by The NDA exam is a national level defence entrance exam conducted by the UPSC. It stands for National Defence Academy. The exam is conducted for the recruitment of individuals in the Army, Navy and Air Force Wings of NDA.
- The NDA Exam is conducted twice a year.
- The exam is conducted in two stages, stage one is the written exam and stage two is the interview.
- The written exam is conducted in two meetings, one for GAT and the other for Mathematics.
- The training period after the selection is 3 years.
The UPSC NDA exam is conducted in two stages- a written Test and SSB Interview. The candidates who clear the written exam with the minimum qualifying marks will be shortlisted for the SSB Interview round in Intelligence and Personality Test. Those who clear the interview have to go through a thorough medical check-up based on the standards set by the board.
Finally, a merit list is released with the names of the recommended candidates. Marks of all the stages are added up, only those who clear get recommended and called for training.
Discussion Topics
- 1 NDA Highlights
- 2 NDA Syllabus
- 3 NDA Mathematics Syllabus
- 4 NDA General Ability Test (GAT) Syllabus
- 5 NDA Eligibility Criteria 2022
- 6 NDA Eligibility Criteria: Nationality
- 7 NDA Eligibility Criteria: Educational Qualification
- 8 NDA Eligibility Criteria: Sex & Marital Status
- 9 How to Apply Online for NDA ?
- 10 NDA Registration Process
- 11 NDA Application Form
- 12 NDA Application Fee
- 13 NDA Admit Card
- 14 How to Download NDA Admit Card ?
- 15 Details Mentioned on the NDA Admit Card
- 16 NDA Exam Centres
- 17 NDA Exam Pattern
- 18 NDA Results
- 19 How to Check NDA Results ?
- 20 NDA Books
- 21 NDA Answer Key
- 22 NDA Expected Cutoffs
- 23 Factors Affecting NDA Cutoff Marks
- 24 NDA Selection Process
- 25 NDA Selection Process : SSB Interview
- 26 NDA Selection Process : NDA Document Verification
- 27 NDA Selection Process: NDA Medical Examination
- 28 NDA Training and Academic Period
- 29 NDA Salary and Benefits
NDA Highlights
The key points of the NDA Exam are as follows.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Full-Form of NDA | National Defence Academy Exam |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Frequency | Twice a Year |
| Exam Type | National Level |
| Eligibility Criteria | Unmarried Male/Female candidates who have passed Class XII from a recognized board |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Duration |
|
| Number of cities for exam centres | 75 |
| Selection Process |
|
| Official Website | https://www.upsc.gov.in/
|
NDA Syllabus
The candidates preparing for the NDA exam must be thoroughly clear with the exam syllabus. The NDA Exam is one of the most competitive exams in the country. They should check the detailed NDA Exam Syllabus to clear the exam with ease. The section-wise syllabus for the NDA Exam is discussed below.
NDA Mathematics Syllabus
The syllabus for the NDA Mathematics section is as follows.
| Chapters | Topics |
|---|---|
| Analytical Geometry of Two & Three Dimensions |
|
| Algebra |
|
| Trigonometry |
|
| Matrices & Determinants |
|
NDA General Ability Test (GAT) Syllabus
The exam syllabus for the various sections in the NDA General Ability Test (GAT) is tabulated below:
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| English | Grammar and usage, vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, and cohesion in extended text to test the candidate’s proficiency in English |
| Physics (Section A) |
|
| Chemistry (Section B) |
|
| General Science (Section C) |
|
NDA Eligibility Criteria 2022
The aspiring candidates must check the eligibility criteria before applying for the NDA Exam. The eligibility criteria is a crucial part of the NDA exam else the candidature stands cancelled. The NDA Eligibility Criteria is discussed below in detail.
NDA Eligibility Criteria: Nationality
The candidates have to be one of the following in order to be eligible for the NDA exam.
- Indian citizen
- A subject of Nepal or Bhutan
- A Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1st, 1962 with an intention of permanently settling in India.
- Individuals of Indian origin who have migrated from the countries – Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, and East African countries – Kenya, Uganda, The United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam with an intention of permanent settlement.
The certificate of eligibility has to be issued by the Government of India to all foreign nationals. However, it is not necessary to be produced by the Gorkha subjects of Nepal.
NDA Eligibility Criteria: Educational Qualification
- Candidates who are 12th class pass under the 10+2 pattern of education from any state board or equivalent examination are eligible for the Army wing of the National Defence Academy.
