UPSC CDS Books 2026: The Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026 will be held on April 12, 2026. Aspirants planning to appear in this exam should commence their preparation right away. Start by analysing the CDS syllabus and then choose reliable books for balanced coverage. This helps you build a strong foundation across relevant topics only. Just clearing the concepts is not sufficient. You need to ensure that books have solved examples, practice sets, and old question papers. Read ahead to find the list of best books for CDS Preparation 2026.
UPSC CDS Books 2026
The Union Public Service Commission has released CDS 1 notification for admission to the courses under the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, and Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras). The CDS 1 2026 exam is scheduled for April 12, 2026. As the exam is near, you should use the best CDS books to achieve mastery in all topics. The most reliable books are those that explain concepts in easy language. It should be a one-stop solution for learning and practising topics. This can save you time and help you avoid conceptual confusion. To help, we have discussed the list of best UPSC CDS books for reference.
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Which books are best for CDS Preparation?
The CDS exam covers three subjects: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. All the subjects will consist of objective-type questions only. The maximum marks for every subject are 100. The test duration will be 2 hours for each paper. There shall be a penalty of one-third (0.33) mark for every wrong answer. Hence, candidates should pick the right books for their preparation. It will help them gain conceptual clarity and solve unlimited questions to master every topic. Let’s see the list of best UPSC CDS books for all the subjects:
UPSC CDS Books for English
This section tests your understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. Revise all the grammar rules and read newspapers/magazines daily. This will train your mind to read faster without losing meaning. Check out the best UPSC CDS books for English:
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Objective General English by RS Aggarwal
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Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi
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Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
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S Chand Wren & Martin's High School English Grammar & Composition
UPSC CDS Books for General Knowledge
This section tests your understanding of the current events and scientific aspects. It also checks how well you know the latest happenings around the world. It will include questions on the History of India and Geography. Check out the CDS best books for the GK:
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Lucent’s General Knowledge
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Pratiyogita Darpan (Magazines)
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General Knowledge by Manohar Pandey
UPSC CDS Books for Elementary Mathematics
This section tests your mathematical concepts and numerical ability. It also evaluates your question-solving speed with accuracy. It covers topics like Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, etc. Clear the basics of all topics and gradually move to advanced-level questions. Check out the best UPSC CDS books for Maths:
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Mathematics for CDS by R.S. Aggarwal
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Pathfinder for CDS by Arihant Publications
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Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Aggarwal
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Objective Arithmetic by S Chand
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NCERT Mathematics Textbook of Class 11 and Class 12
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