What is NDA?

The National Defence Academy (NDA) exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). 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.

First, the candidate must clear the written exam, then they are called for an SSB interview, those who clear the interview must 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 mentioned and called for training.
 

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
Duration Mathematics: 2 hours 30 minutes
Mathematics: 2 hours 30 minutes
Number of cities for exam centres 75
Selection Process Written Test
SSB Interview
Official Website https://www.upsc.gov.in/

NDA Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria are a crucial part of the NDA exam and are discussed below in detail.
NDA Eligibility Criteria: Nationality

The candidates have to be one of the following 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 must 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: 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 expenditure incurred on him/her during the training by the government.
     

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 a 12th pass with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics or appear in one of a 10+2 pattern of school education from any state board or equivalent.

NDA Age Limit and Relaxation

  • For the NDA 1st Notification, the candidates who are born not before July 02, 2003, and not after July 01, 2006, are eligible.
  • For the NDA 2nd Notification, the candidates born between January 02, 2004, and January 01, 2007, are eligible.
  • The candidate must write the date of birth as mentioned in the matriculation certificate, secondary school leaving certificate, or any other equivalent certification recognised by the Indian University. No other document for proof of date of birth will be accepted by the commission.
     

Physical Standards

The National Defence Academy (NDA) exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). 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.

First, the candidate must clear the written exam, then they are called for an SSB interview, those who clear the interview must 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 mentioned and called for training.
 

NDA Application Fee

  • After filling the application form, the candidate needs to pay the application fees online.
  • The application fee for the NDA Exam is INR 100.
  • SC and ST candidates are exempted from paying the application fees.
     

NDA Exam Pattern

The National Defence Academy (NDA) exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). 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.

First, the candidate must clear the written exam, then they are called for an SSB interview, those who clear the interview must 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 mentioned and called for training.
 

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.
The section-wise syllabus for the NDA Exam is given below.
 

NDA Mathematics Syllabus

The syllabus for the NDA Mathematics section is as follows.
 

Chapters Topics
Analytical Geometry of Two & Three Dimensions Rectangular Cartesian Coordinate system.
Distance formula.
Equation of a line in various forms.
The angle between the two lines.
The distance of a point from a line.
Equation of a circle in standard and in a general form.
Standard forms of parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola.
Eccentricity and axis of a conic.
A point in a three-dimensional space, the distance between two points. Direction Cosines and direction ratios.
Equation two points. Direction Cosines and direction ratios.
Equation of a plane and a line in various forms.
The angle between two lines and the angle between two planes. Equation of a sphere.
Algebra Concept of set, operations on sets.
Venn diagrams.
De Morgan laws, Cartesian product, relation, equivalence relation. Representation of real numbers on a line.
Complex numbers—basic properties, modulus, argument, cube roots of unity. Binary system of numbers.
Conversion of a number in the decimal system to binary system and vice-versa.
Arithmetic, 19 Geometric and Harmonic progressions.
Quadratic equations with real coefficients. The solution of linear inequalities of two variables by graphs.
Permutation and Combination.
Binomial theorem and its applications. Logarithms and their applications
Trigonometry Angles and their measures in degrees and in radians.
Trigonometric ratios.
Trigonometric identities Sum and difference formulae. Multiple and Sub-multiple angles.
Inverse trigonometric functions.
Applications-Height and distance, properties of triangles.
Matrices & Determinants Types of matrices, operations on matrices.
The determinant of a matrix, basic properties of determinants.
Adjoint and inverse of a square matrix, Applications-Solution of a system of linear equations in two or three unknowns by Cramer's rule and MAtric Method