- For the Air Force and Naval Wings of National Defence Academy, candidates must have the 12th pass in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics or appear in one, of 10+2 pattern of school education from any state board or equivalent.
NDA Eligibility Criteria: Sex & Marital Status
- Both male and female candidates must be unmarried throughout the selection process as well as till the training is completed.
- If a candidate marries before training, they will not be selected.
- If a candidate marries during training, he/she will be discharged and liable to pay all the expenditures incurred on him/her during the training by the government.
How to Apply Online for NDA ?
It is advisable for all the candidates to apply for the NDA exam only after checking the eligibility criteria. Candidates must fill out and submit the NDA form via online mode to appear in the exam. Candidates can follow the following steps to fill out the application form for the NDA exam.
NDA Registration Process
First, candidates need to register themselves on the official website of the exam. This has four major parts namely initiating the registration, choosing the branch preference, verifying the details and generation of registration ID. Candidates can follow the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Visit the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in.
Step 2: Click on “ONLINE APPLICATION FOR VARIOUS EXAMINATIONS OF UPSC”.
Step 3: Fill in all the necessary details in the registration form like Name, Father’s Name, Date of Birth, Contact number, Email Id etc.
Step 4: Choose the branch preference in the order of one to four.
Step 5: Click on verify to validate your registration and note down the system-generated registration ID and Password.
NDA Application Form
In the second part of the form, candidates need to pay the application fee and select their exam and upload a scanned copy of the photograph.
Step 1: Log in with the registration ID and Password on the UPSC NDA official website.
Step 2: Go to the tab mentioning “Payment”.
Step 3: Pay the application fees via any online payment mode at your convenience.
Step 4: Select the examination centre and upload a Photograph and Signature.
Step 5: Download the application form and take a printed copy for future reference.
NDA Application Fee
The application fee for candidates of different categories is mentioned below:
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General | Rs. 100/- |
| SC/ST/Disabled | Nil |
Candidates can use any mode for payment like credit/debit card, net banking etc. or even pay in offline mode by depositing money in any Branch of SBI. Candidates need to take a print-out of the payment receipt and the NDA application form for future reference.
NDA Admit Card
UPSC releases the NDA Admit Card on the official website three weeks prior to the exam. The NDA Admit card bears the exam related details like the student’s name, roll number, exam centre, exam date & timing, etc. The candidates will not be permitted to appear in the examination without their admit card.
How to Download NDA Admit Card ?
The steps to download the NDA Admit Card are as follows.
Step 1: Visit the official website of UPSC
Step 2: Search and click on the link ‘Download NDA Admit Card 2022’.
Step 3: You will be redirected to an instruction page, read it carefully and agree to the terms and conditions.
Step 4: Another page will open with options for Roll number or Registration number, choose either and in the text box fill in your date of birth.
Step 5: Also, a CAPTCHA image will appear, enter the image that you see. Click on submit.
Step 6: A soft copy of your NDA Admit card will appear.
Step 7: Click on print and download the admit card.
Details Mentioned on the NDA Admit Card
Candidates can find the below-mentioned details on the NDA admit card:
- Name
- Roll Number
- Father’s Name
- Mother’s Name
- Subject Code
- Signature
- Photograph
- Exam Date, Time and Venue
- Exam Day Instructions
NDA Exam Centres
The NDA exam is conducted in multiple states and the candidates are allotted centres according to the preferences they fill in the application form.
- The allotment of centres is done on a first-apply-first-allot basis.
- If the desired centres are not allotted due to full capacity at some of the centres, the candidate has to choose another centre.
The exam centres have limited seats, for which candidates are advised to apply early to get their preferred exam centre.
The NDA Exam Centres are tabulated below:
| List of NDA Exam Centres 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | Agartala | Aizawl |
| Bengaluru | Bhopal | Bareilly |
| Chennai | Cuttack | Dispur |
| Delhi | Dehradun | Gangtok |
| Itanagar | Imphal | Jorhat |
| Jaipur | Kolkata | Kochi |
| Lucknow | Mumbai | Madurai |
| Nagpur | Patna | Port Blair |
| Ranchi | Shimla | Srinagar |
| Sambalpur | Tirupati | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Visakhapatnam | Prayagraj (Allahabad) | Chandigarh |
| Dharwad | Hyderabad | Jammu |
| Kohima | Panaji (Goa) | Raipur |
| Shillong | Udaipur | – |
NDA Exam Pattern
- The NDA exam is conducted in two sessions. There will be two papers in the NDA exam Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT).
