NDA (National Defence Academy)
UPSC
Complete guide to passing the NDA (National Defence Academy) exam on your first attempt.
~$1.50 (INR 100)
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Twice yearly
India
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Complete Overview
The National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission twice a year for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA at Khadakwasla and to the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala. The application fee is INR 100, and female candidates, SC and ST candidates, and sons of serving or retired JCOs, NCOs and other ranks who meet the specified conditions are exempt from paying it. OBC and EWS candidates get no fee exemption and pay the full INR 100.
The written examination has two objective papers taken on the same day. Paper I is Mathematics, code 01, 2 hours 30 minutes, 300 marks. Paper II is the General Ability Test, code 02, 2 hours 30 minutes, 600 marks, split into Part A English worth 200 marks and Part B General Knowledge worth 400 marks. The written total is 900 marks. The SSB Test and Interview carries a further 900 marks, so the final merit list is built on 1,800 marks in total, with the interview weighted equally against everything you write on paper.
Every question has four alternatives, and UPSC deducts one third of the marks assigned to a question for each wrong answer. Marking two options counts as wrong even if one of them is correct. A blank answer carries no penalty. Mathematics and Part B of the General Ability Test are set bilingually in Hindi and English. Candidates cannot use a calculator, a mathematical table or a logarithmic table, and the Commission instructs candidates not to bring them into the hall at all.
Eligibility is tight. Only unmarried male and female candidates qualify, and for NDA and NA Examination II, 2026 the date of birth must fall between 1 January 2008 and 1 January 2011, which puts candidates between 16.5 and 19.5 years old when the course begins on 1 July 2027. Candidates must undertake not to marry until training ends. A candidate who marries during training is discharged and is liable to refund the full cost the government spent on them. The Army wing needs a 12th Class pass; the Air Force and Naval wings and the Indian Naval Academy 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme need a 12th Class pass with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
NDA and NA Examination II, 2026 notified 394 vacancies in total: 370 for men and 24 for women, across 208 Army, 42 Navy, 120 Air Force and 24 Naval Academy places. The Air Force figure splits into 92 flying, 18 ground duties technical and 10 ground duties non-technical. UPSC publishes no applicant count or selection rate for the examination, and the notification states the vacancies are provisional. Written results and final merit lists for men and women are prepared separately against separate vacancy counts. NDA II 2026 was notified on 20 May 2026, the notification set a 6:00 P.M. deadline of 9 June 2026 which UPSC later extended to 11 June 2026, and the written examination was held on 13 September 2026, with Mathematics from 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. and the General Ability Test from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Why Get NDA (National Defence Academy) Certified?
NDA is the earliest route to a permanent commission in the armed forces, taken straight after Class 12, so a cadet can be a commissioned Lieutenant, Sub-Lieutenant or Flying Officer at around 21 rather than in their mid-twenties.
Cadets draw a fixed stipend of INR 56,100 per month for the entire duration of training in the service academies, which is the starting pay in Level 10, and the training period arrears on admissible allowances are paid on commissioning.
Commissioned officers enter at Pay Level 10, INR 56,100 to INR 1,77,500, with Military Service Pay of INR 15,500 per month fixed from the rank of Lieutenant to Brigadier.
All NDA cadets receive a degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi on passing out: B.Sc., B.Sc. (Computer) or B.A. for Army cadets, B.Tech for Naval cadets, and B.Tech, B.Sc. or B.Sc. (Computer) for Air Force cadets.
The application fee is INR 100 and it is waived entirely for female candidates, SC and ST candidates, and eligible sons of JCOs, NCOs and other ranks, which makes NDA one of the cheapest national competitive examinations in India.
UPSC runs the examination twice a year, so a candidate inside the narrow age window usually gets four or five attempts rather than one.
NDA and NA Examination II, 2026 carried 24 dedicated women's vacancies across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Naval Academy. UPSC states that written results and final merit lists for men and women are prepared separately against separately notified vacancies, so female candidates are ranked against female candidates.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
Two papers of 2 hours 30 minutes each on the same day. For NDA and NA II 2026, Mathematics ran 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. and the General Ability Test 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Questions
UPSC does not state a question count in the notification. In the previous years' NDA question papers that the Commission publishes on upsc.gov.in, Mathematics has carried 120 questions and the General Ability Test 150 questions, of which 50 are English and 100 are General Knowledge. The published maximum marks are 300 for Mathematics and 600 for the General Ability Test.
