NDA Exam 2026: Notification OUT, Dates, Application Form, Eligibility & 394 Vacancies

There is no difference between UPSC NDA 1 and 2 exams. NDA 1 exam is conducted for admission to the January batch. Whereas, NDA 2 exam is conducted for admission to July batch.

National Defence Academy or NDA exam is conducted twice a year by Union Public Service Commission for admission to  Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC). It is the most sought-after defence entrance exams in the country where both male and female candidates can apply.

The exam is conducted in two stages: written exam and SSB Interview. In 2020, a total of 5.3 Lacs candidates had applied for the exam, out of which 2.4 Lacs candidates appeared for the exam. UPSC prepares a list of candidates who obtain minimum qualifying marks in the written exam. Such candidates are called for SSB Interview for Intelligence and Personality Test.

Also Read: Know the difference between NDA & NA I and II Exams

NDA 2026 exam dates have been announced. NDA 1 2026 exam will be held on April 12, 2026. The exam for NDA II 2026 will be held on September 13, 2026. 

NDA exam is conducted every year twice in a year. The exam is conducted to select candidates for admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy courses. The selection process comprises written exam and SSB Interview. The total marks allotted to the written exam are 900. The SSB interview carries 900 marks. 

NDA official notification is released by UPSC. The PDF is made available on this page after it is released. The notification PDF comprises the important details related to the exam. 

Union Public Service Commission has revised NDA application process. As per the new process, online form comprises Account Creation, Universal Registration,  Common Application Form and Examinations. All applicants are required to fill up the application and upload their documents in the newly introduced portal afresh. The old One Time Registration (OTR) module will not be applicable. 

A total of 394 vacancies were announced for NDA 1 2026 exam. The break-up is given below.

Women candidates can apply for Indian Naval Academy courses for NDA exam. In 2024, vacancies were released for women candidates for admission to Indian Naval Academy courses. 

Few important points related to NDA vacancies are given below:

• NDA vacancies are provisional and may change depending on the availability of training capacity of the National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy
• Candidates are required to specify clearly in the online NDA application form, the services for which they wish to be considered in the order of their preferences
• Candidates are also advised to indicate as many preferences as they wish for NDA recruitment so that while offering appointments due consideration can be given to the preferences as per their ranks in the merit list
• Candidates should note that they will be considered under NDA recruitment 2022 for appointment to those services only for which they have expressed their preferences
• UPSC will not entertain any request for addition/alteration in the preferences indicated in the NDA Recruitment application
• Admission will be offered to candidates on the basis of NDA results of the written exam and SSB Interview 

No, it is not compulsory to take the colour printout of NDA admit card to the exam centre. According to the official notice, candidates need to bring the printout of the admit along with the (original) Photo Identity Card, whose number is mentioned in the admit card. They need to bring the admit card in each session to secure admission to exam centre. Candidates need to preserve the admit card till the declaration of the final result as it is required for the SSB Interview.

NDA admit card is released online by the Union Public Service Commission. The admit card is released on the official website-upsc.gov.in. To download the admit card, candidates need to enter registration number or roll number, date of birth and captcha code. The hard copy of the admit card is not sent to candidates by post. Candidates need to carry the printed copy of the admit card along with one photo-identity proof to the exam centre. The following details are printed on the admit card:

• Candidate’s Name
• Date of birth
• Roll number
• Photograph and signature
• Exam Date
• Exam time
• Reporting time
• Name of exam centre
• Address of exam centre
• City
• Centre code (if any)

The selected candidates for the three services-Army,  Navy and Air Force are given preliminary training both academic and physical for a period of three years at the National Defence Academy which is an Inter-Service Institution. The training during
the first two and half years is common to the cadets of three wings. All the cadets on passing out are awarded degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi as under:
(a) Army Cadets: BSc/ BSc (Computer)/ BA
(b) Naval Cadets: B Tech Degree
(c) Air Force Cadets: B Tech Degree /B Sc/BSc  (Computer)
All the cadets undergoing B.Sc/B.Sc (Computer)/BA Degree programme are awarded the degree on the successful completion of Academics, Physical and Service Training at NDA.
All the cadets undergoing B Tech programme are awarded the B Tech degree on the subsequent Pre Commissioning Training
Academies/ Institutions/ Ships/ Air Craft
The selected candidates of the Naval Academy are given preliminary training both academic and physical, for a period of four years at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala. The cadets of 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme are awarded a B Tech Degree on successful completion of training.

