The 6 official CDS 2024 question papers and 3 answer keys are on this page as PDFs from UPSC, with the original source linked beside each file. The CDS exam covers English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. Download them below, then sit the paper under exam timing with the attempt plan and error-log routine on this page.
Explore: CDS hub · Topic-wise PYQs · Syllabus & pattern · CDS 2025 · How to use PYQs
Download the paper
Download the official CDS 2024 question paper (PDF), hosted on this site with the official source linked.
Why this year matters
CDS 2024 still sits close to the current pattern. Use it after the newest year so you are not learning process and content on the same day. Split Prelims GS and CSAT into separate timed blocks. Save Mains papers for outline drills the same week you review Prelims themes.
Watch how current affairs sits on top of polity, economy, and environment. Elimination quality on close options matters as much as knowing the fact.
Paper analysis
Snapshot of CDS 2024
Modern CDS. English precision often decides cut-offs.
2024 should feel close to the newest paper in structure. If it feels wildly easier or harder, check whether you changed attempt strategy, not only content knowledge.
What this paper stresses
- Statement-based polity and economy items where two options look nearly right.
- Environment and science-tech questions that punish vague CA notes.
- CSAT comprehension and quant that still fail otherwise strong GS candidates.
- Map and institution questions that reward quiet static revision.
What to extract before you move on
- Static themes that survived into the newest Prelims (polity articles, ecology concepts, modern history arcs).
- CA topics that only made sense when tied to a scheme / institution / map.
- CSAT question types that still slow you down (RC vs quant vs logic).
- Two Mains-ready outlines from Prelims themes you missed.
How 2024 sits next to other years
Stack 2024 beside CDS 2025, CDS 2023, CDS 2022. Shared misses across these years are your real syllabus debt.
Looking for another shift, set or language? Check the official archive.
Topic-wise analysis
We tagged every question in the 6 official 2024 papers on this page by topic: 680 questions (663 MCQ, 14 Matching, 3 Assertion-Reason). The topics with the most questions:
- English: Synonyms, Antonyms and Idioms 65, Spotting Errors and Grammar 55, Sentence Arrangement and Improvement 50 questions across the 6 papers.
- General Knowledge: Current Affairs, Defence and Sports 52, Geography 41, History and Culture 40 questions across the 6 papers.
- Elementary Mathematics: Number System and Simplification 44, Mensuration 34, Geometry 28 questions across the 6 papers.
Against CDS 2023, the biggest changes in question count: Algebra -30, Number System and Simplification +16, Fill in the Blanks and Cloze -15, Sentence Arrangement and Improvement +10.
All 6 official CDS 2024 papers we host (CDS (I) English; CDS (I) GK; CDS (I) Maths; CDS (II) English; CDS (II) GK; CDS (II) Maths), tagged question by question: 680 questions (663 MCQ, 14 Matching, 3 Assertion-Reason). Counts are totals across those papers. Answers come from the official UPSC answer keys where they are hosted; other papers show no answer.
| Topic | Questions | vs 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| English | 240 | |
| Spotting Errors and Grammar | 55 | -5 |
| Synonyms, Antonyms and Idioms | 65 | +5 |
| Comprehension | 25 | +5 |
| Sentence Arrangement and Improvement | 50 | +10 |
| Fill in the Blanks and Cloze | 45 | -15 |
| General Knowledge | 240 | |
| History and Culture | 40 | -5 |
| Geography | 41 | +5 |
| Polity | 26 | +8 |
| Economy | 27 | -6 |
| Physics | 12 | -9 |
| Chemistry | 22 | +3 |
| Biology | 20 | 0 |
| Current Affairs, Defence and Sports | 52 | +4 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 200 | |
| Number System and Simplification | 44 | +16 |
| Percentage, Ratio, Profit and Interest | 19 | +6 |
| Time, Speed and Work | 13 | +2 |
| Algebra | 24 | -30 |
| Trigonometry | 25 | -2 |
| Geometry | 28 | +5 |
| Mensuration | 34 | +2 |
| Statistics | 13 | +1 |
Topics with no question in 2024 or 2023 are left out. Every question, by topic: CDS topic-wise PYQs.
How to sit CDS 2024
- Download Prelims GS Paper I and Paper II (CSAT) from the official UPSC links. Keep Mains papers for a separate sitting.
- Two hours for GS I, two hours for CSAT. Do not merge them into one vague afternoon.
- When the clock ends, stop. Review should take at least as long as the attempt.
- Fill the error log the same day: section, topic, and miss type (concept, silly, time, or misread).
- Next session, repair only logged items. Then pick another year from the decade list.
- For Mains the same week: pick two Prelims themes and write short outlines or 150-250 word answers.
Other years in this decade
FAQ
Where can I download the official CDS 2024 question paper?
Download it from this page: the official PDF is here, with a link to the conducting body’s original.
What does the CDS 2024 paper analysis include?
A year snapshot, what the paper stresses, what to extract into your error log, and how 2024 compares with neighbouring years on this hub.
How should I practise the CDS 2024 previous year paper?
Open the official PDF, sit it timed under current brochure rules, fill an error log the same day, read the paper analysis, then move to another year in the decade list.
Is CDS 2024 still useful if I finished newer papers?
Yes. Recent years sharpen timing; stack them after a same-day review of each attempt.
Are memory-based CDS 2024 papers reliable?
Treat memory-based sets as interim. Reconcile contested items with official keys or response sheets when the conducting body publishes them.
Where is the CDS syllabus and pattern for this paper?
See the CDS syllabus & pattern page on this hub, and always re-check the latest official brochure before exam day.