The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination twice a year. The application window for CDS 2 Exam 2024 has closed, and the exam is set to take place on September 1, 2024.
To prepare for the CDS 2 Exam 2024, candidates must focus on the exam pattern and syllabus to get the best results.
The UPSC CDS 2 Exam 2024 includes a written examination and an interview to assess the candidate’s intelligence and personality. Candidates aiming for the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, or Air Force Academy, need to appear for objective exams in English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. On the other hand, those eyeing admission to the Officer’s Training Academy only need to take the English and General Knowledge Exam. Despite each subject having the same maximum marks (100) and 2 hours, preparing for each requires different strategies.
CDS Exam English Preparation Tips
We use English in our daily lives yet fail to understand the basics of the language. Mistakes like such can cause detrimental damage to your overall score so here are some pointers to help you prepare for the CDS 2 English Exam 2024:
- Familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of English by reviewing grammar rules regularly. This can improve your sentence structure and leaves less room for mistakes.
- Invest in a dictionary— this can be a great resource for touching up on your vocabulary, idioms, phrases and word substitutions adding a flair to your speaking and writing abilities.
- Read newspapers, magazines and books everyday. Devoting a little bit of time everyday to reading can sharpen your comprehension abilities and sentence formation.
CDS Exam Maths Preparation Tips
The official notification states that the question paper standard in Mathematics is of Matriculation level and to achieve favorable outcomes, one must dedicate necessary time.
- Candidates must maintain both accuracy and speed to attempt all the questions within the allotted time.
- Make a list of important formulas and theorems that you use to solve problems. It’s also important to practice Arithmetic and Algebraic formulas and brush up on concepts like Area & Surface, Number System etc.
- Solving previous year question papers can help you get an understanding of the question paper pattern and structure.
CDS Exam GK Preparation Tips
It’s hard to recall specific current events and news in this age when there’s an overload of information but it should be considered that the CDS 2 Exam gives equal weightage to GK and candidates must be up to date about all matters ranging from Politics & Civics to Geography.
- It’s impossible to remember everything when it comes to general knowledge so analyze previous year question papers and recognise frequently asked topics. This can help you narrow down some important concepts.
- Keep up with the national and international news like international conferences, summits, world events where relevant figures have visited.
- Use resources like the internet and youtube to understand concepts of general science and keep revising what you have learnt.
Also Read:
| CDS Exam Preparation Books | CDS Exam PATTERN |
Candidates can access the full CDS Exam syllabus on the official UPSC website but here are some important topics to revise that can help you score.
CDS 2 Exam 2024: Important Subject wise Topics
| SUBJECT | IMPORTANT TOPICS |
| English | Reading Comprehension Questions Synonyms & Antonyms Idioms & Phrases Sentence improvement Jumbled Words |
| Mathematics | Number Theory Basic Algebraic Operations Mensuration- Area of shapes Statistics, Graph representation & Data tabulation Geometries and properties of figures Trigonometric Identities |
| General Knowledge | Indian History General Science- Physics, Chemistry, Biology Current Affairs- Summits, National & International Awards, Conferences and Relevant people Defence Related Questions |