A total of 404 vacancies were announced for NDA 2 2025 exam. The vacancy break-up is given below.

Agnipath scheme is conducted for JCO entry whereas NDA exam is conducted for Officer entry. Agnipath scheme is restricted to the recruitment of soldiers. This is just a four-year scheme. NDA exam is conducted for permanent service commission. Therefore, NDA exam is not affected by Agneepath scheme. NDA exam is conducted by UPSC to select eligible candidates for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy courses. Both male and female candidates are eligible to apply for the exam. Through NDA exam, candidates are selected as Commissioned Officers in armed forces. The selection process of NDA comprises written exam and SSB interview. The written exam is conducted for 900 marks and SSB interview carries 900 marks. The final merit list is prepared out of 1800. 

NDA marking scheme is prescribed by UPSC. Candidates for correct answers are given 2.5 marks in Maths. 0.83 marks are deducted for wrong answers. Four marks are given for correct answers in GAT. 1.33 marks are deducted for wrong answers. Total marks allotted to the written exam are 900.

Candidates are required to score a minimum of around 25 per cent marks in each subject to clear the NDA written exam. The total marks allotted to the written exam are 900. Besides the subject-wise cut off marks, the examination authority also decides overall cut off marks for different defence services. Candidates are required to secure both section-wise and overall cut off marks. To be in the final merit list, candidates are required to secure separate qualifying marks in the written exam and SSB interview.

NDA question paper is framed in both English and Hindi. The written exam is conducted for 900 marks. The test carries two papers-Maths and GAT. Candidates qualifying the written exam are called for SSB interview. 

NDA result is announced online by UPSC. The link to check the result is made available on the official website in PDF form. The result PDF displays the roll numbers of qualified candidates. The steps given below will help candidates to check the result:

Candidates need to visit the official website of UPSC

Candidates need to click on the NDA result link on the home page

 Clicking the link, the result PDF opens in a new page

Candidates need to Search their roll numbers in the result PDF

Download the result PDF and save it

UPSC also releases NDA result name-wise. The name-wise result PDF displays the names of candidates qualified for the next round of selection process. NDA marks for the written exam is calculated out of 900. The final merit list is prepared based on the marks secured in the written exam and SSB interview. The marks of the SSB interview is calculated out of 900. Selection of candidates is done based on merit-cum-preference.

NDA result is announced separately for written exam and SSB interview. After the result for the written exam is announced, candidates are called for SSB Interview. After completion of the SSB Interview, UPSC prepares a merit list based on the performance in the written exam and SSB interview. Allotment of candidates are done based on the written exam and SSB interview.

NDA result name-wise comprises the names of the candidates in result PDF. NDA result is announced online on the official website. The total marks allotted to the written exam of NDA are 900. Based on NDA result for written exam, candidates are called for SSB Interview. The final result is based on the performance in the written exam and SSB Interview.

NDA cut off is the minimum qualifying marks that candidates need to secure in the written exam and SSB interview. UPSC prescribes cut off marks for written exam and final selection. Candidates need to secure separate qualifying marks in written exam and SSB interview. Candidates securing the NDA cut off marks are called for subsequent rounds of selection process. NDA exam is conducted to select eligible candidates for admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy course. NDA selection process comprises written exa and SSB interview. Candidates qualifying the written exam by securing the required cut off are called for the SSB interview. Candidates need to secure the cut off marks in the SSB interview also. 

