The CDS-2 2025 exam has just get finished, the reason every aspirant is dealing with curiosity about how the test unfolded and what the expected cut-off marks will be. Exam held by UPSC on 14th September 2025, in this year the exam featured in three different papers that are English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. At Shield Defence Academy, one of India’s most trusted defence coaching institute in Lucknow, we have explored the exam results to bring you a clear and comprehensive analysis of paper and cutoff.
CDS-2 2025 Analysis by Shield Defence Academy
In the sections below, you will discover a comprehensive breakdown of the difficulty levels for each of the three papers. Want to know which topics had the highest number of questions? We have all the things you need. Go into our detailed analysis of the CDS-2 2025 to get key trends and vision. It’s time to formulate a powerful strategy for your next steps in your preparation journey for the CDS exam.
| Paper | Total Questions | Difficult Questions | Secured Attempt |
| ENGLISH | 120 | Moderate | 70-80 Questions |
| GK | 120 | Moderate | 70-80 Questions |
| ELEMENTARY MATHS | 100 | Moderate | 47-50 Questions |
CDS-2 2025 Analysis Of English Paper
If you look at the CDS syllabus for English paper it consists of a total of 120 questions distributed in the exam. Go through the table below to have a clear understanding of the level of difficulty of the English paper in the CDS exam.
CDS-2 2025 General Knowledge Paper Analysis
According to the syllabus of the GKGS paper, we can see the exam consists of a total of 120 questions in the CDS-2 2025 General Knowledge paper. Here you can clearly take the idea about the difficulty level of the CDS GK paper and easily assess your performance.
CDS-2 2025 Elementary Mathematics Paper Evolution
As we have already mentioned or you have knowledge regarding this, the elementary mathematics paper is mandatory for those candidates who are eager to join the Air Force Academy (AFA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), or Indian Naval Academy (INA) for those candidates this paper became important.
CDS Written Exam Previous Years Cut-off Marks
With the help of the previous years’ cut-off marks for CDS written exams, you can get a clear idea of the expected cut-off mark for the upcoming CDS-2 2025 exam. It will also give you a broader view to realise the current trends of the CDS exam and the pattern.
| EXAM CYCLE | IMA | INA | AFA | OTA MEN | OTA WOMEN |
| CDS 1 2024 | 120 | 100 | 128 | 87 | 87 |
| CDS 2 2023 | 127 | 110 | 136 | 104 | 104 |
| CDS 1 2023 | 132 | 122 | 142 | 101 | 101 |
| CDS 2 2022 | 126 | 118 | 136 | 98 | 98 |
| CDS 1 2022 | 136 | 128 | 147 | 100 | 100 |
| CDS 2 2021 | 138 | 132 | 148 | 102 | 102 |
| CDS 1 2021 | 145 | 136 | 158 | 107 | 107 |
| CDS 2 2020 | 139 | 134 | 152 | 97 | 97 |
| CDS 1 2020 | 130 | 118 | 143 | 93 | 93 |
| CDS 2 2019 | 134 | 122 | 148 | 95 | 95 |
| CDS 1 2019 | 116 | 105 | 129 | 78 | 78 |
CDS-2 2025 Expected Cut-Off Marks Of Written Exam
CDS candidates should know that the UPSC will announce the cut-off score for the CDS-2 2025 written exam after the final results are out.
Based on an analysis of all three papers and their difficulty level, the expected cut-off marks for the CDS-2 2025 written exam are listed below
| Expected CDS 2 Exam Cut Off 2025 | ||
| Academy | Written Exam | Final Exam |
| IMA (Indian Military Academy) | 119 – 131 | 244 – 256 |
| INA (Indian Naval Academy) | 104 – 121 | 232 – 246 |
| AFA (Air Force Academy) | 146 – 151 | 267 – 271 |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) – Men | 73 – 84 | 161 – 170 |
| OTA (Officers’ Training Academy) – Women | 75 – 85 | 164 – 170 |
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Whether you are focusing on written exam preparation or SSB Interview training, we have the resources and expertise to support your journey of becoming an officer.
