Combined Defence Services (CDS) Preparation Guide

120 mins•100 questions•defense Exam

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Combined Defence Services (CDS) Preparation Guide 2026

Overview

Recruitment for Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers Training Academy. It is aimed at Combined Defence Services aspirants, with a hard difficulty level.

Exam Pattern

Combined Defence Services (CDS) is a 100-question paper to be completed in 120 minutes.

Practice Papers Available on YourMockTest

Paper	Questions	Duration	Negative Marking
English	120	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
General Knowledge	120	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
Elementary Mathematics	100	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer

Detailed Syllabus

English Language
General Knowledge
Elementary Mathematics

Marking Scheme

Correct answer: +1 marks
Wrong answer: -0.33 marks
Unanswered: 0 marks

Preparation Strategy

Practice the Full Paper Under Time Pressure: Combined Defence Services (CDS) is a single 100-question paper in 120 minutes — work out your per-question time budget (roughly 1.2 minutes each) and stick to it in every mock attempt.
Prioritize the Syllabus by Weight: Focus first on English Language and General Knowledge, then move to Elementary Mathematics — these are the subjects tested in the actual paper structure.
Respect the Negative Marking: A wrong answer costs 0.33 mark(s), so only attempt a question when you can eliminate at least two options — guessing blind against this penalty is a net loss over a full paper.
Simulate the Real Timer: Take full-length 120-minute mock tests on YourMockTest under exam conditions before attempting the real Combined Defence Services (CDS) — pacing under pressure is a separate skill from knowing the syllabus.
Review Every Mistake: After each mock, spend more time reviewing wrong answers than attempting new questions — a repeated mistake in practice is a guaranteed mistake in the real exam.

Ready to execute?

Move from syllabus to timed practice.

Now that you are familiar with the structural blueprint, take a full-length mock test to establish your benchmark speed, accuracy, and section-switching metrics.

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Exam Pattern

Combined Defence Services (CDS) is a 100-question paper to be completed in 120 minutes.

Practice Papers Available on YourMockTest

Paper	Questions	Duration	Negative Marking
English	120	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
General Knowledge	120	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer
Elementary Mathematics	100	120 min	−0.33 per wrong answer

Preparation Strategy

Practice the Full Paper Under Time Pressure: Combined Defence Services (CDS) is a single 100-question paper in 120 minutes — work out your per-question time budget (roughly 1.2 minutes each) and stick to it in every mock attempt.

Prioritize the Syllabus by Weight: Focus first on English Language and General Knowledge, then move to Elementary Mathematics — these are the subjects tested in the actual paper structure.

Respect the Negative Marking: A wrong answer costs 0.33 mark(s), so only attempt a question when you can eliminate at least two options — guessing blind against this penalty is a net loss over a full paper.

Simulate the Real Timer: Take full-length 120-minute mock tests on YourMockTest under exam conditions before attempting the real Combined Defence Services (CDS) — pacing under pressure is a separate skill from knowing the syllabus.

Review Every Mistake: After each mock, spend more time reviewing wrong answers than attempting new questions — a repeated mistake in practice is a guaranteed mistake in the real exam.