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Defence services aspirants and UPSC CSE candidates share more common ground than most people realise. CDS and CAPF General Knowledge papers draw from the same broad pool of topics — Indian history, polity, geography, economy, science & technology, and current affairs — that defines the UPSC Prelims GS syllabus. If you’re preparing for both UPSC CSE and CDS or CAPF, you’re not running two separate preparations; you’re running one preparation with two exam targets. And even if you’re purely focused on UPSC CSE, CDS and CAPF PYQs give you an additional bank of high-quality GK questions for extra practice and a different angle on familiar topics. UPSCYatra’s CDS & CAPF PYQ section puts both sets of papers in one place, available with a free login.

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CDS PYQs

Combined Defence Services (CDS) — General Knowledge

The CDS exam, conducted by UPSC, includes a General Knowledge paper that tests current events, history, geography, polity, economy, and science. The question style is close enough to UPSC Prelims GS that CDS GK questions serve as genuine additional practice for CSE aspirants — same examiner, same broad domain, slightly different emphasis.Available years: 2020–2025 (Session 1 and Session 2 for each year; 2020 requires a free login)

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What CDS GK Covers

Current Affairs

National and international events from the year leading up to the exam — virtually identical in scope to what UPSC Prelims tests.

History

Modern Indian history, freedom struggle, post-independence developments, and world history milestones.

Geography

Physical geography, Indian geography, climate, rivers, resources, and world geography.

Polity & Constitution

Constitutional provisions, fundamental rights, government structure, and political institutions.

Economy

Macroeconomic concepts, Five Year Plans, national income, banking, and trade.

Science

Physics, chemistry, biology, and applied science — framed at a general awareness level.

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CAPF PYQs

Central Armed Police Forces (AC) — Paper I

CAPF (Assistant Commandant) Paper I is a General Ability and Intelligence paper that covers general knowledge and current affairs topics closely aligned with UPSC Prelims. The GK component of CAPF Paper I is especially useful for CSE students as supplementary practice material.Available years: 2020–2025 (2020 requires a free login)

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What CAPF Paper I Covers

General Knowledge & Current Affairs

National and international current events, government schemes, appointments, and awards — direct overlap with UPSC Prelims current affairs.

Indian History & Freedom Struggle

Ancient, medieval, and modern India with emphasis on the national movement — a consistent focus area in both CAPF and UPSC CSE.

Indian Polity & Economy

Constitutional provisions, governance, economic indicators, and development — essentially the same GS2 and GS3 topics UPSC CSE tests.

General Science

Everyday science, technology, space, and defence — overlaps significantly with the Science & Tech section of UPSC Prelims GS.

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Who Benefits

Dual-Exam Aspirants

If you’re appearing for both UPSC CSE and CDS or CAPF, UPSCYatra lets you practise both sets of PYQs in one place. Your GK and current affairs preparation feeds both exams simultaneously — you don’t need separate resources.

CSE Students Seeking Extra GK Practice

Even if you’re only targeting UPSC CSE, CDS and CAPF PYQs give you additional high-quality GK practice questions that are harder to find elsewhere. Solving a wider variety of GK questions improves your recall speed and confidence going into Prelims.

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Available Years at a Glance

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Access

CDS and CAPF PYQs are available with a free UPSCYatra login. Creating an account is free and gives you access to all CDS and CAPF papers, in addition to the full UPSC Prelims and Mains PYQ archives. Create your free account →
If you’re a UPSC CSE aspirant and you’ve already finished the available Prelims PYQ papers, use CDS GK questions as a revision tool for current affairs and general science. The question framing is similar enough to UPSC Prelims that they serve as genuine additional practice — not just busy work.