NDA Exam Details (National Defense Academy): Eligibility | SSB | FAQs

NDA Exam Details: NATIONAL DEFENCE ACADEMY EXAM (NDA exam) is a national level exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for admission in army, navy and air force. This exam is conducted twice in a year. This exam is conducted in two stages; first is the written exam and second is the SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) interview.

This exam provides recruitment for:

1. National Defence Academy (Indian Army)
2. National Defence Academy (Indian Navy)
3. National Defence Academy (Indian Air Force)
4. Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC)

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NDA Exam Details: Eligibility

• Unmarried male candidates can apply for NDA exam
• Candidates must have completed their class 12^th from a recognized board.
• For applying in Air Force, Navy or Naval Academy of NDA, the candidate must have passed class 12th with Physics and Mathematics from a recognized board
• Candidates must fulfil age criteria: minimum of 16.5 years and maximum of 19.5 years.

NDA REGISTRATION PROCESS –

The mode of application is online, while the exam is conducted offline.

• Step 1: Fill the Registration Form
• Step 2: Release of Admit Card
• Step 3: Written Exam
• Step 4: Declaration of Result
• Step 5: SSB Interview
• Step 6: Final Selection

NDA REGISTRATION FEE

The fee for general and OBC category students is Rs.100/-.

NDA Exam Important Dates

NDA (1)

• Notification issue- first week of January
• Application form release- second week of January
• Last date to submit- end  January
• Admit card issue date- end of March
• Exam date- third week of April
• Result date- mid June
• SSB Interview- as per the dates selected by the candidate
• Final Results- start of November

NDA (2)

• Notification issue- first week of August
• Application form release- first week of August
• Last date to submit- first week of September
• Admit card issue date- end of October
• Exam date- third week of November
• Result date- second week of December
• SSB Interview- as per dates selected by the candidate
• Final Results- first week of April

NDA Exam Pattern

• The written exam is conducted offline
• The total duration of the written exam is 5 hours
• There are two halves 1st Mathematics and 2nd General Ability Test (GAT) both of 2 hours and 30 minutes each.
• Total number of questions is 270
• There are 120 questions in mathematics and 150 questions in GAT
• The mode of exam is both in English as well as Hindi
• The test is conducted in 41 cities

NDA Exam Syllabus

The written exam is based on the CBSE syllabus from class 6^th to 12^th for Mathematics, English and Science, so candidates must consider NCERT books for their reference.

MATHEMATICS EXAM –

• Total number of questions 120
• Total marks 300
• 2.5 marks for correct and -0.83 for the wrong answer.

GENERAL ABILITY TEST (GAT) –

• Total number of questions 150
• Total marks 600
• 4 marks for correct and -1.33 for the wrong answer.
• This section contains further sub-sections:
• Physics (100 marks)
• Chemistry (60 marks)
• General Science (40 marks)
• History and Freedom Movement (80 marks)
• Geography (80 marks)
• Current Events (40 marks)

SSB INTERVIEW ROUND –

The candidate must score a minimum of 25% out of 900 in the written exam for being eligible for the SSB interview round.

At the same time, the candidate should score a minimum of 25% in each section also. The average cut off varies from year to year.

NDA Selection Process

• Step 1: After the declaration of results, qualifies candidates to have to register themselves on the official website
• Step 2: they will be allotted centres on their email id
• Step 3: SSB Interview comprises of two  stages
• Stage 1- OIR and PPDT
• Stage 2- interview, group task, psychology test and conference.
• Step 4: After stage 2, UPSC generates a final list of merit candidates.
• Step 5: candidates need to submit their original documents and a copy for document verification.
• Step 6: candidates need to appear for the medical examination. Candidates are deemed to selection only if they are medically fit.

REFERENCE BOOKS

For preparation of NDA exam following books are referred:-

• Mathematics For NDA and NA by Rs Aggarwal
• English Grammar and Composition by Wren And Martin
• History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra
• Science and Technology in India by Kalpana Rajaram
• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams by RS Aggarwal
• Study Package Mathematics NDA And NA by Arihant

NDA Exam Details: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Can girls apply for NDA?

Only male unmarried candidates can apply.

ALSO CHECK: UPSC (Union Public Service Commission): Types Of Exams And Eligibility

• How exam centers are allotted to NDA applicants?

Exam centers are allotted on first apply first allot basis.

• What are the minimum aggregate marks obtained in class 12^th for applying for NDA?

There are no minimum marks for being eligible to apply for NDA.

• Are personal mobiles or laptops allowed during training?

No, personal mobiles and laptops are not allowed during the training.