NDA 2023 Exam Eligibility, Pattern, Syllabus, Salary

 

Hi to all in this article I am going to tell you all about detailed information regarding NDA (National Defence Academy) Exam.

The aspirants who are interested to apply for the defence exams after completion of class 12, NDA is the best choice for them and UPSC conducts National Defence Academy & Naval Academy examination to select eligible candidates who have completed class 12 for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy courses. The selection process comprises of written exam and SSB interview.

What is NDA

The NDA (National Defence Exam) exam is conducted twice a year by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) in April and September. 

The NDA recruitment exam is conducted to recruit eligible and qualified applicants as officers in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. 

All the students who have completed class 12th from a recognized board between the age group of 16.5 to 19.5 years and those who have given the standard 12th exam and are awaiting results can  also eligible to appear for the NDA exam.

NDA recruitment process have two stages 

• written exam 

• SSB interview

The NDA written exam has two papers one of elementary mathematics and the other of general aptitude test. Both the NDA papers are conducted in offline mode.

The candidates who clears the written exam will be eligible to appear for the Service Selection Board (SSB) interview which is 5 day process in which applicants are tested on various parameters to select their final candidature before the induction.

And after clearing the NDA recruitment process applicants will be sent to intensive training for the defence service and they are selected for before they are deputed to their respective services.

NDA 2023 Notification

NDA 2023 detailed notification - Click here

Apply for NDA

Click here to apply

NDA 2023 Exam Highlights

Exam Particulars	Exam Details
Exam Name	National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (NDA & NA)
Conducting Body	UPSC
Exam Level	National
Exam Frequency	Two times a year (April & September)
Mode of Exam	Offline
Exam Stages	Written exam and SSB Interview
Exam Purpose	For admission to National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC)
Exam Fees	INR 100 for male candidates belonging to the General and OBC categories. However, SC/ST/Women candidates/Sons of JCOs/NCOs/ORs are exempted from paying the fees
Exam Duration	GAT: 2 ½ hours Mathematics: 2 ½ hours
No. of Papers and Total Marks	Paper 1: GAT Paper 2: Maths
Total Questions	GAT: 150 Mathematics: 120
Marking Scheme	GAT: Four marks for correct answers and 1.33 marks for wrong answers Maths: 2.5 marks for correct answers and 0.83 mark for wrong answers
Total Marks	Written Exam: 900 SSB Interview: 900
Language/Medium of Exam	English and Hindi
No. of Test Cities	More than 70 test cities
Official Website	upsc.gov.in
Contact Details	-

NDA Vacancy Details

Course	Vacancy
148th National Defence Academy (Indian Army)	208 (Including 10 female vacancies)
148th National Defence Academy (Indian Navy)	42 (Including 03 female vacancies)
148th National Defence Academy (Indian Air Force)	120 (Including 06 female vacancies)
110th Indian Naval Academy Course	25 (Male Candidates only)
Total	395

NDA Exam Centers

List of NDA Exam Centres 2023
Ahmedabad	Agartala	Aizawl
Bengaluru	Bhopal	Bareilly
Chennai	Cuttack	Dispur
Delhi	Dehradun	Gangtok
Itanagar	Imphal	Jorhat
Jaipur	Kolkata	Kochi
Lucknow	Mumbai	Madurai
Nagpur	Patna	Port Blair
Ranchi	Shimla	Srinagar
Sambalpur	Tirupati	Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam	Prayagraj (Allahabad)	Chandigarh
Dharwad	Hyderabad	Jammu
Kohima	Panaji (Goa)	Raipur
Shillong	Udaipur	-

NDA Eligibility

Basically NDA eligibility criteria are decided by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) and the candidates who are willing to appear for the NDA exam can apply for the same only if they fulfill all the NDA eligibility criteria's.

