CDS-2 2024 Exam Analysis and Expected Cut-Off Marks: The CDS-2 2024 exam has been successfully conducted across various centers in the country, and candidates are now eagerly awaiting the expected cutoff marks for different academies. The CDS exam serves as a gateway to prestigious institutions like IMA Dehradun, INA Ezhimala, AFA Dundigal, and OTA Chennai. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is responsible for releasing the cutoff marks for the written exam and conducting the final selection process.
The CDS cut-off marks are determined based on the written exam scores, which consider the minimum qualifying marks in each subject and the aggregate marks of the last qualified candidate. This means the final cutoff depends on the marks of the last recommended candidate. Candidates must secure at least 20% marks in each subject to qualify. Separate qualifying marks are required for both the written exam and the SSB Interview.
Based on the CDS cutoff, candidates are selected for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).
CDS-2 2024 Exam Analysis
The written exam for IMA, INA, and AFA consists of three sections: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics, with a total of 300 marks. In contrast, the OTA exam has two sections, English and General Knowledge, with a total of 200 marks. To qualify, candidates must secure at least 20% marks in each subject.
After the written exam, UPSC compiles a list of candidates who meet the minimum qualifying marks. These candidates are then invited for intelligence and personality tests, followed by the SSB Interview. The SSB Interview consists of a two-stage selection process:
- Stage 1: Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT)
- Stage 2: Interviews, Group Testing, Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference
The CDS cut-off marks for the SSB Interview is 300 marks for IMA, INA, and AFA, and 200 marks for OTA.
According to this year’s aspirants, the English paper was easy to moderate, with some new topics like matching lists, correlating sentences, and paired words. However, the General Knowledge paper was challenging, with a moderate overall difficulty level. A significant number of questions were asked from Current Affairs, Geography, and History.
2024 Cut-off Marks Trend Analysis
To predict this year’s cut-off marks, it’s essential to consider the previous year’s cut-off trend, which is discussed later in this article. The cut-off varies for each training academy. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) determines the cut-off based on several factors, including:
- Total number of seats available
- Number of candidates appearing for the exam
- Difficulty level of the exam
- Previous year’s cut-off trends
By analyzing these factors, we can anticipate the cut-off marks for 2024 and better understand the competitive landscape for the CDS exam.
Previous Year Cut-off Marks List Trend
The table below provides insight into the cut-off marks trend based on the qualifying marks declared by UPSC in past years. It also offers a glimpse into the exam’s difficulty levels and chances of selection for the SSB interview.
| Year | Exam | IMA | INA | AFA | OTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | CDS (I) | 118 | 98 | 138 | 69 |
| 2018 | CDS (II) | 116 | 102 | 131 | 80 |
| 2019 | CDS (I) | 116 | 105 | 129 | 78 |
| 2019 | CDS (II) | 134 | 122 | 148 | 95 |
| 2020 | CDS (I) | 130 | 118 | 143 | 93 |
| 2020 | CDS (II) | 139 | 134 | 152 | 97 |
| 2021 | CDS (I) | 145 | 136 | 158 | 107 |
| 2021 | CDS (II) | 138 | 132 | 148 | 102 |
| 2022 | CDS (I) | 136 | 128 | 147 | 100 |
| 2022 | CDS (II) | 126 | 118 | 136 | 98 |
| 2023 | CDS (I) | 132 | 122 | 142 | 101 |
Also Read: NDA-2 2024 Exam Analysis and Expected Cut-Off Marks
Predicted Cut-off for CDS-2 2024
Based on the previous year’s cut-off trends, the expected cut-off for CDS-2 2024 is:
| Academy | Predicted Cutoff Range |
|---|---|
| IMA | 129-135 |
| INA | 112-118 |
| AFA | 139-145 |
| OTA | 97-103 |