With the increasing COVID-19 cases in the country, UPSC has made it certain that all NDA candidates have to abide by the guidelines issued due to COVID-19 pandemic. According to the guidelines issued by UPSC, candidates need to wear masks, maintain social distancing and personal hygiene. Check here NDA exam day guidelines 2023 related to COVID-19.
NDA COVID-19 guidelines
NDA COVID-19 Guidelines: NDA 1 2023 exam will be conducted on April 16, 2023 in two shifts. The Maths paper of NDA will be conducted from 10 am to 12.30 pm and GAT paper will be held from 02.00 pm to 04.30 pm. NDA 1 admit card 2023 has been released for all the registered candidates. Along with the admit card, the examination authority has released the NDA exam day guidelines 2023 related to COVID-19. With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, the Commission has asked candidates to wear masks and maintain social distancing and personal hygiene.
NDA exam is conducted every year to select eligible candidates for admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy Course. The selection process of NDA comprises written exam and SSB interview. In this article, we have explained NDA exam day guidelines 2023 related to COVID-19.
- NDA Exam Day Guidelines 2023 Related to COVID-19
- NDA Shift Timings 2023
- NDA Exam Pattern 2023
- NDA Syllabus 2023
NDA Exam Day Guidelines 2023 Related to COVID-19
Some of the exam day guidelines are given below.
- Wearing a mask at the NDA exam centre on the day of examination is compulsory. The use of a face mask is an effective method to prevent the spread of the virus. A large number of candidates gather physically at NDA exam centre, therefore, wearing a mask is compulsory. Candidates not wearing a mask are not allowed to enter NDA exam centre
- Candidates will have to remove their masks for verification whenever required by the examination functionaries
- Candidates can carry their own hand sanitiser in a small transparent bottle for the maintenance of personal hygiene on the exam day
- Candidates are expected to maintain physical distance from each other on the day of the exam at the exam centre
- Candidates are also expected to maintain personal hygiene inside the examination hall as well in the premises of the venue
- The entry into the exam centre will close 10 minutes before the scheduled commencement of the examination. The entry to the exam hall for the forenoon session will close at 9.50 am while for the afternoon session it will close at 1.50 pm. No candidates will be allowed to enter into the examination venue after the closure of the entry.
- Candidates will be frisked for the possession of any unsolicited items that are not allowed into the exam hall
- Due to the present situation, it can be expected that candidates may be checked for COVID-19 symptoms such as temperature check at the exam centre
- It is expected that rough sheets will be kept at the desk of each candidate
- Candidates need to carry black ball-point pen
NDA Shift Timings 2023
Each paper of NDA will be conducted for 2 ½ hours. NDA shift timings for Maths and GAT are given below:
| Shifts | Exam Time | Reporting Time |
|---|---|---|
| Forenoon shift |
10.00 am to 12:30 pm |
9.50 am |
| Afternoon shift |
2.00 pm to 4:30 pm |
1.50 pm |
NDA Exam Pattern 2023
The written exam of NDA carries two papers-Maths and General Ability Test. The General Ability Test is further divided into two parts-English and General Knowledge. The Maths paper carries 120 questions while the GAT paper carries 150 questions. Total marks allotted to the exam are 900 marks. There are negative markings for wrong answers in the exam. To qualify the each section, candidates need to secure 25 per cent. Candidates qualifying the written exam are called for SSB interview. The SSB interview carries 900 marks. The structure of NDA written exam is given below.
| Papers | Subject | Maximum marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 |
Mathematics |
300 |
2 ½ |
| Paper 2 |
GAT |
600 |
2 ½ |
| Total |
900 |
5 hours |
|
NDA Syllabus 2023
NDA syllabus comprises topics from Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). The level of syllabus is of Classes 10, 11, and 12 standards. NDA syllabus 2023 is given below:
Mathematics: Algebra, Calculus, Matrices and Determinants, Integral Calculus and Differential Equations, Trigonometry, Vector Algebra, Analytical Geometry Of Two and Three Dimension, and Statistics and Probability.