And the eligibility criteria's of NDA comprise of four main steps that are mandatory for candidates to fulfill and the four main aspects of NDA eligibility are mentioned below:

• Age Limit, Marital Status & Gender

• Citizenship or Nationality

• Educational Qualification

• Physical and Medical Qualification

An you can also refer the below provided table for more in detail regarding NDA eligibility criteria:

NDA Exam 1 & 2: Eligibility Criteria
Particulars	Details
Name of the Exam	NDA
NDA Full-Form	National Defence Academy
Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission
Exam Level	National
Selection Process	Written Test  SSB Interview
Post	Lieutenant
NDA Nationality	Indian
NDA Age Limit	Upper Age – 18.7 years Lower Age – 15.7 years
NDA Educational Qualifications	Army Wing – Pass certificate in 10+2 exam For Air Force and Naval Wings – Passing Certification of Class 12th exam with Physics and Mathematics
Gender and Marital Requirements	Unmarried Female and Male

Age Limit

NDA Age Limit
Minimum Age	Maximum Age
15.7-16 years during the commencement of the course	18.7-19 years during the commencement of the course

Nationality or Citizenship

The candidates who are interested to appear the National Defence Academy exam or Naval Academy exam are required to fulfill the NDA eligibility condition in terms of the Nationality Or Citizenship.

The below are the conditions of nationality will be allowed to appear for the examination.

• A citizen of India, or

• A subject of Nepal, or

• A subject of Bhutan, or

• A Tibetan refugee permanently settled in India from and before January 1, 1962.

• And a person of Indian origin migrated from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, East African countries of Uganda, Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Zaire, Zambia, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Educational Qualification

For Army Wing of NDA	12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent examination conducted by a State Education Board or a University.
For Air Force and Naval Wings of NDA	12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics conducted by a State Education Board or a University.
For the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy	12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics conducted by a State Education Board or a University.

Note: For physical standards make sure that you read the notification released by UPSC for NDA exam.

NDA Exam Pattern

Exam Pattern for NDA 2022 the NDA exam pattern is sub divided into two stages:

• Written Examination 

• Service Selection Board (SSB) Interview

The written exam in itself is further sub divided into the following: 

• Mathematics 

• General Ability Test) (GAT)

Basically the duration for the both are 2 ½ hours long and the Mathematics marks is 300  and the GAT is 600 marks while the total marks for the SSB Interview is 900 marks.

And GAT is sub divided into two parts

• English
• General Awareness and General Knowledge Test

General Ability Test	Sections	Maximum marks
Part A - English	–	200
Part B - General Awareness	Physics	100
	History, Freedom Movement, etc.	80
	Geography	80
	Chemistry	60
	General Science	40
	Current Events	40
Total		600

SSB Interview Pattern

NDA SSB Interview Pattern
Stage 1	Screening Test	Verbal and non-verbal tests. PPDT
Stage 2	Psychological Test	Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Word Association Test (WAT) Situation Reaction Test (SRT) Self Description Test (SD)
	Group Testing Officers Test	GD GPE PGT HGT IOT Command Task Snake race/Group Obstacle Race Individual lecture FGT
	Personal Interview & conference	–

NDA Medical Examination

The NDA medical examination will be done to check the overall fitness of the candidate before selecting them for the academy. and below are the highlights for the NDA medical examination:

• After completion of the written exam and SSB Interview, the scores of both stages are combined and the final selection will be based on the medical standards and the merit cum preference list.

• The physical standards are different for each service wing, which includes height dimensions, eyesight, dental health, internal organs functioning, respiratory system, and other physical and internal checkups are done.

• The medical test is the final stage of the selection process. The candidates are suggested to get tested before the actual medical test to avoid disappointment at the last stage.

• The medical board may and can dismiss temporarily or permanently a candidate as unfit, if not up to the standards set by the board.

NDA Salary

the aspirants who wish to join the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, besides fulfilling their dream to serve the nation, must be curious to know the detailed pay scale, allowances, perks, in-hand salary of NDA. Hence, the below given table provided the approx. salary of NDA from trainee level to the higher ranks.

NDA Stipend

The stipend for cadet training for Army, Airforce, Navy officers and equivalent ranks are mentioned below:

Training Stipend	Stipend Amount
Stipend to Gentlemen Cadets during the entire duration of training in service academies i.e. during the training period at IMA.	₹ 56,100 per month (Starting pay in Level 10)

Rank Wise NDA Salary

The rank wise salary of NDA Army, Airforce, navy officers and their equivalent ranks are as follows:

