CDS 2 Answer Key 2026 Released; Download Subject-Wise Answer Key PDF

UPSC CDS 2 Answer Key 2026 has been released on September 16, 2026, for the Combined Defence Services Examination (II) conducted on September 13, 2026. The answer key allows candidates to verify their responses and estimate their probable scores using the official marking scheme. UPSC conducted the CDS 2 examination for admission to the IMA, INA, AFA and OTA courses. Candidates can check the subject-wise answer keys for English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics and use them to assess their performance before the declaration of the written exam result.

Steps to Check UPSC CDS Answer Key 2026

The candidates can download the official UPSC CDS Answer key 2026 from the official website of UPSC with the help of their login credentials. To download the answer key, the examinees are required to enter the login ID and the password that is generated at the time of the registration process.

Given below are the steps to download UPSC CDS 1 Answer Key 2026 from the official website of UPSC:

• Step 1: Visit the official website of UPSC and go to the homepage.
• Step 2: Click the ‘’Examination’’ icon.
• Step 3: Now select the ‘’Answer key’’ option from the list of options roll down under the ‘’Examination’’ icon.
• Step 4: Select the relevant CDS Answer Key from the list of answer keys for various examinations conducted by UPSC.
• Step 5: Now click “Download’’ to the relevant answer key and enter the login credentials to download the same.
• Step 6: The PDF of CDS Answer Key will be downloaded.
• Step 7: One can take a printout of the same for their reference.

How to Calculate Marks from UPSC CDS Answer Key 2026?

The candidates must be well aware of UPSC CDS Exam Pattern and marking scheme in order to calculate their score from the Answer Key.

• For every correct response: 1 mark will be rewarded.
• For every incorrect response: 1/3rd or 0.33 marks will be deducted.

Once the candidate is aware of the pattern and marking scheme, he/she can calculate their probable score using CDS Answer Key. Given below are the steps to calculate the score using CDS Answer Key:

• Step 1: Go through CDS Exam Pattern and marking scheme to know how the marks are awarded.
• Step 2: Compare the responses in the Answer sheet (OMR Sheet) with the answer key.
• Step 3: Calculate the ‘Correct’ and ‘Incorrect’ responses with the help of the formula given below:

Total Marks = Number of Correct Answers – (Number of Wrong Answers × 0.33)

For UPSC CDS Answer Key 2026, the aspirants are encouraged to keep checking the official website. Candidates should also keep in mind the negative marking criteria while calculating predicted marks using UPSC CDS 2026 Answer Key.