The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2025 General Knowledge (GK) Question Paper PDF, available for download on its official website. Candidates who appeared for the exam, as well as those preparing for future CDS attempts, can now access the official GK paper and analyse the type and pattern of questions asked this year.
I’m writing about this because the GK section of the CDS exam is often considered the most unpredictable — testing everything from current affairs to history and science. For aspirants, getting access to the official paper is crucial for performance review and strategic preparation. With the official CDS (II) 2025 GK paper now available, it gives candidates a chance to understand the exam’s focus areas and prepare better for the next session.
CDS (II) 2025 General Knowledge Paper Released
The General Knowledge paper in the CDS (II) 2025 examination was conducted earlier this month across multiple centres in India. The paper aimed to assess a candidate’s overall awareness of national and international events, science, defence, geography, politics, and economics.
The question paper carried 100 marks, consisting of 120 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Candidates had a total of 2 hours to complete the test. Each question carried equal weightage, and negative marking was applicable for incorrect answers.
Exam Name: Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2025
Conducted by: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Subject: General Knowledge (GK)
Total Marks: 100
Duration: 2 hours
Mode: Offline (OMR)
The GK paper is common to all academies — Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) — making it one of the most critical sections of the exam.
How to Download CDS (II) 2025 GK Paper PDF
Candidates can easily download the official General Knowledge question paper PDF from the UPSC website. Here’s how:
- Visit the official UPSC website – www.upsc.gov.in
- Click on the “Examinations” tab on the homepage.
- Select ‘Previous Question Papers’ from the dropdown menu.
- Find ‘Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2025’ in the list.
- Click on the link for the General Knowledge Paper PDF.
- The paper will open in a new tab; download and save it for reference.
The GK paper PDF is freely available to all candidates for reference and practice.
N.B: If you want to download the question paper without any difficulty, you can easily download it by clicking here.


