Passing Score
UPSC does not publish a fixed passing score. The Commission has discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all subjects, and it publishes written-stage and final cutoffs after each cycle on upsc.gov.in. Penalty: one third (0.33) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer; more than one marked answer counts as wrong; a blank answer carries no penalty.
Question Types
- Objective multiple-choice questions only, in both papers
- Four alternatives for every question
- Mathematics questions across algebra, matrices, trigonometry, calculus, vectors, statistics and probability
- English grammar, usage, vocabulary, comprehension and cohesion questions
- General Knowledge questions in Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History and Freedom Movement, Geography and Current Events
- Answers marked on an OMR sheet in black ball pen only
Delivery Method
Offline pen-and-paper examination with OMR answer sheets at allotted centres. Face authentication is mandatory at the venue, entry closes 30 minutes before each session begins, and no candidate is admitted after that under any circumstance.
Exam Domains & Topics
Worth 300 of the 900 written marks in a 2 hour 30 minute paper. The syllabus runs to Class 12 level and covers eight blocks: algebra, matrices and determinants, trigonometry, analytical geometry of two and three dimensions, differential calculus, integral calculus with differential equations, vector algebra, and statistics and probability. No calculator or log table is permitted.
Key Topics to Master:
- Sets, Venn diagrams, De Morgan laws, complex numbers and cube roots of unity
- Binary number system and conversion to and from decimal
- Arithmetic, geometric and harmonic progressions, binomial theorem, permutations and combinations
- Matrices, determinants, adjoint and inverse, Cramer's rule and the matrix method
- Trigonometric identities, inverse trigonometric functions, height and distance
- Circle, parabola, ellipse, hyperbola, direction cosines, equation of a plane and a sphere
- Limits, continuity, derivatives, maxima and minima
- Integration by substitution and parts, definite integrals, areas under curves, first order differential equations
- Dot and cross product of vectors, mean, median, mode, variance, correlation, regression, Bayes theorem and the binomial distribution
Worth 200 of the 900 written marks. UPSC states the paper is designed to test the candidate's understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. The syllabus covers grammar and usage, vocabulary, and comprehension and cohesion in extended text. This is the only part of the written examination that is not set bilingually.
Key Topics to Master:
- Spotting errors in sentences
- Sentence improvement and rearrangement of jumbled sentences
- Antonyms and synonyms
- Fill in the blanks with correct prepositions, articles and verb forms
- Idioms and phrases in context
- Reading comprehension on extended passages
- Cohesion and ordering of sentences within a paragraph
- Common confusable word pairs and usage
UPSC allots approximately 25 percent of Part B's 400 marks to Physics, which is about 100 marks, or 11.1 percent of the 900-mark written examination. The syllabus is conceptual rather than numerical and includes a long list of everyday devices whose general working principle candidates are expected to explain.
Key Topics to Master:
- Mass, weight, volume, density, specific gravity, Archimedes principle, barometric pressure
- Velocity, acceleration, Newton's laws, force, momentum, parallelogram of forces, stability and equilibrium
- Gravitation, work, power and energy
- Heat, temperature measurement, change of state, latent heat, modes of heat transfer
- Sound waves, properties and simple musical instruments
- Rectilinear propagation of light, reflection, refraction, spherical mirrors, lenses, the human eye
- Magnets, earth as a magnet, static and current electricity, Ohm's law, primary and secondary cells, X-rays
- Working principles of the simple pendulum, siphon, levers, pumps, hydrometer, pressure cooker, thermos flask, periscope, telescope, microscope, mariner's compass, lightning conductor and safety fuse
UPSC allots approximately 15 percent of Part B's 400 marks to Chemistry, about 60 marks, or 6.7 percent of the written examination. The syllabus explicitly excludes law of chemical combination problems, which signals that the questions test recall and understanding rather than calculation.
