What Subjects to Study for CDS 2 2025?

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) administers the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam twice a year, making it one of the most prominent defense entrance examinations in India. It serves as the entry point to the Air Force Academy (AFA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), and Indian Military Academy (IMA).
One issue that frequently comes up when getting ready for CDS 2 2025.

What subjects do I need to study for the CDS exam?

We break down the whole subject-wise syllabus for CDS, the exam format, important preparation advice, and frequently asked questions for first-time applicants in this comprehensive blog post from NCA Academy, a reputable defense coaching center in Mohali.

CDS Exam Pattern at a Glance For IMA, INA, AFA:

Paper	Subject	Duration	Marks
Paper I	English	2 Hours	100
Paper II	General Knowledge	2 Hours	100
Paper III	Elementary Mathematics	2 Hours	100
Total	—	6 Hours	300

For OTA (Men & Women):

Paper	Subject	Duration	Marks
Paper I	English	2 Hours	100
Paper II	General Knowledge	2 Hours	100
Total	—	4 Hours	200

Topics to Research for the CDS Exam

Let’s examine the three subjects you need to study for based on your preferred academy.
1. English, a universal language
The English portion assesses your sentence construction, vocabulary, grammar, and understanding.

Crucial Subjects:
Finding Mistakes
Antonyms and Synonyms
Enhancement of Sentences
One-Word Replacement
Complete the Blanks
Sentence Ordering
Understanding What You Read
Cloze Examine your active and passive voice.

Tips for Preparing Direct and Indirect Speech:
Every day, read an English-language newspaper (The Hindu, Indian Express).
Work on past year’s papers to improve your sentence structure.
Use daily word lists to expand your vocabulary.

2. GK, or general knowledge

Both static and dynamic themes are covered in the extensive GK section. It assesses conceptual knowledge from school-level courses as well as awareness of national and international happenings.

Important Topics to Research:

Indian history: ancient, medieval, and contemporary
World History and Major Revolutions in the Indian National Movement (for INA/AFA)
Geography: Earth, Landforms, Climate, and Physical Geography
Indian geography (agriculture, rivers, and soils)
Global geography (resources, capitals, and mapping)
Science: Physics: Electricity, motion, and energy laws
Chemistry: Compounds, elements, and reactions
Biology: The systems, illnesses, and diet of the human body.

Polity: Indian Constitution,Essential Duties and Rights,The Executive and Parliament,Elections and Panchayati Raj,The fundamentals of the Indian economy,GDP, the budget, and the banking system,Reforms and economic terms

Current Events:
Defense drills and appointments,Relations with other countries,Sports events and national awards,Summits and plans

3. Basic Math (Just for IMA, INA, and AFA)

If addressed strategically, this portion, which is focused on mathematics at the Class 10 (SSC) level, can yield high scores.

Important Subjects:

System of Numbers,LCM & HCF, Distance and Time, Work and Time Percentages, Proportion and Ratio, Basic and Complex Interest, Gains and Losses,Algebra, Mensuration and Geometry, Trigonometry ,Graphs and Statistics

Weekly Study Plan (Recommended by NCA Academy)

Day	Subjects to Cover	Focus Areas
Monday	English + History	Grammar + Indian Freedom Struggle
Tuesday	Maths + Geography	Algebra + Indian Geography
Wednesday	English + Polity	Cloze test + Constitution
Thursday	GK + Science	Biology + Physics concepts
Friday	Maths + Economy	Trigonometry + Budget
Saturday	Revision + Current Affairs	Weekly news quiz
Sunday	Full-Length Mock Test	Evaluate & Analyse