The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducted the Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 on 13 September 2026 across examination centres in India. Candidates who appeared for the examination can download the CDS 2 2026 question papers for English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics from this page.
Candidates can also check and download the CDS 2 2026 Answer Keys for Sets A, B, C and D. The set-wise answer keys can be used to calculate the expected score before the declaration of the CDS 2 2026 result.
UPSC conducted three papers for candidates applying for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Air Force Academy (AFA), while candidates applying for the Officers Training Academy (OTA) appeared for English and General Knowledge only.
A total of 451 vacancies were notified through CDS 2 2026, including 100 vacancies for IMA, 26 for INA, 32 for AFA, 275 for OTA Men and 18 for OTA Women.
CDS 2 2026 Exam Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Examination | Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 |
| Conducting Authority | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| CDS 2 2026 Exam Date | 13 September 2026 |
| Examination Mode | Offline – OMR Based |
| English Paper | 100 Marks |
| General Knowledge Paper | 100 Marks |
| Elementary Mathematics Paper | 100 Marks |
| IMA/INA/AFA Written Marks | 300 |
| OTA Written Marks | 200 |
| Total Vacancies | 451 |
| Question Paper Sets | A, B, C and D |
CDS 2 2026 Exam Timings
The CDS examination was conducted in three shifts. Candidates appearing for IMA, INA and AFA were required to appear in all three papers, while OTA candidates appeared only in the first two.
| Subject | Examination Timing |
|---|---|
| English | 09:00 AM – 11:00 AM |
| General Knowledge | 12:30 PM – 02:30 PM |
| Elementary Mathematics | 04:00 PM – 06:00 PM |
CDS 2 2026 Question Papers PDF
Candidates can download the CDS 2 2026 question papers for all three subjects below. Since the questions remain the same across booklet series with differences primarily in their sequence, one question-paper PDF is provided for each subject.
| CDS 2 2026 Question Paper | Set | Download PDF |
|---|---|---|
| CDS 2 2026 English Question Paper | Set A | [Download PDF] |
| CDS 2 2026 General Knowledge Question Paper | Set A | [Download PDF] |
| CDS 2 2026 Elementary Mathematics Question Paper | Set A | [Download PDF] |
Candidates can use these papers to analyse the examination, practise questions and compare their responses with the set-wise CDS 2 2026 answer keys given below.
CDS 2 2026 Answer Keys – All Sets
The CDS 2 2026 answer keys for English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics are provided separately for Sets A, B, C and D.
Candidates must check the booklet series printed on their CDS question paper before downloading the corresponding answer key. Using the wrong set can result in an incorrect score because the sequence of questions may differ between booklet series.
CDS 2 2026 English Answer Key
The English paper consisted of 120 questions carrying a total of 100 marks.
| CDS 2 2026 English Answer Key | Download PDF |
|---|---|
| English Answer Key – Set A | [Download PDF] |
| English Answer Key – Set B | [Download PDF] |
| English Answer Key – Set C | [Download PDF] |
| English Answer Key – Set D | [Download PDF] |
CDS 2 2026 General Knowledge Answer Key
The General Knowledge paper consisted of 120 questions carrying 100 marks. Questions covered current affairs as well as History, Geography, Polity, Economics, General Science, Defence and other areas of general awareness.
| CDS 2 2026 GK Answer Key | Download PDF |
|---|---|
| General Knowledge Answer Key – Set A | [Download PDF] |
| General Knowledge Answer Key – Set B | [Download PDF] |
| General Knowledge Answer Key – Set C | [Download PDF] |
| General Knowledge Answer Key – Set D | [Download PDF] |
CDS 2 2026 Mathematics Answer Key
The Elementary Mathematics paper consisted of 100 questions carrying 100 marks. This paper was applicable to candidates appearing for IMA, INA and AFA. OTA candidates were not required to appear for Mathematics.
| CDS 2 2026 Mathematics Answer Key | Download PDF |
|---|---|
| Elementary Mathematics Answer Key – Set A | [Download PDF] |
| Elementary Mathematics Answer Key – Set B | [Download PDF] |
| Elementary Mathematics Answer Key – Set C | [Download PDF] |
| Elementary Mathematics Answer Key – Set D | [Download PDF] |
The set-wise answer keys can help candidates calculate their probable marks immediately after the examination. Candidates should ensure that they match the answer key with the correct question-paper set.
CDS 2 2026 Marking Scheme
Candidates should consider the CDS negative-marking rule while calculating their scores.
| Subject | Questions | Maximum Marks | Marks Per Correct Answer | Negative Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 120 | 100 | 0.833 | Approx. 0.278 |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 | 0.833 | Approx. 0.278 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 100 | 1.00 | 0.333 |
One-third of the marks assigned to a question are deducted for every incorrect answer. There is no penalty for questions that are left unanswered.
For English and General Knowledge, candidates can calculate their approximate score using:
Score = (Correct Answers × 5/6) − (Incorrect Answers × 5/18)
For Elementary Mathematics:
Score = Correct Answers − (Incorrect Answers × 1/3)
The maximum written score is 300 marks for IMA, INA and AFA candidates and 200 marks for OTA candidates.
