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NDA Full Form - What is full form of NDA?
NDA Full Form - NDA and NA Examination is a popular exam held by the UPSC twice yearly to recruit candidates into the Indian Defence Services like the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. But what is the full form of NDA ? The full form of the NDA exam is the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination.
This Story also Contains
- NDA Full Form - Overview
- What is NDA’s Full Form?
- NDA Post and Responsibility
- NDA Eligibility Criteria 2026
- NDA Exam Pattern 2026
- NDA Syllabus
Candidates attempting the UPSC NDA exam must be acquainted with all of the important details pertaining to the exam, such as the NDA syllabus, the exam pattern, the cutoff and the selection process before applying. Candidates can refer to the material below for a comprehensive overview of the information regarding the NDA 2026 exam.
NDA Full Form - Overview
Exam name | NDA and NA |
NDA Full Form | National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination |
Exam Conducting Authority | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
Official website | upsc.gov.in |
NDA Eligibility Criteria | Age limit - 16.5 to 19.5 years Educational Qualification - 10+2 passed |
Application mode | Online |
Application fee | Rs 100 (UR/ OBC) |
Stages of exam | Written test (offline) SSB interview |
Exam mode | Offline |
Number of papers | Paper 1 - Maths Paper 2 - GAT |
What is NDA’s Full Form?
As we now know the full form of the NDA exam is the National Defence Academy exam that is conducted by the UPSC. The Union Public Service Commission also conducts other Sarkari recruitment exams for applicants who have passed class 12th to graduation. Most of these exams are known to the applicants by their short form like UPSC CSE or IAS, CDS, CAPF, UPSC ESE, UPSC CMS, etc. The eligibility criteria for all the UPSC exams are different. The NDA exam is conducted twice every year in April and September.
NDA Post and Responsibility
As it is clear from the NDA full form that this Sarkari recruitment exam is conducted for the recruitment of qualified candidates to the three Indian Defence Services. All those who appear for the NDA exam and clear all the stages of it will be inducted as officers in one of the following three services (Indian Army/ Navy/ Air Force) based on their NDA merit list. The responsibility that is conferred on the NDA-qualified candidates is that of protecting the country against foreign enemies.
Check Here List of Other Government Exams
NDA Eligibility Criteria 2026
The NDA and NA exam is conducted for 10+2 passed students by the UPSC to get inducted into the Indian Defence Services. Applicants between the age group of 16.5 to 19.5 years who have passed class 12th or are awaiting their final result can apply for the NDA 2026 exam. There is no age relaxation offered to any category in the NDA exam. The eligibility criteria for NDA is based on factors like nationality, age limit, physical standards and educational qualification. Check below the table to know the NDA eligibility criteria in short.
NDA 2026 eligibility criteria
Nationality | Indian |
Age limit | 16.5 to 19.5 years |
Educational Qualification | Passed 10+2 standard or equivalent exam from a recognised board |
Also Read
NDA Exam Pattern 2026
The Union Public Service Commission mentioned the exam pattern of NDA in the official UPSC NDA notification. The NDA 2026 selection process has two stages - a written exam and an SSB interview. The NDA written exam is conducted in offline mode. Multiple choice questions are asked in the NDA exam. There is a negative marking for every wrong answer in the NDA exam. Check the table below to better understand the NDA exam pattern.
Important - Check the Complete List of Full Forms
NDA Exam Pattern
Particulars | NDA Written exam | SSB Interview |
Mode | Offline (Pen and Paper) | Offline (Group activities and Face to face interview |
Papers | Mathematics General Ability Test (GAT) | Testing Psychological Test Group Testing Officers Test Personal Interview Conference |
Duration | 5 hours (2 hours 30 minutes for each paper) | 5 days |
Total marks | 900 marks | 900 marks |
Total Questions | Maths - 120 questions GAT - 150 questions | - |
NDA Syllabus
The Commission mentioned the syllabus of the NDA exam for both maths and GAT papers in the official NDA notification. The NDA syllabus is the same for all aspirants irrespective of the service they want to join. The NDA exam syllabus contains all the chapters and topics from which the questions are asked in the NDA maths and GAT exam. The standard of questions in the NDA exam are of matriculation and 10+2 level. Candidates can check the NDA syllabus in the table below.
NDA maths and GAT syllabus
Subjects | Topics |
Mathematics | Algebra, Matrices And Determinants, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry Of Two And Three Dimensions, Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus And Differential Equations, Vector Algebra, Statistics And Probability etc. |
GAT | English, General Knowledge, Physics, Chemistry, General Science, General Science, History, Freedom Movement etc. |
Also Read
Other sarkari exams conducted by UPSC
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: When is the NDA 1 2025 exam going to start?
A:
The NDA 1 2025 exam will be conducted on April 12, 2026.
Q: What is the salary after clearing the NDA?
A:
Check the NDA salary for different Ranks in the table below.
NDA salary
Rank | Rank Pay (in Rupees) |
Lieutenant to Major | Lt - Level 10 (Rs 56,100 – Rs 1,77,500) Capt - Level 10 B (Rs 61,300- Rs 1,93,900) Maj - Level 11 (Rs 69,400 – Rs 2,07,200) |
Lieutenant Colonel to Major General | Lt Col - Level 12A (Rs 1,21,200 – Rs 2,12,400) Col - Level 13 (Rs 1,30,600 – Rs 2,15,900) Brig - Level 13A (Rs 1,39,600 – Rs 2,17,600) Maj Gen - Level 14 (Rs 1,44,200 – Rs 2,18,200) |
Lieutenant General HAG Scale | Level 15 (Rs 1,82,200 – Rs 2,24,100) |
HAG+ Scale | Level 16 (Rs 2,05,400 – Rs 2,24,400) |
Vice Chief of Army Staff/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG) | Level 17 (Rs 2,25,000) |
Chief of Army Staff | Level 18 (Rs 2,50,000) |
Q: What is the NDA full form?
A:
The full form of NDA is the National Defence Academy Examination.
Q: What is the age limit to apply for the NDA exam?
A:
The age limit to apply for the NDA exam is 16.5 to 19.5 years.
Q: What is the minimum education qualification required for the NDA exam?
A:
The minimum academic qualification needed for the NDA exam is class 12th pass.
Q: Who can apply for the NDA exam?
A:
Those who meet the NDA eligibility criteria as mentioned in the article can apply for the NDA exam.
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Questions related to NDA
On Question asked by student community
Have a question related to NDA ?
Hi,
Nahi, aap NDA exam ke liye eligible nahi hain. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) ke NDA ke liye age limit 16.5 se 19.5 years hoti hai.
Aapka DOB 22 Jan 2006 ke hisaab se 2026 tak aap age limit cross kar chuki hain, isliye NDA ke liye apply nahi
Hello Student,
Yes, the combination of a CBSE PCB marksheet and NIOS mathematics marksheet is accepted for NDA eligibility.
HI Student
If you are a candidates with the birth date December 13, 2007, you are generally eligible for NDA 1. You are likely not eligible for NDA 2 exam 2026 . To learn more about the eligibility criteria, click on the link below.
Hi !
You must be between the 16. 5 years and 19. 5 years when you apply for those exams. So, you are eligble to apply NDA 1 exam in 2027 and TES. You can check the NDA eligibility criteria in the link below.
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Yes, you can join the army without NDA and without NCC. You can join through the CDS Exam, SSC Tech entry, ACFAT, Agniveer Entry, and others with the necessary qualifications.
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