NDA Salary for Army, Navy, Air Force
NDA Posts or Ranks	Salary of NDA Officer (Per Month)
Stipend during the training of the candidates in IMA	₹ 56,100
Lieutenant	₹ 56,100 to ₹ 1,77, 500
Captain	₹ 61,300 to 01,93,900
Major	₹ 69,400 to 02,07,200
Lieutenant Colonel	₹ 1,21,200 to 02,12,400
Colonel	₹ 1,30,600 to 02,15,900
Brigadier	₹ 1,39,600 to 2,17,600
Major General	₹ 1,44,200 to 02,18,200
Lt. General HAG Scale	₹ 1,82,200 to 02,24,100
HAG+ Scale	₹ 2,05,400 To 02,24,400
VCOAS/ Army Cdr/ Lt Gen (NFSG)	₹ 2,25,000 Fixed
COAS	₹ 2,50,000 Fixed

Note: There is a fixed Military Service Pay (MSP) given to the officers which are as follows

NDA Officers Military Service Pay	Amount
MSP to the officers from the rank of Lieutenant to Brigadier	₹ 15,500 per month fixed

And also you will have some more allowances and perks.

NDA Promotion Opportunities

The aspirants can go through the below list to know the NDA promotions given to officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force based on their performance and years of service.

NDA Promotion
Minimum Service Required for Promotion	Indian Army	Indian Navy	Indian Air Force
On being Commissioned	Lieutenant	Sub Lieutenant	Flying Officer
After 2 years of service	Captain	Lieutenant	Flight Lieutenant
After 6 years of service	Major	Lt  Commander	Squadron Leader
13 years of service	Lieutenant Colonel	Commander	Wing Commander
On Selection	Colonel(Selection)	Captain (Selection)	Group Captain (Selection)
26 years of service	Colonel (Time Scale)	Captain (Time Scale)	Group Captain (Time Scale)
On Selection	Brigadier	Commodore	Air Commodore
On Selection	Major General	Rear Admiral	Air Vice-Marshal
On Selection	Lieutenant General	Vice Admiral	Air Marshal
On Selection	General	Admiral	Air Chief Marshal

Exam Dates

The dates are given in the below table:

Event	NDA 1 2023 Exam Date	NDA 2 2023 Exam Date
NDA Notification 2023	December 21, 2022	May 17, 2023
Apply Online Link Activates on	December 21, 2022	May 17, 2023
Last Date to Apply for NDA/NA Exam	January 10, 2023	June 6, 2023
NDA/NA 2023 Exam Date	April 16, 2023	September 3, 2023
Declaration of Result	May 2023	to be notified
SSB Interview	to be notified	to be notified

Exam Syllabus

Before going to the NDA syllabus you must get an idea about its pattern, frequency, and other relevant details. Check out the below given which provided a detailed overview of the NDA exam syllabus.

Name of the Exam	National Defence Academy, NDA
Exam Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission, UPSC
Frequency of NDA Exam	Two times a year(NDA 1 & NDA 2)
Selection Process	Written Test consisting of Objective Type QuestionsIntelligence & Personality Test (SSB)
Mode of exam	Offline (Pen and Paper mode)
Total Papers in NDA Exam	MathematicsGeneral Ability Test (GAT)
Total Marks for NDA Exam	Total: 900 Marks- Mathematics: 300 Marks- GAT: 600 Marks
Total No. of Questions	Mathematics: 120GAT: 150
Negative Marking	Mathematics: -0.83GAT: -1.33 marks
Exam Duration	Mathematics: 2 Hours 30 MinutesGAT: 2 Hours 30 Minutes

NDA Syllabus for Paper 1

Total Marks	300 Marks
Total No. of Questions	120
Correct Answer	2.5 marks
Marks deducted for the wrong answer	- 0.83
Total duration of Mathematics Paper	2 Hours 30 Minutes

