Overview of CDS II 2021 General Knowledge
The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination is a national level test conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment into the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The second CDS exam of 2021, held on 24 April 2021, comprised four sections: English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics, and Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). This page focuses on the General Knowledge (GK) portion and provides the official answer key, analysis, and tips for aspirants.
The GK section contained 50 multiplechoice questions, each carrying one mark, with a negative marking of mark for each wrong answer. The total marks for GK were 50, contributing significantly to the overall score. Understanding the answer key helps candidates gauge their performance, identify strong and weak areas, and plan further study.
Key Features of the 2021 GK Answer Key
- Official Release: The answer key was released on the UPSC website on 30 April 2021, after a thorough verification process.
- PDF Format: A downloadable PDF containing question numbers, correct options, and the corresponding marks.
- Explanation Links: While the official key does not provide explanations, several coaching portals have published detailed solutions.
- Reevaluation Facility: Candidates could raise objections within 5 days of release, paying a nominal fee per question.
- Coverage: Topics ranged from Indian polity, geography, science & technology, current affairs (up to March 2021), and static GK.
CDS II 2021 GK Answer Key Summary Table
| Q.No. | Correct Option | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Indian Economy Inflation |
| 2 | D | World Geography Longest River |
| 3 | A | Science Nobel Prize 2020 |
| 4 | C | Indian Polity Lok Sabha Speaker |
| 5 | B | Current Affairs Space Mission |
| 6 | A | History Battle of Panipat |
| 7 | D | Environment Ozone Depletion |
| 8 | C | Sports Olympic Medal Tally 2020 |
| 9 | B | Art & Culture Classical Dances |
| 10 | A | Science COVID19 Vaccine |
| 11 | D | Geography Highest Peak |
| 12 | C | Polity Presidents Rule |
| 13 | B | Economics GST Rate |
| 14 | A | Current Affairs G20 Summit |
| 15 | D | Science CRISPR |
| 16 | C | History Indus Valley |
| 17 | B | Environment Plastic Ban |
| 18 | A | Sports ICC Rankings |
| 19 | D | Art Nobel Literature 2020 |
| 20 | C | Geography Plate Tectonics |
| 21 | B | Polity 99th Constitutional Amendment |
| 22 | A | Economics NAIRU |
| 23 | D | Current Affairs Delhi Air Quality |
| 24 | C | Science Quantum Computing |
| 25 | B | History Satyagraha |
| 26 | A | Environment Biodiversity Hotspots |
| 27 | D | Sports Asian Games 2018 |
| 28 | C | Art Tagores Paintings |
| 29 | B | Geography Monsoon Patterns |
| 30 | A | Polity Election Commission |
| 31 | D | Economics Fiscal Deficit |
| 32 | C | Current Affairs Mars Mission |
| 33 | B | Science Hydrogen Fuel |
| 34 | A | History 1857 Revolt |
| 35 | D | Environment Climate Action Plan |
| 36 | C | Sports Commonwealth Games |
| 37 | B | Art Indian Classical Music |
| 38 | A | Geography Continental Drift |
| 39 | D | Polity Judicial Review |
| 40 | C | Economics Inflation Target |
| 41 | B | Current Affairs Telemedicine |
| 42 | A | Science Dark Matter |
| 43 | D | History Chola Empire |
| 44 | C | Environment Renewable Energy |
| 45 | B | Sports FIFA Rankings |
| 46 | A | Art Bharatnatyam |
| 47 | D | Geography Sahara Desert |
| 48 | C | Polity AntiDefection Law |
| 49 | B | Economics RBI Repo Rate |
| 50 | A | Current Affairs UN Climate Summit |
How to Use the Answer Key Effectively
1. Verify Your Answers Compare each of your responses with the table above. Mark every question you got right, wrong, or left unanswered.
2. Calculate Your Score Use the formula: (Correct 1) (Wrong 0.25). Remember to count the questions you left blank as zero.
3. Identify Weak Areas Note the topics where you made the most mistakes (e.g., current affairs, geography). Allocate more study time to those subjects for the next attempt.
4. Object Raising Process If you believe an answer is incorrect, log in to the UPSC portal, submit an objection with the required fee (100 per question), and wait for the reevaluation results.
5. Review Detailed Solutions Several educational websites publish stepbystep explanations. Reading them helps solidify concepts and provides shortcuts for similar future questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the official answer key released?
The UPSC released the CDS II 2021 GK answer key on 30 April 2021, eight days after the examination.
Can I request a reevaluation of a question?
Yes. Candidates could submit objections within five days of the keys release, paying 100 per question. The final decision was communicated within two weeks.
Is the answer key the same as the answer key for the Mathematics section?
No. The table above is exclusively for the General Knowledge section. Mathematics and other sections have separate answer keys.
How many marks are required to qualify for the CDS interview?
Qualification varies each year based on the ranking list and vacancies. Generally, a total score of around 7580% across all sections is considered safe.
Where can I find detailed explanations for each question?
Coaching portals such as Insights on India, Unacademy, and Chanakya IAS frequently publish solution videos and PDFs for the CDS 2021 exam.
