Anangsha PatraDeputy Manager – Editorial
NDA Preparation Tips 2025 tips help candidates to prepare well for the exam. Candidates should adhere to the latest NDA preparation tips to get an edge over the competition. Candidates can maximise their preparation by following a good strategy. They should focus on preparing with the NDA previous years question papers to improve their speed and accuracy of solving questions. Besides, candidates must be thorough with the NDA syllabus as it will help them to distinguish between the important and less important topics. Candidates must prepare a week-wise NDA study plan and follow it diligently. It is also important to solve mock tests as they can know the level of their preparation for the exam.
Refer to good NDA books to clarify the concept of the topics given in the syllabus. The level of questions asked in NDA exam is of high school level and conceptual clarity can help in cracking the exam. In this article, we have provided some useful NDA preparation tips 2025.Â
Q: Â How can I prepare for NDA exam?
Every year thousands of candidates appear for NDA exam. With so much competition, candidates need to have a proper preparation strategy for the exam. Candidates need to be consistent with their study plans. They should devote few hours every day to study. Candidates need to be thorough with the syllabus. Candidates must revise their notes and important formulae every day. Candidates must practise mock tests and previous years' question papers to get familiar with the exam pattern and syllabus. Candidates must clear their basic concepts of each and every topic given in the syllabus. This will help candidates to solve the questions easily in the exam.
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Q: Â How much time is required for NDA Exam Preparation?
The ideal time required for NDA preparation is one year to six months. During the preparation phase, candidates must focus on all subjects and topics relevant to the exam. Candidates must consider solving the NDA question papers. They should also attempt mock tests to increase speed and accuracy. Candidates must be thorough with the exam pattern and syllabus. The tips and tricks to prepare for NDA exam are given below:
- To begin with the preparation, candidates need to understand the syllabus and exam pattern
- Candidates can clear their basic concepts of the topics from the Class 10, 11 and 12 books
- To improve speed and accuracy, candidates can attempt mock tests
- After completing the syllabus, candidates must practice previous years' question papers to know the types of questions asked in the exam
- Candidates must work on improving their weak areas
Upvote Q: Â How to prepare for NDA exam after 12th?
NDA syllabus mostly comprises the topics/subjects that candidates have studied in Class 12. The preparation for Class 12 and NDA can go hand-in-hand. Some of the preparation tips or NDA exam after 12th are given below:
- Candidates must go through the complete subject-wise syllabus
- Create a proper study plan and dedicate time for each subject
- Be consistent with the study plan Refer to good NDA books
- Candidates must review the fundamentals of each subject. They should consult the books from Classes 6 to 12
- Candidates must read the newspaper daily to enhance their English. Additionally, candidates must practice grammar and learn new words
- Candidates must practice the previous years' question papers to get an idea about the exam structure
Upvote Q: Â How do I use previous years' question papers to prepare for NDA?
The tips and tricks to prepare for NDA exam using the question papers are given below:
- After completing the NDA syllabus, candidates must start practising the NDA previous years' question papers. Solving the question papers, candidates can get their basics cleared
- Candidates can use the NDA previous years' question papers in understanding the application of concepts they have learned so far
- Most of the questions in the exam are repeated and require a similar approach to be solved. Keep a note of such questions and tricks to solve them
- Candidates must prepare a timetable for solving the NDA previous years' question papers and solve atleast one/two question papers daily
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NDA Preparation Tips 2025
NDA exam is a prominent examination among students who want to join Indian Defence Forces. NDA 2 2024 is the gateway for candidates who wish to join the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy. It is not a cakewalk to get through NDA and SSB. To prepare for the exam, candidates must make a study plan smartly. Making a smart study plan is effective for a better preparation strategy. First, candidates should clear their basic concepts. They should not forget to practice the NDA last year question papers. Revise the topics given in the syllabus as much as you can.Â
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Q: Â Can I crack NDA through self-study?
Upvote Q: Â Is NDA easy or tough?
Upvote Q: Â How to prepare for NDA exam in six months?
