The CDS 2 2025 exam, held on September14, 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 2 2025 question paper, including its difficulty level, topic-wise analysis, and where to download the original PDFs for all sets.
Overview of the CDS 2 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 2 2025 exam saw participation from numerous defense aspirants across the country, all vying for a limited number of seats in these esteemed academies.
CDS 2 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 2 2025 English Section
The paper is of easy to medium difficulty level, with questions being asked from the conventional topics asked previously in CDS English papers namely Spotting errors, Idioms & Phrases, Fill in the Blanks, Ordering of Words, Ordering of Sentences, Prepositions & Determiners, Parts of Speech. However, some topics which have been asked in CDS English paper since time immemorial like Antonyms, Synonyms, Comprehension were not asked this time in CDS 2 2025 exam. The topics asked in CDS 2 2025 English paper are similar as asked in the previous CDS 1 2025 English paper. No new topic has been added this time.
Overall the CDS 2 2025 English paper was quite easy to solve and candidates who had acquired thorough knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary and practiced questions from previous years could solve the questions very easily.
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 |
| PARTS OF SPEECH | 5 |
| CLOZE TEST | 10 |
| FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH PREPOSITIONS & DETERMINERS | 5 |
| MATCHING LIST WITH PARTS OF SPEECH | 10 |
| IDIOMS & PROVERBS | 10 |
| SENTENCE IMPROVEMENT | 10 |
| SPOTTING ERRORS | 10 |
General Knowledge Section Analysis
The General Knowledge (GK) section of the CDS 2 2025 exam will be updated soon.
Topic-Wise Distribution in General Knowledge:
| Subjects | No. of Questions |
| History | 24 |
| Geography | 19 |
| Polity | 11 |
| CA/DCA | 12 |
| Economics | 10 |
| BIOLOGY | 10 |
| CHEMISTRY | 10 |
| PHYSICS | 10 |
| Computer | 10 |
Elementary Mathematics Section Analysis
Will be updated soon.
Download CDS 2 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 2 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 2 2025 English Question Paper PDFs:
- CDS 2 2025 General Knowledge Question Paper PDFs:
- CDS 2 2025 Elementary Mathematics Question Paper PDFs:
- SET A
- SET B
- SET C
- SET D
The CDS 2 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.