Key Topics to Master:
- Physical and chemical changes, elements, mixtures and compounds
- Symbols, formulae and simple chemical equations
- Properties of air and water
- Preparation and properties of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide
- Oxidation and reduction, acids, bases and salts
- Different forms of carbon and natural and artificial fertilisers
- Materials used in soap, glass, ink, paper, cement, paints, safety matches and gunpowder
- Atomic structure, atomic and molecular weights, valency
UPSC allots approximately 10 percent of Part B's 400 marks here, about 40 marks. The section is biology-heavy at a school level and includes a small astronomy component. It is the cheapest section to revise because the syllabus is short and stable across years.
Key Topics to Master:
- Difference between living and non-living
- Cells, protoplasm and tissues as the basis of life
- Growth and reproduction in plants and animals
- Human body and its important organs
- Common epidemics, their causes and prevention
- Food as a source of energy, constituents of food, balanced diet
- The solar system, meteors, comets and eclipses
- Achievements of eminent scientists
UPSC allots approximately 20 percent of Part B's 400 marks, about 80 marks. The section is broader than its name suggests: alongside Indian history and the freedom movement it carries the Indian Constitution, administration, Five Year Plans, Panchayati Raj, and a world history block covering the Renaissance through the Russian Revolution.
Key Topics to Master:
- Broad survey of Indian history with emphasis on culture and civilisation
- Freedom movement in India
- Elementary study of the Indian Constitution and administration
- Five Year Plans of India
- Panchayati Raj, co-operatives and community development
- Bhoodan, Sarvodaya, national integration, welfare state and the basic teachings of Mahatma Gandhi
- Renaissance, exploration and discovery, War of American Independence, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Russian Revolution
- United Nations, Panchsheel, democracy, socialism and communism, and the role of India in the present world
UPSC allots approximately 20 percent of Part B's 400 marks, about 80 marks, making Geography joint-largest with History inside the General Knowledge paper. It splits into physical geography, climatology and regional geography of India, including trade routes and the main items of Indian imports and exports.
Key Topics to Master:
- Shape and size of the Earth, latitudes and longitudes, concept of time, International Date Line
- Movements of the Earth and their effects, origin of the Earth
- Rocks and their classification, mechanical and chemical weathering, earthquakes and volcanoes
- Ocean currents and tides
- Atmosphere and composition, temperature, pressure, planetary winds, cyclones and anti-cyclones
- Humidity, condensation, precipitation, types of climate, major natural regions of the world
- Regional geography of India: climate, natural vegetation, mineral and power resources
- Location of agricultural and industrial activity, important sea ports, sea, land and air routes, main imports and exports of India
UPSC allots approximately 10 percent of Part B's 400 marks, about 40 marks. The syllabus covers important events in India in recent years, current important world events, and prominent Indian and international personalities, including those connected with cultural activities and sports. Defence and strategic news carries a natural premium in this paper.
Key Topics to Master:
- Important national events of the preceding 12 months
- Current important world events and conflicts
- Prominent Indian and international personalities
- Personalities connected with cultural activities and sports
- Defence exercises, inductions and indigenous defence programmes
- Major appointments in the armed forces and government
- Awards, honours and summits
- Space and missile programme milestones
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Download the UPSC NDA notification and copy out the scheme table: Mathematics 300, General Ability Test 600, SSB 900
- 2Sit one previous year NDA Mathematics paper from upsc.gov.in in exactly 2 hours 30 minutes with no calculator
- 3Sit one previous year General Ability Test paper in a separate 2 hour 30 minute block on the same day to replicate the real schedule
- 4Score both applying the one third penalty for every wrong answer
- 5Write down your section-wise accuracy in Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, Geography and Current Events separately, not as one General Knowledge number
- 1Revise sets, Venn diagrams, De Morgan laws, complex numbers and cube roots of unity from NCERT Class 11
- 2Drill binary to decimal and decimal to binary conversion until it is automatic, since it appears almost every year
- 3Work 60 problems on progressions, permutations, combinations and the binomial theorem
- 4Complete matrices and determinants including Cramer's rule and the matrix method for three unknowns
- 5Start a daily 30-minute current affairs habit using a national daily plus the PIB releases
- 1Revise trigonometric ratios, identities, sum and difference formulae, multiple and sub-multiple angles
