NDA
| Conducted by | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
|---|---|
| Exam type | National entrance exam: objective written test, then SSB interviewSource: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Section A paras 1-2, p. 19; para 1 (p. 5) |
| Field | Defence |
| Who can apply | Unmarried male or female candidates who are citizens of India, subjects of Nepal, or persons of Indian origin who migrated from listed countries to settle in India (the last two need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India; Gorkha subjects of Nepal do not). Army wing: Class 12 pass (10+2 or equivalent). Air Force and Naval wings and the Naval Academy 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme: Class 12 pass with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Candidates appearing in Class 12 may apply; Class 11 candidates are not eligible. Physical and medical standards apply.Source: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Para 3 (a), (c), (d), pp. 7-9; Appendix III, p. 29 |
| Age / class | Only unmarried candidates born within the window fixed in the notice (for the (II) 2026 notice: born not earlier than 1 January 2008 and not later than 1 January 2011). Must undertake not to marry until training is complete.Source: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Para 3 (b) and Note 5, pp. 7-8 |
| How often | Held twice a year: the NDA & NA Examination (I) and the NDA & NA Examination (II).Source: Programme of Examinations / Recruitment Tests (RTs) - 2027 (UPSC Annual Calendar 2027), Sl. No. 7 (Examination (I), 2027) and Sl. No. 20 (Examination (II), 2027) |
| Stages | Written examination of two objective papers (Mathematics 300 marks, General Ability Test 600 marks); then the Services Selection Board (SSB) intelligence and personality test of 900 marks in two stages (Air Force flying candidates also take the CPSS); then a medical examination; a single combined merit list on written plus SSB marks.Source: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Section A (p. 19) and Intelligence and Personality Test (p. 24); paras 9-11, pp. 15-17; Appendix III para 4, p. 30 |
| What it leads to | Admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy (three years of training; degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University: B.Sc./B.Sc. (Computer)/B.A. for Army cadets, B.Tech for Naval cadets, B.Tech or B.Sc. for Air Force cadets), and to the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme of the Indian Naval Academy (four-year B.Tech). Cadets then train at the Indian Military Academy, the Indian Naval Academy or the Air Force Academy and are commissioned.Source: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Para 1 (p. 5); Appendix IV paras 5-9, pp. 35-36 |
| How to apply | Apply online only, at the Commission's portal upsconline.nic.in. Register once for a Universal Registration Number (URN), fill the Common Application Form (date of birth, educational qualification and similar claims), then the Examination Specific Module (Service preferences 1 to 4, centre, fee payment). Keep details of one photo ID (Aadhaar, Voter card, PAN, passport, driving licence, school photo ID or other government photo ID); upload a photograph, a live photograph and a signature. No withdrawal or correction after submission.Source: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Important Information (p. 1); paras 2 and 5, pp. 2-3 and 9-11; para 1 (p. 5) N.B. (i)-(ii) |
| Result / certificate | The written result lists the roll numbers of candidates who qualify for the SSB interview; they register on the Army recruiting website (joinindianarmy.nic.in) and are then allotted Selection Centres through that website. Final selection is from a single combined list on total written and SSB marks, up to the vacancies, by merit, preference and medical fitness. Success confers no right of admission.Source: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Para 5 Note 10 (p. 11); para 8 (p. 15); paras 9-11, pp. 15-18 |
| Recognition | Government |
The written examination has two papers, both of objective type only (multiple choice; four alternatives to each question): Paper I Mathematics (subject code 01), 2½ hours, 300 marks; Paper II General Ability Test (subject code 02), 2½ hours, 600 marks, made up of Part A English (200 marks) and Part B General Knowledge (400 marks; Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Social Studies, Geography and Current Events). Total written 900 marks. The Mathematics paper and Part B of the General Ability Test are set bilingually in Hindi and English. A wrong answer loses one third (0.33) of the marks of that question; a question left blank carries no penalty; more than one answer counts as wrong. No calculator, mathematical or logarithmic tables. Questions use the metric system only. The Commission may fix qualifying marks in any or all subjects. The written examination is followed by the SSB Test/Interview of 900 marks: Stage I is the Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and the Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT); Stage II is Interview, Group Testing Officer tasks, Psychology tests and the Conference, over 4 days; only Stage I qualifiers go to Stage II. Air Force flying candidates also take the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS).
