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NDA

National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination

UPSC NDA — two papers: Mathematics (300 marks, 2.5 hrs) and General Ability Test (English + GK, 600 marks, 2.5 hrs) for entry to NDA Khadakwasla.

270 Qs900 marks300 minNegative: −1/3📅 Dates & updates📋 Full syllabus🎯 Expected cutoff🧠 Tricks & mnemonics📖 How to crack it🔁 Mistake Notebook⌨️ Typing practice✍️ Essay & letter check

🎯 Exam on 13 Sept (reported)2 days to go

📝 Full-length paper, real pattern💬 Ask the tutor about NDA
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Same NDA paper across India. Your national rank, the moment you submit. Free.

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~394 vacancies(indicative / typical)✓ Verify on Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) ↗

Updated 7 Sept 2026 ·Vacancy counts change every cycle — always confirm the exact number in the latest official notification before applying.

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Sourced

Source: official exam authority notification · refreshed weekly. How this works →

Free NDA preparation on Shishya

Take expert-curated mocks, practise previous year papers, and Ask Shishya when you're stuck — verified by students who cleared the same path. All free, no credit card. Sign in with Google to begin.

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✦ Try a NDA question — free, no signup

A convex lens of focal length 20 cm forms an image of an object placed 30 cm from the lens. What is the image distance?

Tap an option to check your answer.

Start with a diagnostic

10 questions across the syllabus to see where you stand.

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One email when the official result is out, nothing else.

🧩 Build your own mock — pick exact topics → · every mock readable in हिंदी + 12 languages inside the test

NDA eligibility

Verified against the official notification. Source ↗ · last reconciled 2026-05.

Age
16.5 – 19.5 years (General)Must be 16½-19½ years on the first day of the academy course (varies per cycle — see notification for exact date range).
Education
Class 12 pass for Army wing. Class 12 with Physics + Mathematics for Navy and Air Force wings.
  • Candidates appearing in Class 12 can apply if results are out before joining the Academy.
  • Air Force / Navy: PCM in Class 12 is mandatory (cannot substitute with Biology).
  • Army wing: any Class 12 stream is acceptable.
Attempts
No attempt limit other than the age cap.
Nationality
Indian citizen (or specified categories — Nepal/Bhutan subjects, Tibetan refugees pre-1962, PIOs).
Other
  • Unmarried male / female (women admitted since 2022 following the Supreme Court ruling).
  • Physical and medical standards as per Service Selection Board (SSB) — vision, height, chest expansion, etc.

NDA cutoffs

Historical cutoffs are a guide, not a prediction. Use them to set a realistic target, not to predict next year's exact number.

Written cutoff (qualifying for SSB interview)

out of 900 marks

Final selection cutoff combines written (900) + SSB (900) = 1800 max. Above are official UPSC cutoffs.

YearCategoryCutoff
2024General — NDA I351 (out of 900) · 720 with SSB
2024General — NDA II355 · 711 with SSB
2023General — NDA I360 · 719 with SSB
2023General — NDA II355 · 709 with SSB
2022General — NDA I360 · 728 with SSB
2022General — NDA II355 · 696 with SSB

Source: official ↗ · verified 2026-05.

NDA paper analysis — what actually got asked

Topic-by-topic weightage averaged across 2022-2024 papers. Use this to decide where to invest study hours, not where to skim. Source ↗ · verified 2026-05.

Mathematics (300 marks)

225/900 marks avg

  • Algebra + Matrices + Complex Numbers

    ~70 marks(8%)

  • Calculus + Differential Equations

    ~65 marks(7%)

  • Trigonometry + Vectors + 3D Geometry

    ~60 marks(7%)

  • Probability + Statistics

    ~30 marks(3%)

GAT (600 marks)

600/900 marks avg

  • English (200 marks)

    ~200 marks(22%)

  • Physics

    ~100 marks(11%)

  • Chemistry

    ~60 marks(7%)

  • General Science (Biology + Misc)

    ~40 marks(4%)

  • History + Freedom Struggle

    ~80 marks(9%)

  • Geography

    ~80 marks(9%)

  • Current Events + Polity

    ~40 marks(4%)

Takeaways for prep planning

  • Mathematics is the highest-leverage section — most candidates lose marks here, so a strong Maths performer gets a 30-50 mark edge.
  • English in GAT is the easiest section to score consistently — basic grammar + vocabulary + comprehension covers it.
  • History and Geography questions follow NCERT Class 9-12 closely — no need for advanced textbooks at this stage.