NDA Mathematics Syllabus

Name of Topic	NDA Maths Syllabus
Algebra	Set concept, Sets operations, Venn diagrams, Laws of De Morgan, Cartesian product, Relations, Equivalence relation, Real number representation on a line, Complex numbers - basic properties, module, argument, cube roots, Binary number system, Conversion to the binary system of a number in the decimal system and vice versa, Progressions in arithmetic, geometry, and harmony, Solution of linear inequations of two variables by graphs, Permutation and Combination, Binomial theorem and its applications, Logarithms and their applications.
Matrices and Determinants	Matrix types, Operations, The determinant of a matrix, Determinants' properties, Application-Solution of a system of linear equations in two or three unknowns by the Cranmer's Rule and by the Matrix method, etc.
Trigonometry	Angles and their degree and measurements, Trigonometric ratios, Sum of trigonometric identities and formulas, Multiple angles and sub-multiples, Trigonometric functions & their inverse, Applications-Height and Distance, Triangle Properties.
Analytical geometry of two and three dimensions	The Cartesian Rectangular Coordinate System, Formula of distance, Equation of a line in different shapes, Two lines of angle, A point's distance from a line, Standard and general equation of a circle, parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola, A conic's eccentricity and axis, Point the distance between two points in a three-dimensional space, Cosines of direction and ratios of direction, Two points of the equation, Cosines of direction and ratios of direction, A plane equation and a line in different forms, Two lines of the angle between two planes, Sphere's equation, etc.
Differential calculus	Concept of a valued function - a function's domain, range, and graph, Composite functions, one by one, on, and vice versa, Limit notion, default limits — examples, Continuity of functions— examples, Continuous functional algebraic operations, Function derivative at a point, geometric and physical interpretation of an application derivative, Summary derivatives, product, and function quotient derivatives, function derivatives for another function, 20 composite function derivatives, Derivatives of the second order. Increasing and diminishing functions, Application of derivatives in maxima and minima problems, etc.
Integral Calculus and Differential Equations	Differentiation and integration, standard integrals with algebraic expressions, trigonometric, exponential, and hyperbolic functions.Definite integrals — determination of areas of curved plane regions — applications, General and particular solutions of differential equations, Solutions of the first order, and 1st-degree differential equations of various types—examples, Applications in problems of growth and decay.
Vector Algebra	2D and 3D vectors, vector magnitude, and direction, Unit and null vectors, vector adding, scalar-vector multiplication, scalar product or dot product, vector product, or cross product, Applications — work done through force and moment of force and in geometric problems.
Statistics & Probability	Statistics: data classification, distribution of frequencies, the cumulative distribution of frequencies — examples, Examples of graphic representation— histogram, pie chart, polygon frequency. Central tendency measurements — mean, median, and mode. Variance and deviation of standard — determination, and comparison, Correlation and regression, Sample space, events, exhaustive events & mutually exclusive, impossible and certain events associated with random experiments, results and associated, Union and events intersection, Complementary, composite, and elementary events, Probability, Bayes Theorem, Random variable on a sample space as a function, Binomial distribution, examples of random experiments, the binomial distribution.

NDA Syllabus for Paper 2

Total Marks for GAT Paper	600 marks
Total No. of Questions	150 Questions
Total questions in English	50 Questions
Total Questions in GK	100 Questions
Total Marks for English	200 marks
Total Marks for GK	400 marks
Marks for Correct Answer	4 marks in each section
Marks for Incorrect Answer	-1.33 marks in each section
Total Duration of GAT Paper	2 Hours 30 Minutes

General Ability Section Syllabus:

In below tables you can see NDA syllabus for GAT of History, Geography, English, Current Affairs, Physics, GK, Chemistry, and General Science below section wise.

NDA English Syllabus
Grammar & usage	Comprehension & cohesion
Spotting of errors	Para Jumbling
Fill in the blanks	Synonyms & Antonyms
Vocabulary	Idioms & Proverbs
Cloze Test
Completion of Sentence	Sentence Correction & Improvement

NDA Physics Syllabus
Properties of Mass, Weight, Volume, and Sound waves	Properties and States of Matter
Heat and its effects	Barometer
Rectilinear propagation of Light	Density and Specific Gravity
Human Eye	Electrical Circuits
Spherical mirrors and human eye lenses	Reflection and Refraction of Light
Velocity/Acceleration	Motion of objects
Natural and Artificial Magnets	GArchimedes’ Principle
Properties of a Magnet	Newton’s Laws of Motion
Earth as a Magnet	Force and Momentum
Ohm’s Law	Power and Energy
Primary and Secondary Cells	Use of X-Rays
Elementary ideas of work	Magnetic effects of Current
Gravitation	Conductors and Non-conductors
Measurement of Temperature and Heat	Working of Simple Pendulum
Pulleys, Levers, Periscope, Siphon, Balloon, Pumps, Gramophone, Hydrometer, Pressure Cooker, Thermos Flask, Lightning Conductors, Telegraphs, Telephone, Telescope, Microscope, Mariner’s Compass, Safety Fuses etc.