CDS 2 2026 Paper Analysis
Based on the initial feedback following the examination, the overall CDS 2 2026 paper was considered moderate, although the difficulty varied across subjects.
| Paper | Difficulty Level | Indicative Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| English | Easy to Moderate | 75–85 |
| General Knowledge | Moderate to Tough | 55–65 |
| Elementary Mathematics | Moderate to Tough | 55–70 |
The English paper was comparatively scoring, with questions covering vocabulary, grammar, sentence usage, comprehension and other familiar CDS English patterns.
The General Knowledge paper required a combination of current affairs and static knowledge. Questions covered subjects such as History, Geography, Polity, Science, Economics and Defence-related topics.
Elementary Mathematics was moderate to difficult for many candidates, particularly because of the time required to solve some questions. Accuracy and effective time management played an important role in the paper.
Candidates should remember that the number of good attempts alone cannot determine their score. Accuracy becomes particularly important because of the one-third negative marking applicable in CDS.
CDS 2 2026 Expected Cut-Off
Based on the difficulty level of the examination and recent CDS trends, candidates can use the following expected cut-off range only as an early reference.
| Academy | CDS 2 2026 Expected Written Cut-Off |
|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy (IMA) | 122–128 / 300 |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA) | 106–114 / 300 |
| Air Force Academy (AFA) | 130–138 / 300 |
| Officers Training Academy – Men | 80–86 / 200 |
| Officers Training Academy – Women | 94–102 / 200 |
These are indicative estimates and should not be treated as official cut-offs. The actual CDS 2 2026 cut-off will depend on factors such as the difficulty level of the papers, candidate performance, vacancies and the standards fixed by UPSC.
CDS 2 2026 Official Answer Key
Candidates should note the difference between unofficial and official CDS answer keys.
The answer keys released immediately after the examination by coaching institutes and subject experts are unofficial. They are intended to help candidates estimate their scores and identify their likely performance.
The final authority remains UPSC. Candidates should therefore treat their calculated scores as estimates until the official CDS 2 2026 answer keys are released.
Once UPSC publishes the official answer keys for English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics, the relevant PDFs can also be added to this page.
How to Calculate Your CDS 2 2026 Score
Candidates should first identify whether their question booklet was Set A, B, C or D. They can then download the corresponding answer key from the tables above.
Compare each attempted question with the answer given in the key and count the total number of correct and incorrect responses.
For example, if a candidate gets 80 English questions correct and 20 incorrect:
Correct marks = 80 × 0.833 = approximately 66.67
Negative marks = 20 × 0.278 = approximately 5.56
Estimated English score = 61.11 marks
Candidates should calculate their scores separately for each paper before adding them together.
What Happens After CDS 2 2026?
UPSC will declare the CDS 2 2026 written examination result after evaluating the OMR answer sheets.
Candidates who clear the written examination and meet the required eligibility conditions will proceed to the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview process.
The selection process broadly consists of the written examination, SSB interview, medical examination and preparation of the final merit list.
For IMA, INA and AFA, the written examination carries 300 marks and the SSB carries another 300 marks. For OTA, the written examination carries 200 marks and the SSB carries 200 marks.
Candidates who are confident of clearing the CDS 2 2026 written cut-off should begin their SSB interview preparation instead of waiting for the written result.
CDS 2 2026 Question Papers and Answer Keys – FAQs
When was CDS 2 2026 conducted?
The Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 was conducted on 13 September 2026.
Where can I download the CDS 2 2026 question paper?
Candidates can download the CDS 2 2026 English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics question papers from the download table provided above.
Where can I download the CDS 2 2026 Answer Key for Set A?
Separate Set A answer-key PDFs for English, General Knowledge and Mathematics can be downloaded from the respective subject tables on this page.
Are CDS 2 2026 Set B, C and D answer keys available?
Yes. Separate download links are provided for Sets A, B, C and D for English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics.
Is the CDS 2 2026 official answer key available?
Candidates should distinguish between unofficial answer keys released after the examination and the official answer keys subsequently published by UPSC. The UPSC answer key should be considered final for official purposes.
Is there negative marking in CDS 2 2026?
Yes. One-third of the marks assigned to a question are deducted for every incorrect response. There is no negative marking for an unattempted question.
Do OTA candidates have to check the Mathematics answer key?
No. Candidates appearing for OTA are required to take only the English and General Knowledge papers. Elementary Mathematics is applicable to IMA, INA and AFA candidates.
What is the maximum written score in CDS?
The CDS written examination carries 300 marks for IMA, INA and AFA and 200 marks for OTA.
Final Words
The CDS 2 2026 question papers and set-wise answer keys will help candidates analyse their performance in the examination and estimate their probable written score.
Candidates should download the correct CDS 2 2026 Answer Key for Set A, B, C or D and carefully calculate their marks after applying the one-third negative-marking rule.
This page will be updated with further CDS 2 2026 answer-key PDFs, official UPSC documents, results and cut-off information as they become available.
Candidates who are expecting to clear the CDS 2 2026 written examination should now shift their focus towards SSB interview preparation, as performance in the SSB will ultimately play an equally important role in securing admission to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy or Officers Training Academy.
