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Best Books to Prepare for NDA - List of Subject wise books, Author Name
Updated on Dec 20, 2023 03:20 PM IST | #NDA
Upcoming Event
NDA Exam Date : 14 Sep' 2025 - 14 Sep' 2025
It is important that candidates pick the best books to prepare for the NDA exam. Only 5,000-6,000 candidates pass and get selected for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview. This is despite lakhs of Candidates appearing for the NDA 2024 exam yearly.
According to the NDA exam syllabus 2024, there are three subjects that candidates need to be thorough with, those being Mathematics, English, and General Knowledge. To cover the NDA syllabus, candidates must prepare using the NDA best books. Candidates can go through the material below for a list of the best books to prepare for NDA along with authors and publishers.
This Story also Contains
- NDA Books 2024 for GAT
- NDA Subject-wise Best Books
- NDA Books for Mathematics 2024
- NDA Books for Physics 2024
- Best Books for NDA Chemistry 2024
- NDA Study Material for Current Affairs 2024
- NDA Books for English 2024
- NDA Syllabus 2024
- NDA Exam Pattern 2024
- NDA Question Papers 2024
- NDA Preparation Tips 2024
Best Books for NDA Preparation 2024 (Mathematics + General Ability Test)
From the following lists, NDA 2024 aspirants can find the best books for overall preparation as well as for the subject General Ability Test.
Best NDA Books 2024
NDA Book Name | Author/Publisher |
Pathfinder for NDA & NA National Defence Academy Naval Academy Entrance Examination | Arihant |
Study Package for NDA/NA Entrance Exam | Tata McGraw-Hill Education India |
Chapter wise-Section wise Solved Papers NDA & NA | Arihant |
Study Package for NDA/NA Entrance Exam | Tata McGraw-Hill Education India |
Quick links:
NDA Books 2024 for GAT
NDA General Ability Test Book Name | Author/Publisher |
Science and Technology in India | Kalpana Rajaram: Spectrum |
Oxford School Atlas | Oxford |
Social Problems In India (Indian Society – GS1) | Ram Ahuja |
Objective General English for Competitive Exams | S.P. Bakshi |
General Knowledge | Arihant |
General Science Guide for Competitive Exams – CSAT/ NDA/ CDS/ Railways/ SSC/ UPSC/ State PSC/ Defence | Disha |
History Of Modern India | Bipan Chandra |
Quick links:
NDA Subject-wise Best Books
Apart from the overall best books, we have also shared the subject-wise best books of NDA for candidates. From the following tables, candidates can check the NDA subject-wise best books for better and in-depth preparations
NDA Books for Mathematics 2024
From the following table, candidates can refer to the books of NDA for Mathematics subjects.
NDA Mathematics Books 2024
NDA Mathematics Books | Author / Publisher |
NCERT Mathematics Textbook of Class 11 and Class 12 | NCERT |
Mathematics | R.S. Aggarwal |
Mathematics for NDA and NA | S Chand publication |
R.S. Agarwal | |
NDA Entrance Exam | E. S. Ramasamy |
Quick links:
NDA Books for Physics 2024
From the physics section, the questions will be from classes 11 & 12. The difficulty level of the questions will be 10+2. For physics, the NCERT Physics books of Class 11 & 12 is more than enough to prepare.
Best Books for NDA Chemistry 2024
For questions from the chemistry section of the NDA exam, the NCERT Chemistry book of Class 11 and 12 along with the NCERT Exemplar is enough. The difficulty level will also be 10+2. The topics in Chemistry of NDA will be as follows -
Physical and Chemical Changes
Air and Water
Acids, Bases and Salts
Oxidation and ReductionAtoms, valence, etc.
Quick links:
NDA Study Material for Current Affairs 2024
The current affairs are dynamic in nature and to ace in this section, candidates must focus on reading newspapers such as The Hindu, The Indian Express, Times of India, etc, along with magazines on current affairs. The newspapers and magazines will also help candidates with English subjects. Manorama Yearbook and Pratiyogita Darpan are the best examples to cover current affairs.
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NDA Books for English 2024
In this section, NDA tests the candidate’s abilities in understanding grammar and vocabulary. Here are the books that the students can refer to for English.
NDA Books English 2024
NDA English Books | NDA English Books Author |
Objective General English | SP Bakshi |
Wren & Martin High School English Grammar and Composition | Wren and Martin |
Word Power Made Easy | Norman and Lewis |
Quick links:
NDA Syllabus 2024
The exam conducting authority prescribes the NDA 2024 syllabus and mentions it as the official notification. Candidates preparing for NDA must check the syllabus to plan their studies likewise. The syllabus of NDA 2024 comprises two parts - General Ability Test (GAT) and Mathematics.
The topics covered in Maths are from the 10+2 level while the GAT syllabus comprises current affairs, History, Polity, Geography, etc. In order to qualify for the exam, candidates must cover the whole syllabus well in advance with sufficient time for revision.
NDA Exam Pattern 2024
UPSC NDA exam pattern consists of the stages of the exam, mode of exam, total marks, number of questions, time duration, etc. Aspirants preparing for NDA must go through the exam pattern in detail. As per the NDA exam pattern, there are two papers - Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). Both papers carry a total of 900 marks. NDA exam 2024 is conducted in two stages - written exam as well as SSB interview. Candidates qualifying in one stage will be eligible to appear for the next stage.
