NDA Application Date:10 Dec' 25 - 30 Dec' 25
UPSC will release the NDA 1 question papers 2026 after the conclusion of exam on their official website. Candidates can download the official UPSC NDA 2026 question paper PDF from upsc.gov.in. They can check the question paper of NDA for their exam preparation. Candidates preparing for the UPSC NDA exam can find the download links for the past official question paper for Mathematics and GAT in the material below.
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They can practice the NDA model papers and sample papers to get an idea of how they should be answering the questions in the examination. The UPSC board and several leading coaching institutes release the NDA 2026 answer key which can be used in conjunction with their corresponding question papers.
NDA Previous Year Question Papers 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 PDF Download
From the following table, candidates can download the year wise question papers of NDA.
NDA session and year | Mathematics Question paper links | GAT question paper links |
| NDA 2 2025 | Download here | Download here |
| NDA 1 2025 | Download here | Download here |
| NDA 1 2024 | Download here | Download here |
| NDA 2 2024 | Download here | Download here |
NDA 1 2023 | ||
NDA 2 2023 | Download here | |
NDA 1 2022 | ||
NDA 1 2021 | Download here | |
NDA 2 2021 | Download here | Download here |
There are two ways to download the question papers for NDA 2026.
By clicking on the "NDA question paper for Mathematics or GAT" links mentioned in this article.
From the official website of UPSC.
To download the NDA question paper 2026 or the previous year question papers 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, etc. from this article, candidates must go to the table and click on the question paper they want to download.
To download from UPSC official website, follow the steps mentioned below:
Visit the UPSC official website - upsc.gov.in
Go to the "Examination" tab and click on "Previous year question papers" from the dropdown.
From here, select "National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination" and download the NDA question paper 2026.
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With the help of past years NDA question papers, candidates can know the topics asked in the exam and the difficulty level of the examination.
Solving the NDA previous year's question paper helps candidates in getting the details of the exam pattern, type of questions asked, the difficulty level, and more.
While going through the previous year's NDA question papers, candidates can learn how to manage time on the day of the exam.
With the help of NDA question papers with solutions, candidates will be able to improve their preparation strategy.
NDA question papers help aspirants be more familiar with the exam pattern and various sections in the question paper. It will also help candidates assess their preparation for the exam.
Aspirants can learn time management while solving NDA previous year question papers and work on their speed and accuracy.
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The Union Public Service Commission prepares the exam pattern for NDA 2026 exam and mentions it in the official notification. The NDA exam pattern 2026 consists of number of questions, total marks, time duration, and the mode of the exam along with the stages.
Candidates must know the UPSC NDA exam pattern before starting the exam preparation. There are two papers in the NDA exam 2026, Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). Both papers together are of 900 marks. The UPSC NDA exam has two stages - a written exam and an SSB interview.
Check Here List of Other Government Exams
The question paper is created based on the UPSC NDA syllabus provided. Candidates need to cover topics from Mathematics and GAT. In Mathematics there are questions like Algebra, Trigonometry, Statistics, and Probability and in GAT, the questions are based on English, Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Social Studies, etc.
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The question paper of NDA is generally 10+2 level. Candidates need to stick to the 10+2 level curriculum (especially PCM). To start the preparation of 2026 NDA, they must know about the exam pattern and syllabus and mark their strategy around it.
They must allot a specific amount of time to study for each subject and start solving the previous year's NDA question papers. This practice will help candidates evaluate their strategy and to identify topics that they might find difficult or hard to score in.
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Aspirants preparing for the NDA 2026 exam can refer to the best books mentioned in the table below. These subject-wise NDA 2026 books can help them in their preparations.
NDA Books | Author |
Chapter wise-Section wise Solved Papers NDA & NA | Arihant |
Study Package for NDA/NA Entrance Exam | Tata McGraw-Hill Education India |
Pathfinder for NDA & NA National Defence Academy Naval Academy Entrance Examination | Arihant |
Study Package for NDA/NA Entrance Exam | Tata McGraw-Hill Education India |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can download the UPSC NDA question papers from the official website and some unofficial question papers from websites of coaching institutes.
There are 2 papers in the NDA exam and there are 2 question papers as well - Mathematics and GAT.
Check it here - NDA 2026 cut off.
Yes, there is negative marking in NDA exam and 1/3rd marks allotted to the specific question is deducted as negative marks.
No, the NDA exam is not difficult and it is based on 10+2 level. Candidates who have prepared for the exam well can qualify it. However, the SSB interview stage is quite difficult.
Candidates can download the UPSC NDA 1 2026 Mathematics question paper on the official website. They can also download it from this article.
On Question asked by student community
Hello there,
The NDA (National Defense Academy) Exam, conducted by UPSC twice yearly.
Educational criteria:
Understanding and solving different previous question papers is one of the best practice for the preparation specially for exams like NDA . It gives you proper understanding of the exam pattern, important topics to cover and marking scheme.
Here are the links attached from the official website of Careers360 which will provide you with the complete detailed syllabus for NDA examination and previous years question paper as well. Kindly go through this:
Syllabus :
https://competition.careers360.com/articles/nda-syllabus
Previous years question paper:
https://competition.careers360.com/articles/nda-question-paper-with-solution
thank you!
Hey candidate
Joining the National Defence Academy (NDA) directly after 10th is not possible, because the NDA requires candidates to have completed 12th class (10+2) or equivalent. preparation early (General Ability Test + Mathematics).
Here’s a short roadmap from 10th to NDA:
1. After 10th:
Choose Science (Physics & Maths) for Air Force/Navy, any stream for Army.
Start fitness training and join NCC if possible.
2. During 11th:
Focus on core subjects and general knowledge.
Continue physical fitness.
3. During 12th:
Prepare for NDA exam (Mathematics + General Ability Test).
Take mock tests and maintain fitness.
4. Apply for NDA:
Apply online at UPSC website.
Prepare for SSB interview + medical exam.
5. After selection:
Join NDA, Pune for 3 years + service academy training.
Tip: Start fitness, GK, and Maths now for a strong foundation.
Hope this helps you
All the best
Hello,
Knowing Hindi isn't necessary for giving NDA exam. The question papers are bilingual for most sections.
Though you will need Hindi as a language to communicate with other troops. Proficiency in English is required to crack the English paper and interview. Strong English skills is important for SSB and future career as an officer.
For more information about the NDA examination check out the official website of Careers360.
https://competition.careers360.com/articles/nda-eligibility-criteria
Thank you.
Hello
Yes, you are eligible as per your DOB (26,09,2006) for both exam NDA1 and NDA2 2025. Your age falls between 16.5 to 19.5 years for the NDA Exam. The NDA 1 exam form was released in December 2025, and the NDA 2 exam for released in May 2026. Those students who are born between July 2, 2007 and July 1, 2010, are eligible for the NDA Exam. For more information, you can read the article, which is based on the NDA Eligibility Criteria 2026 , from our official website, careers360.
Thank you.
Hi
No, you are not eligible for the NDA1 Exam because your age does not fall within the requirements (July 2, 2007 and July 1, 2010). So, my suggestion is that you can prepare for the NDA 1 and NDA 2 2027 exam. For the NDA 2027 exam, you are eligible as per your DOB. If you want to prepare for the NEET exam, you can consider our platform, which helps you in your preparation. For more information about the NDA exam, you can read the article NDA Eligibility Criteria 2026.
Thank you.
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