NDA Chemistry Syllabus
Chemical Combination Law
Air and water properties
Hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide preparation and properties, oxidation, and reduction. Acids, bases, salts, etc. Carbon various forms. Fertilizers Artificial and Natural.
Basic ideas on Atom, Atomic Equivalent and Molecular Weights structure, Valence.
Material used in the preparation of substances such as Soap, Glass, Ink, Paper, Cement, Paints, Gun-Powder and Safety Matches.

NDA General Science Syllabus
Properties of Mass, Weight, Volume, and Sound Living and non-living differences	Life basis - cells, protoplasms, tissues
Plant and animal growth and reproduction	Human Body's basic knowledge and its important organs
Common epidemics, causes, and prevention of them	Food - man's energy source
Food constituents, balanced diet	Meteors and Comets Solar System, Eclipses

NDA History Syllabus
A comprehensive survey of Indian History, focusing on culture and civilization	Freedom movement
Indian Constitution and Administration elementary study	India's Five Year Plans
Panchayati Raj, Community Development Co-operatives	Bhoodan, Sarvodaya, Mahatma Gandhi's Basic Teachings, National Integration and Welfare State
Modern world forces; Renaissance, Exploration, and Discovery	American Independence War
French Revolution, Russian Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution	Impact on society of science and technology
One World Concept, UN, Panchsheel, Democracy, Socialism, and Communism	India's role in today's world

NDA Geography Syllabus
The shape and size of the Earth	Lattitudes, Longitudes, Time Concept
Date-Line International	Earth's movements and effects
Earth's origin	Rocks and their classification; mechanical and chemical weathering, earthquakes, and volcanoes
Ocean Currents and Tides Atmosphere and their composition; Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure, Planetary Winds, Cyclones, and Anti-cyclones; Humidity; Condensation 23 and Precipitation; Climate Types, World's Major Natural Regions	India's regional geography— climate, natural vegetation.
Resources for minerals and power; location and distribution of agricultural and industrial activities	Important seaports and major seaports, land, and air routes

NDA Current Affairs Syllabus
Knowledge of major events that have occurred in India over the past few years
Important exercises conducted between countries worldwide with special reference to India
Current major events in the world
Latest appointments
Important personalities around the world including those related to cultural and sports activities

Recommended Books for NDA

Name of the NDA Book	Author/ Publication	Subject/Section	Remark
Pathfinder for NDA & NA National Defence Academy Naval Academy Entrance Examination	Arihant	All	Covers all the subjects of NDA exam
General Science Guide for Competitive Exams – CSAT/ NDA/ CDS/ Railways/ SSC/ UPSC/ State PSC/ Defence	Disha	GAT	Covers General Science portal of GAT
General Knowledge	Arihant	GAT	Covers GK section of GAT
Chapter wise-Section wise Solved Papers NDA & NA	Arihant	All	Provide solution papers for all the sections and chapters
Oxford School Atlas	Oxford	GAT	Covers geography section
History of Modern India	Bipan Chandra	GAT	Covers history section
Objective General English for Competitive Exams	S.P. Bakshi	GAT	Covers English portion
Study Package Mathematics NDA/NA Entrance Exam	Arihant	Mathematics	Covers complete syllabus of NDA maths
Mathematics for NDA/NA National Defence Academy and Naval Academy	R S Aggarwal	Mathematics	Covers complete syllabus
Quantitative Aptitude for competitive examinations	RS Aggarwal	-	Covers QA section questions
General Knowledge	Arihant	GAT	Covers GK section
Social Problems in India (Indian Society – GS1)	Ram Ahuja	GAT	Covers social issues and related information about of Indian society

NDA 2023 Cutoff

Year	Written Exam	Final Marks
NDA 2 2020	355	719
NDA 1 2020	355	726
NDA 2 2019	346	709
NDA 1 2019	342	704
NDA 2 2018	325	688
NDA 1 2018	338	705
NDA 2 2017	258	624
NDA 1 2017	342	708
NDA 2 2016	229	602
NDA 1 2016	288	656
NDA 2 2015	269	637
NDA 1 2015	306	674
NDA 2 2014	283	656
NDA 1 2014	360	722
NDA 2 2013	360	721
NDA 1 2013	333	698

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Conclusion

I hope that you all have understood detailed information on National Defence Academy, if you have any doubts related to this, you can mail us or can contact through contact page.