Prepare for the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam with mock tests covering English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Each test follows the official CDS pattern with +1/−0.33 marking and includes previous year style questions.
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Explore CDS
The Combined Defence Services examination, conducted by UPSC, is the route into the Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers Training Academy. The written stage tests English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics, with the exact paper combination depending on the academy you apply to.
CDS is a paper of breadth rather than depth: the mathematics is elementary, the English is standard, and the General Knowledge section is very wide. Success comes from securing the predictable sections completely and managing negative marking carefully. MockPrep CDS mocks apply the official +1 / −0.33 marking, cover all three sections, and include previous-year question styles.
Elementary Mathematics is matriculation level, so it should be a near-perfect section. General Knowledge is where the actual competition happens.
| Section | Question type | Marks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Objective MCQs | +1 / −0.33 | Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension |
| General Knowledge | Objective MCQs | +1 / −0.33 | History, polity, geography, economy, science, current affairs, defence |
| Elementary Mathematics | Objective MCQs | +1 / −0.33 | Matriculation level; not required for the OTA paper combination |
What each subject covers, and where to focus your hours first
Where to focus: Highly predictable in structure. A steady vocabulary and grammar routine converts almost directly into marks.
Where to focus: The widest and most decisive section. Defence-related awareness recurs and deserves specific attention.
Where to focus: Matriculation level throughout. Aim for near-full accuracy; anything less is a pacing or carelessness issue.
Sit for the full test in one uninterrupted block, with a clock running and no notes open. A mock taken in pieces tells you what you know; a mock taken under exam conditions tells you what you can actually produce on exam day, which is the only number that matters.
Both sections are predictable and finite. Securing them near-fully creates the margin that lets you take measured risks in General Knowledge.
CDS General Knowledge consistently touches defence organisations, exercises, and national security topics. Reading these deliberately is higher-yield than broad current-affairs coverage.
A third of a mark lost per wrong answer adds up quickly across a wide GK section. Eliminate at least two options before committing.
OTA candidates do not sit the Elementary Mathematics paper. Align your practice with the academies you are actually applying to so your effort is not misallocated.
These bands come from the same percentile model the app uses after every test. They are estimates for tracking improvement, not official cut-offs.
| Score in mock | Estimated percentile | Standing | Indicative rank band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38% | 34.5 | Top 66% | 2,35,800 – 2,88,200 |
| 50% | 65.5 | Top 35% | 1,24,200 – 1,51,800 |
| 62% | 88.5 | Top 12% | 41,400 – 50,600 |
| 75% | 98.1 | Top 2% | 6,840 – 8,360 |
| 88% | 99.8 | Top 0.2% | 720 – 880 |
Practice with questions from all key subjects
Prefer one section at a time? Each subject above has its own free sectional mock test.
Attempt full-length past papers online with the official duration and marking, then read the step-by-step solutions.
Yes, our CDS mock tests follow the official UPSC CDS exam pattern with the correct +1/−0.33 marking scheme.
Yes, you can choose between full syllabus or single-subject tests like English or Elementary Mathematics.
Around 20% of each CDS mock test is modelled on previous year questions to give you authentic exam practice.
English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics, all objective, with +1 for a correct answer and −0.33 for an incorrect one. OTA candidates take English and General Knowledge only.
It is matriculation level, covering arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mensuration and statistics. The paper is about accuracy and pace rather than difficulty.
General Knowledge, because English and Mathematics are predictable enough that most serious candidates score well in them. The GK section is where the spread appears.
No. The OTA paper combination covers English and General Knowledge only, so align your practice with the academies you are applying to.
Yes, around a fifth of each test is modelled on previous-year question styles for authentic practice.
Yes. You can take a full test or focus on a single section such as English or Elementary Mathematics.
Start practising with exam-pattern questions now