UPSC has started the CDS 2 exam 2026 on September 13, 2026, in 3 shifts. The CDS shift timings include shift 1 from 9 AM to 11 AM, shift 2 from 12:30 PM to 2 PM, and shift 3 from 4 PM to 6 PM. Shift 1 (English) exam ended at 11 AM. As per student reactions, the overall difficulty level of English exam was easy to moderate. S1 and S2 questions were repeated this year. Synonyms, Antonyms, and word meaning questions were also easy. Most of the students were able to attempt 80+ questions in the CDS 2 English exam.
Shift 2 will start at 12:30 PM. Candidates who are appearing for the UPSC CDS exam 2026 must follow the exam instructions and carry their admit card along with them to the exam hall. The entry gates will close 30 minutes before the start of each exam, and no latecomers will be allowed. Candidates can also check CDS 2 Student Reactions to understand about exam difficulty level.
Table of Contents
CDS Exam Timing 2026
CDS exam timing is from 9 AM to 6 PM. The exam is being conducted in 3 shifts: shift 1 from 9 AM to 11 AM, shift 2 from 12:30 PM to 2 PM. The CDS exam timing is given below:
CDS Exam Paper Analysis 2026
The CDS exam paper analysis 2026 can be checked from the table below. The analysis has been updated based on students’ reactions for each section:
CDS 2 Exam Overall Difficulty Level 2026
CDS exam overall difficulty level will be updated here soon after the exam. The difficulty level will help candidates understand which section was easy and which was tough. As per previous year’s analysis, the overall difficulty level of CDS exam was moderate to tough.
CDS English Paper Analysis 2026
CDS English paper analysis has been updated in the table below.
As per students' review, the paper was easy to moderate.
CDS General Knowledge Paper Analysis 2026
CDS GK paper analysis will be updated here soon after the exam.
Candidates can also check CDS Exam Answer Key 2026 to compare their answers and calculate their expected scores.
CDS Mathematics Paper Analysis 2026
CDS Maths paper analysis will be updated here soon after the exam.
Candidates can download the CDS Exam Question Papers to compare the difficulty level and questions asked in the exam.
CDS Expected Cutoff 2026
Based on the overall difficulty level and student reviews, the expected CDS cutoff 2026 for IMA is expected to be around 110-135 marks. Apart from this, the cutoff for INA and AFA is expected to be around 104-125 and 108-155 marks, respectively. The expected CDS cutoff 2026 is given below:
CDS Exam Analysis 2026 FAQs
How many shifts is the CDS Exam 2026 being conducted in?
The CDS Exam 2026 is being conducted in three shifts: English from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, General Knowledge from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, and Elementary Mathematics from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
What is the CDS Exam timing 2026?
The CDS Exam 2026 is conducted between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM across three shifts, with each paper lasting two hours.
What is the difficulty level of the CDS English Exam 2026?
The difficulty level of CDS English exam was easy to moderate. Candidates were able to attempt all the questions within time limit.
When will the CDS Exam Paper Analysis 2026 be available?
The CDS Exam Paper Analysis 2026 will be updated after each shift based on candidate feedback, question types, difficulty level and good attempts.
What are the memory-based questions for CDS Exam 2026?
Memory-based questions are questions recalled by candidates after completing the examination. They will be updated subject-wise after each CDS exam shift.
What are the good attempts for CDS Exam 2026?
The good attempts will be estimated based on the difficulty level of each section, student reactions and the number of questions candidates were able to attempt accurately.
What is the expected CDS cutoff 2026?
The expected CDS cutoff will be estimated based on the difficulty level of the paper, student feedback, good attempts and previous-year cutoff trends. The official cutoff will be released by UPSC later.
