National Defence Academy (NDA)
The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the Joint Services academy of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force are trained together before they go on to pre-commissioning training in their respective service academies. The NDA is located in Maharashtra. It is the first tri-service academy in the world. The NDA exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) of India.
NDA ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To be eligible for the NDA exam, the following are the prerequisites:
A candidate must either be a citizen of India or a subject of Bhutan or of Nepal.
Only unmarried male candidates born between 2/7/97 and 1/7/2000 are eligible for the exam.
The candidate must have cleared the 10+2 examination or its equivalent from a recognized board or university. The candidate must be physically fit according to the standards of admission to National Defence Academy and Naval Academy examination.
NDA EXAM PATTERN
The written NDA entrance exam is designed in an MCQs style paper that consists of Maths (300M) and General Ability test (600M). There is negative marking for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the paper.
The two-stage selection procedure based on Psychological Aptitude Test and Intelligence Test has been introduced at Selection Centers/Air Force Selection Boards.
The UPSC prepares a list of candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written NDA examination as fixed by the commission. Such candidates shall appear before a Services Selection Board for Intelligence and Personality Test where candidates for the Army/Navy wings of the NDA and 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme of Indian Naval Academy will be assessed on Officers Potentiality and those for the Air Force in Pilot Aptitude Test and for Officers Potentiality. All the candidates will be put to stage one test on the first day of reporting at Selection Centers/Air Force Selection Boards.
Only those candidates who qualify at stage one will be admitted to the second stage/remaining tests of NDA exam.
The written NDA entrance exam is designed in an MCQs style paper that consists of Maths (300M) and General Ability test (600M). There is negative marking for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the paper.
The two-stage selection procedure based on Psychological Aptitude Test and Intelligence Test has been introduced at Selection Centers/Air Force Selection Boards.
The UPSC prepares a list of candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written NDA examination as fixed by the commission. Such candidates shall appear before a Services Selection Board for Intelligence and Personality Test where candidates for the Army/Navy wings of the NDA and 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme of Indian Naval Academy will be assessed on Officers Potentiality and those for the Air Force in Pilot Aptitude Test and for Officers Potentiality. All the candidates will be put to stage one test on the first day of reporting at Selection Centers/Air Force Selection Boards.
Only those candidates who qualify at stage one will be admitted to the second stage/remaining tests of NDA exam.
NDA 2023 Exam Highlights
The details regarding NDA exam are summarised below.
| Exam Particulars | Exam Details |
|---|---|
Exam Name | National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (NDA & NA) |
Conducting Body | |
Exam Level | National |
Exam Frequency | Two times a year (April & September) |
Mode of Exam | Offline |
Exam Stages | Written exam and SSB Interview |
Total Registrations | 5.3 lakh (As per 2020 data) |
Total Test Takers | 2.4 lakh (As per 2020 data) |
Exam Purpose | For admission to National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) |
Exam Fees | INR 100 for male candidates belonging to the General and OBC categories. However, SC/ST/Women candidates/Sons of JCOs/NCOs/ORs are exempted from paying the fees. |
Exam Duration | GAT: 2 ½ hours Mathematics: 2 ½ hours |
No. of Papers and Total Marks | Paper 1: GAT Paper 2: Maths |
Total Questions | GAT: 150 Mathematics: 120 |
Marking Scheme | GAT: Four marks for correct answers and 1.33 marks for wrong answers Maths: 2.5 marks for correct answers and 0.83 mark for wrong answers |
Total Marks | Written Exam: 900 SSB Interview: 900 |
Language/Medium of Exam | English and Hindi |
No. of Test Cities | More than 70 test cities |
Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
Contact Details | 011-23385271/011-23381125/011- 23098543 |
NDA (1) & (2) Dates 2023
UPSC has announced NDA 1 & 2 2023 exam dates on May 5. According to UPSC calendar 2023, NDA 1 2023 exam will be conducted on April 16. The application form for NDA 1 2023 will open on December 21, 2022. NDA 2 2023 will be conducted on September 3. The application form for NDA 2 2023 will begin on May 17, 2023. NDA 1 & 2 2023 dates have been announced by UPSC one year in advance so that candidates can begin their preparations early. Candidates can check below the complete schedule of NDA 1 & 2 exams.
NDA (1) 2023 Events | NDA (1) Dates | Salient Features |
|---|---|---|
Notification | 21-Dec-2022 | The notification will be released online in PDF form |
Application form | 21-Dec-2022 to 10-Jan-2023 | The application forms will be available online only |
Withdrawal of application form | To be notified | The withdrawal link will be made available for candidates who do not wish to appear for the exam even after filling the application form |
Admit Card | March 2023 | Admit card will be released online for all the registered candidates |
Written exam | 16-Apr-2023 | The exam will be conducted in two shifts: morning and afternoon across 41 cities spread throughout the country |
Declaration of result | May 2023 | The result will be announced online in PDF form |
| NDA (2) 2023 Events | NDA (2) 2023 Dates | Salient Features |
|---|---|---|
Notification | 17-May-2023 | The notification will be released online in PDF form |
Application form | 17-May-2023 to 06-Jun-2023 | The application form will be made available along with the notification |
Written exam | 03-Sep-2023 | The written exam will be conducted offline across multiple exam centres in various cities |
Admit Card | August 2023 | The admit card will be released for all the registered candidates |
Result | September 2023 | The result will be announced in PDF and it displays the roll numbers of qualified candidates |
SSB Interview | January 2024 to April 2024 | The SSB interview will be conducted for the qualified candidates of the written exam in two stages |
Stay tuned with NDA 1 & 2 dates so that candidates do not miss any event related to the exam.
NDA Notification 2023
NDA 1 2023 notification will be released on December 21, 2022. NDA 2 notification 2023 will be released on May 17, 2023. The notification will be released for recruitment of male and female candidates to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and INAC. The notification will be released in PDF form and comprises details such as the number of vacancies, exam dates, exam pattern, syllabus, course name, salary, exam centres, eligibility criteria, medical standards, the process of filling the application form, etc.
NDA Online Form 2023
Interested candidates are required to fill NDA application form online. The application fee can be paid both online and offline.
How to Apply Online for NDA Exam?
- Visit the official website of UPSC
- Register online by filling the Part I of application
- Login with the registration number to fill Part II of the application form
- Fill all the details in Part II application form
- Submit the fees and take printout of the application form
NDA Application Fees
The category-wise fee break-up is given below.
| Category | Fees (In INR) |
|---|---|
General/OBC | 100 |
SC/ST/Sons of JCOs, NCOs, ORs | Nil |
NDA Eligibility 2023
Candidates need to fulfil the following NDA eligibility criteria in order to be eligible for the exam:
NDA Age Limit
For NDA 1 exam, both male and female candidates must have been born not earlier than July 2, 2003, and not later than July 1, 2006. For NDA 2 exam, both male and female candidates must have been born not earlier than January 2, 2004, and not later than January 1, 2007.
NDA Eligibility: Sex and Marital Status
Only unmarried male and female candidates can apply for the exam.
Are Girls Allowed in NDA?
In 2021, Supreme of Court passed its decision that girls can join the National Defence Academy. The first batch of women candidates appeared in NDA 2 exam last year.
NDA Qualification
The educational qualification is different for different academies. Candidates can check the educational qualification prescribed for different academies below.
| Academy | Educational Qualification |
|---|---|
| Army Wing of National Defence Academy | Passed Class 12/HSC or equivalent from a recognised board or university |
| Air Force, Navy, and Naval Academy of National Defence Academy | Passed Class 12/HSC with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics |
Can I join NDA in Class 12th?
Candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class 12 can apply for the NDA exam. Candidates who are studying in Class 11 cannot apply.
NDA Physical Standards
The physical standards prescribed for NDA exam in terms of height, visual standards, etc are given below.
| Height | |
|---|---|
| Category | Minimum Height |
Tribals from Ladakh Region | 155 Cm |
Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, and Minicoy Islands | 155 Cm |
Gorkhas, Nepali, Assamese, Garhwali, Kumaoni, and Uttarakhand | 152 Cm |
Bhutan, Sikkim & North East Region | 152 Cm |
Visual Standards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Parameter | 10+2 entries, NDA (Army), TES and equivalent | CDSE, IMA, OTA, UES, NCC,TGC & equivalent | JAG, AEC , APS, RVC,TA, AMC, ADC, SL & equivalent |
Uncorrected vision(max allowed) | 6/36 & 6/36 | 6/60 &6/60 | 3/60 & 3/60 |
BCVA | Rt 6/6 & Lt 6/6 | Rt 6/6 & Lt 6/6 | Rt 6/6 & Lt 6/6 |
Myopia |
( including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl) |
( including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl) |
(including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl) |
Hypermetropia |
( including max |
( including max |
(including max |
| astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl) | astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl) | astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl) |
Lasik/equivalent surgery | Not permitted | Permitted * | Permitted* |
Colour perception | CP-II | CP-II | CP-II |
UPSC NDA 2023 Recruitment Process
The complete recruitment process of NDA exam is explained below:
Release of NDA Online form
Candidates need to fill the application form online. The application fee can be paid online and offline. The application is INR 100, however, SC/ST/Women candidates/Sons of JCOs/NCOs/ORs are exempted from paying the fees.
