What is NDA 2021 Exam?
The full form of the NDA exam is the National Defence Academy examination. It is the exam conducted by the UPSC twice a year for male candidates. It selects the candidates for the Nation Defence Academy and Naval Academy for the branch of Army, Navy, and Airforce.
The NDA exam is conducted in the two shifts, in the first-morning shift Mathematics paper is conducted between 10 AM to 12:30 AM, in the second shift between 2 PM to 4:30 PM General Ability Test (GAT) is conducted. Every year around 4 lakhs students give the NDA Exam and approximately 6000 cleared the exam and is called for the stage 2 selection that is Service Selection Board (SSB).
The candidates who will clear the stage 2 SSB will be sent for the medical examination, and the final selection is made on the basis of combined marks of the NDA Exam (written exam) and SSB. Around 400 candidates made it to the merit list of the NDA Exam. The candidate who will be made to the merit list will be called for the training at the Nation Defence Academy (NDA) Pune, Khadakwasla.
UPSC NDA Exam Highlight:
| S.NO | Features | Details |
| 1. | Exam Name | National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy Examination |
| 2. | Exam level | National |
| 3. | Conducted by | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| 4. | Exam frequency | Twice a year |
| 5. | Mode of exam | offline |
| 6. | Syllabus of Exam | Mathematics: Algebra, Statistics and Probability, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry of two and three dimensions, Matrices and Determinants, Differential Calculus, Vector Algebra.
General Ability Test (GAT): General Knowledge, English, Chemistry, Physics, General Science, Current Events etc. For detailed syllabus, => Click Here |
| 7. | Pattern of Exam | Paper 1 have 120 objective questions from different sections of Maths. Each question is 2.5 marks, so the paper is of total 300 marks.
Paper 2 General Ability Test (GAT) have a total of 150 objective questions. Each question is 4 marks, so the maximum marks for paper 2 are 600. Note: On both paper 1 and 2 negative markings is their 1/3rd will be deducted for the wrong answer. |
| 8. | Duration of Exam | 5 hours (paper 1 Mathematics is of 2hrs. 30min. and paper 2 GAT is of 2hrs. 30min.) |
| 9. | Language of Exam | Hindi and English |
| 10. | NDA Exam fee | 100 Rs (Free for SC/ST candidate) |
| 11. | NDA Official website (Apply online at) | https://www.upsc.gov.in/ |
| 12. | NDA Notification | 30/12/2020 NDA (1) 2021
09/06/2021 NDA (2) 2021 |
| 13. | NDA Admit Card | 15 days before the exam |
| 14. | NDA Exam Date | 18/04/2021 NDA (1) 2021 05/09/2021 NDA (2) 2021 |
| 15. | NDA Exam Result | Within a month |
| 16. | Test Cities | 41 |
| 17. | NDA SSB Centres | For Army:
Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and Bangalore (Karnataka) For Navy: Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and Bangalore (Karnataka) For Airforce: Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Mysore (Karnataka), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), and Gandhi Nagar (Gujrat) |
UPSC NDA Exam Application Form Filling Process:
After the release of the NDA notification, the candidate has to log in to the official UPSC website and register himself. The filing of the application form is done in 2 parts is part 1 is for the registration and the fee payment and part 2 is for the personal and educational details. The candidate has to fill in the detail and submit the application form and download the application form in pdf format for further use.
NDA Exam Eligibility Criteria:
The following criteria have to be fulfilled by the candidate to be eligible for the NDA exam.
Nationality:
The candidate must be Unmarried and
(i) citizen of India, or
(ii) subject of Nepal, or
(iii) Indian origin person migrated from the following countries: Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan, Burma, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Malawi, Zaire with the intention to settle permanently in India.
For the candidate of categories of (ii) and (iii) the certificate of eligibility has to be issued by the Indian Government.
Gorkhas of Nepal will not need the certificate of eligibility.
