UPSC NDA 2National Defence Academy

Test Level-: National Level
Eligibility-: 12th
Duration-:5 Hours
Stream-: Arts
Medium-: Multiple
Examination Mode-: Offline
Total Questions-: 270

NDA 2024: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) released NDA 2 notification 2024 on May 15, 2024. The notification was released on the official website and comprises the details related to the exam. Interested candidates should read NDA 2 notification 2024 before applying for the exam. NDA 2 application form 2024 was made available along with the notification. The last date to fill NDA 2 application form 2024 is June 4, 2024. The window to make corrections in the application form will be available from June 5 to 11, 2024. A total of 404 vacancies were announced for NDA 2 exam.

NDA 2 2024 exam will be conducted on September 1, 2024. The written exam carries a total of 900 marks. Check below to know more about the NDA exam such as eligibility, application form, exam pattern, selection process, and other related information.

NDA is one of the most sought-after defence exams in the country to select candidates for admission to the National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy courses. The exam is conducted twice a year to select eligible male and female candidates. The selection process for NDA exam comprises written exam and SSB interview.

What is National Defence Academy?

Location

The National Defence Academy (NDA) is located in Khadakwasla, Pune, Maharashtra, India. It is the first tri-colour academy that trains male and female cadets together for Army, Navy and Air Force. After passing out from NDA, candidates are trained in the respective service academies-Air Force Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy.

Training Process

NDA provides comprehensive training to the cadets to prepare them to face the challenges of the armed forces. The training includes academic education, physical fitness, and leadership development. The cadets undergo a rigorous curriculum that covers various subjects and undergo physical training to enhance their endurance and strength.

NDA 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	UPSC
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 Eligibility 2024

Candidates need to fulfil the following 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, 2005 and not later than July 1, 2008. For NDA 2 exam, only unmarried male/female candidates born not earlier than January 2, 2006 and not later than January 1, 2009 are eligible.

NDA Eligibility for Women Candidates

NDA age limit for women candidates is the same as male candidates. Female candidates who are unmarried and born between 2 July 2005 to 1 July 2008 are eligible to apply for the exam. Candidates must be physically fit to carry on their responsibilities.

NDA Eligibility: Sex and Marital Status

Only unmarried male and female candidates can apply for the exam.

Are Girls Allowed in NDA?

In 2021, the Supreme of Court passed its decision that girls could 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

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

Visit the UPSC official website - upsc.gov.in
Search for the NDA counselling 2024 link and click on it
The NDA 2024 counselling details PDF file will be displayed on the screen.
Check the NDA category-wise counselling
Download and save the NDA exam 2024 pdf for future reference

QP-NDA-I-22-MATHEMATICS-120422.pdf

https://upsc.gov.in/

NDA 2024 Dates

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NDA 2024 exam

Dates	Upcoming Exam Dates
15 May '24	NDA 2 Notification 2024 ONGOING
15 May '24 - 04 Jun '24	NDA 2 Application Form 2024 ONGOING
09 Sep '24	NDA 2 Exam Date 2024

Download

NDA Online Form 2024

NDA 2 application form 2024 was released on May 15, 2024. The last date to apply for the exam is June 4, 2024. Interested candidates are required to fill NDA application form online. The application fee is INR 100 for General/OBC candidates while SC/ST/Sons of JCOs, NCOs, ORs are exempted from fee payment.

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 One Time Registration

It is mandatory to complete the one time registration before filling NDA application form. This is a once-in-a-lifetime facility and through the login ID and password candidates can apply for any exam conducted by UPSC. To register with UPSC, candidates need to enter name, gender, date of birth, father’s name, mother’s name, minority status, valid mobile number, board examination roll number, and security questions. After completing the OTR, candidates can check their personal details, apply for active notification and check application submission status.

NDA Correction Window

The window to make the correction in the NDA application form is made available seven days after the application process is closed. Except the choice of exam centre, candidates can make corrections in all the details in the NDA application form.

NDA Notification 2024

NDA 1 notification 2024 was released on December 20, 2023. NDA 2 notification 2024 was released on May 15, 2024. The notification is released for recruitment of male and female candidates to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and INAC. The notification is 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 Syllabus 2024 for Paper 2

NDA syllabus for Paper 2 comprises General Ability Test (GAT) which includes the topics and sub-topics from General Knowledge (GK), English, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, General Science, and Current Events. A total of 150 questions are asked in this paper, out of which 50 questions are from English and the remaining 100 questions are from General Knowledge. The total marks allotted to this section are 600. The basic overview of NDA syllabus for Paper 2 is given below.

