NDA Notification 2026: Download UPSC NDA/NA Official Notification PDF Here

NDA exam is known to be highly challenging and competitive exam. The exam tests the knowledge and aptitude of candidates in subjects such as Mathematics, General Ability and English . However, with proper preparation and practice, it is possible to crack the exam. It is important to note that success in the NDA exam also depends on factors such as dedication, focus, and time management.

NDA exam is conducted in two stages: written and SSB Interview. Candidates qualifying the written exam of NDA by securing the required cut off marks are called for the SSB interview. The SSB Interview is divided into two stages. Candidates qualifying theStage 1 are called for the Stage 2 exam. Stage 1 of the SSB Interview comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT). Stage 2 comprises Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference. This stage carries 900 marks.

JEE Main rank is not considered for the NDA exam. The NDA exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission UPSC for selection of candidates for admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Course. JEE Main is a separate exam which is conducted for admission to BE/B.Tech and B.Arch/Plan courses at NITs, IIITs, other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), Institutions/Universities funded/recognised by participating State Governments. Candidates for NDA are selected based on their performance in the written exam and interview. Besides, the physical and medical fitness of candidates are also checked.

No, biology is not a compulsory subject for the National Defence Academy (NDA) exam. The NDA exam is a competitive examination in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for admission to the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. The exam consists of two parts: a written test and an interview. The written test includes subjects such as mathematics, English and general knowledge. Candidates are not required to have studied biology to be eligible for the NDA exam. 

No, you cannot apply for NDA exam while studying in Class 11. According to the eligibility criteria, candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class 12 are only eligible to apply NDA exam. The educational qualification prescribed for the Army wing of NDA is that candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class 12 or equivalent exam from a recognised board can apply for the exam. The educational qualification prescribed for Air Force and Naval wings of NDA and 10+2 Cadet entry scheme at INA is that candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class 12 or equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics can apply for the exam.

Yes, women candidates can now apply for NDA exam. In 2021, Supreme Court of India has allowed women candidates to appear for NDA exam. The eligibility criteria of women candidates are same as male candidates. Women candidates aged between 16.5 years to 19.5 years can apply for NDA exam. They must have passed Class 12 or equivalent from a recognised board. Candidates who are appearing in Class 12 exam can also apply for NDA. Now women candidates are also eligible for applying to the Indian Naval Academy course. Earlier, they were not allowed to apply for Indian Naval Academy. The eligibility for the women candidates are same as their male counterparts. However, there is a difference in the medical standards of women candidates.

Candidate should also have details of one photo ID such as Aadhar Card/ Voter Card/ PAN Card/ Passport/ Driving License/School Photo ID/Any other photo ID Card issued by the State/Central Government while filling the application form. Besides photo-identity proof, candidates are also required to upload their scanned photographs and signatures. Candidates need to bring the same photo-identity proof along with the admit card to the exam centre for appearing the written exam and SSB interview. The photo-identity proof that candidates upload during registration is used for all future reference by UPSC.The application form needs to be filled online only.  Candidates must have their photographs and signatures duly scanned in the .jpg format in such a manner that each file should not exceed 300 KB each and must not be less than 20 KB in size for the photograph and signature. Candidates scan their photo-identity proof in PDF only. The size of the PDF file should not exceed 300 KB and must not be less than 20 KB.

Candidates can select one city for NDA exam while filling the application form. The preferences of exam cities are required to be entered in Part 2 of NDA application form. The exam centres are allotted on a first-apply-first-allot basis. Once the capacity of a particular centre is filled, the same is frozen. Therefore, to get the preferred exam centre, candidates need to apply early. The examination authority reserves the right to allot exam centres to candidates.

UPSC releases the list of test cities along with the notification. Candidates are required to choose one test city as per their preferences while filling the application form. One test city can have multiple exam centres. The details regarding the NDA exam centres are mentioned on the admit card. Candidates need to appear for the exam at the allotted test centre or else their answer scripts are not evaluated. While appearing for the exam, candidates need to carry the printed copy of their admit cards along with one photo-identity proof to the allotted NDA exam centre.

NDA exam is conducted across multiple test centres in more than 70 cities. The exam is conducted in two shifts-morning and afternoon. Candidates are required to appear in both shifts. The details regarding the NDA exam centre are mentioned on the admit card. There is a ceiling on the number of candidates allotted to each of the centres except Chennai, Dispur, Kolkata and Nagpur. Allotment of NDA centres is done on the first-apply-firstallot basis and once the capacity of a particular centre is attained, the same is frozen. Applicants who cannot get a centre of their choice due to ceiling, are required to choose a NDA exam centre from the remaining ones. Applicants should apply early so that they get their preferred exam centre.

A total of 404 vacancies were announced for NDA 2 2024 exam. The vacancy break-up is given below.

A total of 395 vacancies were announced for NDA 2 2023 exam. Out of total vacancies, 208 vacancies were announced for Army, 42 for Navy, 120 for Air Force and 25 for Indian Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme). A total of 35 vacancies were announced for women candidates.

NDA select cadet based on service vacancy. It is according to the number of officers required at that time. But the academy accommodation also plays a role. The existing infrastructure at the academy can accommodate a certain number of cadets each term. If it is extended or the intake is greater than the capacity, the training standards will drop.

