NDA is one of the most sought after defense entrance exams in the country. NDA recruitment is conducted for admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC). NDA is conducted twice a year. The exam is conducted two stages - written exam and SSB Interview. Around 4 lakh aspirants sit for NDA every year, out of which approximately 6000 are called for SSB Interview.
NDA Eligibility Criteria 2020
Candidates need to fulfill the following eligibility criteria to be eligible for the exam.
Age Limit: Candidates who have born not earlier than July 2, 2001, and not later than July 1, 2004, are eligible to apply for NDA 1 exam. The date of birth is calculated as mentioned on the Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate or in a certificate recognized by an Indian University as equivalent to Matriculation.
Educational qualification: The educational qualification is different for different academies. Candidates can check the educational qualification prescribed for different academies below-
Army Wing of National Defence Academy: Candidates must have passed Class 12/HSC under 10+2 pattern of school education or equivalent from a recognized board or university.
Air Force, Navy and Naval Academy of National Defence Academy: Candidates must have passed Class 12/HSC under 10+2 pattern of school education with Physics and Mathematics conducted by a State Education Board or a University.
NDA 2020 Highlights
| Exam name | National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination |
| Conducted by | UPSC |
| Exam level | National |
| Exam category | After Class 12 |
| Frequency of exam | Twice a year |
| Exam stages | Written Test and SSB Interview |
| Exam mode | Offline |
| Exam duration | 5 hours (Mathematics - 2 ½ hours, General Ability Test (GAT) - 2 ½ hours) |
| Exam syllabus |
Mathematics - Algebra, Matrices and Determinants, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry of two and three dimensions, Differential Calculus, Vector Algebra, Statistics, and Probability.
GAT - English, General Knowledge, Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Geography, Current Events, etc.
|
| Exam pattern |
GAT - 150 objective type questions
Mathematics - 120 objective type questions
|
| Language | English and Hindi |
| Exam purpose | For admission to National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) |
| Test cities | 41 |
| Exam helpdesk | 011-23385271/011-23381125/011- 23098543 |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
NDA Dates 2020
The dates of NDA I and II exams have been announced through the UPSC calendar 2020. Candidates can check below NDA dates 2020.
NDA I Dates 2020
| Events | Dates | Salient Features |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | 28-Jan-2020 | The complete schedule along with other details has been released |
| Application form | 08-Jan-2020 | Registrations for the written exam of NDA has started |
| Last date to apply | 28-Jan-2020 | Candidates can submit their application forms online till this date |
| Application withdrawal | 04-Feb-2020 to 11-Feb-2020 | The facility to withdraw the application form of NDA is available now |
| Written exam | 19-Apr-2020 | The written exam of NDA will be conducted on this date in two shifts - morning and afternoon across 41 cities spread throughout the country. |
| Admit card | Available soon | NDA 1 admit card 2020 will be released online on the official website. Candidates need to enter their login credentials to download the admit card. |
| Declaration of written result | June | The result of the written exam is declared in June. The result displays the roll numbers of shortlisted candidates. |
| SSB Interview | August- September | SSB Interview is conducted for the shortlisted candidates of written exam in two stages. |
| Final result | November |
NDA 1 final result is announced in November. Based on the final result, candidates are selected for admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and INAC.
|
NDA 2 Dates 2020
| Events | Dates | Salient Features |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | 10-Jun-2020 | NDA 2 notification will be released |
| Application form | 10-Jun-2020 | Application forms will be made available along with the notification |
| Last date to apply | 30-Jun-2020 | Candidates can apply within this application deadline |
| Written exam | 06-Sept-2020 | The written exam of NDA will be conducted in two shifts and comprises two papers. |
| Admit card | August | NDA 2 admit card 2020 will be released online in August for registered candidates. |
| Declaration of written result | December | The result of the written exam is declared in December on the official website. |
| SSB Interview | February | SSB Interview is conducted in two stages. |
| Final result | May |
NDA 2 final result is announced in May.
|
NDA vacancies 2020
The details regarding the vacancies are released along with the notification. A total of 418 vacancies will be filled through NDA 1 exam.
| Academy | Number of vacancies |
|---|---|
| NDA | 370 to include 208 for Army, 42 for Navy and 120 for Air Force (including 28 for ground Duties) |
| Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme) | 48 |
| Total | 418 |
NDA Selection Process 2020
The complete process of NDA is explained below:
Filling the application form
Interested candidates need to fill the NDA application form online. The application fee is Rs 100 which can be paid both online and offline. The commission releases the list of rejected applicants a few days after the closure of the application process. Besides, the examination authority also activates the link to withdraw the NDA application form for a specified period. Candidates who do not wish to appear for the exam can withdraw their application form.
Release of admit card
NDA admit card is released three weeks before the exam. The link to download the admit card will be available on the official website. Candidates can download the admit card by logging either with roll number or registration number. The hard copy of the admit card is not sent to candidates by post.