NDA cut off is released after the completion of the exam. The cut off is released separately for the written exam and final selection. There are also sectional cut off marks for the exam. Candidates need to secure 25 per cent in each subject of NDA exam. Based on the cut off marks of the written exam, candidates are selected for the SSB Interview. The final cut off is decided based on the written exam and SSB interview. 

NDA cutoffs are released on the official website in PDF form after the declaration of the final result. The cutoff marks are also provided on this page after it is announced by the examination authority. The cut off are released separately for written exam and final selection. Candidates need to secure the cut off marks inorder to get selected in the exam. The steps to check NDA cut off marks are given below:

• Visit the official website of UPSC 
• From the 'Examination' tab, candidates need to go to the 'Cut off' tab
• In the cut off page, candidates will find the NDA cut off marks
• Check the cut off marks 

Candidates are required to score a minimum of around 25 per cent marks in each subject to clear the NDA written exam. The total marks allotted to the written exam are 900. Besides the subject-wise cut off marks, the examination authority also decides overall cut off marks for different defence services. Candidates are required to secure both section-wise and overall cut off marks. To be in the final merit list, candidates are required to secure separate qualifying marks in the written exam and SSB interview.

The difficulty level of NDA Maths paper is usually moderate while GAT was easy. The English Language paper of NDA is usually easy where questions are asked on grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension. The General Awareness section of NDA is moderate. Candidates need to keep themselves updated with the latest events in India and the world. To ace the exam, candidates need to understand the exam pattern and syllabus, practice mock test, solve previous years' question papers, etc. With hard work and dedication, candidates can crack the exam easily. The total marks allotted to the written exam of NDA are 900. Candidates need to secure 25 per cent in each subject to qualify the exam. Candidates qualifying the written exam of NDA are called for SSB Interview. 

GAT paper of NDA comprises a total of 150 questions. The GAT section is divided into two parts. Part A comprises English while Part B consists of General Knowledge. The number of questions in the Maths section of NDA exam is 120. Questions in the Maths section are asked from Algebra Calculus, Matrices and Determinants Integral Calculus and Differential Equations Trigonometry Vector Algebra Analytical Geometry Of Two and Three Dimension and Statistics and Probability. NDA question papers are framed in both English and Hindi by the examination authority.

Candidates must prepare a proper study plan for NDA exam. Besides, they must solve previous years question papers. Attempt mock tests to know the strong and weak areas.To crack the exam, the preparation should be good.

NDA grade pay depend on the post to which they are selected. NDA salary is based on the 10th pay scale as per 7th pay commission. NDA grade pay for different posts is given below.

There are multiple allowances offered to the Officers along with NDA salary such as Uniform Allowance, Dearness and Transport Allowance, Para Reserve Allowance, Technical Allowance, Children Education Allowance, Hostel Subsidy, High Altitude Allowance, etc. The Army Aviators (Pilots) in Lt and above in Level 10 and above serving in the Army Aviation Corps are entitled to flying allowance of INR 25,000 (R1H1 of Risk and Hardship Matrix).. .

The monetary benefits given to NDA Officers in case of mishap are given below:

In case of disability

• Monthly Ex-gratia amount of INR 9,000 per month.
• Ex-gratia disability award of INR 16,200 per month
• Constant Attendant Allowance (CCA of INR 6, 750 per month for 100 per cent disable on the recommendation of Invaliding Medical Board (IBM).

In case of death

• Ex-gratia amount of INR 12.5 Lacs to the NoK.
• The Ex-gratia amount of INR 9,000 per month to the NoK.
• The Ex-gratia awards to Cadets (Direct)/NoK, will be sanctioned purely on ex-gratia basis and the same should not be treated as pension for any purpose.

NDA salary during the entire duration of training is INR 56,100. Candidates starting salary during the training period and in the initial phase of their job. Over time, the post and salary of NDA officers keep increasing based on their performance and experience. The NDA salary per month for the Lieutenant post ranges from INR 56,100 to 1,77,500, while the highest salary for NDA Officer is INR 2,50,000 per month for the Chief of Army Staff.