GAT: The GAT syllabus of NDA is divided into two parts. Part A comprises questions from English, while Part B carries questions from General Knowledge. Questions in English part are asked from Grammar and Usage, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Cohesion. Questions in General Knowledge are asked from Physics, Chemistry, Social Studies, General Science, Geography, and Current Events.
Commonly asked questions
NDA 2024 exam dates have been announced by UPSC. NDA 1 2024 exam was conducted on April 21, 2024. NDA 2 2024 exam was conducted on September 1, 2024. NDA 1 2024 exam was conducted to select candidates for January 2025 session and NDA 2 2024 exam was conducted for admission to the courses beginning at NDA & NA in July 2025. NDA exam comprises two papers-Maths and GAT. The total marks allotted to the written exam are 900. The SSB interview carries 900 marks. Candidates qualifying the written exam of NDA are called for SSB interview. Candidates are required to secure 25 per cent in each subject to qualify the exam. The final selection of candidates is done based on the performance in the written exam and SSB interview.
NDA 1 2024 notification was released on December 20, 2023. The notification was released on the official website in PDF form. NDA 1 2024 notification was released to select candidates for admission to the courses beginning at National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy in January 2025. NDA notification PDF comprises details related to the exam such as application process, eligibility, dates, vacancies, etc. Selection of candidates for NDA exam is done based on the written exam and SSB interview. Candidates are advised to read the notification carefully before applying to the exam.
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.
The SSB Interview is conducted for 5 days and is almost the same for the three wings of the Indian Armed Forces. The SSB Interview is conducted in two phases.
- Phase I- Screening
- Phase 2- Psychological Tests, Group Tests, Interviews, and board conference
Candidates need to report on time at the centre they chose while filling out the application, or the centres allotted to them. The reporting time of the candidates, centre and other details are mentioned in their SSB Call letter. Candidates need to carry the required document for appearing in SSB interview.
Commonly asked questions
Few exam day guidelines for NDA exam are given below:
The entry gate closes 10 minutes before the exam begins
For the morning session, the entry closes at 9.50 am while for the afternoon session, the entry closes at 1.50 pm
Candidates need to preserve their admit cards till the exam day
Mobile phones, calculators, or any other electronic devices are banned inside the exam centre
Candidates should bring a black point
Candidates whose photograph is not clearly printed on NDA admit card should bring photo-identity proof and three passport-sized photographs
NDA 2 2025 exam will be conducted on September 14, 2025. NDA 2 2025 notification will be released on May 28, 2025. The application form will be available till June 17, 2025. NDA 2 notification 2025 will be released to select candidates for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Courses beginning in July 2025.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 weeks ago
To know the specific venue in Vijayawada, candidate need to check the admit card released by the UPSC. It has been allotted via first-come, first-served basis during the filling out of the application form.
I
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
The NDA 1 2026 notification was released by the UPSC on December 10 at upsc.gov.in. Along with the notification, the application process started. The last date to apply was December 30, 2025.
J
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 weeks ago
The UPSC conducted the NDA 1 exam on April 12, 2026. The official provisional answer key released on the official portal at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can download the answer key PDF for all sets from this page as well.
C
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The NDA 1 admit card was released at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can download their e-hall ticket. The NDA 1 exam is scheduled to be conducted on April 12, 2026.
K
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The Commission will release the NDA 2 notification 2026 on the official portal at upsc.gov.in. It will be issued on May 20, 2026. The last date to apply for NDA 2 will be June 9, 2026.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The Commission released the NDA 1 notification 2026 on December 10. Along with the notification, the application process was started. The last date to fill the application form online was December 30.
K
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The Mathematics syllabus of NDA written exam consists of Algebra, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry, Calculus, Statistics and Probability that is all base on 10+2 level.
G
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The NDA final merit list is prepared based on the cumulative marks of both written exam (900) and SSB interview (900) which totals at 1800 marks.
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
In the written exam of NDA, Maths paper has 120 questions and the General Ability Test has 150 questions. Therefore, total questions asked are 270.
J
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
The total marks for the NDA exam is 1800 that is 900 for written exam and 900 for SSB interview. A score between 400 to 500 is considered secure in the written exam to get into the final merit list. Also, candidates need to pass in each subject minimum of 25% marks. There is no sectional-cut off.
S
Contributor-Level 7