Written Exam
All the candidates who successfully register for the exam are required to appear for the written exam. The written exam comprises two sections - Mathematics and General Ability Test. The test carries a total of 900 marks. Candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written exam are called for SSB Interview. Read more on the NDA exam pattern.
Declaration of result
NDA result is declared online in two stages - written and final. First, the result of the written exam is declared followed by the declaration of the final result. The result is made available in PDF format. It displays the roll numbers of qualified candidates. The mark sheet of candidates is released after the declaration of the final result. Candidates need to secure NDA cut off 2020 separately in written exam and SSB Interview.
SSB Interview
The SSB Interview is conducted for Intelligence and Personality Test. The test is conducted in two stages. All qualified candidates are put to stage 1 test on the first day of reporting at Selection Centres/Air Force Selection Boards/Naval Selection Boards. Candidates qualifying the first stage are called for the second stage exam. Those who will qualify for the second stage are required to submit a birth certificate and pass certificate.
Final Selection
Candidates are finally selected for admission to admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and INAC based on their performance in written exam and SSB Interview. The final allocation will be done as per the number of vacancies subjected to candidates' eligibility, medical fitness, and merit-cum-preference.
NDA exam centers are the cities where the offline test will be conducted. Candidates need to appear for the exam in the exam center allotted to them by the examination authority. While filling the application form, candidates need to enter their preferences of exam city. UPSC will allot exam centers to candidates as per the preferences exercised by them in the application form. However, the Commission reserves the right to cancel or add exam centers. The exam will be conducted in the following cities.
| City | State/Union Territory |
|---|---|
Agartala
|
Tripura
|
Ahmedabad
|
Gujarat
|
Aizawl
|
Mizoram
|
Allahabad
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
Bangalore
|
Karnataka
|
Bareilly
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
Bhopal
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
NDA 2020 Exam Day Guidelines
- Candidates should carry their NDA admit card to the exam center
- Along with the admit card, candidates should also carry one photo-identity proof
- Carry clipboard or hardboard and a black ball pen for marking their responses
- Sheet for doing rough work is provided by the invigilator
- Books, notes, loose sheets, electronic or any other type of calculators, mathematical and drawing instruments, log tables, stencils of maps, slide rules, test booklets, and rough sheets are not allowed inside the examination center
- Misconduct during the exam is not entertained and serious actions will be taken against the candidates doing the same
- Strict action is taken against those candidates found copying or cheating
NDA Preparation Tips by Toppers
Candidates can check below the interviews given by toppers to Shiksha on how to prepare for NDA.
| Toppers | Preparation Tips |
|---|---|
| NDA 2019 Topper Piyush Thorve (AIR 16) |
|
| NDA Exam 2018 Topper, Sparsh Kankane (AIR 1) |
|
NDA Preparation Tips 2020
Candidates can prepare for NDA exam by following the tips given below:
- To begin with, candidates must be clear about the subjects, patterns, and types of questions.
- The Mathematics section of NDA comprises questions from Algebra, matrices, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, etc. Candidates must clear their concepts from Class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 NCERT books.
- The GAT comprises a variety of subjects such as Chemistry, General Science, Geography, History and Current Affairs. This section also comprises a section on English.
- Candidates must revise the topics they have studied.
- Make short and simple notes as it will help candidates to revise properly and quickly.
- Solve previous years' question papers and take a mock test.
- Buy good books and question banks.
NDA 2020 FAQs
Q. What is the age limit for applying to NDA?
A. Candidates for NDA 1 must not have born not earlier than July 2, 2001, and not later than July 1, 2004.
Q. Can girls appear for the NDA exam?
A. Only unmarried male candidates can apply for NDA.
Q. How to apply for NDA?
A. Candidates need to apply online for NDA. The application forms are made available on the official website.
Q. Is there any facility to withdraw the application form?
A. UPSC has introduced the facility of withdrawal of application form candidates who do want to not appear for the exam.
Q. How NDA exam centers are allotted to candidates?
A. The exam centers of NDA are allotted to candidates on the first-apply-first-allot basis.
Q. When is NDA admit card released?
A. Admit card is issued to candidates at least three weeks before the exam.
Q. What are the application fees?
A. The application fee is Rs 100 that candidates be paid both online and offline.
Q. What is the qualification for NDA?
A. To be eligible for the exam, candidates must have passed class 12.
Q. What is the age limit for the exam?
A. Candidates must be between 16.5 to 19.5 years of age.
Q. What are the minimum qualifying marks for applying to the NDA exam?
A. There are no minimum qualifying marks for applying to the exam.
Q. Does 12th marks matter in the NDA exam?
A. Yes, class 12 marks are important for applying to the exam.
Q. Why NDA is conducted?
A. The entrance exam is conducted to select candidates for admission to NDA and INAC.
Q. How candidates are offered admission?
A. Candidates are offered admission based on their performance in the written exam and SSB Interview.
