UPSC CDS 2 Answer Key 2026: Download CDS II Question Paper & Solutions for English, GK & Maths at upsc.gov.in

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially published the question papers and provisional solution keys for the UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS II) 2026. Candidates who appeared in the nationwide competitive examination for admission to the 451 Commissioned Officer Vacancies across the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA) can now download their verified question papers and answer keys for English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics across Sets A, B, C, and D directly from the Commission official portal at upsc.gov.in.

The Combined Defence Services Examination represents the primary direct-entry gateway for university graduates aspiring to serve as commissioned officers in the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force. Candidates who clear the aggregate written threshold marks and achieve the mandatory 20% minimum qualifying score in each individual paper will be shortlisted for the comprehensive 5-day Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview. Upon successful graduation from the respective service academies, officers are commissioned into the armed forces in the rank of Lieutenant, Sub Lieutenant, or Flying Officer with Level 10 pay scales under the 7th Central Pay Commission, augmented by Military Service Pay (MSP) and field allowances.

UPSC CDS II Recruitment 2026: Academy-Wise Vacancy Distribution

The 451 vacancies are allocated across premier national military training academies according to defense branch requirements:

UPSC CDS II Answer Key Download Procedure & Question Booklet Sets at upsc.gov.in

Candidates can access the official question booklets and answer keys by following this step-by-step navigation protocol on the Commission portal:

1. Visit the official portal of Union Public Service Commission: upsc.gov.in.
2. On the homepage, navigate to the "Examinations" tab in the main navigation bar.
3. Click on "Answer Keys" from the dropdown menu options.
4. Locate the notification header reading "Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026: Answer Keys".
5. Select the specific subject paper link you wish to evaluate:
   • English Paper: Sets A, B, C, and D Question Booklet & Answer Key PDF.
   • General Knowledge Paper: Sets A, B, C, and D Question Booklet & Answer Key PDF.
   • Elementary Mathematics Paper: Sets A, B, C, and D Question Booklet & Answer Key PDF (For IMA, INA, AFA candidates).
6. Download the official PDF document and compare your marked responses against the Commission verified answer key.
7. Calculate your provisional raw score using the +1.0 and -0.33 marking formula for English/GK and +1.0 and -0.33 for Mathematics.
8. Save the answer key documents for personal reference during SSB interview shortlisting.

UPSC CDS II Examination Pattern & Sectional Scheme

The CDS written examination pattern differs between candidates applying for Permanent Commission academies (IMA, INA, AFA) and Short Service Commission (OTA):

Negative Marking Protocol: Candidates face a penalty of one-third (0.33%) of the marks assigned to a question for each incorrect answer. Unanswered questions attract zero deduction. A minimum qualifying mark of 20% is strictly enforced in each individual paper regardless of overall score.

Detailed Subject-Wise Syllabus for UPSC CDS II Examination

The CDS curriculum is designed to evaluate broad-spectrum intellectual maturity and analytical rigor:

• English (100 Marks): Reading Comprehension passages testing inferential understanding, Spotting Errors in sentence structure, Ordering of Words in a sentence, Ordering of Sentences in a paragraph, Cloze Composition, Prepositions and Determiners, Idioms and Phrases, Synonyms and Antonyms, Parts of Speech identification.
• General Knowledge (100 Marks): Current Events of national and international security significance, Indian History (Ancient, Medieval, Modern with special emphasis on freedom struggle), Indian Constitution & Polity, Indian and World Geography (Physical, Economic, Human Geography), General Science up to Class 10 CBSE Standard (Physics principles, Chemical reactions, Human physiology and diseases), Environmental Ecology, Defense equipment and joint military exercises.
• Elementary Mathematics (100 Marks - For IMA, INA, AFA):
  • Arithmetic: Number System, Division algorithm, Prime and composite numbers, HCF and LCM, Percentages, Ratio and Proportion, Simple and Compound Interest, Profit and Loss, Work and Time, Velocity and Distance.
  • Algebra: Basic Operations, Linear equations in two variables, Quadratic equations, Factor theorem, Remainder theorem, Logarithms.
  • Trigonometry: Trigonometric ratios, Identities, Heights and Distances.
  • Geometry & Mensuration: Lines and angles, Triangles (Congruency and similarity), Circles (Tangents and chords), Surface area and volume of spheres, cones, cylinders, and prisms.
  • Statistics: Frequency distributions, Histograms, Bar charts, Pie charts, Mean, Median, and Mode.

UPSC CDS II Expected Cut-Off Marks & SSB Qualifying Benchmarks

Based on question paper difficulty and candidate participation across testing centers, the expected qualifying cutoffs are estimated below:

Commissioned Officer Salary Breakdown: 7th CPC Level 10 Pay Matrix

Upon commissioning as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army or equivalent rank in the Navy and Air Force, officers receive executive remuneration under Pay Level 10:

Candidate Guidelines & Preparation Strategy for SSB Interview

Candidates scoring above the estimated cutoff marks must transition immediately to Services Selection Board (SSB) preparation:

1. Screening Test (Stage-I): Practice Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) verbal and non-verbal test series and Picture Perception & Discussion Test (PPDT) narration daily.
2. Psychological Testing (Stage-II): Condition your mindset for spontaneous positive responses in Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Word Association Test (WAT), Situation Reaction Test (SRT), and Self Description (SD).
3. Physical Fitness Readiness: Maintain upper-body strength and cardiovascular endurance for Ground Testing Officer (GTO) obstacle courses (Snake Race, Individual Obstacles, Progressive Group Tasks).
4. Military & Geopolitical Awareness: Stay thoroughly versed in Indian Armed Forces procurement projects, theater commands reorganization, and international security developments.

Official Portals & Direct Answer Key Download Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)