Practice Test GeeksCDS - Combined Defence Services

CDS Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CDS facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here โ€” free, no sign-up.

CDS exam key facts

  • The Combined Defence Services Examination consists of objective type question papers in English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics (with mathematics omitted for Officers' Training Academy candidates). Source
  • Each written paper in the Combined Defence Services Examination has a duration of 2 hours (120 minutes). Source
  • Candidates must secure the minimum qualifying marks separately in the written examination and the SSB interview as determined by UPSC and the Services Selection Board respectively in their discretion. Source
  • Candidates applying for the Combined Defence Services Examination are required to pay a fee of โ‚น200, with female, SC, and ST candidates exempted from payment. Source
  • Applications for the Combined Defence Services Examination cannot be withdrawn or modified after submission, and examination fees are non-refundable under any circumstances. Source
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  1. The Deccan Plateau is bounded on the east by which mountain range? โ†’ Eastern Ghats
  2. Name the continents that form a mirror image of each other. โ†’ Africa and South America
  3. The Indian Navy's official motto is derived from which ancient text? โ†’ Atharva Veda
  4. A circle has a radius of 7 cm. What is its circumference? (Use ฯ€ = 22/7) โ†’ 44 cm
  5. Which ocean surrounds India on three sides? โ†’ Indian Ocean
  6. Which of the following cities will never get the vertical rays of the Sun? โ†’ Srinagar
  7. Which index measures inflation at the wholesale level in India? โ†’ Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
  8. Which Indian missile is named after the ancient god of fire? โ†’ Agni
  9. What does the term 'NIFTY 50' refer to? โ†’ Benchmark stock market index of the National Stock Exchange
  10. The Ashoka Chakra is India's highest peacetime gallantry award. It is given for acts of bravery in what context? โ†’ Peacetime gallantry
  11. The Indian Constitution was adopted on which date? โ†’ November 26, 1949
  12. Which type of electromagnetic radiation has the highest frequency? โ†’ Gamma rays
  13. What is the sum of interior angles of a hexagon? โ†’ 720ยฐ
  14. If the simple interest on $500 at 6% per annum for 3 years is calculated, what is the interest amount? โ†’ $90
  15. Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which was abrogated in 2019, related to the special status of which region? โ†’ Jammu and Kashmir
  16. The Reserve Bank of India was nationalised in which year? โ†’ 1949
  17. If the ratio of two numbers is 3:5 and their sum is 96, what is the larger number? โ†’ 60
  18. The Permanent Settlement of Bengal was introduced by which Governor-General? โ†’ Lord Cornwallis
  19. The broken hills famous for zinc and lead are located in: โ†’ Australia
  20. The National Defence Academy (NDA) is located in which state? โ†’ Maharashtra
  21. The Finance Commission of India is constituted every how many years? โ†’ 5 years
  22. The speed of light in vacuum is approximately how many km/s? โ†’ 300,000 km/s
  23. What is the chemical formula of common salt? โ†’ NaCl
  24. Approximately how many kilometers are represented by 1 degree of latitude? โ†’ 111 km
  25. The Simon Commission was boycotted by Indians because it had no Indian members. In which year did it arrive? โ†’ 1928
  26. Ashoka's Dhamma was primarily based on the principles of which religion? โ†’ Buddhism
  27. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was implemented in India on which date? โ†’ 1 July 2017
  28. Identify the word that has the correct spelling: โ†’ Maintenance
  29. The unit of electrical resistance is named after which scientist? โ†’ Georg Ohm
  30. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but only what? โ†’ Converted from one form to another
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How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

  1. upsc.gov.in โ€” Test delivery, fees, exam format, passing score, retake policy, time limit ยท verified Oct 2026