- The exam is conducted in an objective pattern. The questions are provided in both English and Hindi.
- 2.5 hours will be given for each exam.
- Paper 1 has 120 questions for 300 marks. The first exam starts at 10 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. One can refer to the syllabus section for the distribution of topics.
- Paper 2 has 150 questions for 600 marks. The second exam starts at 2 p.m. till 4:30 p.m.
The NDA Exam Pattern is tabulated below in detail.
| Paper | Mathematics | General Ability Test (GAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Duration | 2 hours and 30 minutes | 2 hours and 30 minutes |
| No. of Sections | 1 | 2 (English and General Knowledge) |
| Total no. of Questions | 120 | 150 |
| Total Marks | 300 | 600 (English (200) + GK (400)) |
| Marking Scheme | + 2.5 for correct answer -0.83 for incorrect answer | +4 for correct answer -1.33 for incorrect answer |
| Medium | English and Hindi | English for the English section. English and Hindi for the GK section |
| Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
NDA Results
- The NDA Results are declared within a period of a month and a half (tentative). The candidates are advised to keep checking the updates on the result declaration on the official website.
- The selected candidates are to visit the respective websites to register themselves willing for the next stage of selection i.e. SSB interview within a span of 20 days of the declaration of the result.
- The SSB results including the medical result and final merit list, are declared within a span of 40 days.
How to Check NDA Results ?
The steps to check the NDA Results are given below.
- Go to the official website of UPSC.
- On the homepage search bar, type the name of the exam and click on it.
- On the next page, enter your roll number and the captcha image code and click submit.
- Next, the result will open and you can take a printout or save a soft copy.
NDA Books
Candidates looking to ace the paper should be aware of the following books which will help them in their preparation journey. The recommended books for UPSC NDA are mentioned in the table below:
| Name of the Book | Name of the Author |
|---|---|
| General Knowledge 2021 | Manohar Pandey |
| History Of Modern India | Bipan Chandra |
| General Science Physics | NCERT & NCERT Exemplar |
| General Science Guide for Competitive Exams – CSAT/NDA/SSC/UPSC/Railways/State PSC/CDS/Defence | Disha Experts |
| Oxford School Atlas | Oxford University Press |
NDA Answer Key
NDA answer key consists of all the answers to the questions asked in the examination. It will be released on the official website of UPSC which is mentioned in this article after the successful conduction of the examination.
This section will be updated once the answer key is released by the exam conducting body.
NDA Expected Cutoffs
The candidates need to clear the NDA Written exam to appear for the next round of selection, i.e, the SSB Interview. The candidates have to score the minimum qualifying marks set by the authorities to move to the next round.
- The NDA cutoff depends on many factors like the difficulty level of the paper, the number of candidates who appeared, the category of the candidates, etc.
- The expected cutoff for the written exam is bound to fluctuate and is expected to be 342 marks and the total cutoff is expected to be 708.
Given below is the NDA Previous Years’ Cutoffs to give the candidates an idea about the minimum qualifying marks:
| Year | Written Exam | Final Marks |
|---|---|---|
| NDA 2 2020 | 355 | 719 |
| NDA 1 2020 | 355 | 726 |
| NDA 2 2019 | 346 | 709 |
| NDA 1 2019 | 342 | 704 |
| NDA 2 2018 | 325 | 688 |
| NDA 1 2018 | 338 | 705 |
| NDA 2 2017 | 258 | 624 |
| NDA 1 2017 | 342 | 708 |
| NDA 2 2016 | 229 | 602 |
| NDA 1 2016 | 288 | 656 |
| NDA 2 2015 | 269 | 637 |
| NDA 1 2015 | 306 | 674 |
| NDA 2 2014 | 283 | 656 |
| NDA 1 2014 | 360 | 722 |
| NDA 2 2013 | 360 | 721 |
| NDA 1 2013 | 333 | 698 |
Factors Affecting NDA Cutoff Marks
Various factors affect the cut-off list. The factors are sometimes very crucial so, candidates should keep an eye on them. From the past data, the various factors affecting Cut off Marks are:
- Number of vacancies
- Total number of applicants
- Difficulty of paper
- Category of applicants
- Performance of candidates
NDA Selection Process
The NDA Selection Process involves two stages. Stage-1 is the written examination and stage-2 is the SSB interview stage. The complete recruitment process in the NDA exam is judged based on marks scored out of 900 collectively in both stages of recruitment.