It is not difficult to crack NDA exam with six months of preparation but the thing which is needed is determination, focus, and self-belief. To clear NDA exam in six months, candidates need to work really very hard. They cannot waste a single day. It is better to stay focused on the studies. Study regularly as the syllabus is vast. Atleast do self-study of four to six hours daily. Candidates must solve previous years' question papers to improve speed and accuracy. Candidates must also get themselves acquainted with the syllabus and exam pattern.
Upvote Q: Â How many hours should be given to study for NDA?
Upvote NDA Preparation Tips 2025: Subject-Wise
Now that candidates are aware of the exam pattern, syllabus, question papers, and marking scheme, check below the paper-wise preparation tips for the NDA exam.Â
Q: Â How to prepare for NDA Maths?
Upvote Q: Â What are the important topics for NDA Maths?
Upvote Q: Â What are the important topics for NDA General Knowledge?
Upvote Q: Â How to prepare for NDA exam in three months?
With just three months left for NDA exam, candidates must pull up their socks and start preparing for the exam dedicatedly. The competition for this exam is high and without a good preparation, it is not possible to crack it. Candidates must prepare a proper study plan and follow it diligently. Besides, candidates must solve previous years’ question papers and mock tests to get themselves familiar with the actual test and find out the strong and weak areas.
Also Read: How to prepare for NDA 2023 in 3 months?
Upvote NDA Exam Pattern
Understanding the NDA exam pattern opens doors to success in the exam. The written exam of NDA consists of two papers. Paper 1 is of Mathematics which carries 120 questions of 300 marks. Paper 2 is the General Ability Test (GAT), which contains 150 questions of 600 marks. Each paper is for 2 1/2 hours. For selection, candidates are judged out of 1800 marks, where 900 marks are assigned to the written test and 900 marks to SSB.
NDA Exam Pattern for Written Exam
NDA exam pattern for written exam is given below.
| Sections | Maximum marks | |
|---|---|---|
| Part A - English |
200 |
|
| Part B - General Knowledge |
Physics |
100 |
|
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|
Chemistry |
60 |
| General Science |
40 |
|
| History, Freedom Movement, etc. |
80 |
|
| Geography |
80 |
|
| Current Events |
40 |
|
| Total |
600 |
|
NDA Exam Pattern for SSB Interview
The pattern of SSB Interview is given below.
| Stages | Tests | |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1Â |
Screening Test |
|
| Stage 2 |
Psychological Test |
|
| Group Testing Officers Test |
|
|
| Personal Interview |
- | |
| Conference |
||
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Q: Â What is NDA syllabus?
Upvote Q: Â In which mode NDA exam is conducted?
Upvote Q: Â How many questions are asked in NDA exam?
Upvote Q: Â What is NDA exam pattern?
Upvote NDA Syllabus
NDA syllabus exam is given below.
Mathematics: Algebra, Calculus, Matrices and Determinants, Integral Calculus and Differential Equations, Trigonometry, Vector Algebra, Analytical Geometry Of Two and Three Dimension and Statistics and  Probability.Â
GAT: The GAT syllabus of NDA is divided into two parts. Part A comprises questions from English, while Part B carries questions from General Knowledge. Questions in English part are asked from Grammar and Usage, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Cohesion. Questions in General Knowledge are asked from Physics, Chemistry, Social Studies, General Science, Geography, and Current Events.
Q: Â Is the NDA entrance exam syllabus the same as Class 12?
Yes, the NDA syllabus is the same as class 12. To crack the NDA exam, candidates must have conceptual clarity for better application while handling tricky and simple questions. Candidates must practice previous years' question papers. For Maths candidates must practice from NCERT Class 11 books. Jot down important Mathematical formulas and concepts. For English, candidates must brush up on the concepts of English. Candidates must clear their basic grammar, improve reading comprehension, and build vocabulary to tackle Antonyms and Synonyms.
Upvote Q: Â What is NDA syllabus?
Upvote Q: Â What level of math questions are asked in NDA?
The Paper 1 of NDA Maths section carries 300 marks. The exam comprises of 120 questions in maths from Class 12 level. For each correct answer, candidate get 2.5 marks. Additionally, 0.83 mark is deducted for wrong response. Questions in Maths are asked from Algebra, Calculus, Matrices and Determinants, Integral Calculus and Differential Equations, Trigonometry, Vector Algebra, Analytical Geometry Of Two and Three Dimension and Statistics and Probability.