NDA Exam Age Limit, Sex, and Marital Status:
The unmarried male candidate between the age of 16.5 years and 19.5 years are eligible for the NDA exam.
Some Important Links for NDA Exam Preparations
| NDA SSB Process | |
| Best Telegram Channel for NDA |
NDA Exam Education Qualification
The education qualification of the candidate is different for the different academies. The education qualifications for the academies are given below:
Academy |
Education Qualification |
| Army Wing of National Defence Academy | Candidate has to be 12th passed with school education of 10+2 pattern or equivalent (students appearing in 12th can also apply) |
| Navy wing, and Air Force wing of National Defence Academy (NDA) and Cadet Entry Scheme for the 10+2 at the Indian Naval Academy (INA). | Candidate has to be 12th passed with Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics with school education of 10+2 pattern or equivalent (students appearing in 12th can also apply) |
NDA Physical Standard:
The candidate has to be physically fit as per the standard of the Indian Naval Academy and National Defence Academy. For more details about the physical standard follow the official NDA exam notification.
Other Criteria:
The candidates who had withdrawn on the disciplinary ground from any of the armed force training academies or resigned are also not eligible to apply.
See Here: Complete NDA SSB Interview and Medical Process
NDA 2021 Highlights:
NDA (1) 2021 Vacancies:
The NDA vacancies are announced with the NDA notification by the UPSC. In NDA (1) 2021 the total number of vacancies are 400 for both National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy. The details of vacancies are shown below:
Academy |
Number of Vacancies |
| National Defence Academy (NDA) | Total= 370
Army: 208 Navy: 42 Air Force: 120 (Including 28 for ground Duties) |
| Indian Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme) | 30 |
| Total | 400 |
NDA (1) 2021 Dates:
The important NDA (1) 2021 dates are given below:
| Events | Dates | Description |
| Notification | 30/12/2020 | Schedule and other exam details are released. |
| Application Form | 30/12/2020 | Online registration for NDA started. |
| Last Date to Apply | 19/01/2021 | Candidates must submit their online application before this date. |
| Application Withdrawal | 27 Jan-02 Feb 2021 | Candidates who wish to withdraw their application form can withdraw during this period. |
| Admit Card | 26/03/2021 | Admit Card will be available to download. |
| Written Exam | 18/04/2021 | The offline written exam will be held in two shifts. |
| Result | June 2021 | Declaration of the result of selected candidates. |
| SSB interview | Between July to September 2021 | SSB will be conducted for the selected candidates from stage 1 of the written exam. |
NDA (2) 2021 Dates:
The important NDA (2) 2021 dates are given below:
| Events | Dates | Description |
| Notification | 09/06/2021 | Schedule and other exam details are released. |
| Application Form | 09/06/2021 | Online registration for NDA started. |
| Last Date to Apply | 29/06/2021 | Candidates must submit their online application before this date. |
| Admit Card | August 2021 | Admit Card will be available to download. |
| Written Exam | 05/09/2021 | The offline written exam will be held in two shifts. |
| Result | December 2021 | Declaration of the result of selected candidates. |
| SSB interview | Between January to April 2022 | SSB will be conducted for the selected candidates from stage 1 of the written exam. |
NDA Physical and Medical Standards:
The candidate must be physically and medically fit to carry out his duties. The basic medical and physical standards are given below:
1) Following are the most commonly found ailments or defects:
- Wax (Ears)
- Deviated Nasal Septum
- Hydrocele/Phimosis
- Overweight/Underweight
- Under Sized Chest
- Piles
- Gynaecomastia
- Tonsillitis
- Varicocele
2) Permanent body tattoo is allowed in only a few cases that are:
- The permanent tattoo only on the inner face of the forearm i.e., on the palm reverse side and inside from wrist to elbow is permitted.
- Tribal candidates tattoo as per tradition and customs on the body or face are permitted.
3) Height and weight as per the exam standards visit the official website for more detail.
4) Body Mass Index (BMI) should be below 25.
5) Height and vision standards are different for the Navy and Airforce (see notification).