Parameters	Details
Total marks allotted for GAT paper	600 marks
No. of questions	150
Total questions in English	50
Total Questions in GK	100
Total Marks for English	200
Total Marks for GK	400
Marks for Correct Answer	4 marks in each section
Marks for Incorrect Answer	-1.33 marks in each section
Total Duration of GAT Paper	2 Hours 30 Minutes

NDA English Syllabus

NDA English syllabus comprises the topics that test the basic proficiency in English Language and Comprehension. A total of 50 questions are asked from this section. NDA syllabus for English can be prepared by reading books and newspapers. The difficulty level of this section is easy to moderate. NDA syllabus for English is given below.

Grammar & usage
Comprehension & cohesion
Spotting of errors
Para Jumbling
Fill in the blanks
Synonyms & Antonyms
Vocabulary
Cloze Test
Idioms & Proverbs
Completion of Sentence & Para
Sentence Correction & Improvement

NDA Syllabus for GAT

The question paper of the GAT covers subjects that include Physics, Chemistry, Social Studies, General Science, Geography and Current Events. NDA syllabus for GAT is given below.

NDA Physics Syllabus

Around 23-25 questions are asked from Physics. NDA Physics syllabus is given below.

Physical Properties and States of Matter	Modes of transference of Heat
Mass	Sound waves and their properties
Weight	Simple musical instruments
Volume	Rectilinear propagation of Light
Density and Specific Gravity	Reflection and refraction
Principle of Archimedes	Spherical mirrors and Lenses
Pressure Barometer	Human Eye
Motion of objects	Natural and Artificial Magnets
Velocity and Acceleration	Properties of a Magnet
Newton’s Laws of Motion	Earth as a Magnet
Force and Momentum	Static and Current Electricity
Parallelogram of Forces	Conductors and Non-conductors
Stability and Equilibrium of bodies	Ohm’s Law
Gravitation	Simple Electrical Circuits
Elementary ideas of work	Heating, Lighting and Magnetic effects of Current
Power and Energy	Measurement of Electrical Power
Effects of Heat	Primary and Secondary Cells
Measurement of Temperature and Heat	Use of X-Rays ,General Principles in the working of Simple Pendulum, Simple Pulleys, Siphon, Levers, Balloon, Pumps, Hydrometer, Pressure Cooker, Thermos Flask, Gramophone, Telegraphs, Telephone, Periscope, Telescope, Microscope, Mariner’s Compass; Lightning Conductors, Safety Fuses.

NDA Chemistry Syllabus

NDA Chemistry Syllabus is contain topics of Class 12 level. NDA Chemistry syllabus is given below.

Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide, Oxidation and Reduction. Acids, bases and salts. Carbon— different forms	Physical and Chemical Changes
Fertilizers—Natural and Artificial	Elements
Material used in the preparation of substances like Soap, Glass, Ink, Paper, Cement, Paints, Safety Matches and Gunpowder	Mixtures and Compounds
Elementary ideas about the structure of Atom	Symbols, Formulae and simple Chemical Equation
Atomic Equivalent and Molecular Weights	Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems)
Valency	Properties of Air and Water

NDA General Science Syllabus

NDA syllabus for General Science includes topics that assess the basic knowledge of the candidate on science and environment. NDA General Science syllabus is given below.

Common Epidemics, their causes and prevention	Difference between the living and non-living
Food-Source of Energy for man	Basis of Life—Cells, Protoplasms and Tissues
Constituents of food	Growth and Reproduction in Plants and Animals
Balanced Diet	Elementary knowledge of Human Body and its important organs
The Solar System-Meteors and Comets, Eclipses. Achievements of Eminent Scientists

NDA History Syllabus

NDA History syllabus contains topics on Culture and Civilization, the Freedom Movement in India, American Independence, French Revolution, etc. Check the list of topics included in the UPSC NDA syllabus for History below.

