NDA exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice every year. Candidates who are interested in being an Indian Army officer, Indian Navy officer or Indian Air Force officer must apply for NDA. When to apply for NDA, what is the age limit, how to join NDA after the 10th, 12th, or graduation, etc. are discussed in this article. Continue reading to know about it.
How to join NDA after 10th, 12th and Graduation?
How to join NDA after 10th, 12th, and Graduation?: NDA exam is one of the most popular competitive exams across the country. It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission twice every year. A large number of candidates who appeared or are appearing in the Class 12 exam appear for the exam every year. NDA provides a direct gateway for candidates who want to join the Indian army and want to serve the country. How does a candidate get admission to the NDA? What is the process? How does a candidate join the NDA after finishing 10th, 12th, or graduation? Scroll down to find out about it.
Why is the NDA conducted?
The NDA exam is conducted to select eligible candidates for the Indian Armed Forces. Selected candidates of all three services, namely the Army, Navy, and Air Force, can undergo training before pre-commissioning training in the respective academies. Every year in April and September, UPSC conducts the NDA exam to select both male and female candidates for several defence services. Female candidates were eligible for admission to NDA since 2021. Qualified candidates are called for an SSB interview.
Q: How many students apply for NDA exam and qualify it?
Q: What is the criteria to give NDA exam?
Q: Who can apply for an NDA exam?
NDA application form is released to select candidates for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy. Both male and female candidates can apply for the NDA exam. The eligibility criteria for the NDA exam is given below:
Age Limit: For NDA 1 exam, both male and female candidates must have been born not earlier than July 2, 2005 and not later than July 1, 2008. For NDA 2 exam, both male and female candidates must have been born not earlier than January 2, 2005, and not later than January 1, 2008.
Educational Qualification:
| Academy | Educational Qualification |
|---|---|
| Army Wing of National Defence Academy | Passed Class 12/HSC or equivalent from a recognised board or university |
| Air Force, Navy, and Naval Academy of National Defence Academy | Passed Class 12/HSC with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics |
NDA Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility criteria are one of the main factors to go through before applying for the NDA Exam. It is important to remain in the recruitment process, and for this, a candidate should be able to fit into all the NDA requirements. According to the NDA eligibility, candidates who want to apply for NDA should be born no earlier than July 2, 2003, and no later than July 1, 2006. It is significant for the candidates to follow all the specified NDA eligibility so that they can proceed further with the selection process. It is to be noted that the Army might have different NDA exam eligibility requirements than those for the Navy and Air Force.
Upcoming Sarkari Exam Dates
21 Nov '24 - 21 Dec '24
17 Dec '24 - 22 Dec '24
2 Dec '24 - 31 Dec '24
11 Dec '24 - 31 Dec '24
31 Dec '24
16 Dec '24 - 15 Jan '25
18 Jan '25 - 20 Jan '25
4 Feb '25 - 25 Feb '25
31 Dec '24
25 Apr '25 - 25 May '25
To ensure final selection to the NDA, candidates need to meet the following NDA eligibility:
- NDA Age Limit, Marital Status & Gender
- Citizenship/Nationality
- NDA Qualification
- NDA Physical Test/ Medical Qualification
How to Join NDA after the 10th?
Candidates who have qualified for class 10th can start preparing for the NDA exam. The age criteria for the NDA exam is between 16.5 and 19.5 years. Scroll down to know more about the eligibility criteria.
How to Join NDA after the 12th?
Those candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class 12 or equivalent can apply for the NDA exam. Those who are in class 11 will not be able to sit in the NDA exam. The percentage in the 12th grade is unimportant. The important thing is to pass the Class 12 or equivalent exam. Then only a candidate will be able to apply for the NDA exam.
Q: Is there any minimum qualifying marks in NDA exam?
Q: How to select NDA exam centre?
Q: How many times can a candidate appear for the NDA exam, and what is the minimum qualifying marks required to pass?
NDA exam is conducted twice a year by UPSC. Candidates can appear for both the sessions of NDA exam. NDA 1 exam is conducted for admission to the courses commencing in January. NDA 2 exam is conducted for admission to the courses commencing in July. To qualify each section of the NDA exam, candidates need to secure 25 per cent in each subject. NDA exam is conducted to select candidates for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Fotce wings of National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy.
Q: Does JEE Main rank matter for the NDA exam?
Q: Can I change my NDA exam centre?
| NDA Qualification for Army wing |
Passed Class 12 or equivalent examination from a recognized board |
| NDA Qualification for Air Force and Naval wings of NDA and 10 2 Cadet entry scheme at INA |
Passed Class 12 or equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics |
After applying for the NDA, a candidate has to take two written exams that are conducted on the exam day with a one-hour break between the two papers. Each paper has a different syllabus and is allocated different total marks.
Mathematics: The syllabus includes the basics and advanced math that a student has practised in 10th-12th grade, like trigonometry, differentials, integration, and differentiation, etc.
GAT paper: NDA syllabus for GAT for this paper has two sub-parts, namely General Ability and English. In Part A, the basis of a candidate is evaluated by asking questions about grammar, vocabulary, dialogue-making questions, etc. In general ability (Part B), questions about physics, chemistry, history, geography, current affairs, etc. are asked.
After qualifying for the written exam, a candidate has to undergo an NDA interview by the SSB and a medical test. Different norms are there for both male and female candidates; those include weight, height, chest, eyesight, etc. After completion of three years, the candidates get a Bachelor's Degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Now, after this, the candidate has to choose their specialisation. After the completion of the course, they will be posted as lieutenants in the Indian Defence Services.
NDA Exam Pattern
NDA exam pattern is such that it is divided into written exam and SSB Interview. The written exam as per NDA exam pattern comprises two papers-Maths and GAT. The written exam carries a total of 900 marks. The SSB Interview is conducted in two stages. Stage 1 is called for the Stage 2 exam. Stage 1 of the SSB Interview comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT). The total marks allotted to the SSB interview are 900 marks.
How to Join NDA after Graduation?
If a candidate has completed graduation then can apply for the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) which is conducted by UPSC for Graduates to join the defence forces.
There are several ways to join Indian Army after graduation namely;
- Combined Defence Services Exam
- SSC Tech and TGC
- NCC Special Entry
- UES Entry Scheme
- Entry through JAG
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 6 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.
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
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 3
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 range
Other eligibility criteria for
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Here are some reputable options for NDA crash courses:
Online Platforms
* Physics Wallah: Provides affordable courses with a focus on conceptual understanding and problem-solving.
* Dehradun Defence Academy: Offers both online and offline crash courses with a structured approach and experienced
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?