NDA NDA (National Defence Academy) Examination

The National Defence Academy examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for entry to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA and the Naval Academy.

• Qualifying exam: class 12 or an equivalent for the Army wing. Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics are compulsory for the Air Force and Naval wings and for the Naval Academy course.
• Age: a narrow band in the late teens, stated precisely as a range of birth dates in each notification. Being outside it by a day is disqualifying.
• Marital status: only unmarried candidates are eligible, and candidates must remain unmarried through training.
• Physical standards: published in the notification and applied at the medical board, including separate height, weight and vision requirements per wing.

The application is an online form on the UPSC’s online application portal. Everything below is done in one sitting or saved and returned to; nothing is done on paper.

Apply only through the official portal. No agent can register you, and nobody can change a score once it is declared.

The written examination is the shorter half of the process.

• Written: two papers — Mathematics, and a General Ability Test covering English and general knowledge. There is negative marking.
• SSB interview: candidates who clear the written stage attend a five-day Services Selection Board process. Day one is a screening test; those who clear it stay for psychological tests, group testing tasks and a personal interview.
• Medical board: recommended candidates are examined against the published standards. A great many are rejected here, on conditions that are correctable if found early.
• The final merit list combines the written marks and the SSB marks. The SSB carries weight equal to the written examination.