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Section A paras 1-6 (p. 19), Intelligence and Personality Test (p. 24), Appendix II para 3 (p. 25); para 9 (pp. 15-16)
Concept of set, operations on sets, Venn diagrams; De Morgan laws, Cartesian product, relation, equivalence relation; Representation of real numbers on a line; Complex numbers — basic properties, modulus, argument, cube roots of unity; Binary system of numbers; Conversion of a number in decimal system to binary system and vice-versa; Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic progressions; Quadratic equations with real coefficients; Solution of linear inequations of two variables by graphs; Permutation and Combination; Binomial theorem and its applications; Logarithms and their applications
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-I, item 1, p. 19Types of matrices, operations on matrices; Determinant of a matrix, basic properties of determinants; Adjoint and inverse of a square matrix, Applications-Solution of a system of linear equations in two or three unknowns by Cramer’s rule and by Matrix Method
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-I, item 2, p. 20Angles and their measures in degrees and in radians; Trigonometrical ratios; Trigonometric identities Sum and difference formulae; Multiple and Sub-multiple angles; Inverse trigonometric functions; Applications-Height and distance, properties of triangles
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-I, item 3, p. 20Rectangular Cartesian Coordinate system; Distance formula; Equation of a line in various forms; Angle between two lines; Distance of a point from a line; Equation of a circle in standard and in general form; Standard forms of parabola, ellipse and hyperbola; Eccentricity and axis of a conic; Point in a three dimensional space, distance between two points; Direction Cosines and direction ratios; Equation two points; Direction Cosines and direction ratios; Equation of a plane and a line in various forms; Angle between two lines and angle between two planes; Equation of a sphere
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-I, item 4, p. 20Concept of a real valued function–domain, range and graph of a function; Composite functions, one to one, onto and inverse functions; Notion of limit, Standard limits—examples; Continuity of functions—examples, algebraic operations on continuous functions; Derivative of function at a point, geometrical and physical interpretation of a derivative—applications; Derivatives of sum, product and quotient of functions, derivative of a function with respect to another function, derivative of a composite function; Second order derivatives; Increasing and decreasing functions; Application of derivatives in problems of maxima and minima
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-I, item 5, p. 20Integration as inverse of differentiation, integration by substitution and by parts, standard integrals involving algebraic expressions, trigonometric, exponential and hyperbolic functions; Evaluation of definite integrals—determination of areas of plane regions bounded by curves—applications; Definition of order and degree of a differential equation, formation of a differential equation by examples; General and particular solution of a differential equations, solution of first order and first degree differential equations of various types—examples; Application in problems of growth and decay
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-I, item 6, p. 20Vectors in two and three dimensions, magnitude and direction of a vector; Unit and null vectors, addition of vectors, scalar multiplication of a vector, scalar product or dot product of two vectors; Vector product or cross product of two vectors; Applications—work done by a force and moment of a force and in geometrical problems
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-I, item 7, p. 20Statistics: Classification of data, Frequency distribution, cumulative frequency distribution—examples; Graphical representation — Histogram, Pie Chart, frequency polygon—examples; Measures of Central tendency—Mean, median and mode; Variance and standard deviation—determination and comparison; Correlation and regression; Probability: Random experiment, outcomes and associated sample space, events, mutually exclusive and exhaustive events, impossible and certain events; Union and Intersection of events; Complementary, elementary and composite events; Definition of probability—classical and statistical—examples; Elementary theorems on probability—simple problems; Conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem—simple problems; Random variable as function on a sample space; Binomial distribution, examples of random experiments giving rise to Binominal distribution
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-I, item 8, p. 21Grammar and usage; vocabulary; comprehension and cohesion in extended text
