Is the NDA exam MCQ type?

NDA Exam comprises two papers-English and Hindi. 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.

What questions are asked in an NDA SSB interview?

The questions that are asked in an NDA SSB interview are related to educational background, current affairs, hobbies, etc. The SSB Interview carries 900 marks. Candidates need to secure the qualifying marks in this test.

How many vacancies were announced for NDA 2 2024 exam?

A total of 404 vacancies were announced for NDA 2 2024 exam. The vacancy break-up is given below. Academy Wings No. of Vacancies NDA Army 208 (including 10 for female candidates) Navy 42 (including 06 for female candidates) Air Force Flying- 92 (including 02 for female candidates) Ground Duties (Tech)-18 (including 02 for female candidates) Ground Duties (Non Tech)-10 (including 02 for female candidates) Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme) - 34 (including 05 for female candidate) Total 404

Does NDA select cadet according to academy vacancy or service vacancy?

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.

What is the per month salary for NDA Officers?

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

Are there any allowances along with the NDA salary?

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).. .

How do you know your NDA exam centres?

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.

How many cities could an applicant choose for NDA exam?

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.

Where will I get NDA apply online link?

NDA apply online link is acrivated on the official website of the exam conducting body. However, we will provide the direct link to register online for the exam. Only online applications are accepted for the exam.

When NDA application form 2026 was released?

NDA 1 application form was released on December 10, 2025. The last date to fill application form is December 30. NDA 2 online form will be available on May 20. Last date to fill the application form is June 8, 2026.

What are the stages of NDA selection process?

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.

Is NDA exam tough to crack?

NDA exam is highly competitive. Candidates can crack the exam with proper preparation and practice.

NDA Notification 2026 OUT: Download UPSC NDA/NA 1 Official Notification PDF Here

NDA 2 2026 application

20 May '26 - 9 Jun '26

Updated on Feb 11, 2026 00:12 IST

By Shikha Goyal, Assistant Manager

Overview

NDA Notification 2026: The Union Public Service Commission released the National Defence Academy/Naval Academy (NDA/NA) notification on December 10, 2025 on its official website - upsc.gov.in. The Commission mentioned all the important information about the NDA exam. The notification is the first official information that kick start the selection process. The NDA 2026 notification notified the eligibility criteria, dates, syllabus, exam pattern and other information related to exam.

The Candidates should note that the NDA applications were also started with notification. The candidates were required to read and understand all the eligibility conditions mentioned in the official notification to apply for the NDA exam. According to the NDA exam dates, the UPSC NDA 1 examination will be held on April 12, 2026. NDA UPSC (II) exam will be conducted on September 13, 2026.

Important Links

UPSC NDA & NA I 2026 Notification PDF

Download Here

LIVE

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NDA 1 Result 2026 Expected Today Live: UPSC Direct Link @upsc.gov.in; Steps to Download Result PDF

12:45 PM IST•1 May 2026

NDA 1 2026 Result Live Updates: Expected TODAY

NDA Notification 2026

DeskCalendar Notification: 20 May ' 26

NDA notification is released for admission of eligible candidates to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy Course. Before applying to the exam, candidates are required to check NDA latest notification so that candidates can get an overview of the exam. Both male and female candidates can apply for NDA examination. The selection of eligible males & females is done through written Examination and SSB interviews. UPSC NDA official notification is released in PDF form on the official website. However, we have provided NDA notification PDF on this page. Candidates are advised to check the notification carefully before applying for the exam. Read below for more details on NDA notification.

NDA Exam Schedule 2026

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NDA 2026 exam

Dates	Upcoming Exam Dates
20 May ' 26	NDA 2 2026 notification
20 May ' 26 - 09 Jun ' 26	NDA 2 2026 application
May ' 26	NDA 1 2026 Result TENTATIVE
13 Sep ' 26	NDA 2 2026 Exam

Dates	Past Exam Dates
12 Apr ' 26	NDA 1 2026 Exam Date
02 Apr ' 26	NDA 1 Admit Card 2026
10 Dec ' 25	NDA 1 Notification 2026
View More Past Events (16)

NDA Application Form 2026

NDA 1 application form was released on December 10. Interested candidates can fill the application form till December 30. Online applications are accepted for the exam. Candidates need to pay the application fees online only.

NDA Exam Centre 2026

The list of NDA exam centres is given below.

