List of Defence Exams in India

List of Defence Exams in India - Defence exams in India serve as a major gateway for aspiring candidates who want to join the Indian Armed Forces, including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The eligible candidates will be recruited under various posts like Officers, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and other specialised roles. These exams not only assess knowledge but also test physical fitness, leadership and psychological aptitude, to select disciplined and dedicated individuals committed to national service.

Some of the important defence exams in India are NDA (National Defence Academy), CDS (Combined Defence Services), AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test), INET (Indian Navy Entrance Test), Agniveer Recruitment Exam, Indian Army Recruitment Exam, Territorial Army Exam, and more. For a brief overview on the exam details, candidates are advised to read the full article given below.

Top Defence Exams in India

1. UPSC NDA (National Defense Academy): The Union Public Service Commission conducts the NDA exam twice a year in April and September. The NDA recruitment exam is conducted to induct eligible candidates as officers in Indian Army, Navy and Air force.

• UPSC NDA Eligibility - The candidate must be a citizen of India. They must have qualified in class 12 from a recognised board of education. The age limit to apply for NDA is 16.5 to 19.5 years with no age relaxation. Applicants must be unmarried.

• UPSC NDA Exam Pattern - The UPSC NDA 2025 exam pattern consists of two stages. The first stage is a written exam and a second stage is SSB interview.

• The objective of the NDA exam is to recruit eligible and qualified candidates as officers of the defence, safety and security of the country.

2. UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services): The UPSC CDS exam 2025 is conducted for candidates who wish to pursue their career as commissioned officers in Navy, Air Force and Army.

• UPSC CDS Eligibility - A citizen of India with an age limit of 20 to 24 having completed graduation in any discipline from a recognized board of education.

• UPSC CDS Exam Pattern - The UPSC board conducts CDS exam in two stages, a written examination and an SSB interview.

• The vacancies will be announced under Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers Training Academy.

3. AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test): It is a gateway for the candidates who wish to join the Indian Air Force. The exam is conducted twice a year to recruit eligible candidates as gazetted officers, ground duty, short service commission in Indian Air Force.

• AFCAT Eligibility - The AFCAT 2025 eligibility criteria are, candidates must be a citizen of India, with an age of under 25 years and unmarried. Aspirants must have qualified 10+2 with 50% in Maths and Physics and graduated in any discipline BE/BTech/BSc and more. Candidates must pass the required physical standards set by the authority.

• AFCAT Exam Pattern - The exam pattern of AFCAT will contain a written exam along with Engineering Knowledge Test. Candidates qualifying the exams will be promoted to ASFB interview and medical examination round.

4. INET (Indian Navy Entrance Test): INET stands for Indian Navy Entrance Test which is a national-level exam conducted twice a year for entry into the Indian Navy.

• INET Eligibility - Candidates must be a citizen of India with graduate qualification in any field of study. The age limit ranges from 18 to 24 years.

• INET Exam Pattern - The INET Recruitment 2025 is held in three stages which are written test, SSB interview and Physical exam. Candidates who clear each stage will be promoted to the next stage of the selection process.

• The candidates who successfully pass the INET Exam can expect competitive pay, of Rs. 8 lakh to Rs. 12 lakh per year, depending on their position.

5. Indian Army Agniveer Recruitment: The Agniveer Army Recruitment 2025 is conducted to select younger and fitter candidates for the Indian Armed Forces.

• Indian Army Agniveer Recruitment Eligibility - To be eligible for the recruitment, candidates must be an age between 17 to 21 years and the minimum educational qualification is Class 10 and 12 pass with 50% aggregate marks.

• Indian Army Agniveer Recruitment Exam Pattern - The exam pattern of Agniveer Army Recruitment will consist of three stages, a written test, physical fitness test and a medical examination.

• The recruitment exam is conducted once a year and hired to serve in Indian Army for 4 years. Some of the posts include general duty, tradesman, aviation and ammunition examiner, clerk and storekeeper.

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6. Territorial Army Exam: The territorial army is the second line of defence in India along with the Regular army. Some of the posts which come under the Territorial army recruitment include officer, soldier, tradesman and more.

• Territorial Army Eligibility - Candidates with an age group of 18 to 42 years who completed their graduation from a recognised university will be eligible to apply for territorial army recruitment. Also, candidates must be physically and medically fit.

• Territorial Army Exam Pattern - The Territorial army recruitment 2025 exam pattern consists of a written examination, an SSB interview, physical and medical tests.

7. Indo Tibetan Border Recruitment: The Indo Tibetan Border Police Force recruits potential candidates and trains them in various skills to guard the borders of India. The ITBP recruitment 2025 is conducted throughout the year for various posts.

• Indo Tibetan Border Recruitment Eligibility - Candidates who are under 30 years of age with a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised board of education.

• Indo Tibetan Border Recruitment Exam Pattern - The exam pattern of ITBP recruitment 2025 will consist of 5 stages, Physical Efficiency Test (PET), Physical Standard Test (PST), Document Verification (DV), a written examination and Medical Test.

8. Army Ordnance Corps Recruitment: The Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) is an integral part of the Indian Army responsible for the procurement, storage, maintenance, and distribution of ordnance, equipment, and materials required by the armed forces.

• Some of the major roles under AOC Recruitment 2025 are, Tradesman Mate (Erstwhile Group C), Material Assistant, Fireman, LDC (Lower Division Clerk), Stenographer, Storekeeper

• Army Ordnance Corps Eligibility - The candidate should have passed 10th standard (Matriculation) or equivalent from a recognized board to meet the educational criteria. Age limits ranges from 18 to 25 years, with relaxation provided for candidates from reserved categories.

• Army Ordnance Corps Exam Pattern - The AOC recruitment 2025 selection process begins with a written examination that evaluates candidates on General Intelligence & Reasoning, Numerical Aptitude, General English, and General Awareness. Then they undergo a physical fitness test, which includes tasks like running, lifting weights, and other physical activities to ensure they meet the physical standards.

9. Central Armed Police Forces: UPSC conducts Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for the recruitment of Assistant Commandants (ACs) in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

• Central Armed Police Forces Eligibility - Candidates must be a citizen of India with an age group of 20 to 25 years and have been graduated in any discipline from a recognized university.

• Central Armed Police Forces Exam pattern - The exam pattern of UPSC CAPF will consist of 3 stages - a written test, physical efficiency test and personality test.

• Candidates clearing all the stages will be recruited as Assistant Commandants.

10. Indian Coast Guard: The Ministry of Defence conducts the Indian Coast Guard Recruitment every year. The recruitment is mainly conducted for officer entry and sailor entry.

• The various posts available under Indian Coast Guard recruitment are General duty, Pilot, Navigator, Technical branch, domestic branch.

• Indian Coast Guard Eligibility - Candidates of age group between 19 to 25 years with a bachelors degree in any discipline from a recognized university.

• Indian Coast Guard Exam pattern - The exam pattern of Indian Coast Guard Recruitment consists of 3 stages, a written examination, physical efficiency and medical examination, and document verification. Candidates clearing all the exam stages will be recruited as officers and assistant commandants.