National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination
UPSC examination for admission to the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy.
Eligibility
Overview
The NDA & NA Examination, conducted twice a year, is the entry route for unmarried candidates into the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy, and into the Indian Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme) — training that leads to a commission as an officer.
Conducting authority
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), with the Services Selection Board (SSB) run by the Ministry of Defence handling the interview stage.
Nationality
Indian citizen (subjects of Nepal and Bhutan are also eligible for NDA), unmarried.
Educational qualification
Class 12 pass (10+2) under the 10+2 pattern of school education or equivalent; candidates applying for the Air Force and Naval Wings additionally need Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level. Candidates appearing in their Class 12 board exam may also apply.
Age limit
Broadly 16.5 to 19.5 years, with the exact eligible birth-date window specified in each notification (only two intakes a year, so the window shifts slightly between the NDA I and NDA II notifications).
Number of attempts
Not capped by a fixed attempt count; eligibility is governed entirely by the age-and-birth-date window in each notification, so a candidate can apply to as many NDA I/II cycles as they remain within that window.
Exam Pattern
Stages
- Written Examination (objective, single day)
- SSB Interview (multi-day, at a Services Selection Board centre)
Written exam pattern
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Mathematics | 300 |
| Paper II | General Ability Test (English + General Knowledge) | 600 |
| Total (written) | 900 |
Both papers are mandatory and objective; there is no separate qualifying threshold beyond the overall cutoff UPSC declares for the written stage.
SSB Interview
Candidates who clear the written exam attend a multi-day SSB process — psychological tests, group tasks and a personal interview — assessing officer-like qualities rather than academic knowledge, worth a further 900 marks.
Marking scheme and negative marking
Negative marking applies to wrong answers in the written exam, as specified in the notification for that cycle.
Selection process
Final merit is based on the combined written exam score (900 marks) and SSB assessment (900 marks) — the two carry equal weight, so a strong written score alone does not guarantee selection.
Stages
Preparation Guide
How to prepare
Mathematics is the single highest-leverage subject for the written stage given its 300-mark weight concentrated in one subject — Class 11-12 NCERT-level command of the topics above is usually sufficient if practised to speed. For the SSB, preparation is less about content and more about sustained honesty and consistency under observation over several days; generic "SSB tips" are far less useful than genuine reflection on your own motivations and experiences.
Important dates
NDA runs two exam cycles a year (NDA I and NDA II), each with its own notification, application window and exam date — always confirm the current cycle's dates directly with UPSC rather than the previous cycle's calendar.
Frequently asked questions
- Do written marks and SSB marks carry equal weight? Yes — 900 marks each, for a combined 1800.
- Can married candidates apply? No — candidates must be unmarried at the time of admission.
Official website
upsc.gov.in — confirm the current NDA I/II notification, exact age-eligibility window and exam date here.