UPSC NDA & NA 2025 Exam - Exam Date, Registration, Pattern, Syllabus, Sample Papers, Cutoff, Previous Year Papers

UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) organizes NDA & NA 2024 examination. UPSC is India's central recruiting agency, which conducts examinations for All India services and group A & group B of Central services. It is also responsible for appointments to these services. UPSC is a constitutional body headquartered in New Delhi at Dholpur House, which functions through its own secretariat.

UPSC NDA exam is usually held twice a year - NDA 1 in the month of April and NDA 2 in the month of November. The entrance examination is conducted to enter Defence Forces like Army, Navy, and Air Force. UPSC organizes the NDA examinations in various cities across the country. Many candidates take the NDA exam every year to make their career in the Indian Defence Services.

The table given below provides the overview of UPSC NDA 2024 exam: 

Important information and dates for UPSC NDA & NA 1 & 2 exams 2024 have been mentioned in the table below:

UPSC NDA & NA 1 Exam 2024 Dates

UPSC NDA & NA 2 Exam 2024 Dates

The NDA 1 admit card has been released on April 12, 2024. The NDA 2 Admit Cards 2024 will be released by UPSC two-three weeks prior to the exam day. The link will be activated on the official website. The applicants can easily download the UPSC NDA hall ticket by using their registration ID or roll number which was generated when they did their registration for the exam. UPSC NDA II exam 2024 will be conducted on 03rd September 2024 for 395 vacancies which were present in the notification issued by the authorities. The students will be able to get major information about the exam by downloading the UPSC NDA Hall Ticket 2024. There is a very easy procedure that the applicants are required to follow in order to successfully download the UPSC NDA Admit Card 2024 from the official website. 

How To Download UPSC NDA Admit Card 2024

If the applicants are looking forward to downloading the UPSC NDA admit card 2024 then they can check out the simple procedure mentioned below and follow it:

• Step 1: The applicants are first required to visit the official website of the Union Public Service Commission at upsc.gov.in 
• Step 2: The homepage will open on your screen 
• Step 3: You have to click on the option called Examinations and then further click on the option called Active Examinations 
• Step 4: A list of various active examinations available by the organization will open on your screen.
• Step 5: Now you have to click on the option called National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (I or II) 2024
• Step 6: A new page will open on your screen and you have to look for the E Admit Card section. Click on the option called Click Here right next to the E admit card document.
• Step 7: Again click on the option called click here after checking out the important dates related to the exam and then the instruction PDF will open on your screen.
• Step 8: The applicants are requested to take a printout of the instruction PDF and now you have to choose the option of your choice to search your admit card.
• Step 9: Enter the details and click on submit. Your NDA admit card 2024 will open on your screen.

NDA 1 Exam 2024 will be conducted on April 1, 2024. After the exam, we will update here the detailed NDA Paper Analysis 2024 here based on candidates' reactions and experts' advice:

UPSC NDA & NA 2024 Section Wise Paper Analysis

Paper Analysis for Mathematics

Paper Analysis for General Ability

UPSC NDA answer keys 2024 for sets A, B, C & D will be released on the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in. The answer key is released after the completion of the examination process. The commission uploads the official answer key after the declaration of the final result of UPSC NDA 2024. However, some coaching institutes will release the UPSC NDA Answer Key 2024 for all the sets on their respective websites just after the completion of the exam. NDA 1 answer keys will be updated as soon as the exam is concluded on April 1, 2024. We will also provide you with the answers to both papers I and II after the exam is over. Stay tuned for updates. 

The UPSC NDA 1 Result2024 will be published on the official website of UPSC-upsc.gov.in, in the first week of May 2024.The UPSC NDA 2 2024 result is expected to be released in the month of October/November 2024. Here, you will find the update related to the NDA result 2024 as soon as it gets released on the official website of UPSC. 

The results will be published in PDF format on the UPSC official website. The qualified candidates' roll numbers are displayed in the result PDF. For the SSB interview, qualified candidates have been notified. Within two weeks, qualified applicants must register on the Indian Army's official websites. The SSB Interview Centres and Dates would subsequently be assigned to the successful candidates. Candidates will receive the same information via their registered email ID.

Along with the announcement of the NDA result 2024, the UPSC will also publish the NDA Cutoff 2024 on its official website. The commission releases a separate cutoff for the written exam as well as an overall cutoff for the complete process including SSB. The NDA answer key gives applicants a general notion about the expected cutoff before the announcement of the results.

NDA Cutoff 2024 - Expected Cutoff

The expected NDA cutoff marks are given below as per the previous years’ trends. 

UPSC NDA is one of the most prestigious competitive exams nowadays. Getting titled as a grade-A officer in your early 20s is a dream for young aspirants. The career which NDA offers is also commendable. Looking at the luxuries it offers, it is very much certain that the exam is not easy to crack and it has a comprehensive and decisive selection process. UPSC NDA Selection Process 2024 is divided majorly into three stages:

• Stage I: Written Examination
• Stage II: SSB
• Stage III: Medical Examination

Stage I is the UPSC NDA Written examination. Candidates who clear the written examination are called to the SSB (Service Selection Board). The SSB is stage 2 of NDA exam. SSB is the most important stage of the NDA exam. The whole selection process is centred around the SSB. Clearing the SSB leads you to the third stage i.e. Medical Examination. Candidates undergo a complete body medical as per the requirements of the armed forces. Results for the NDA medical examination are declared on the examination day itself. Finally, a merit list is prepared on the basis of combined performance in Stages I, II & III of the UPSC NDA & NA examination. 

UPSC NDA I application form 2024 was released on December 20, 2023. The application fee can be paid in either online or offline mode.The steps to fill out the NDA application form are given below:

How to Apply Online for NDA Exam?

• Visit the official website of the exam conducting authority
• Complete the One Time Registration Process if not registered earlier, and those who have already registered can directly fill the application form
• Registration process comprises two parts i.e. Part I & Part II
• Part I is the basic registration and Part II includes the uploading of scanned photographs, signature, fee payments etc.
• Choose the preferred exam centres
• Fill the personal, educational qualification, address and other details carefully
• UPSC provides the candidates with the facility to withdraw NDA 1 application form 2024
• Upload scanned documents in the specific format
• Do not send the hard copy of the application form to the conduction body
• Submit the UPSC NDA 1 Application Form 2024 and take a printout of it.

NDA Application Fee

• The candidates must pay INR 100 as an application fee for NDA 2024 examination
• The SC/ ST/ NCOs/ Sons of JCOs/ ORS candidates are exempted to pay the application fee. Female candidates are as well exempted from fee payment
• Candidates can pay the application fee via credit card/ debit card/ net banking or SBI challan method

Check the table below for category-wise exam fees.

Candidates can select as many as three exam centres while applying for NDA (National Defence Academy) & NA (Naval Academy Examination) 2024.

UPSC has set eligibility criteria for candidates appearing for UPSC NDA exam 2024. The Commission has divided the NDA eligibility 2024 into three parameters: nationality, age limit and educational qualification. Candidates have to ensure to fulfil all the parameters set by the Commission.

Nationality

• He/she must be an Indian citizen/ subject of Nepal/ subject of Bhutan/ refugee of Tibetan who came to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention to settle permanently in India.
• Those who have migrated from Burma, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and East African countries of Zambia, Tanzania, Zaire, Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda or Vietnam with an intention of settling in India can also apply.
• Foreign nationals (except Gorkhas) will have to provide a certificate of eligibility which is issued by Govt. of India

NDA Age Limit 2024

• The age limit for the NDA 2024 exam for different courses is 16.5 to 19.5 years. Only unmarried male/female candidates born not earlier than 02nd July 2004 and not later than 1st July 2007 are eligible.

NDA Educational Qualification

• A 12th passed-out candidate or those who are appearing in Class 12 can apply for the Army Wing of the National Defence Academy
• For Air Force, Navy, and Naval Academy of National Defence Academy, the NDA qualification is a 12th pass in Physics, Chemistry and Maths. Candidates who are appearing in Class 12 can apply for the exam provisionally

Gender and Marital Status

• Both male and female candidates can apply for the NDA 2024 exam.
• Candidates will not be allowed to marry until they finish their training.

NDA Physical Standards

• Physical fitness is essential to be eligible for the exam.
• Candidates who have withdrawn or resigned from any training academies of the Armed Forces on disciplinary grounds will not be considered eligible for the NDA 2024 exam.

General Ability Test (GAT) and Mathematics are the two elements of the NDA syllabus that make up the written exam. Your understanding of history, general knowledge, current affairs of national and international events, English, science, and geography will be tested as part of the GAT. On the other hand, questions based on 10+2 will be present in the NDA's Mathematics paper. The UPSC NDA Syllabus 2024 gives the GAT paper a maximum weight of 600 marks, but the Mathematics part only receives 300. Last but not least, UPSC will hold the SSB/Interview for those who meet the requirements in the written test.

 Knowing the syllabus will help you to plan a strategy to ace the exam, thereby, setting the right direction for your preparation for the exam. NDA 2024 will be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission twice a year. Eligible students will be chosen for the exam in order to join the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. You can also download the official NDA syllabus PDF in this post for Maths and GAT topics. Some of the important topics that are covered in UPSC NDA syllabus are as follows:

Also Check: NDA Syllabus 2024 PDF Download

The UPSC NDA 2024 exam is divided into two papers: Paper I & Paper II. Both the papers are conducted on the same day. Paper I is an advanced mathematics paper while paper II is a general ability test. One important thing to note here is that candidates need to mandatorily clear the cutoff for Paper I and only then the examiner will consider checking the copies of Paper II. Conversely, If a candidate fails to clear the NDA Mathematics cutoff, the answer sheets for paper 2 will not be considered and he/she will be designated as failed. 

Details related to UPSC NDA Exam Pattern 2024 from both paper has been tabulated below.

NDA Mathematics Paper 1: Marks Distribution 

This section will give you the information regarding the topics asked in the NDA Mathematics paper, along with their weightage. Refer to the table given below:

NDA Paper 2: GAT Paper Marks Distribution 

The maximum weightage for the English section is 200. Other details are provided below.

NDA Exam Pattern 2024: SSB Interview

The candidates who will be shortlisted in the NDA II written exam 2024 will be called for the SSB Interview. The SSB Interview comprises two stages. The candidates who will be able to clear Stage 1 will be called for the Stage 2 exam. In Stage 1 of the SSB Interview, Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT) will take place. While in Stage 2, the candidates have to undergo Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference. This stage carries a total of 900 marks.

You need to develop a good personality, work on your spoken language, broaden your education, and other things. You can use Topper Piyush Thorve's preparation plan for the written and final exams. The greatest NDA Preparation Tips 2024 are provided below to assist you with such factors:

• Obtain a printed copy of the NDA syllabus and Exam pattern before beginning your preparation. Candidates will be better able to address the themes one at a time and schedule their time properly.
• Candidates must be aware of the amount of time they have left to study for the written exam, prepare a list of the topics they need to cover, and then calculate how much time they will need to finish everything.
• Following the NCERT Books, you should first understand the fundamental concepts, after which you should review the theories of the concepts you have already studied. Then, the areas that have not yet been covered begin with a review of the fundamentals.
• It is necessary to review a sizable number of books and notes when completing NDA preparation work. Therefore, it is preferable to compose brief notes that are practical, easy to review quickly, and truly valuable and significant.

This is the final piece of advice where we mention some of the Best Books for NDA & NA 2023 to ease your UPSC NDA II 2023 preparation. These books will serve as a central location for everyone to timely finish the topics. The material is clear and accurate, which will enable you to give accurate answers.

The NDA 1 2024 notification was released on December 20, 2023. As per the released NDA 1 notification 2024, a total of 400 vacancies are announced for the NDA 1 exam 2024. For the post of Army, a total of 208 (including 10 female vacancies) have been announced, 42 (including 12 female vacancies) for Navy and 120 (2 vacancies each has been designated for Flying and Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical Branches) for Air Force.

Union Public Service Commission. Dholpur House,

Shahjahan Road,

New Delhi – 110069

Phone no. 011-23385271/011- 23381125/011-23098543

NDA Salary along with allowances are mentioned in the NDA 2024 notification released by UPSC. During the entire duration of training in Service academies, the cadets are given a fixed stipend of INR 56,000 per month. After the successful completion of the training, the NDA Salary received by the cadets begin with INR 56,000/- per month which will be fixed in the first Cell of Level 10, to INR 1,77,500/- and increasing with the higher level rank.

Refer to the table below regarding thestructure of NDA Salary based on the ranks.