NDA - Useful Information

• Join Army, Navy or Air Force as commissioned officer (Lieutenant and its equivalent) through National Defence Academy exam.

You can take NDA exam twice in a year. Vacancies are announced generally in January and May.

Age requirement:
Minimum 16.5 years, maximum 19 years as on first day of the month the course is due to begin. Course begins almost after a year of advertisement of the variances.

• Educational qualification:

12th pass for Army.
2th pass with Physics and Mathematics for Navy and Air Force. Appearing in 12th exam can also apply.

• Marital status: Unmarried

Exam held in the month of: The exam is conducted twice a year - every six months usually in April and August

Mode of examination: Written test followed by an Intelligence and Personality test.
there is negative marking in written test.

• NDA Written exam:

The Written exam consists of two sections: Mathematics for 300 marks and General Ability for 600 marks. Each paper is for 2 to 2.30 hours. All the questions will be objective in nature and will be available in Hindi and English.

Intelligence and Personality Test (called SSB):

This test evaluates the personality, intelligence and mental aptitude of the candidate. The test includes group discussions, team work, psychological testing, followed by a medical test.

Preparing for the NDA exam

• NDA Written test:

The written test comprises two papers Mathematics and General Ability.

Preparing for Paper 1: Mathematics

This test will cover topics like Integral Calculus, Differential Equations, Trigonometry, Algebra, Vector Algebra, Matrices and Determinants, Analytical Geometry, Statistics & Probability.

Make sure your Maths concepts are clear.

Preparing for Paper 2: General Ability

General Ability is further divided into:

• Part A: English

The English test is for 200 marks and covers topics like vocabulary, grammar and usage and comprehension. This test evaluates the basic command a person has on the language.

• Part B: General Knowledge (GK)

The GK test is for 400 marks and will check a candidates general understanding and his insight into the Current Affairs within the country and outside. The test will comprise six sections: General Science, Indian history, Physics, Geography, Chemistry and Current Events. To prepare for this test, follow the news updates regularly, be aware of the latest happenings in the field of sports, arts, literature, and the like. Read about the current economic scenario in the country, the recent and past policy changes and such other topics that are directly related to India and its neighbouring countries.

Preparing for Intelligence and Personality test

• For this test, concentrate on developing your personality. The test usually assesses the candidates for officer-like qualities, which includes sense of responsibility, reacting to situations, social adaptability, team work, etc. To prepare for this test, you can start practicing psychological tests that enable you to know yourself. The better you know yourself, the better you will be able to control your reactions and groom yourself to develop officer-like qualities.