The questions that are asked in an NDA SSB interview are given below: 1) What is the meaning of your name? 2) How did your GTO and Psychology go, how many individual obstacles could you do, were you able to answer all the questions in psychology. 3) Why the IAF over the Army and Navy? 4) Tell me about your education background, the schools you've studied in (8th grade onwards), your marks, your favourite teacher, the teacher you disliked, favourite subject, disliked subject. 5) Tell me about the extracurricular and sport activities you actively took part in, your achievements, reason for taking part in those particular activities, level at which you participated. 6) Name few of your best friends from childhood, what do you like in them, what do you dislike in them, who supported you the most, what do they like in you, what do they dislike in you, who was your role model at school, reason for drop in percentage. 7) What are your weaknesses, how do you deal with them, is there any short coming you recently over came, how did you do so. 8) Tell me about your family background, the members of your family, what is their occupation, what do you like in each one of them, what do you dislike, what do they like in you, what do they dislike in you, which parent are you the closest to, why. 9) What is your routine on a holiday, how much pocket money do you get, how do you spend your money. 10) Tell me any 2 national and international news which you've come across recently. 11) Tell me how does an aircraft fly? What's the mechanism and principle. 12) What are your roles and responsibilities in your family, how do you help your family members and friends.

SSB Interview is held in two stages. Stage 1 comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT). Stage 2 comprises Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference. The total marks allotted to SSB interview are 900. The performance in the SSB interview is also considered for final merit list.

According to the NDA Exam Pattern, the NDA Exam will be conducted in offline mode, and all questions will be MCQ type. The exam is given in both English and Hindi. The question paper will consist of two sections: Mathematics and GAT. The total marks allotted to the written exam are 900. Candidates qualifying the written exam are called for SSB interview. The SSB Interview carries 900 marks.

NDA is a national-level defence exam that is largely participated by the defence aspirants. Therefore, the competition is high for this exam. Candidates requires at least one year to six months for NDA preparation. However, with dedication and right approach, candidates can clear the exam in two months. Candidates must first go through the topics in NDA syllabus first. Attempt NDA previous years' papers and mock tests regularly to improve time management skills.

NDA syllabus PDF is provided on this page. The syllabus PDF comprises the important topics related to the exam. Candidates can download the syllabus PDF and start preparing for the exam. With good practice, candidates can ace the exam. 

Yes, the NDA syllabus is the same as class 12. To crack the NDA exam, candidates must have conceptual clarity for better application while handling tricky and simple questions. Candidates must practice previous years' question papers. For Maths candidates must practice from NCERT Class 11 books. Jot down important Mathematical formulas and concepts. For English, candidates must brush up on the concepts of English. Candidates must clear their basic grammar, improve reading comprehension, and build vocabulary to tackle Antonyms and Synonyms.

The salary that candidates will get after completing their course in NDA is given below. Lt to Major: Lt: Level 10 (56100-177500) Capt: Level 10 B (61,300-193900) Maj: Level 11 (69400-207200) Lt Colonel to Major General: Lt Col: Level 12A (121200-212400) Col: Level 13 (130600-215900) Brig: Level 13A (139600-217600) Maj Gen: Level 14 (144200-218200) Lt Gen AG Scale: Level 15 (182200-224100) HAG + Scale: Level 16 (205400 224400) VCOAS/ Army Cdr/ Lt Gen (NFSG): Level 17 (225000) (fixed) COAS: Level 18 (250000) (fixed). .

The highest NDA salary of an Officer is Level 18 which is INR 2,50,000. This salary is offered to Chief of Army Staff. The highest salary varies for different posts. The salary for the post of Lieutenant is INR 1,77,500 per month. The salary for Major General is INR 2,18,200 per month.

Aspirants are always interested in knowing NDA salary while preparing for the exam. The salary provides details regarding the compensation that employees get after joining NDA. The stipend given to the Gentlemen Cadets during training is INR 56,100. After the successful training, the NDA salary of the Officer Commissioned will be fixed in the first Cell of Level 10.

Yes, there is negative marking in NDA exam. For incorrect answers in GAT 1.33 marks are deducted. For incorrect answers in Maths 0.83 marks are deducted.

The ideal time required for NDA preparation is one year to six months. During the preparation phase, candidates must focus on all subjects and topics relevant to the exam. Candidates must consider solving the NDA question papers. They should also attempt mock tests to increase speed and accuracy. Candidates must be thorough with the exam pattern and syllabus. The tips and tricks to prepare for NDA exam are given below:

• To begin with the preparation, candidates need to understand the syllabus and exam pattern
• Candidates can clear their basic concepts of the topics from the Class 10, 11 and 12 books
• To improve speed and accuracy, candidates can attempt mock tests
• After completing the syllabus, candidates must practice previous years' question papers to know the types of questions asked in the exam
• Candidates must work on improving their weak areas

The question paper of NDA is set in both English and Hindi. All the questions in the exam are objective type. There are a total of 150 questions in GAT while the Mathematics part carry a total of 120 questions.

There are negative marks for wrong answers, 1/3 of the marks allotted to each question are deducted for the incorrect answer. There is no deduction in marks for unanswered questions. The marking scheme of NDA is given below. GAT For correct answer, four marks are awarded while 1.33 marks are deducted for wrong answers. Maths For correct answer, 2.5 marks are awarded while 0.83 marks are deducted for wrong answers. The marks of candidates are calculated based on the number of correct and incorrect answers. The marking scheme of NDA exam is given below: