NDA Exam Date:14 Sep' 25 - 14 Sep' 25
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. 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 2024 exam.
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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 |
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.
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
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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 2024 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.
Nationality | Indian |
Age limit | 16.5 to 19.5 years |
Educational Qualification | Passed 10+2 standard or equivalent exam from a recognised board |
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The Union Public Service Commission mentions the exam pattern of NDA in the official UPSC NDA notification. The NDA 2024 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
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 | - |
The Commission mentions 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.
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. |
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Other sarkari exams conducted by UPSC
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The full form of NDA is the National Defence Academy Examination.
The age limit to apply for the NDA exam is 16.5 to 19.5 years.
The NDA 1 2024 exam will be conducted on April 21, 2024.
The minimum academic qualification needed for the NDA exam is class 12th pass.
Those who meet the NDA eligibility criteria as mentioned in the article can apply for the NDA exam.
Check the NDA salary for different Ranks in the table below.
NDA salary
Rank | Rank Pay (in Rupees) |
Lieutenant to Major | 15,600 - 39,100/- |
Lieutenant Colonel to Major General | 37,400 - 67,000/- |
Lieutenant General HAG Scale | 67,000 - 79,000/- |
HAG+ Scale | 75,500 - 80,000/- |
Vice Chief of Army Staff/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG) | 80,000/- |
Chief of Army Staff | 90,000/- (fixed) |
On Question asked by student community
You were born on 14th December 2006, so you will not be eligible for NDA 2026 because the required date of birth for that exam is between 2nd July 2007 and 1st July 2010 ( according to UPSC pattern ). Therefore, your last eligible attempt was NDA 2025.
Hello Yuvraj
As your Date of Birth is 21 August 2007, you will be over the limit for NDA 1 2027 as the age limit for NDA is 19.5 years and during the time of NDA 1 2027, you will be older than that age limit so you won't be eligible for the same.
Still you can refer the notification when it arrives as it will tell the offical age limit for that attempt.
Thank You!!!
You might face this problem because whatever you have filled simply means details does not match to your OTR profile.
You cannot recover application form from aadhar card one thing you can do is check your mail box.After filling the Form you Should have Received a Message from UPSC on your Mobile no. And Email ID.
So,Search it there
Best of Luck!
To test your eyes for NDA, first check distance vision using a Snellen chart; stand 6 meters away and read each eye separately—NDA usually requires 6/6 in one eye and 6/9 in the other. Next, test near vision by reading small text at 14–16 inches; normal is N5 or N6. Check color vision with Ishihara plates to detect red-green color blindness. Also, observe eye movements and peripheral vision for alignment and full field of vision. Minor corrective lenses may be allowed for some entries, but Air Force Pilot requires unaided 6/6 vision. Finally, a professional eye checkup is recommended for official NDA eligibility.
Yes, you can appear for the 2nd NDA exam to be held in 2025 . Your date of birth is 2nd September 2006, and age limit for NDA exam is 16.5 to 19.5 years, and you must be born between 2nd July 2006 to 1st July 2009. Therefore, you are eligible for the second NDA exam to be held in 2025,
Good luck..
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