- 2Work inverse trigonometric functions and 30 height and distance problems
- 3Cover the circle, parabola, ellipse and hyperbola in standard and general form
- 4Do three-dimensional geometry: direction cosines, direction ratios, equation of a plane and a line, equation of a sphere
- 5Solve 40 English error-spotting and sentence-improvement questions
- 1Revise limits, continuity, differentiation rules, second order derivatives, maxima and minima
- 2Work integration by substitution and by parts, definite integrals and area under a curve
- 3Cover first order first degree differential equations and growth and decay applications
- 4Complete vector algebra including work done by a force and moment of a force
- 5Take a timed 60-question Mathematics sectional test under the negative marking rule
- 1Revise mechanics, heat, sound, light, magnetism and electricity from NCERT Class 9 and 10 science
- 2Make a one-page sheet on the working principle of every device UPSC lists, from the siphon to the mariner's compass
- 3Solve 100 previous year NDA Physics questions and tag each wrong answer to a specific syllabus line
- 4Practise 40 English vocabulary questions on antonyms, synonyms and idioms
- 5Update the current affairs notebook with defence and strategic news
- 1Cover physical and chemical changes, preparation and properties of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide
- 2Learn acids, bases, salts, forms of carbon, fertilisers and the material lists for soap, glass, cement, paints and gunpowder
- 3Revise cells, tissues, human organs, epidemics, balanced diet and the solar system
- 4Solve 100 previous year Chemistry and General Science questions
- 5Take a timed 50-question English sectional test
- 1Read a broad survey of Indian history with emphasis on culture and civilisation using NCERT Class 11 and 12 material
- 2Cover the freedom movement chronologically and mark the dates UPSC has asked about in past papers
- 3Study the Indian Constitution and administration at elementary level, plus Five Year Plans and Panchayati Raj
- 4Cover the world history block: Renaissance, American Independence, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Russian Revolution
- 5Solve 80 previous year Section D questions
- 1Revise latitude, longitude, time zones, the International Date Line and Earth movements from NCERT Class 11 geography
- 2Cover rocks, weathering, earthquakes, volcanoes, ocean currents and tides
- 3Work through the atmosphere block: pressure, planetary winds, cyclones, humidity and climate types
- 4Learn the regional geography of India, its major ports and its main imports and exports using an atlas rather than notes
- 5Solve 80 previous year Section E questions and take a full General Ability Test mock
- 1Cover classification of data, frequency distributions, histograms, pie charts, mean, median, mode, variance, correlation and regression
- 2Work conditional probability, Bayes theorem and the binomial distribution
- 3Sit two full previous year papers, Mathematics in the morning slot and the General Ability Test in the afternoon slot
- 4Recompute your optimal attempt band using the one third penalty on 300 and 600 mark papers separately
- 5Consolidate the current affairs notebook for the 12 months preceding the exam
- 1Read the SSB two-stage structure on joinindianarmy.nic.in: Stage I is the Officer Intelligence Rating test and Picture Perception and Description Test, Stage II runs over four days
- 2Practise 200 verbal and non-verbal OIR-style reasoning questions under time pressure
- 3Write 20 stories from ambiguous pictures in four minutes each to build PP and DT speed
- 4Begin a daily physical routine: running, push-ups and the group obstacle skills the GTO tasks assume
- 5Take one full written mock paper set
- 1Rework every Mathematics question you have got wrong across all mocks, grouped by syllabus block
- 2Redo the Physics device-principle sheet from memory and fill gaps
- 3Sit one more full paper set in the exact 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. slots
- 4Practise OMR marking in black ball pen only, including roll number and test booklet series encoding
- 5Revise the whole current affairs notebook in two passes
- 1Take one final full paper set early in the week, then stop mocks
- 2Download the e-Admit Card, which UPSC releases on the last working day of the week preceding the exam
- 3Pack the e-Admit Card, the photo ID whose details you entered in your URN profile, a clip board with nothing written on it, and several good black ball pens
- 4Revise the Mathematics formula sheet and the General Knowledge one-pagers only
- 5Plan to reach the venue well before entry closes, which is 30 minutes before each session starts
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Best Study Resources
UPSC NDA and NA Examination notification
Official notificationThe complete rulebook: vacancies by service and gender, age and marital status conditions, educational qualifications, fee and exemptions, the scheme of examination table, the full syllabus with General Knowledge section weights, and the special instructions for objective type tests.
Free
UPSC previous years' question papers
Official past papersUPSC publishes the actual NDA Mathematics and General Ability Test papers from past cycles. These are the only source that matches the real question count, difficulty and answer-option style, and they show which syllabus lines UPSC actually converts into questions.
Free
UPSC cutoff marks page
Official statisticsUPSC publishes written-stage and final cutoffs for each NDA cycle. Since the Commission does not fix a published pass mark in advance, these historical cutoffs are the only realistic target you can set for your 900-mark written score.
Free
NCERT textbooks, Classes 9 to 12
TextbooksThe NDA General Knowledge syllabus maps almost line for line onto NCERT science, history and geography. Class 11 and 12 mathematics NCERT covers the entire Paper I syllabus including vectors, three-dimensional geometry and probability.
Around INR 60 to 200 per book
Pathfinder for NDA and NA Entrance Examination (Arihant)
BookA single-volume guide organised by the exact UPSC subject split, with chapter-end practice sets and past-paper questions. Useful for the General Ability Test where NCERT alone leaves the device-principle and current events blocks thin.
Around INR 600 to 900
joinindianarmy.nic.in SSB information
Official websiteThe UPSC notification points candidates here for details of the Stage II tests. It describes the Officer Intelligence Rating test, Picture Perception and Description Test, Group Testing Officer tasks, psychology tests and the Conference.
Free
Press Information Bureau releases
Official news sourceThe primary source for Indian government and defence announcements: inductions, exercises, appointments and policy decisions. It covers the Current Events section without the noise of general news aggregation.
Free
Let Us Sharpen Our Skills or an equivalent SSB psychology practice book
BookSSB Stage II includes Thematic Apperception, Word Association, Situation Reaction and Self Description tests. These are timed writing tasks that reward practice, and there is no official practice material for them.
Around INR 300 to 600
Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi
BookCovers grammar and usage, vocabulary, and comprehension in the objective format the 200-mark Part A uses. Work the error-spotting, sentence-improvement and para-jumble chapters, which together account for most of the English section.
Around INR 300 to 500
UPSC online representation portal
Official portalUPSC opens a five-day window, from the third day after the exam to 6:00 P.M. on the seventh day, for candidates to make representations on the questions asked and on the provisional answer keys. No representation is accepted by any other mode or after the window closes.
Free
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Treating the General Ability Test as one undifferentiated block and revising it as generic general knowledge.
UPSC publishes the weights inside Part B: Physics 25 percent, Chemistry 15 percent, General Science 10 percent, History and Freedom Movement 20 percent, Geography 20 percent, Current Events 10 percent. Physics alone is worth about 100 marks, more than Chemistry and General Science combined. Allocate revision hours to those weights instead of splitting time evenly.
Practising Mathematics with a calculator during preparation.
The Commission states that candidates are not permitted to use a calculator, mathematical table or logarithmic table, and instructs them not to bring these into the hall. Every practice session should be done with pen, paper and mental arithmetic, or your speed estimates from home will not survive the 2 hour 30 minute paper.
Guessing freely because there are only four options and the odds look acceptable.
UPSC deducts one third of the marks assigned to the question for a wrong answer, so a wrong answer forfeits its own mark and a third of another. The Commission does not publish a per-paper question count, so work the penalty as a proportion rather than as a fixed mark figure. Marking two options counts as wrong even if one is correct. A blank carries no penalty, so an uncertain question left blank is genuinely cheaper than a coin flip.
Preparing only for the written paper and treating the SSB as something to worry about later.
The SSB Test and Interview is worth 900 marks against 900 for the entire written examination, so it is exactly half the final merit. Start the Officer Intelligence Rating drills, picture perception writing and physical conditioning in parallel with the written syllabus, not after the written result.
Ignoring the device list in the Physics syllabus because it looks like trivia.
UPSC names the simple pendulum, siphon, levers, balloon, pumps, hydrometer, pressure cooker, thermos flask, telegraph, telephone, periscope, telescope, microscope, mariner's compass, lightning conductor and safety fuse in the syllabus, and questions on their general working principle recur. Make one sheet with the principle behind each and revise it, because it is guaranteed-syllabus material.
Getting the date of birth or roll number encoding wrong on the OMR sheet.
UPSC states that any omission, mistake or discrepancy in encoding details on the OMR answer sheet, especially the Roll Number and Test Booklet Series Code, renders the sheet liable for rejection. Encode those fields first, in black ball pen only, and verify them before answering a single question.
Assuming an application can be corrected after submission.
The Commission allows no correction, alteration or modification in any field of the application form after submission, and applications cannot be withdrawn. Service preferences, once entered, cannot be added to or altered. Check date of birth against the Matriculation certificate and check your service preference order before you submit.
Skipping the service preference field or filling only one preference.
UPSC states that candidates are considered only for services for which they express a preference, and for no others. Filling one preference when you would accept several narrows your chances against 394 vacancies split across four streams. It is mandatory to exercise at least one preference, and the Commission advises indicating as many as you are willing to accept.
Arriving at the venue close to the start time.
Entry closes 30 minutes before each session begins and no candidate is allowed in afterwards under any circumstance. Face authentication, identity verification and frisking all happen before that closure. For NDA II 2026 that meant being inside the venue by 9:30 A.M. for Mathematics and 1:30 P.M. for the General Ability Test.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Both papers run on the same day. For NDA and NA II 2026 the timings were Mathematics 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. and the General Ability Test 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. Plan food and hydration for a five-hour gap between two 150-minute papers.
- 2
Carry only what UPSC permits inside the hall: a clip board or hard board with nothing written on it and a good quality black ball pen. The answer sheet and the rough work sheet are supplied by the invigilator.
- 3
Use black ball pen only for both writing and marking on the OMR sheet. Pens of any other colour are not permitted, and the Commission specifically forbids pencils and ink pens.
- 4
Bring the photo ID whose details you entered into your Universal Registration Number profile, together with the downloaded e-Admit Card. UPSC advises using the Aadhaar card for smoother verification, and no admit card is sent by post or email.
- 5
Reach the venue well before entry closes 30 minutes prior to each session. Mandatory face authentication, identity verification and frisking all take place before that cut-off.
- 6
Leave calculators, log tables, mathematical and drawing instruments, slide rules and map stencils at home. Possession of a mobile phone, Bluetooth device, smartwatch or pager even in switched-off mode can lead to disciplinary action including a ban from future examinations.
- 7
No arrangement for safekeeping of bags, phones or valuables is made at the venue, so do not travel with anything you cannot leave outside.
- 8
Encode the Roll Number and Test Booklet Series Code on the OMR sheet before starting the questions, and check them again at the end. UPSC treats a discrepancy in these fields as grounds for rejecting the answer sheet.
- 9
In the General Ability Test, English is Part A and General Knowledge is Part B in one continuous 150-minute paper. Fix a split in advance, since English rewards steady pace while General Knowledge rewards fast recognition and skipping.
- 10
Leave uncertain questions blank rather than guessing. One third of the marks assigned to the question is deducted for a wrong answer and for marking more than one option, while a blank costs nothing.
- 11
If a question looks wrong or an answer key entry looks wrong, note the question number. UPSC opens a representation window on upsconline.nic.in from the third day after the exam until 6:00 P.M. on the seventh day, and accepts nothing after that.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Lieutenant, Indian Army
Army cadets pass out of NDA after three years, spend one year at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun as Gentlemen or Lady Cadets, and are granted a permanent commission in the rank of Lieutenant subject to being medically fit in SHAPE one.
Pay Level 10, INR 56,100 to INR 1,77,500, plus Military Service Pay of INR 15,500 per month
Sub-Lieutenant, Indian Navy
Naval cadets are selected for the Executive Branch on passing out of NDA, train a further year at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, and are then promoted to Sub-Lieutenant. NDA and NA II 2026 notified 42 Navy vacancies, all in the Executive Branch.
Pay Level 10, INR 56,100 to INR 1,77,500, plus Military Service Pay of INR 15,500 per month
Flying Officer, Indian Air Force (Flying Branch)
Air Force flying branch cadets receive one and a half years of flying training. After one year of basic flying training they get a permanent commission on probation as Flying Officer for six months, confirmed on completing the conversion course. NDA and NA II 2026 notified 92 flying vacancies.
Pay Level 10, INR 56,100 to INR 1,77,500, plus Military Service Pay of INR 15,500 per month
Indian Air Force ground duties officer, technical or non-technical
Ground duties technical cadets train at the Air Force Technical College, Bengaluru, and non-technical cadets at the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad. Both are commissioned as Flying Officer on probation for six months, then confirmed. NDA and NA II 2026 notified 18 technical and 10 non-technical vacancies.
Pay Level 10, INR 56,100 to INR 1,77,500, plus Military Service Pay of INR 15,500 per month
Indian Naval Academy 10+2 Cadet Entry officer
A separate four-year route at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, leading to a B.Tech from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Applied Electronics and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Electronics and Communication Engineering depending on branch. NDA and NA II 2026 notified 24 places.
Cadets draw a fixed stipend of INR 56,100 per month during training, the starting pay in Level 10
Senior command ranks
The published pay matrix runs from Lieutenant through Captain at Level 10B, Major at Level 11, Lieutenant Colonel at Level 12A and upward. Military Service Pay of INR 15,500 per month is fixed from Lieutenant to Brigadier.
Colonel Level 13, INR 1,30,600 to INR 2,15,900; Major General Level 14, INR 1,44,200 to INR 2,18,200; Chief of Army Staff Level 18 at INR 2,50,000 fixed
Prerequisites & Requirements
- Marital status: only unmarried male and female candidates are eligible, and candidates must undertake not to marry until they complete full training. A candidate who marries during training is discharged and must refund all expenditure incurred on them by the government.
- Age: for NDA and NA Examination II, 2026, candidates must have been born not earlier than 1 January 2008 and not later than 1 January 2011, which corresponds to 16.5 to 19.5 years at the start of the course on 1 July 2027.
- Date of birth proof: only the date recorded in the Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate is accepted. Horoscopes, affidavits, municipal birth extracts and service records are not accepted, and no change is permitted after submission.
- Nationality: a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, specified East African countries or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India. The last two categories need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India, except Gorkha subjects of Nepal.
- Education for the Army wing of NDA: a 12th Class pass under the 10+2 pattern from a State Education Board or a University.
- Education for the Air Force and Naval wings of NDA and for the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy: a 12th Class pass with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
- Candidates currently appearing in the 12th Class examination may apply, but must produce the original certificate at the SSB interview or forward self-attested photocopies to Army HQ or Naval HQ by the deadline stated in the notification.
- Fee: INR 100, payable online. Female candidates, SC and ST candidates, and sons of JCOs, NCOs and other ranks as specified in the notification are exempt. OBC and EWS candidates receive no exemption. The fee is never refunded.
- Selection also requires clearing the Services Selection Board two-stage process and being found medically fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many marks is the NDA examination out of?
The final merit is built on 1,800 marks: 900 for the written examination and 900 for the SSB Test and Interview. Within the written examination, Mathematics carries 300 marks and the General Ability Test carries 600 marks, of which Part A English is 200 and Part B General Knowledge is 400.
What is the negative marking rule in NDA?
One third (0.33) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer. Every question has four alternatives. If you mark more than one answer, it counts as wrong and attracts the same penalty even if one of your marked options is correct. A question left blank carries no penalty at all.
How much does the NDA examination cost?
The fee is INR 100, paid online. Female candidates, SC and ST candidates, and sons of JCOs, NCOs and other ranks as specified in the notification pay nothing. OBC and EWS candidates get no exemption and pay the full INR 100. The fee is not refunded under any circumstances and cannot be held over for another examination.
What is the age limit for NDA?
For NDA and NA Examination II, 2026 candidates had to be born not earlier than 1 January 2008 and not later than 1 January 2011, which puts them between 16.5 and 19.5 years old when the course starts on 1 July 2027. The window shifts with every cycle, so read the current notification rather than relying on the previous one. Candidates must also be unmarried.
Can women take the NDA examination?
Yes. NDA and NA Examination II, 2026 notified 24 vacancies for women across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Naval Academy, alongside 370 for men. UPSC prepares written results and final merit lists for men and women separately against separately notified vacancy counts, so women compete against women rather than against the whole field.
What happens if I fail, and how soon can I retake NDA?
You can apply again at the next cycle, since UPSC runs the NDA and NA Examination twice a year with no cap on the number of attempts. The binding limit is the age window, not an attempt count, so a candidate who first becomes eligible at 16.5 usually gets four or five sittings before ageing out.