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) Physical Properties and States of Matter, Mass, Weight, Volume, Density, and Specific Gravity, Principle of Archimedes, Pressure Barometer.
The motion of objects, Velocity and Acceleration, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Force and Momentum, Parallelogram of Forces, Stability and Equilibrium of bodies, Gravitation, elementary ideas of work, Power and Energy.
Effects of Heat, Measurement of Temperature and Heat, change of State and Latent Heat, Modes of transference of Heat.
Sound waves and their properties, Simple musical instruments. Rectilinear propagation of Light, Reflection, and refraction.
Spherical mirrors and Lenses, Human Eye. Natural and Artificial Magnets, Properties of a Magnet, Earth as a Magnet.
Static and Current Electricity, conductors and Non-conductors, Ohm’s Law, Simple Electrical Circuits, Heating, Lighting and Magnetic effects of Current, Measurement of Electrical Power, Primary and Secondary Cells, Use of X-Rays.
General Principles in the working of the following: Simple Pendulum, Simple Pulleys, Siphon, Levers, Balloon, Pumps, Hydrometer, Pressure Cooker, Thermos Flask, Gramophone, Telegraphs, Telephone, Periscope, Telescope, Microscope, Mariner’s Compass; Lightning Conductors, Safety Fuses. 
Chemistry (Section B) Physical and Chemical changes. Elements, Mixtures and Compounds, Symbols, Formulae and simple Chemical Equations, Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems). Properties of Air and Water.
Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon dioxide, Oxidation and Reduction.
Carbon—different forms.
Fertilizers—Natural and Artificial.
The material used in the preparation of substances like Soap, Glass, Ink, Paper, Cement, Paints, Safety Matches and Gunpowder.
Elementary ideas about the structure of Atom, Atomic Equivalent and Molecular Weights, Valency
Acids, bases, and salts. 
General Science (Section C) Difference between the living and non-living. Basis of Life—Cells, Protoplasm and Tissues.
Growth and Reproduction in Plants and Animals. Elementary knowledge of the Human Body and its important organs.
Common Epidemics, their causes, and prevention.
Food—Source of Energy for man. Constituents of food, Balanced Diet.
The Solar System—Meteors and Comets, Eclipses. Achievements of Eminent Scientists

NDA Application Process

The candidates have to fill their application forms on the website of UPSC. The NDA Application Process is completely online. The NDA application has 2 parts- Part I and Part II. The candidates must fill the application form well within the stipulated time before the link gets deactivated.

The steps to fill the NDA Application Form are as follows.

  • 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: Click on “Click Here for PART I” and read the instructions carefully and click on “Yes”.
  • Step 4: On page 1 fill in the details such as name, gender, date of birth, parents’ name, nationality, etc., and click on “continue”.
  • Step 5: On page 2, select the options and mark them between 1 to 4 or mark ‘0’ if you do not want to give any preference. Those who are from Sainik /Military School or Son of JCO/NCO/Other Rank Officer must fill pages 3 & page 4.
  • Step 6: Pay the application fees via any online payment mode at your convenience.
  • Step 7: Select the examination centre and upload a Photograph and Signature.
  • Step 8: Download the application form and take a printed copy for future reference.
     

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 Screening
Verbal and Non-verbal test
PPDT
Psychological Test Thematic Appreciation Test [TAT]
Word Association Test [WAT]
Situation Reaction Test [SRT]
Self Description Test [ SD]
Group Testing Officers Test Group Discussion (GD)
Group Planning Exercise (GPE)
Progressive Group Task (PGT)
Half Group Task (HGT)
Individual Obstacles Task (IOT)
Command Task
Snake race/Group Obstacle Race
Individual lecture
Final Group Task (FGT)
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 check-ups 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 Notification 2022

The official notification for the NDA 1 exam 2022 has been released on the official website of UPSC. The key details such as the application process, important dates, and vacancies are announced in the official notification.
 

NDA DATE 2022

The NDA Exam Dates 2022 have been announced. Given below are the exam dates for both phases of the NDA Exam
 

Events NDA 1 2022 NDA 2 2022
Release of NDA Notification December 22, 2021 May 18, 2022
Availability of NDA Application forms December 22, 2021 May 18, 2022
Last day to apply for NDA 2022 January 11, 2022 June 14, 2022
Withdrawal of Application January 18-24, 2022 To Be Notified
Availability of Admit Card March 2022 (Expected) August 2022 (Expected)
NDA Exam Date April 10, 2022 September 04, 2022
Result Declaration June 2022 (Expected) November 2022 (Expected)
SSB interview To Be Notified To Be Notified

NDA 2022 Vacancy Details

The number of vacancies for the NDA 2022 is 400  vacancies that have been announced for the various wings of the Indian army. However, this is an approximate number of vacancies and thus are subject to changes.  The breakdown of the vacancies announced for the year 2022 is tabulated below. 
 

