The syllabus of CDS II 2020 Exam consists of three papers: English language, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. For all academies i.e. IMA, INA, AFA and OTA, English is a mandatory paper to attempt. The English syllabus of all CDS candidates is the same.
This paper is organized to test candidates’ authority over the English language. There are no fixed sections of this paper. But the most important sections are: jumbled words and sentences, sentence correction, reading comprehension, fill in the blanks, and finding errors & omissions. Here you can aim for a 70 + score which will help you to clear the cutoff of the CDS Exam.
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This paper is of average standard. This paper is basically divided into three sections: Vocabulary, Reading Passage, and Grammar. Vocabulary based questions on Synonyms, Antonyms, Sentence Completion have more significance.
Antonyms and Synonyms | Sentence improvement | Error Correction |
Fill in the Blanks | Word substitution | Ordering of sentences |
Spotting Errors | Cloze tests | Ordering of words in a sentence |
Idioms and Phrase | Reported Speech | Active and Passive Voice |
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Most of the questions that arrive in English paper are of 12th standard level. Majority of the questions are from the Grammar and Vocabulary sections. The difficulty level of this paper is easy-moderate.
Topics | Expected Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
---|---|---|
Sentence Improvement | 20 - 25 | Moderate |
Ordering of words in a sentence | 12 - 18 | Easy |
Ordering of sentences in b/w first and last sentence | 10 - 15 | Easy |
Fill in the blanks | 5 - 10 | Easy |
Selecting Words/ Cloze Test | 18 - 23 | Easy-Moderate |
Spotting Errors | 20 - 25 | Easy |
Reading Comprehension | 15 - 20 (2 passages) | Moderate |
Synonyms | 8 - 10 | Moderate |
Antonyms | 7 - 10 | Moderate |
One Word Substitution | 1 - 4 | Moderate |
To know other sections, Check CDS 2020 syllabus and Exam Pattern
CDS II 2020 is expected to be held in November 2020. The more time you have in your hand, the better and easier it will become to prepare yourself. You should invest at least 2 hours daily for English paper. Here are some quick tips to help you understand the syllabus and exam pattern of CDS English:
Vocabulary:
Grammar:
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Passage comprehension:
Spotting Errors
This section totally depended on Grammar and vocabulary. In the given sentence or phrase where a certain part will be incorrect having errors of spelling, tense, verb forms, article or preposition, punctuation, etc. you need to identify what is the error. To identify the errors, you have to understand the grammatical rules thoroughly.
Through cloze tests, the conducting board tests several areas of knowledge. You will be given a passage with 5 - 10 blanks. The context can be related to finance such as tax reform, GST, VAT, etc or environmental aspect like global warming, climate change, any sort of recent calamity, or any social cause or movements like the protest against NRC, women empowerment, etc. You are required to choose a word for each blank from the given options. It is quite a scoring section. This section holds almost 10-15 % of CDS English paper.
Sentence Arrangements:
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It is quite like cloze tests. In “fill in the blanks”, you will be given a few sentences with some empty spaces. These empty spaces will be filled up using appropriate grammar and vocabulary.
One-word Substitution is a really scoring topic as well as there is no shortcut of preparing for this. To prepare this section, come across more words and use them daily. Otherwise, there is a huge chance of forgetting or getting confused among the options.
Direct and indirect speech is also known as reporting speech. Brush up the rules of direct speech, indirect speech, and vice versa. While changing the speech, always remember the time. Time plays a vital role in Reporting speech. Tense is also related to time. That is why tense is also crucial in this section.
Previous Year’s Questions of CDS English Paper:
No matter which paper you are preparing for, previous year question papers and sample question papers always come really helpful to give a rough structure of probable questions. So, Click on the link “ Download” to download previous years question papers of CDS English Language paper.
Name of Year | Question Paper |
---|---|
CDS I 2020 | Download |
CDS II 2019 | Download |
CDS I 2019 | Download |
CDS II 2018 | Download |
CDS I 2018 | Download |
CDS II 2017 | Download |
CDS I 2017 | Download |
CDS II 2016 | Download |
CDS I 2016 | Download |
CDS II 2015 | Download |
CDS I 2015 | Download |
CDS II 2014 | Download |
CDS I 2014 | Download |
Top Recommended Books for CDS II 2020 English Language:
With previous year question papers and sample papers, candidates need to complete the syllabus properly so that these question papers can be easily understood and answered. The following books are very helpful for CDS English paper:
Name of Books | Author/ Publisher |
---|---|
English for Competitive Examination | A.K. Kapoor |
Objective English | S.P. Bakshi |
Quick Learning objective English | Vikas & R.S. Aggarwal |
The Pearson Guide to English | Edgar Thorpe, Showick Thorpe |
Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
Apart from above mentioned books, take online mock tests which will help you to increase your speed. Within 2 hours, you need to answer 120 questions correctly as well as save time for bubble marking in the CDS Exam. As CDS is an offline exam, you have to invest at least 12- 15 minutes to bubble the correct options among the given options in the OMR sheet. Only Black Ball pens are acceptable.
FAQs related to CDS II 2020 English Paper:
Ques. How can I score good marks in CDS in English?
Ans. To get a high score in total marks, keep a target of obtaining 65 - 70 score in English. Try to attempt 80 - 88 questions correctly. Be sure about the answers you are attempting in CDS due to negative marking of - 0. 27.
Ques. How difficult is the CDS exam?
Ans. CDS is one of the most difficult national level exams to recruit candidates for the cause of Nation. The english and general Knowledge sections are moderately difficult but the Elementary Mathematics is quite difficult to crack.
Ques. Can I clear CDS without coaching?
Ans. It is not mandatory to have coaching or tuitions, but make sure that you understand the syllabus, exam pattern and what are the predictable types of questions. In case you are stuck with some problem or questions, it is always better to take help from professionals.
Ques. Do all candidates need to attempt English paper in the CDS Exam?
Ans. Yes, English Language is the mandatory paper for IMA, INA, AFA, OTA (Technical and Non- technical). The syllabus of this paper for all academies is also the same.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.