Is a calculator allowed in the NDA exam hall?
No. UPSC states plainly that candidates are not permitted to use a calculator or a mathematical or logarithmic table for the objective papers and should not bring them inside the examination hall. The Mathematics paper is designed to be worked with pen and paper on the rough sheet the invigilator supplies.
What identity documents do I need for NDA?
You need the e-Admit Card downloaded from upsconline.nic.in and the photo identity card whose details you entered into your Universal Registration Number profile. Acceptable photo IDs include Aadhaar, Voter EPIC, PAN, passport, driving licence, school photo ID or another government-issued photo ID. UPSC advises using Aadhaar and requires mandatory face authentication at the venue.
When is the NDA admit card released?
UPSC issues the e-Admit Card on the last working day of the week preceding the examination date. It is available only for download from the Commission's website at upsconline.nic.in, and no admit card is sent by post or email. Provide a valid, active email address when creating your account, since the Commission may contact you electronically.
How does the SSB interview work?
The SSB is a two-stage process worth 900 marks. Stage I is the Officer Intelligence Rating test plus the Picture Perception and Description Test, and only candidates who clear it move on. Stage II runs over four days and covers the Interview, Group Testing Officer tasks, psychology tests and the Conference. Three assessors, the Interviewing Officer, the Group Testing Officer and the Psychologist, mark the candidate holistically with no separate weightage for individual tests.
Can I challenge an NDA question or answer key?
Yes, within a strict five-day window. UPSC allows appeared candidates to submit representations on the questions asked and on the provisional answer keys from the third day after the examination date until 6:00 P.M. of the seventh day, through the Representations header on upsconline.nic.in. No representation by email, post, hand or any other mode is accepted, and nothing is accepted after the window closes.
Is the NDA paper available in Hindi?
Partly. The test booklets for Mathematics and Part B of the General Ability Test are set bilingually in Hindi as well as English. Part A of the General Ability Test tests English itself and is therefore in English only.
What degree do NDA cadets receive?
All cadets receive a degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi on passing out. Army cadets receive a B.Sc., B.Sc. (Computer) or B.A. Naval cadets receive a B.Tech. Air Force cadets receive a B.Tech, B.Sc. or B.Sc. (Computer). B.Tech cadets are awarded the degree at the subsequent pre-commissioning training academy rather than at NDA.
How long is NDA training?
Three years at the National Defence Academy, of which the first two and a half years are common to cadets of all three wings. After that, Army cadets go to the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun for one year; Naval cadets to the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala for one year; Air Force flying cadets to the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad for one and a half years of flying training; and Air Force ground duty technical cadets to the Air Force Technical College, Bengaluru. Indian Naval Academy 10+2 Cadet Entry candidates train for four years at Ezhimala instead.
Are NDA cadets paid during training?
Yes. Cadets receive a fixed stipend of INR 56,100 per month for the entire duration of training in the service academies, which is the starting pay in Level 10. On successful commissioning, pay is fixed at the first cell of Level 10. The training period is not counted as commissioned service, and arrears on admissible allowances for the training period are paid to cadets.
How is a tie in NDA marks resolved?
In four steps. If aggregate final marks are equal, the candidate with more marks in the written total ranks higher. If those are equal too, the candidate with more marks in Paper II, the General Ability Test, ranks higher. If still tied, the older candidate ranks higher. Any remaining tie is resolved at the discretion of the Commission. Marks are rounded to two decimal places before the tie-break rules are applied.
How does NDA compare to the CDS examination?
NDA is taken after Class 12 by unmarried candidates aged roughly 16.5 to 19.5, leads to three years at the National Defence Academy and a JNU degree, and costs INR 100. The Combined Defence Services Examination, also run by UPSC, is taken by graduates and leads directly to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy or the Officers Training Academy. NDA gets you commissioned younger; CDS suits candidates who have already completed a degree or missed the NDA age window.
Do I need to state a service preference when applying?
Yes, and it matters. UPSC requires candidates to list the services they wish to be considered for in order of preference, from 1 to 4, and states that candidates will be considered only for the services they have chosen. It is mandatory to exercise at least one preference, no addition or alteration of preferences is entertained after submission, and the Commission advises indicating as many preferences as you are willing to accept.
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