Forces shaping the modern world; Renaissance	A broad survey of Indian History, with emphasis on Culture and Civilisation
Exploration and Discovery; War of American Independence, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution and Russian Revolution	Freedom Movement in India
Impact of Science and Technology on Society	Elementary study of Indian Constitution and Administration
Concept of one World	Elementary knowledge of Five Year Plans of India
United Nations, Panchsheel, Democracy, Socialism and Communism	Panchayati Raj
Role of India in the present world	Co-operatives and Community Development
A broad survey of Indian History, with emphasis on Culture and Civilisation	Bhoodan, Sarvodaya, National Integration and Welfare State
Basic Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi	-

NDA Geography Syllabus

NDA Geography Syllabus assesses the candidate’s knowledge about earth and its resources and environment.

The Earth, its shape and size	Ocean Currents and Tides Atmosphere and its composition
Latitudes and Longitudes	Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure, Planetary Winds, Cyclones and Anticyclones; Humidity; Condensation and Precipitation
Concept of time	Types of Climate
International Date Line	Major Natural regions of the World
Movements of Earth and their effects	Regional Geography of India—Climate, Natural vegetation. Mineral and Power resources; location and distribution of agricultural and Industrial activities
Origin of Earth. Rocks and their classification	Important Sea ports and main sea, land and air routes of India
Weathering—Mechanical and Chemical, Earthquakes and Volcanoes	Main items of Imports and Exports of India

UPSC NDA Current Affairs Syllabus

NDA Current Affairs syllabus includes topics based on the latest current affairs events of India as well as the world.

Knowledge of Important events that have happened in India in the recent years	Prominent personalities—both Indian and International including those connected with cultural activities and sports
Current important world events	-

NDA SSB Syllabus

SSB Interview

SSB Interview is conducted in two stages. The details regarding the stages are explained below:

Stage 1

Screening Test that comprises Verbal and non-verbal tests and PPDT

Stage 2

Psychological Test comprises Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Word Association Test (WAT), Situation Reaction Test (SRT), and Self Description Test (SD). Group Testing Officers Test comprises GD, GPE, PGT, HGT, IOT, Command Task, Snake race/Group Obstacle Race, Individual lecture and FGT. The final phase of stage 2 is Personal Interview & conference.

NDA Syllabus for Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR)

The syllabus for OIR is given below.

Verbal Test	Non – Verbal Test
Figures	Completion of Series
Analogies	Blood Relation
Figure Matrix	Shorter and Taller Problems
Locating Hidden Figure	Logical Venn Diagram
Odd one out	Jumbled Words
Classification of data	Coding-Decoding
Paper Cutting	One word Substitution
Problem on Dice	Problem on Ranks
Problem on Cubes	Interchanging 2 signs
Visualizing Patterns	Identification of letters
Spatial Ability	Reconstruction of test

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NDA Books

Referring to good NDA books is an important part of preparation. With so many books available in the market, choosing the best books becomes challenging. We have provided below NDA books for English, Maths and General Knowledge.

Subjects	Books
English	Objective General English by SP Bakshi Wren & Martin’s High School English Grammar & Composition Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
General Knowledge	Objective GK by Sanjay Kumar Manorama Yearbook Pratoyogita Darpan
Maths	National Defence Academy and Naval Academy by RS Agarwal

NDA Preparation Tips 2024

Candidates can prepare for NDA exam by following the tips given below:

To begin with, candidates must be clear about the subjects, pattern, and types of questions
The Mathematics section of NDA comprises questions from Algebra, Matrices, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, etc. Candidates must clear their concepts from Classes 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 NCERT books
The GAT comprises a variety of subjects, such as Chemistry, General Science, Geography, History, and Current Affairs. This paper also comprises a section on English
Candidates must revise the topics they have studied
Make short and simple notes as it will help candidates to revise properly and quickly
Solve previous years' NDA question papers and take NDA mock tests
Buy good NDA books and question banks

NDA 2 Last Minute Preparation Tips 2024

Given below are some of the last minute preparation tips for NDA exam:

Candidates must revise all the important topics thoroughly
Time management is important for the exam. Candidates must give more time to sections that they are stronger in. They should ensure to effectively use the time duration of the exam.
Candidates are advised to practice as many mock tests and previous year papers as they can to improve their speed of solving papers
Candidates must read the question papers carefully during the exam
Do not forget to carry admit card and photo-identity proof to the exam centre
Do not take stress and believe on the preparation

NDA Exam Pattern 2024

NDA exam is conducted in two stages: written exam and SSB Interview. The written exam is conducted in two shifts- morning and afternoon. The written exam is divided into two parts: Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). The GAT is further divided into Part A-English Test and Part B- General Awareness or General Knowledge Test. A total 150 questions are asked in GAT section and 120 in Mathematics. The question paper will be available in both English and Hindi. The written exam carries a total of 900 marks. The total duration of the written exam is five hours. Candidates qualifying the written exam are called for SSB Interview. Total marks allotted to SSB Interview are 900. The structure of NDA written exam is given below.

