National Defence Academy (NDA) 🇮🇳
The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services i.e. the Indian Army , the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force train together before they go on to the respective service academy for the further pre-commission training. The NDA is located in Khadakwasla, Pune, Maharashtra. It is the first tri-service academy in the world.
The alumni of NDA include 3 Param Vir Chakra recipients and 12 Ashoka Chakra recipients. NDA has also produced 27 service Chiefs of Staff till date. The current Chiefs of Staff of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force are all NDA alumni from the same course.
The Motto of National Defence Academy is - सेवा परमो धर्मः which means Service Before Self.
"I Believe that a Cadet must be Loyal, Truthful, Trustworthy, Honest & Forthright under all circumstances. I will not Lie, Cheat or Steal, Not will I mislead or deceive anyone. I undertake to Faithfully Live Up to this code & continuously encourage my comrades to do so."
A Brief About NDA Exam:
The cradle of Military Leadership, NDA is a tri services training establishment where Army, Air Force and Navy cadets train before they proceed to their respective service academy for post commission training. Conducted twice in a year by UPSC and hailed as one of the toughest exams in India, the exam consists of 120 MCQs from Mathematics and 150 from General Ability. Candidates must prepare for Class XII level Mathematics, Physics,Chemistry, Basic Geography, History, Current Affairs and general awareness about India to succeed in this exam.
In the six days SSB test; they have to pass from general skills, psychological, group, physical, mental, social and emotional test. Every year there are about 4 lakh candidates sit for this written exam. NDA’s headquarter located at Pune, Maharashtra. It is an iconic institution, which emerged as a military academy.
According to the eligibility criteria of NDA, unmarried male candidates who have completed their Class 12 or equivalent examination can apply for the exam. NDA eligibility criteria include nationality, age limit, educational qualification and physical standards which candidates need to fulfill in order to be eligible for the exam.
Common Eligibility:
- The candidate who is wishing to attempt the NDA exam must be a citizen of India.
- The candidate must be unmarried male.
- Permanent Body tattoos are not permitted whether it is only on inner face of forearm.
- The average height is required for NDA is 157cm (5.1 ft.).
Qualification:
- ARMY : 10+2 (Any Stream) Complete or Appearing in 10+2 Exam
- Air Force : 10+2 (Non-Med) Complete or Appearing in 10+2 Exam
- NAVY: 10+2 (Non-Med) Complete or Appearing in 10+2 Exam
Age:
- 16.5 Years to 19.5 Years. The Candidates still need to Cross check exact age eligibility at the time of Notification.
NDA Exam Pattern is set by the UPSC. There is a written exam that the candidates need to pass. Then the qualified candidates have to pass the SSB interview. Candidates who qualify both the written test and the interview will be eligible to enroll themselves into the National Defence Academy (NDA).
NDA Written Exam Pattern:
| Sr. No | Subject | No. of Questions | Time | Marks |
| 1. | Mathematics | 120 Questions | 2 Hr 30 Min | 300 |
| 2. | General Ability | 150 Questions | 2 Hr 30 Min | 600 |
| 900 Marks |
SSB Interview Procedure:
The SSB Interview Procedure comprises of two stage selection process: Stage I & Stage II. Candidates, those qualify the Stage I, only they are permitted to appear for Stage II. The complete procedure is given below:
Stage 1: This stage consists of Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception & Description Test (PP & DT). Stage 1 is a screening test. Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of combined performance in OIR Test and PP & DT.
Stage 2: This stage is conducted for four (4) days. Stage II consists of Psychology Tests, Group Testing Officer Tasks (GTO Tasks), Interview & Conference.
Paper I: Mathematics
| Set Theory | Definite Integrals | Binary System | Relations Functions |
| AP-GP-HP | Limit Continuity | Matrices & Determinants | Differential Equations |
| Differentiation | Binomial Theorem | Complex Numbers | Permutations & Combination |
| Integration | Quadratic Equation | Vector Algebra | 2D & 3D Geometry |
| Logarithms | Trigonometry | Probability | Statistics |
Paper II : General Ability TEST
Part A: 50 Questions | English Language | Grammar | Comprehension | Para Jumbles |
| Synonyms | Antonyms | Finding Errors | Idioms & Phrases |
Part B: 100 Questions | Physics | Chemistry | Everyday Science | Awards & Honours |
| Geography | History | Current Affairs | Sports |
The cut offs of last four years of NDA written exams are as shown below:
Year | NDA I Cut Offs | NDA II Cut Offs |
2019 | 342 Marks out of 900 | 346 Marks out of 900 |
2018 | 338 Marks out of 900 | 325 Marks out of 900 |
2017 | 342 Marks out of 900 | 258 Marks out of 900 |
2016 | 288 Marks out of 900 | 229 Marks out of 900 |
Below are the Important Dates for NDA Exams 2021:
| Sr. No | Exam | Notification Date | Last Date to Apply | Exam Date | Conduction Body |
| 1. | NDA – I 2021 | 30-12-2020 | 19-01-2021 | 18-04-2021 | UPSC |
| 2. | NDA – II 2021 | 09-06-2021 | 29-06-2021 | 05-09-2021 | UPSC |
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