Exams Info

The National Defence Academy (NDA) exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select eligible candidates for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA for the 145th course and for the 107th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC). The exam is held twice a year, generally in the months of April and November.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Nationality: Only unmarried male candidates who are citizens of India are eligible to apply.
• Age Limit: Candidates must be between 16.5 to 19.5 years old as of the first day of the month in which the course is due to commence.
• Educational Qualification: Candidates must have passed 10+2 or equivalent exam from a recognized board.

Application Process:

• Application Form: The application process is conducted online through the UPSC website. Candidates have to fill in the online application form with their personal and educational details, upload their photograph and signature, and pay the application fee.
• Application Fee: The application fee for the NDA exam is Rs. 100 for general candidates, while SC/ST candidates and sons of serving/ex-servicemen are exempted from the fee.
• Admit Card: The admit card for the NDA exam is made available for download on the UPSC website approximately 3 weeks before the exam date.

Exam Pattern:

• Written Exam: The NDA exam consists of two papers - Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT).
  1. Both papers are conducted on the same day.
  2. The Mathematics paper carries 300 marks, while the GAT paper carries 600 marks.
  3. The exam duration for each paper is 2.5 hours.
  4. The Mathematics paper covers topics such as algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus and statistics.
  5. The GAT paper covers topics such as English language, general knowledge, physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography and current events.
• SSB Interview: Candidates who clear the written exam are called for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview.
  1. The SSB interview consists of two stages - stage I and stage II.
  2. Stage I includes the Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT).
  3. Stage II includes Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests and Conference.
  4. The SSB interview carries 900 marks in total.
  5. The final selection is based on the candidate's performance in both the written exam and SSB interview.

Exam Syllabus:

Mathematics:

• Algebra: Operations on sets, laws of indices, quadratic equations, permutations and combinations, arithmetic, geometric and harmonic progressions, logarithms, exponential and logarithmic series, solutions of linear equations of two and three variables.
• Trigonometry: Angles and their measures in degrees and radians, trigonometric ratios, trigonometric identities, inverse trigonometric functions, properties of triangles, heights and distances.
• Matrices and Determinants: Types of matrices, operations on matrices, determinants and solutions of simultaneous linear equations using matrices.
• Analytical Geometry: Cartesian coordinate system, distance formula, section formula, equation of a line, angle between two lines, distance of a point from a line, equation of a circle, tangent, and normal to a circle.
• Differential Calculus: Functions, limits and continuity, differentiation, chain rule, derivatives of polynomial, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions, applications of derivatives.
• Integral Calculus and Differential Equations: Integration as inverse of differentiation, integration by substitution and by parts, standard integrals involving algebraic, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions, solutions of differential equations.
• Vector Algebra: Scalars and vectors, vector addition, scalar and vector products, applications of vectors in geometry and mechanics.
• Statistics and Probability: Statistics, classification of data, frequency distribution, cumulative frequency distribution, examples of measures of central tendency and dispersion, correlation and regression, probability, random experiments and events, Bayes' theorem, random variables and probability distributions, expected value, and variance.

General Ability Test:

• English Language: Grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension, and cohesion.
• General Knowledge: Physics, chemistry, general science, history, geography, current events, politics, economics, sports, and culture.
• Physics: Physical properties and states of matter, mass, weight, volume, density and specific gravity, principle of Archimedes, pressure and barometer, motion of objects, velocity and acceleration, Newton's laws of motion, force and momentum, parabolic motion of projectiles, temperature and heat, measurement of heat, and energy.
• Chemistry: Elements, mixtures, and compounds, symbols, formulae, and simple chemical equations, law of chemical combinations, properties of air and water, preparation and properties of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, oxidation, and reduction.
• General Science: Living and non-living, basic structure of atoms, molecules and chemical bonds, acids, bases, and salts, human body and life processes, food and nutrition, diseases and their prevention, difference between the living and non-living, the Earth and the solar system, natural disasters and their management.

Note: The General Ability Test is divided into two sections: Part A and Part B. Part A is in English, and Part B is in Hindi.
Candidates should prepare thoroughly for all the topics mentioned in the syllabus to qualify for the NDA exam. It is advisable to refer to the official website of the UPSC for the most updated and detailed syllabus.

Important Dates:

• Notification: The notification for the NDA exam is usually released in January and August.
• Application Dates: The online application process starts a few weeks after the notification is released and remains open for approximately 4-5 weeks.
• Admit Card: The admit card for the NDA exam is made available for download on the UPSC website approximately 3 weeks before the exam date.
• Exam Date: The NDA exam is generally held in the months of April and November.
• Result: The result of the written exam is usually declared within 1-2 months after the exam date. The final result is declared after the SSB interview.

Note: Candidates are advised to visit the official website of UPSC for detailed information and updates on the NDA exam.

Defence NDA Previous Year Papers- Free Solved Papers PDF Download

Given below in the table are the detailed Defence NDA Previous Years Papers with Solutions. Attempt the Papers to know about the type of questions asked and the difficulty level to upscale your Defence NDA Exam Preparation 2023.