NDA 2020 Preparation During Self Isolation

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!!!

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.

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 !

Dear Candidate ,
- For NDA 1 2026 , you are eligible since your birth date ( 24th Dec 2007 ) lies between 2 Jul 2007 and 1 Jul 2010 .
- For NDA 2 2026 , you are not eligible because the cutoff begins on 2 Jan 2008 .
Because UPSC requires candidates to be at least 16.5 and at most 19.5 years old on exam date ,

Hello Aspirant,

If you erroneously marked "Yes" for the question about studying in Sainik School or being the ward of a JCO/OR in the NDA 2 form when the answer was "No", Since you already mailed about this here is what you can do:

1. Call UPSC to have it resolved quicker
2. Wait for correction window (if any) - UPSC sometimes provides correction windows but they do this infrequently. If they have not yet announced the correction window, keep checking their official website.
3. On exam day and at when SSB comes around, just be honest about what happened. In my past experience, as long as the mistake does not directly impact your eligibility or give you unjust advantage, they are usually okay to be sorted out during the document verification stage.