Upvote Q: Â Where can I get NDA syllabus?
NDA syllabus is prescribed by UPSC. The syllabus is mentioned on the notification. NDA syllabus is divided into Maths and GAT. The standard of NDA syllabus is of Class 10, 11 and 12 levels. The total marks allotted to the written exam are 900. NDA Maths syllabus comprises topics such as Algebra, Calculus, Matrices and Determinants, Integral Calculus and Differential Equations, Trigonometry, Vector Algebra, Analytical Geometry Of Two and Three Dimension and Statistics and Probability. NDA GAT syllabus comprises topics such as Grammar and Usage, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Cohesion, Physics, Chemistry, Social Studies, General Science, Geography, and Current Events.
Upvote Q: Â Is the NDA and the CDS syllabus the same?
NDA exam is conducted for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy Course. CDS exam is conducted to select eligible candidates for Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA). NDA and CDS syllabus are different. The level of NDA syllabus is of Class 10, 11 and 12 levels. Whereas, the standard of CDS syllabus is of graduation level. NDA syllabus is divided into Maths and GAT. CDS syllabus is divided into Elementary Maths, English and General Awareness. The total marks allotted to the NDA written exam are 900. The total marks allotted to the written exam of CDS are 300 for IMA, INA and AFA and 200 for OTA.
Upvote NDA Previous Years' Question Papers
It is recommended to go through the previous years' NDA question papers. Candidates get an idea of the type of questions asked in the exam. Multiple-choice questions are asked in the exam. The language of questions is either Hindi or English. In Mathematics, candidates score 2.5 marks for the correct answers while 0.83 marks will be deducted for wrong answers. For a correct answer in GAT, four marks will be awarded to candidates while 1.33 marks will be deducted for wrong answers.Â
Q: Â Are you allowed to take the NDA question paper home?
Upvote Q: Â When NDA question papers are released?
NDA question papers are released by UPSC within two to three days after the question papers are released. NDA 2 question paper is available now. NDA question papers are made available on the official website of UPSC in PDF. Candidates can download NDA question papers for different subjects-Maths and GAT. Practising the question papers, candidates can know the type of questions asked in the exam.
Upvote Q: Â How are NDA question papers useful?
Upvote Q: Â How to raise objections against NDA Question Papers?
UPSC also provides the facility to raise objections against NDA question papers. After checking the NDA question papers 2023, if candidates find any wrong questions, they can raise objections within the prescribed deadline. The objection can be raised through UPSC Online Question Paper Representation Portal. To access the question paper representation portal, candidates need to login with roll number, date of birth and captcha code. The steps to raise objections against NDA question papers are given below:
- Visit the official website of UPSC
- Go to the tab 'Representation on Question Papers'
- Click the link 'National Defence Academy and Naval Academy examination'
- Enter roll number, date of birth, and verification code to login
- Submit your representations to UPSC against the question papers
Upvote Best Books for NDA Exam
Candidates can refer to the following books for NDA exam.
| Subject | Best Books for NDA Preparation |
|---|---|
| Maths |
Mathematics for NDA & NA by RS Agarwal |
| English |
Objective General English (Arihant Publication) by SP Bakshi Wren & Martin’s High School English Grammar & Composition by S Chand Word Power Made Easy (Goyal Publishers) by Norman Lewis |
| Physics |
NCERT (11th and 12th) |
| Chemistry |
NCERT (11th and 12th) |
| Biology |
Objective GK (Lucent Publication) by Sanjiv Kumar |
| History & Geography |
Objective GK (Lucent Publication) by Sanjiv Kumar |
| Current Events |
Manorama Yearbook |
Read More:
Q: Â Which are the best books for NDA SSB Interview?
Upvote Q: Â Which books are the best for NDA Physics?
Upvote Q: Â Which books are best for NDA Maths?
Upvote Q: Â Which are the best books for NDA English?
Upvote Sarkari Exams exams you must check out
Exams for which answer key has been released
17 Dec '24 - 22 Dec '24
11 Dec '24 - 16 Dec '24
NDA Preparation Tips 2025 FAQs
Candidates can check below NDA preparation tips FAQs.
