UPSC CDS II & NDA II September 2026: Last 10 Days Revision Blueprint & SSB Shortlisting Benchmarks

With the Union Public Service Commission releasing the e-Admit Cards on 2 and 3 September 2026, over 5 lakh defence aspirants across India are entering the critical final 10 days of preparation for CDS II and NDA II.

1. 1English (Paper 1 - 100 Marks / 2 Hours):

• •Spotting Errors: Revisit subject-verb agreement, prepositions, inversion, and conditional clauses.
• •Ordering of Words & Sentences: High scoring; practice 30 items daily to maintain cadence.
• •Idioms & Phrases: Focus on recent 5 years UPSC pyqs (2021-2026).

1. 1General Knowledge (Paper 2 - 100 Marks / 2 Hours):

• •Modern Indian History: Focus on 1857 to 1947, tribal/peasant movements, and Congress sessions.
• •Polity: Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, Emergency Provisions, and Constitutional Amendments.
• •Defence Current Affairs: Joint military exercises, indigenous naval vessel inductions, missile tests from April to August 2026.

1. 1Elementary Mathematics (Paper 3 for IMA, INA, AFA - 100 Marks):

• •Geometry, Trigonometry, and Mensuration account for over 50% of the questions. Solve with accuracy rather than volume.

• •Indian Military Academy (IMA): Written benchmark 136–142 / 300; SSB Interview 300 Marks; Final Merit 258–268.
• •Air Force Academy (AFA): Written benchmark 148–156 / 300; SSB Interview 300 Marks; Final Merit 272–282.
• •Indian Naval Academy (INA): Written benchmark 128–134 / 300; SSB Interview 300 Marks; Final Merit 246–256.
• •Officers Training Academy (OTA Men/Women): Written benchmark 102–108 / 200; SSB Interview 200 Marks; Final Merit 192–202.

Key Advice by Rukmani Yadav: UPSC enforces a strict 20% qualifying threshold in each individual subject paper. Scoring 90 in English will not save your candidature if you score below 20 in General Knowledge. Balance your preparation across all sections.