On successful commissioning in Army, candidates are given the rank of Lieutenant. In Navy, candidates are given the rank of Sub Lieutenant. In Air Force, candidates are given the rank of Flying Officer. The starting NDA salary of an Officer is INR 56,100. This is the stipend offered to the candidates during the training period and the minimum salary that a Lieutenant gets. It keeps on increasing as per the level of the post.

NDA salary per month is INR 56,100 during the training period. After joining NDA, candidates get the starting salary. Over the time, the NDA salary increases based on the experience and performance. NDA salary per month for Lieutenant is between INR 56,100-1,77,500. The highest NDA salary for Officer is INR 2,50,000 per month for the Chief of Army Staff. The month-wise NDA salary is given below:

• Captain: INR 61,300-1,93,900
• Major: INR 6,94,00-2,07,200
• Lieutenant Colonel: INR 1,21,200-2,12,400

Army group insurance fund cover is INR 15 Lakh. An ex-gratia amount of INR 12.5 Lacs or INR 9,000 per month is paid to the NoK. 

Army Group Insurance Fund provides insurance cover of INR 15 Lacs on payment of one time non-refundable premium of INR 7,200 (subject to revision from time to time) by cadets from the date of joining for pre-commission training i.e. for 3 years. 

The Lady/Gentlemen Cadets during pre commission trg when in receipt of stipend are insured for INR One Cr as applicable to officers of the regular Army. Monthly AGIF subscription will be deducted directly by PCDA (O), Pune. For those who are invalidated out by Invalidated Medical Board (IMB) on account of disability and not entitled to any pension will be provided INR 25 Lacs for 100 percent disability. This will be proportionately reduced to INR 5 Lacs for 20 percent disability. However, for less than 20 percent disability, an ex-gratia grant of INR 50,000 only will be paid. Disability due to alcoholism, drug addiction
and due to the diseases of pre-enrolment origin will not qualify for disability benefit and ExGratia Grant. In addition, Lady/Gentleman Cadets withdrawn on disciplinary grounds, expelled  as an undesirable or leaving the Academy voluntarily will not be eligible for disability benefits and Ex-Gratia. 

NDA syllabus is prescribed by the examination authority. The syllabus comprises the topics that candidates need to prepare for the exam. The first and foremost step towards preparation is going through the syllabus. Knowing the syllabus helps candidates to plan a strategy to ace the exam, thereby, giving them the right direction for preparation. NDA syllabus has two sections for the written exam, General Ability Test (GAT) and Mathematics. GAT aims to test the candidate's basic knowledge of History, GK, Current Affairs of National and International Events, English, Science, and Geography. On the other hand, the Mathematics paper of NDA comprises questions based on Class 12. The GAT paper holds the maximum weightage in the syllabus. 

The pyschological tests in NDA SSB interview comprises the following:

Thematic Apperception Test: This is similar to the picture test and is hard and intense.

Word Association Test: This is similar to a picture test, but the pictures are replaced by words

Situation Reaction Test:  In this test, candidates will be presented with some situations and then you have to write about your responses to these situations.

Self Description Test: In this test, candidates have to talk about themselves, personal life, etc.

Cracking SSB Interview is not easy task. The difficulty level is high and candidates must have sound knowledge of their subjects to clear the interview. The best books for SSB Interview are given below: SSB Interview: The Complete Guide by Dr N. K. Natarajan SSB OIR & PPDT: Complete Guide to Stage 1 SSB Interview by DDE.

NDA exam is conducted for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy Course. CDS exam is conducted to select eligible candidates for Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA).

The level of NDA syllabus is of Class 10, 11 and 12 levels. Whereas the standard of CDS syllabus is of graduation level. NDA syllabus is divided into Maths and GAT. CDS syllabus is divided into Elementary Maths, English and General Awareness. The total marks allotted to the NDA written exam are 900. The total marks allotted to the written exam of CDS are 300 for IMA, INA and AFA and 200 for OTA.