of ‘Usage of Homophones’, a completely new topic in this edition
The Sentence Improvement section, first introduced in CDS 2 2024, made a return in this paper, indicating its possible inclusion as a regular component moving forward. Additionally, topics that were sporadically featured earlier, such as Correlating Sentences, Usage of Paired Words, and Word Meanings, also reappeared in this exam, having last been seen in CDS 1 2024.
In summary, the paper remained largely within the expected framework, and aspirants with a strong grasp of English grammar and vocabulary, along with regular practice of previous years’ papers, would have found the paper manageable.
Key Highlights:
- Matching List: A section that required candidates to match terms or phrases correctly, sometimes involving borrowed words from foreign languages.
- Adaptation of Borrowed Words: This required an advanced understanding of words borrowed from other languages.
- Use of Phrasal Verbs: Candidates had to fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verbs, a section that proved challenging for those unfamiliar with these expressions.
- Commonly Used Words: This segment tested not only vocabulary but also the contextual use of words.
- Sentence Improvement & Ordering: These sections focused on grammar and sentence structure, requiring candidates to choose or arrange sentences for clarity and coherence.
Overall, the English paper maintained a moderate to difficult level, with some questions pushing even well-prepared candidates to their limits.
Topic-Wise Distribution in English:
| Topics | No. of Questions |
| CORRELATING SENTENCES | 10 |
| ORDERING OF WORDS IN A SENTENCE | 10 |
| COMMONLY USED WORDS | 5 |
| FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH DISCOURSE MARKERS/EXPRESSIONS | 5 |
| USAGE OF PAIRED WORDS | 5 |
| WORD MEANING | 5 |
| ORDERING OF SENTENCES | 10 |
| MATCHING LIST | 10 |
| WORD CLASSES | 10 |
| CLOZE TEST | 10 |
| FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH PREPOSITIONS/DETERMINERS/PHRASAL VERBS | 5 |
| USAGE OF HOMOPHONES | 5 |
| IDIOMS & PROVERBS | 10 |
| SENTENCE IMPROVEMENT | 10 |
| SPOTTING ERRORS | 10 |
General Knowledge Section Analysis
The General Knowledge (GK) section of the CDS 1 2025 exam will be updated soon.
Topic-Wise Distribution in General Knowledge:
| Subjects | No. of Questions |
| History | |
| Geography | |
| Polity | |
| CA/DCA | |
| Economics | |
| BIOLOGY | |
| CHEMISTRY | |
| PHYSICS | |
| Total |
Elementary Mathematics Section Analysis
Will be updated soon.
Download CDS 1 2025 Question Paper PDFs (All Sets)
For candidates who wish to analyze the papers or prepare for future exams, the original PDFs of the CDS 1 2025 question papers for all sets are now available for download. These PDFs are essential resources for thorough preparation and understanding of the types of questions asked.
- CDS 1 2025 English Question Paper PDFs:
- CDS 1 2025 General Knowledge Question Paper PDFs:
- SET A
- SET B
- SET C
- SET D
- CDS 1 2025 Elementary Mathematics Question Paper PDFs:
- SET A
- SET B
- SET C
- SET D
The CDS 1 2025 question papers provided a comprehensive test of candidates’ knowledge and skills across various subjects. The exam maintained a consistent level of difficulty, with certain sections introducing new challenges. Aspirants can use these original question papers to benchmark their performance, identify areas for improvement, and better prepare for future attempts. Downloading and reviewing these papers is an essential step for anyone serious about a career in the Indian Armed Forces.
Stay focused, analyze your performance, and continue your preparation with dedication. Success in the CDS exam is the gateway to a prestigious career in defense services, and every step of preparation counts.