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-II, Part ‘A’—English, p. 21Physical Properties and States of Matter, Mass, Weight, Volume, Density and Specific Gravity, Principle of Archimedes, Pressure Barometer; Motion of objects, Velocity and Acceleration, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Force and Momentum, Parallelogram of Forces, Stability and Equilibrium of bodies, Gravitation, elementary ideas of work, Power and Energy; Effects of Heat, Measurement of Temperature and Heat, change of State and Latent Heat, Modes of transference of Heat; Sound waves and their properties, Simple musical instruments; Rectilinear propagation of Light, Reflection and refraction; Spherical mirrors and Lenses, Human Eye; Natural and Artificial Magnets, Properties of a Magnet, Earth as a Magnet; Static and Current Electricity, conductors and Non-conductors, Ohm’s Law, Simple Electrical Circuits, Heating, Lighting and Magnetic effects of Current, Measurement of Electrical Power, Primary and Secondary Cells, Use of X-Rays; General Principles in the working of the following: Simple Pendulum, Simple Pulleys, Siphon, Levers, Balloon, Pumps, Hydrometer, Pressure Cooker, Thermos Flask, Gramophone, Telegraphs, Telephone, Periscope, Telescope, Microscope, Mariner’s Compass; Lightning Conductors, Safety Fuses
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-II, Part ‘B’, Section ‘A’, pp. 21-22Physical and Chemical changes; Elements, Mixtures and Compounds, Symbols, Formulae and simple Chemical Equations, Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems); Properties of Air and Water; Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon dioxide, Oxidation and Reduction; Acids, bases and salts; Carbon—different forms; Fertilizers—Natural and Artificial; Material used in the preparation of substances like Soap, Glass, Ink, Paper, Cement, Paints, Safety Matches and Gun-Powder; Elementary ideas about the structure of Atom, Atomic Equivalent and Molecular Weights, Valency
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-II, Part ‘B’, Section ‘B’, p. 22Difference between the living and non-living; Basis of Life—Cells, Protoplasms and Tissues; Growth and Reproduction in Plants and Animals; Elementary knowledge of Human Body and its important organs; Common Epidemics, their causes and prevention; Food—Source of Energy for man; Constituents of food, Balanced Diet; The Solar System—Meteors and Comets, Eclipses; Achievements of Eminent Scientists
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-II, Part ‘B’, Section ‘C’, p. 22A broad survey of Indian History, with emphasis on Culture and Civilisation; Freedom Movement in India; Elementary study of Indian Constitution and Administration; Elementary knowledge of Five Year Plans of India; Panchayati Raj, Co-operatives and Community Development; Bhoodan, Sarvodaya, National Integration and Welfare State, Basic Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi; Forces shaping the modern world; Renaissance, Exploration and Discovery; War of American Independence; French Revolution, Industrial Revolution and Russian Revolution; Impact of Science and Technology on Society; Concept of one World, United Nations, Panchsheel, Democracy, Socialism and Communism; Role of India in the present world
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-II, Part ‘B’, Section ‘D’, p. 23The Earth, its shape and size; Latitudes and Longitudes, Concept of time; International Date Line; Movements of Earth and their effects; Origin of Earth; Rocks and their classification; Weathering—Mechanical and Chemical, Earthquakes and Volcanoes; Ocean Currents and Tides; Atmosphere and its composition; Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure, Planetary Winds, Cyclones and Anti-cyclones; Humidity; Condensation and Precipitation; Types of Climate, Major Natural regions of the World; Regional Geography of India—Climate, Natural vegetation; Mineral and Power resources; location and distribution of agricultural and Industrial activities; Important Sea ports and main sea, land and air routes of India; Main items of Imports and Exports of India
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-II, Part ‘B’, Section ‘E’, p. 23Knowledge of Important events that have happened in India in the recent years; Current important world events; Prominent personalities—both Indian and International including those connected with cultural activities and sports
Read from: Examination Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II - National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination-II, 2026 (with Appendix I: scheme and syllabus), Appendix I, Paper-II, Part ‘B’, Section ‘F’, p. 23Tell us which exam you are aiming for and how we can help - we will get back to you.
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