Issue of NDA Hall Ticket
The admit card is released online for all the registered candidates. To download the admit card, candidates need to login with registration number or roll number.
Appearing in the NDA written exam
The written NDA exam is divided into two papers-GAT and Mathematics. The total marks allotted to the written exam are 900 marks.
Declaration of the NDA Result for Written Exam
The result is announced online in PDF. The result displays the roll numbers of the qualified candidates.
Appearing in SSB interview
The SSB interview carries a total of 900 marks. The test is conducted in two stages-I and II. Stage I 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.
Declaration of final result
The final result is announced on the basis of the marks secured in the written exam and SSB interview.
NDA Syllabus 2023
NDA syllabus comprises topics from Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). The level of the syllabus is of Classes 10, 11, and 12 standards. Candidates can check below the topics included in the syllabus:
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.
NDA Exam Pattern 2023
The written exam of NDA comprises two papers: Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). The written test carries a total of 900 marks. Candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written exam are called for SSB Interview. The SSB interview carries 900 marks. The structure of NDA exam pattern 2023 is given below.
| Code | Exam Name | Duration | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
01 | Mathematics | 2 ½ hours | 120 | 300 |
02 | General Ability Test | 2 ½ hours | 50 | 200 |
100 | 400 | |||
– | SSB Interview | – | 50 | 900 |
Total | 1800 | |||
NDA Admit Card 2023
NDA 1 admit card 2023 will be released in March 2023. NDA 2 admit card 2023 will be released in August 2023. The link to download the admit card will be made available on the official website. Candidates can download the NDA admit card by logging either with the roll number or registration number. The hard copy of the admit card is not sent to candidates by post.
How to Download NDA Admit Card?
The steps to download NDA admit card are given below:
- Visit the official website
- Click on the admit card link on the home page
- Enter login credentials
- The admit card appears on the screen
Download the admit card and take its printout
NDA Exam Day Guidelines
The exam day guidelines for NDA exam are given below:
- Candidates should carry their NDA admit card to the exam centre
- Along with the admit card, candidates should also carry one photo-identity proof
- Carry clipboard or hardboard and a black ball pen for marking their responses
- The invigilator provides sheet for doing rough work
- Books, notes, loose sheets, electronic or any other type of calculators, mathematical and drawing instruments, log tables, stencils of maps, slide rules, test booklets, and rough sheets are not allowed inside the examination centre
- Strict action is taken against those candidates found copying or cheating
NDA Cutoff 2023
NDA cutoff for the written exam and final selection is released after the declaration of the final result. The cutoff for the written exam is calculated out of 900. The final cutoff is calculated based on the marks secured by the last recommended candidates out of 1800 marks (900 marks of written exam and 900 marks of SSB Interview). The qualifying NDA cutoff marks prescribed for each subject are 25 per cent. Candidates are required to qualify the exam by securing separate cutoff marks in the written exam and SSB Interview. Candidates can check below the NDA 1 & NDA 2 2021 cut off marks.
NDA 1 Cut off 2021
| Exam Stage | Cut off Marks |
|---|---|
| Written Exam | 343 (With at least 25% marks in each subject) |
| Final Selection | 709 |
NDA 2 Cut off 2021
| Exam Stage | Cut off Marks |
|---|---|
| Written Exam | 355 (With at least 25% marks in each subject) |
| Final Selection | 726 |
NDA Exam Statistics: Registration vs Number of Appeared Candidates
| Exam Sessions | Number of Registered Candidates | Number of Appeared Candidates |
|---|---|---|
NDA/NA (I) & (II) Exam 2020 | 5,301,85 | 2,404,45 |
NDA/NA (I) Exam 2018 | 4,506,41 | 2,946,88 |
NDA/NA (II) Exam 2018 | 3,487,85 | 2,405,76 |
NDA/NA (I) Exam 2017 | 4,169,61 | 2,680,12 |
NDA/NA (II) Exam 2017 | 3,442,02 | 2,321,20 |
NDA Vacancy
| Academy | Wings | No. of Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| NDA | Army | 208 (including 10 for female candidates) |
| Navy | 42 (including 03 for female candidates) | |
| 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) | – | 30 (for male candidates only) |
| Total | 400 |
NDA Previous Year Vacancy
NDA previous year vacancy is given below. Candidates can check the vacancy break-up to know the number of seats filled in NDA.
| Year | NDA 1 | NDA 2 |
|---|---|---|
2021 | 400 | 400 |
2020 | 418 | 413 |
2019 | 415 | 415 |
2018 | 415 | 383 |
2017 | 390 | 390 |
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