Subject	Marks	Number of questions	Duration of test
Mathematics	300	120	2 ½
GAT	600	150	2 ½
Total	900	270	5 hours

NDA Cutoff 2024

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 previous years' NDA 1 & NDA 2 cut off marks.

Paper	Written Exam	Final Exam
2021 (1)	343	709
2020 (2)	355	719
2020 (1)	355	726
2019 (2)	346	709
2019 (1)	342	704
2018 (2)	325	688
2018 (1)	338	705
2017 (2)	258	624
2017 (1)	342	708

How to Check NDA Cut off ?

The steps to check NDA cut off are given below:

Visit the official website of UPSC
Go to the 'Cut off' page from 'Examination'
Click the NDA cut off link
The cut off is displayed on the screen
Download the cut off and save it

NDA Exam Statistics: Registration vs Number of Appeared Candidates

The table below highlights the number of candidates who registered and appeared in NDA 1 and 2 exams over the past three years.

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

PDF 1

NDA Vacancy

Vacancy was released along with the notification. A total of 404 vacancies were announced for NDA 2 exam. The 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

NDA 1 2024 Vacancy

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 03 12 6 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)	-	30 (including 09 for female candidates)
Total		400

What is NDA Salary?

The NDA salary structure is given below.

Rank	Level	Grade Pay (INR)
Lieutenant	Level 10	56,100-1,77,500
Captain	Level 10 B	6,13,00-1,93,900
Major	Level 11	6,94,00-2,07,200
Lieutenant Colonel	Level 12A	1,21,200-2,12400
Colonel	Level 13	1,30,600-2,15,900
Brigadier	Level 13A	1,39,600-2,17,600
Major General	Level 14	1,44,200-2,18,200
Lieutenant General HAG Scale	Level 15	1, 82, 200-2,24,100
HAG+Scale	Level 16	2,05,400-2,24,400
VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG)	Level 17	2,25,000 (fixed)
COAS	Level 18	2,50,000 (fixed)

NDA Admit Card 2024

NDA 2 admit card 2024 will be released online in August 2024. 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. Candidates need to carry the printed copy of their admit cards along with one photo-identity proof to the exam centre. The admit card displays the details related to the exam as well as candidate's personal details.

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 Admit Card Details

The following details are printed on NDA admit card:

Personal Details	Exam Details	Exam Centre Details
Candidate’s Name	Exam Date	Name of exam centre
Date of birth	Exam time	Address of exam centre
Roll number	Reporting time	City
Photograph and signature	-	Centre code (if any)

Documents Required Along With NDA Admit Card

Candidates must carry the below-mentioned documents along with the NDA admit card:

Valid Identity Proof-Aadhar Card/ Voter ID/College lD card/ Passport/ PAN card/ Driving license
3 to 4 Passport size photographs

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 a 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

Exam Detail

UPSC NDA 2National Defence Academy

NDA Eligibility 2024

NDA Eligibility for Women Candidates

NDA 2024 Dates

NDA Online Form 2024

NDA One Time Registration

NDA Correction Window

NDA Notification 2024

NDA Syllabus 2024 for Paper 2

NDA English Syllabus

NDA Syllabus for GAT

NDA Physics Syllabus

NDA Chemistry Syllabus

NDA General Science Syllabus

NDA History Syllabus

NDA Geography Syllabus

UPSC NDA Current Affairs Syllabus

NDA SSB Syllabus

SSB Interview

Stage 1

Stage 2

NDA Syllabus for Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR)

NDA Books

NDA 2 Last Minute Preparation Tips 2024

NDA Exam Pattern 2024

NDA Cutoff 2024

NDA Exam Statistics: Registration vs Number of Appeared Candidates

NDA Vacancy

What is NDA Salary?

NDA Admit Card 2024

How to Download NDA Admit Card?

Documents Required Along With NDA Admit Card

NDA Exam Day Guidelines

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