Agartala	Ghaziabad	Panaji (Goa)
Agra	Gorakhpur	Patna
Ajmer	Gurgaon	Port Blair
Ahmedabad	Gwalior	Prayagraj (Allahabad)
Aizawl	Hyderabad	Puducherry
Aligarh	Imphal	Pune
Almora (Uttarakhand)	Indore	Raipur
Anantpur (Andhra Pradesh)	Itanagar	Rajkot
Aurangabad	Jabalpur	Ranchi
Bengaluru	Jaipur	Sambalpur
Bareilly	Jammu	Shillong
Bhopal	Jodhpur	Shimla
Bilaspur	Jorhat	Siligudi
Chandigarh	Kochi	Srinagar
Chennai	Kohima	Srinagar (Uttarakhand)
Coimbatore	Kolkata	Thane
Cuttack	Kozhikode (Calicut)	Thiruvananthapuram
Dehradun	Leh	Tiruchirapalli
Delhi	Lucknow	Tirupati
Dharwad	Ludhiana	Udaipur
Dispur	Madurai	Varanasi
Faridabad	Mumbai	Vellore
Gangtok	Mysore	Vijayawada
Gaya	Nagpur	Vishakhapatnam
Gautam Buddh Nagar	Navi Mumbai	Warangal

NDA Notification 2026: Vacancy Details

NDA Vacancies was released along with the notification. Candidates can check below NDA 1 vacancy break-up.

Academy	Wings	No. of Vacancies
NDA	Army	208 (including 10 for female candidates)
	Navy	42 (including 05 for female candidates) (All Executive Branch)
	Air Force	(i) Flying –92 (including 02 for female candidates) (ii) Ground Duties (Tech) –18 (including 02 for female candidates) (iii) Ground Duties (Non Tech) –10 (including 02 for female candidates)
Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme)	-	24 (including 03 for female candidates) (All Executive Branch)
Total		394

NDA Notification 2026: Pattern of Exam

NDA exam pattern is divided into the written exam and SSB Interview. The written exam comprises two papers: Paper I is Mathematics and Paper II is the General Ability Test (GAT). Each paper will be for 2 ½ hours. According to NDA exam pattern, the maximum mark of the test is 900.

The SSB Interview comprises two stages. Stage I comprise Officer Intelligence Rating tests and Picture Perception and Description Test. Stage 2 comprises Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests and the Conference. The total marks of SSB Interview are 900.

NDA Exam Pattern for Written Exam

Papers	Subject	Maximum marks	Duration
Paper 1	Mathematics	300	2 ½
Paper 2	GAT	600	2 ½
Total		900	5 hours

NDA Marking Scheme

The marking scheme of NDA exam is given below.

Subject	NDA Negative Marking
GAT	-1.33
Maths	-0.83

NDA Notification 2026: What is the Salary?

NDA salary during the entire duration of training in Service academies 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.

NDA Notification 2026 FAQs

Candidates can check below NDA 2026 notification FAQs.

Q: How to prepare for NDA exam in three months?

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.

Q: How much time is required for NDA Exam Preparation?

NDA preparation requires one year to six months. Candidates must focus on all subjects and topics relevant to the exam. They should attempt mock tests. Candidates must know the exam pattern and syllabus. They should also solve the previous years question papers.

Q: How many vacancies were announced for NDA 1 2023?

UPSC announced 395 vacancies for NDA 1 2023. A total of 208 (including 10 for female candidates) were announced for Army, 42 (including 03 for female candidates) for Navy and 120 for Air Force (two vacancies each were earmarked for Flying and Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical Branches). NDA exam is conducted for admission of candidates to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy courses.

Q: In how many stages SSB Interview is held?

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.

Q: What is NDA marking scheme?

There are negative marks for wrong answers in NDA exam. 1/3 of the marks allotted to each question are deducted for the incorrect answer. There is no deduction in marks for unanswered questions.

Q: What will be the language of NDA question paper?

NDA question paper is set in English and Hindi. Objective-type questions are asked in the exam. The GAT paper of NDA carries a total of 150 questions. The Maths comprises 120 questions.

Q: In how many cities NDA exam will be conducted?

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.

Q: What do I need to carry to my NDA written exam centre?

Candidates need to carry the following documents to the NDA exam centre: NDA Admit Card Aadhaar Card (Original copy) or any other government photo-identity proog Two Black Ball Point pen for marking your responses on the OMR sheet Analogue wrist watch as UPSC do not allow one with a digital display Two photos similar to that on the admit card.

Q: How many vacancies were announced for NDA 2 exam in 2023?

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.