NDA salary after selection

Approximate starting gross at an X-class (metro) posting. Actual pay depends on post, city, year of joining and prevailing DA.

  • Officer Cadet (training) → Lieutenant on commissioning

    Pay Level 10
    Basic pay
    ₹56,100
    Gross monthly
    ₹85,000 – ₹1,00,000+ (after commission, including MSP ₹15,500 + transport + outfit)
    Perks
    • Free accommodation, ration, kit
    • Free medical for self + dependants
    • Concessional travel
    • Pension under NPS + service pension
    • Subsidised mess + canteen

    Source: official ↗ · verified 2026-05.

NDA — Frequently asked questions

Is Shishya free for NDA preparation?
Yes. Every NDA mock test, previous-year paper, and study tool on Shishya is completely free — no subscription and no credit card. Shishya is community-verified, so questions are checked by students and educators who have cleared the same exam.
How many NDA practice questions does Shishya have?
Shishya has 652 student-verified NDA practice questions, available as adaptive mock tests with a worked solution for every question.
Are NDA previous year question papers available?
Yes. Shishya has free NDA previous-year papers covering 2021–2025 (5 years). Each is a timed practice set with full solutions.
How long is the NDA exam?
The National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (NDA) runs for 5 hours. Shishya's mock tests mirror this duration so you can practise under real exam-time pressure.

Previous year papers

100 questions across all years

Some years hold a set of questions from that paper, not the full paper — each card shows how many.

Mock tests

All my attempts →

Take any mock in your preferred language — use the language picker inside the mock to switch (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, and 15 more).

New to NDA? Start small:a 25-question subject test first — 4 in 5 aspirants finish these; full mocks after your first win.Pick a subject test ↓

Practice by subject & topic

Full-length subject tests below — 25 questions each, real exam format, instant scoring. Want to drill a single topic? Every topic has its own 10-question test in the syllabus.

  • Mathematics

    197 Qs

  • General Ability Test — English

    312 Qs

  • General Ability Test — General Knowledge

    143 Qs

🎯 Build my own mock

Tell Shishya exactly what to test you on — topics, size, difficulty — and get a fresh mock in seconds. Leave the box blank and we'll target your weakest topics.

Questions
Difficulty

Your rank

vs everyone who has taken this exam

Take a mock to see where you stand on the leaderboard.

Students

13

Mocks taken

88

Average score

53%

Top score

100%

What can I get from NDA?

Mock-score → expected rank → likely outcome. Use the mocks below to find your current band, then plan how many marks you need to climb.

AI-curated from historic cut-off patterns. Always verify with the latest official notification before making decisions.

News & timeline

See older updates →

Latest news

Important dates

  1. NDA 1 2026 written exam result

    passed

    Fri, 8 May, 2026

    Merit list released; qualified candidates move to SSB Interview

  2. NDA 2 2026 notification released

    passed

    Wed, 20 May, 2026

    394 vacancies for 158th NDA Course and 120th INAC

  3. NDA 2 2026 application deadline (extended)

    passed

    Thu, 11 Jun, 2026

    Original deadline was June 9, extended to June 11 (6 PM)

  4. NDA 2 2026 admit card (expected)

    passed

    Tue, 1 Sept, 2026

    Usually released 10-14 days before exam; expected in early September

  5. 🇮🇳NDA 2 2026 written exam

    2 days away

    Sun, 13 Sept, 2026

    Two papers: Mathematics (10AM-12:30PM) and GAT (2PM-4:30PM)

Syllabus

Tap any topic for its study notes + a 10-question topic test

Mathematics

General Ability Test — English