After the declaration of NDA Results 2022, qualified candidates will have to register themselves at www.joinindianarmy.nic.in within two weeks. Allotment of selection centres and dates will then be notified on the registered email ID.
NDA Selection Process : SSB Interview
SSB Interview comprises two stages- Stage 1 (OIR and PPDT) and Stage 2- (Interview, Group Tasks, Psychology Test, and Conference). After stage 2 is completed, a final merit list is generated by the UPSC for the final recruited candidates. The SSB Interview is elaborated in detail below.
| Stages | Activities conducted |
|---|---|
| Testing |
|
| Psychological Test |
|
| Group Testing Officers Test |
|
| Personal Interview | |
| Conference | |
NDA Selection Process : NDA Document Verification
After the personal interview round, the eligible candidates will have to appear for the document verification round. The qualified candidates must bring the required original documents to the Services Selection Centre (SSC).
- Qualification Certificate
- Proof of Identity (Pan card, Voter ID, Aadhar Card, etc.)
- Birth Certificate
- Passport Size Photographs
- Category certificate for the Reserved category candidates
- Proof of Residence
NDA Selection Process: NDA Medical Examination
- After the written exam and SSB selection, the scores of both the stages are combined and the final selection will be based on the medical standards and the merit-cum preference list.
- The physical standards are different for each service wing, which includes height dimensions, eyesight, dental health, internal organs functioning, respiratory system and other physical and internal checkups are done.
- The medical test is the final stage of the selection process. The candidates are suggested to get tested before the actual medical test to avoid disappointment at the last stage.
- The medical board may and can dismiss temporarily or permanently a candidate as unfit, if not up to the standards set by the board.
NDA Training and Academic Period
- The training period for the selected candidates is 3 years, for all three services – Army, Navy and Airforce.
- Training includes both academic as well as physical.
- All the passing out cadets are given degrees from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
- Army cadets are awarded a B.Sc./ B.Sc. (Computer)/ B.A. degree. After successful completion of Academic, Physical and Service Training at NDA for B.Sc./ B.Sc. (Computer).
- Navy cadets are awarded a B.Tech degree and Airforce cadets are awarded a B.Tech degree/B.Sc./ B.Sc. (Computer). For the B.tech degree, it is awarded after the successful completion of subsequent Pre Commissioning Training Academics/ Institutions/ Ships/Aircraft.
On passing out from the National Defense Academy, the cadets go to the respective training academies. The Army cadets go to the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun; the Naval Cadets go to the Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala and Airforce cadets go to the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad and Air Force Technical College in Bengaluru for the Non-Technical ground duty and Technical ground duty respectively.
NDA Salary and Benefits
The cadets in the training period receive a fixed stipend of INR 56,000 per month. After the completion of the training, the ranks received by the cadets begin with salaries starting from INR 56,000 per month at level 10 to INR 1,77,500 and increasing with the higher level grade.
The NDA salary structure according to the ranks is tabulated below in detail.
| Rank | Level | Grade Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant | Level 10 | INR 56,100 – INR 1,77,500 |
| Captain | Level 10 B | INR 61,300 – INR 1,93,900 |
| Major | Level 11 | INR 69,400 – INR 2,07,200 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Level 12A | INR 1,21,200 – INR 2,12,400 |
| Colonel | Level 13 | INR 1,30,600 – INR 2,15,900 |
| Brigadier | Level 13A | INR 1,39,600 – INR 2,17,600 |
| Major General | Level 14 | INR 1,44,200 – INR 2,18,200 |
| Lieutenant General HAG Scale | Level 15 | INR 1, 82, 200 – INR 2,24,100 |
| HAG+Scale | Level 16 | INR 2,05,400 – INR 2,24,400 |
| VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG) | Level 17 | INR 2,25,000 |
| COAS | Level 18 | INR 2,50,000 |
Apart from the basic salary the candidates are offered various allowances as follows Uniform Allowance, Compensatory Modified Field area allowances, Dearness allowances, Transport allowances. Both male and female candidates will be rewarded with the same salary and allowances.