5) Standards for a vision for candidates are given below:
Parameters |
Standards: for NDA (Army) or TES, 10+2 Entry |
| Uncorrected vision (max allowed) | 6/36 & 6/36 |
| BCVA | Rt 6/6 & Lt 6/6 |
| Myopia | < -2.5 D Sph (including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl). |
| Hypermetropia | <+2.5 D Sph (including max astigmatism ≤ +/- 2.0 D Cyl). |
| Lasik/equivalent surgery | Not permitted |
| Colour perception | CP-II |
NDA Salary:
A good salary is given in the armed force, apart from the salary an officer gets much more pay in terms of allowance and service pay.
During the entire training period in the service academy (IMA) a gentleman cadet (GC) gets a stipend of Rs 56,100/- per month.
After the training, the salary is as per the rank of the officer which is different for different ranks.
FAQ on NDA
Ans.) With the law as your subjects, you can appear in the NDA Exam but for the Army wing only not for the Airforce or Navy wing, because for the Airforce and Navy wing you should have passed the 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
Ans.) Candidates with the birthmark are allowed in the NDA examination. So, if any girl is having a birthmark, then she can apply for the NDA exam.
Ans.) The matter to increase the number of vacancies in both AFCAT and CDS is under consideration for a long time. So, hopefully, in the future, we can see the increased number of vacancies in AFCAT and CDS.
Ans.) To appear in the NDA written exam and SSB you need a valid ID. It can be a driving license, Aadhar card, voter id, passport, etc. but not your ration card.
Ans.) As per the official NDA notification, the 10+2 appearing or the students who are in 12 can also appear for the NDA Exam. So, the students appearing for the board exam in March 2022 can also give the NDA 1 2022 Examination.
Ans.) The age limit criteria of girls will be the same as of male candidates.
Ans.) Every year around 4 lakhs students give the NDA Exam and approximately 6000 cleared the exam and is called for the stage 2 selection that is Service Selection Board (SSB).
Ans.) To give the NDA Exam you should either passed the 12th exam or should in the 12th. And as per your question, you are eligible for the NDA exam.
Ans.) NDA paper in Hindi and English only and if you know any of these two languages to answer the questions you can crack the NDA exam from any medium and yes with the Gujarati medium also you can crack the NDA exam.
Ans.) The SC/ST candidates and the Sons of JCOs/NCOs/ORs are exempt from the fee of the NDA form. For the other candidate, it is 100 Rs.
Ans.) There is no such rule that the NCC certificate holder will not give the NDA Exam, for the NCC ‘C’ certificate holder there is a separate vacancy also available.
Ans.) Defence forces of India encourage their officers and soldiers the study, but the leave for the exams depends on the availability of the holidays and according to the situations.
Ans.) UPSC is the main organization for conducting the NDA exam.
Ans.) 157 cm is the minimum height required for the NDA candidates and if your preference is Airforce then the minimum height requirement is 162.5 cm. But there is 5 cm of relaxation in height is given to the candidates of the Gorkhas and the individuals belong to the Gharwal, Kumaon, and North-Eastern areas of India. The height relaxation of 2 cm is given for the candidate who belongs to Lakshadweep.
Ans.) The candidates who will clear the NDA 1 2022 written exam will have to appear for the SSB and the candidate who will clear the SSB and medical will join the NDA academy in August 2022.
Ans.) The NDA paper 1 is of mathematics which everyone has to give. So, the biology students feel the difficulty in paper 1. But with the proper strategy and practice, they can also clear the NDA exam.
Ans.) As per the recent supreme court judgment now girls are eligible for the NDA exam. So, if you are a girl and thinking of joining the NDA then it will be better if you start preparing from class 11th because you can give NDA exam when you will be in 12th.
Ans.) With the electronic subject in class 11th and 12th, you can appear in the NDA Exam but it is not mandatory to have these subjects. You can appear for the NDA exam by having 10+2 in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.