Q: Â How to prepare for NDA in one month?
Follow the preparation hacks given below to do smart study and crack the exam in one month:
- Stick all the required mathematical formulas and theorems near the study table so that it becomes easier to memorise them all
- Algebra, Calculus and Coordinate Geometry are the topics that have the highest weightage, prepare them well
- Brush up English grammar skills
- Improve vocabulary by reading articles, editorials, English newspaper, etc.
- Refine General Knowledge by reading newspapers daily and watch news channels
- Be aware of each and every news about defence services
- Solve as many previous years' question papers as possible to understand the pattern better
Upvote Q: Â Are NCERT books enough for NDA exams?
Upvote Q: Â Which is the best book for NDA Preparation?
NDA is a competitive exam therefore to crack it candidates need to choose the right type of books. NDA books help candidates to ace the exam easily and clear the concepts of each and every topic given in the syllabus. To pass the exam, it is essential to select the right set of NDA books. The standard of the NDA syllabus is for Class 10, 11, and 12 levels. The best books for NDA exam are given below:
Best Maths Books for NDA
- Mathematics for NDA and NA by RS Aggarwal
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams by RS Aggarwal
Best English Books for NDA
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
- Objective General English by SP Bakshi
Best NDA Books for Physics
- Objective Physics for the NDA and NA by D.C. Pandey
- Concepts of Physics (Part 1 & Part 2) by H.C. Verma
Best NDA Books for History
- History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra
- India's Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
Best NDA Books for Current Affairs
- Manorama Yearbook by Mammen Mathew
- Pratiyogita Darpan by Upkar Prakashan
Upvote News & Updates
Get prep tips, practice papers, exam details and important updates
NDA Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
Yes, you can apply for the National Defence Academy (NDA) after completing Class 12th, provided you meet the eligibility requirements. The NDA entrance exam is open to male candidates who have completed their 12th with Physics and Mathematics for applying to the Navy or Air Force, while candidates f
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Women candidates can apply for Indian Naval Academy courses for NDA exam. In 2024, vacancies were released for women candidates for admission to Indian Naval Academy courses.Â
S
Beginner-Level 3
Answered a week ago
Few important points related to NDA vacancies are given below:
- NDA vacancies are provisional and may change depending on the availability of training capacity of the National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy
- Candidates are required to specify clearly in the online NDA application form, the ser
B
Beginner-Level 3
Answered a week ago
Following NDA 1 vacancies 2024 for women were announced in 2024.
| Academy | Wings | No. of Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| NDA | Army | 10 |
| Navy | 12 | |
| Air Force | (i) Flying-2 (ii) Ground Duties (Tech)-18 (iii) Ground Duties (Non-Tech)-10 | |
| Indian Naval Academy | - | 9 |
J
Beginner-Level 3
Answered a week ago
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The following NDA 2 vacancies 2024 for females were announced.
| Academy | Wings | No. of Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| NDA | Army | 10 |
| Navy | 6 | |
| Air Force | (i) Flying-2 (ii) Ground Duties (Tech)-2 (iii) Ground Duties (Non-Tech)-2 | |
| Indian Naval Academy | - | 5 |
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
NDA exam centres are released along with the admit card. The list of test cities is made available along with the notification. Candidates are required to enter their preferences of test citiies while filling the application form. The test centres are allotted to candidates as per the preferences gi
I
Beginner-Level 2
Answered a week ago
No, you are not eligible for NDA 1 2025 because you were born after the required age range:
To be eligible for NDA 1 2025, candidates must have been born between July 2, 2006 and July 1, 2009
Your date of birth is August 4, 2008, which is after the required age rangeÂ
Other eligibility criteria for
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Here are some reputable options for NDA crash courses:
Online Platforms
 Â
 * Physics Wallah: Provides affordable courses with a focus on conceptual understanding and problem-solving.
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 * Dehradun Defence Academy: Offers both online and offline crash courses with a structured approach and experienced
S
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 weeks ago
In the NDA (National Defence Academy) written exam, the General Science section is part of the overall paper, which includes subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The weightage of General Science is divided as follows:
- Physics: Typically, questions from Physics hold the largest weightage in
R
Contributor-Level 10
How are NDA test centres allotted to candidates?