NDA Question Papers 2024
UPSC releases the NDA question papers in online mode after the exam is conducted. The NDA question paper is released for both the papers - Mathematics and GAT (General Ability Test). Candidates preparing for the exam must download the question papers of NDA and practise them right from the day to increase their chances of qualification in the NDA exam.
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NDA Preparation Tips 2024
The best books for NDA are not sufficient to qualify for the exam. Candidates must also follow some preparation tips other than the NDA study materials to qualify for the exam. Some of the NDA preparations tips are mentioned below -
Download previous year NDA question papers for at least 10 years and start practising them from day 1.
Know about the syllabus of NDA in detail to know about the sections, topics, subjects and everything related to the NDA exam.
Refer to the NDA exam pattern to know about the stages, marking scheme, and the time duration of the NDA exam.
Make a time table and follow it on a daily basis.
Read newspapers and magazines to stay updated with current affairs and to also work on comprehension, English vocabulary etc.
More articles related to the NDA exam 2024
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which book is best for NDA 2024?
There are a lot of books available which are said to have helped candidates a lot. The core books are RS Aggarwal, ES Ramasamy, Arihant and most importantly NCERT.
2. What is the salary of an NDA officer?
After completing the NDA course a candidate gets recruited as Lieutenant and gets a salary of Rs. 56100 which rises as per promotions, job tenure and risk level.
3. What are the subjects for the NDA exam?
Mathematics and General Ability Test are the subjects in NDA. GAT covers Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Geography, History, Current Events etc.
4. Is NDA easy?
No, it is one of the toughest exams in India. NDA is said to be the gateway for Indian boys as officers into the Indian Defense Services. Hence the recruitment process is quite a difficulty but not impossible to crack.
5. How can I prepare for the NDA exam?
To prepare for NDA it is advised to stick with the official syllabus and exam pattern, refer to the best books, solve previous year question papers and allot at least 6-7 hours for studies daily.
6. Can I do self-study for NDA?
Yes, there are a lot of students who do self-study, in fact with the help of online study materials and free video lectures provided by some of the coaching institutes, self-study has developed as a good means to study. But the candidate must not skip the worth of coaching centres also, as it provides expert inputs into the studies.
7. Which board is best for NDA?
There is nothing like which board is best or not, but yes CBSE students stand a better chance of qualifying the exams due to their syllabus and NCERT books. However, candidates from ICSE and other regional boards can also qualify given they prepare English efficiently.
8. Is Pathfinder enough for NDA?
Pathfinder is a good book to prepare for NDA, but candidates are advised to not completely rely on it and explore more options recommended by experts, toppers etc.
9. Is Ncert enough for NDA?
Yes, NCERT is enough to cover the curriculum but for current affairs and general awareness candidates must also refer to Arihant, Pathfinder, and Lucents along with newspapers and monthly current affairs magazines etc.
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Have a question related to NDA ?
Hello,
No, you are not eligible for the NDA 2026 exam. For NDA 1 2026, candidates must be born between 2nd July 2007 and 1st July 2010.
For NDA 2 2026, the required date of birth is between 2nd January 2008 and 1st January 2011. Since your date of birth is 1st January 2007, you do not meet the age criteria for either exam.
Hope it helps !
Prachi Kumari 26 July,2025
If your date of birth is 24 December 2007, then you will not be eligible for NDA 1 in 2027. The age limit for NDA 1 is usually between 16 and a half to 19 and a half years as of July 1 of the exam year. You will be slightly above the age limit by then. So, you won’t be able to apply for NDA 1 in 2027.
Chelsie G 22 July,2025
Hello Gautam
A diploma holder is eligible and ineligible for the following:
1. NDA: No, a diploma holder is not eligible for NDA as they require the candidates to be passed or appearing in Class 12th.
2. JEE Main s: Similarly, a diploma holder is not eligible for JEE Mains as it is only for 12th passed/appearing students with PCM.
3. JEE Advance: Yes, a diploma holder is eligible for JEE Advance and can aim for IITs.
Regarding your second doubt:
No, a diploma holder is not eligible to take admission in NITs on the basis of JEE MAIN marks
. A diploma holder can only aim for IITs and that too on the basis of JEE Advance.
Thank you!!!
Yash Teotia 07 July,2025
Hello Aspirant,
Yes, you can appear for the NDA (National Defence Academy) exam in September 2026 to join the Indian Army, even if you are a Class 12 student with a PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) stream. The Indian Army wing of NDA does not require Mathematics or Physics as mandatory subjects in Class 12, unlike the Navy and Air Force wings, which are only open to candidates with a PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) background. As long as you are an Indian citizen, unmarried, and your age falls between 16.5 and 19.5 years as on the date specified in the 2026 notification (likely born between January 2, 2008, and July 1, 2011), you are eligible. You will still be required to attempt both papers in the NDA written exam—Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT)—but selection into the Army wing mainly considers your overall merit. So, with the right preparation, especially for GAT and basic math, you can definitely aim for a career in the Indian Army through NDA.
All the best for your journey.
Sonakshi Kumari 04 July,2025
Hello,
Yes, you can give the NDA exam in September 2026 to join the Indian Army, even if you are from the PCB stream.
For the Army wing, candidates from any stream (Science, Commerce, or Arts) are eligible if they have passed or are appearing in Class 12.
Maths is not compulsory for the Army wing. However, you will still have to attempt the Maths paper in the exam.
Also, make sure your date of birth falls between 2nd January 2008 and 1st July 2011 to be eligible for NDA 2 (September 2026).
Hope it helps !
Prachi Kumari 08 July,2025
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