UPSC conducted the second cycle of Combined Defence Services Examination on 13th September 2026. Lakhs of candidates across the country appeared for the exam with just one dream: to wear the uniform. Since then, a lot of people have been discussing how the paper was. Hence, we decided to bring you a thorough CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis today.
What is the GK Paper in CDS?
Let us start by understanding what the GK paper in CDS is before we build on the CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis. We all know that GK stands for General Knowledge, and this is the second mandatory paper that candidates must give irrespective of their academy preference. It comprises a total of 120 questions, each carrying 0.83 marks.
Candidates get two hours to solve the paper on an OMR sheet, but they have to be very particular about their answers, as a negative one deducts 0.27 marks. The common subjects asked in this paper are:
- Science
- Geography
- Polity
- History
- Economics
- Current affairs and defence
Now that you have an idea of what the paper demands, let us delve into its analysis.
CDS 2 2026 GK Paper Analysis
Let us begin with the CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis. But, before that please bear in mind that:
- The categorization of questions done by us is subjective, and may vary.
- We have not included the correct answers in this blog, which will only be obvious once the answer key is released.
Polity
We start our CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis with Polity and Governance, which occupied a substantial portion of the paper. This year, candidates got a total of 21 questions from the subject. Out of these, 19 were specific to the Indian Constitution and governance. Major themes covered were:
- Constituent Assembly
- Parliamentary committees
- Constitutional provisions
- Fundamental Rights
- Union Territories
- Disqualification
- Scheduled Areas
- Governor and State Legislature
- Finance-related provisions
It also focused on certain contemporary acts like Indian Ports Act, 2025 linking the subject to current affairs. Clearly, the subject remained an important one with a push for having conceptual clarity as well as knowledge of the Constitution in place of direct questions. Hence, candidates described it as a moderate section under the CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis.
History and Culture
Next in line is History, which is the most-dreaded subject for aspirants. Owing to its vastness with questions that can be asked from practically anywhere, most candidates do not attempt this section a lot. This year, UPSC asked 21 questions from each historical period, and included themes such as:
- Indus Valley Civilisation and sites
- Indian philosophical schools
- Vijayanagara
- Ancient Indian architecture
- Treaty of Allahabad
- Mughal administrative terminology
- European travellers and their accounts
As per our CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis, the History and culture section was on the moderate-hard part of the scale. The questions were statement-focused, making elimination tough.
Biology
Until CDS 2 2026, candidates often relied on Biology and other Science subjects because they used to be basic and direct. However, things changed this time. Candidates saw 15 questions, which they felt were too in-depth to answer. The common topics covered were:
- Nutrition
- Active transport
- Cell division (mitosis)
- Cartilage
- Diseases
- Schizophrenia
- Genetics and evolution
- Biotechnology
UPSC asked a diverse set of questions to candidates, who found the Biology section to be particularly hard. It was not just about human physiology and life processes, but required them to know the basics as per the CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis.
Economy
The next subject that we look at as part of the CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis is Economy, which had 13 questions. These questions were concept-heavy rather than being simply factual like always. The major topics covered were:
- Current account and fiscal deficit
- Crowding-out effect
- Services sector
- Inflation and interest rates
- Labour statistics
- Government expenditure and defence expenditure
The economy section was in the moderate category as it leaned towards conceptual understanding and basic economic mechanisms rather than isolated facts.
Physics and Chemistry
We have categorised the two subjects together because each one had 10 questions for the candidates. These sections were doable for the candidates as they tested their conceptual knowledge through basic questions around:
- Optics
- Motion and force
- Magnetism
- Gravitation
- Magnetic fields
- Copper compounds
- Acids and bases
- Chemical terminologies
Hence, as per our CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis, Physics and Chemistry were easy-moderate and the most scoring section of the paper. Most questions were of school level and candidates easily sailed through it.
Geography
Now, we speak about Geography, which saw a drop in the number of questions this time. UPSC only asked eight questions from the subject which spanned across:
- Inland waterways and navigation
- Climate and temperature
- Atmosphere
- Earthquakes
- Rivers
- Indian state boundaries
- Continental/ocean-basin theories
Physical Geography occupied good space in the paper, and the subject was scoring only if candidates knew the basics under the CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis. However, those who only relied on Geography faced a setback because of the less number of questions asked.
Environment and Ecology
Some of you may include this section under Geography, but we have categorized it differently. As per the CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis, the commission asked 7 questions in this section, which included topics such as:
- Biosphere Reserves
- Wildlife conservation
- Coastal ecosystems
- Ramsar sites and wetland cities
This section was focused on current affairs and not book-based knowledge. Hence, the difficulty level may vary from person to person. The only thing required for such questions was general awareness.
Computer Science
Computer Science has started occupying a good space in CDS since 2025, and this year too, candidates saw five questions from the subject. These were very basic and direct to answer, hence, we call them easy to attempt.
Science & Technology and Defence
If you are sitting for a defence exam, it is very obvious that you will be asked defence-related questions as well. This time, there were four questions from this section. These were doable for candidates and questioned them on military exercises like KHANJAR and the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket.
Agriculture
Next was agriculture with three questions. While there were not many questions from it, all three were government scheme-related. This means that candidates must also have knowledge of the prevalent government schemes to do well in CDS.
Miscellaneous
Lastly, as per our CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis, UPSC asked miscellaneous questions which were particularly focused on current affairs. These ranged from the International Booker Prize to the Padma awards.
The questions were direct but required recalling the answers under pressure, making the section tricky. Hence, we could label this one as moderate.
Final Thoughts
As per the CDS 2 2026 GK paper analysis, this was one of the most difficult GK papers asked in the recent times for CDS. The questions were focused on current affairs and were confusing. Hence, candidates described the overall level as moderate to difficult. As its result, the cut-off for this cycle may be quite low for both men and women. However, only the answer key will give us the real picture.