Course Vacancy
148th National Defence Academy (Indian Army) 208 (Including 10 female vacancies)
148th National Defence Academy (Indian Navy) 42 (Including 03 female vacancies)
148th National Defence Academy (Indian Air Force) 120 (Including 06 female vacancies)
110th Indian Naval Academy Course 30
Total 400

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.

  • Visit the official website of UPSC.
  • Search and click on the link ‘Download NDA Admit Card 2022’.
  • You will be redirected to an instruction page, read it carefully and agree to the terms and conditions.
  • 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.
  • Also, a CAPTCHA image will appear, enter the image that you see. Click on submit.
  • A soft copy of your NDA Admit card will appear.
  • Click on print and download the admit card.
     

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 must choose another centre.

The exam centres have limited seats, for which candidates are advised to apply early to get their preferred exam centre.

AGARTALA GHAZIABAD PATNA
AJMER PANAJI (GOA) PORT BLAIR
AGRA GORAKHPUR PRAYAGRAJ (ALLAHABAD)
AHMEDABAD GURGAON PUDUCHERRY
AIZAWL GWALIOR PUNE
ALIGARH HYDERABAD RAIPUR
ALMORA (UTTARAKHAND) IMPHAL RAJKOT
ANANTPUR (ANDHRA PRADESH) INDORE RANCHI
AURANGABAD ITANAGAR SAMBALPUR
BENGALURU JABALPUR SHILLONG
BAREILLY JAIPUR SHIMLA
BHOPAL JAMMU SILIGUDI
BILASPUR JODHPUR SRINAGAR
CHANDIGARH JORHAT SRINAGAR (UTTARAKHAND)
CHENNAI KOCHI THANE
COIMBATORE KOHIMA THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
CUTTACK KOLKATA TIRUCHIRAPALLI
DEHRADUN KOZHIKODE (CALICUT) TIRUPATI
DELHI LUCKNOW UDAIPUR
DHARWAD LUDHIANA VARANASI
DISPUR MADURAI VELLORE
FARIDABAD MUMBAI VIJAYAWADA

NDA 2022 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 and is of 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 and is of 600 marks. The second exam starts at 2 p.m. till 4:30 p.m.
     

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 2022

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 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 Expected Cut-off

  • The candidates need to clear the NDA Written exam to appear for the next round of selection, i.e, SSB Interview. The candidates must score the minimum qualifying marks to move to the next round.
  • The NDA cut-off 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 cut-off for the written exam is bound to fluctuate.
     

Given below is the NDA Previous Years’ Cut-offs 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

On passing out from the National Defence 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.

List of Few NDA Books for Reference

To prepare effectively for the NDA Exam one must have several good books handy. NDA books will help the candidates focus better on the subject matter at hand and ultimately score more marks in the exam.
The section-wise NDA books for exam preparation are given below:
 

NDA Books
Mathematics NCERT Mathematics Textbooks of Class 11th & 12th
Pathfinder NDA & NA by Arihant Publications
Mathematics for NDA and NA by RS Aggarwal
Chapter-wise and section-wise Solved Papers NDA/NA by Arihant Publications
10 Practice Sets for NDA & NA by Arihant Publications
General Ability Test NCERT Textbooks of all Subjects from Class 9th
Latest Manorama Yearbook
Success Series General Knowledge by Sachchida Nand Jha
History Of Modern India (History) by Bipan Chandra
Science and Technology in India (Science and Technology) by Kalpana Rajaram: Spectrum
Objective General English for Competitive Exams by S.P. Bakshi