NDA Exam Eligibility, Age Limit, Syllabus and Salary

NDA exam eligibility is simple to check: you must be unmarried, about 16.5 to 19.5 years old at the time the course starts, and class 12 pass or appearing. The National Defence Academy and Naval Academy exam is conducted by UPSC twice a year, and it is the main way to become a permanent Army, Navy or Air Force officer straight after school. Boys and girls can both apply. Plenty of cadets come from small towns and Hindi medium schools, so do not think it is only for big city kids.

What is NDA exam and what job do you get

NDA stands for National Defence Academy. When people ask about the NDA full form in job terms, they mean this: you join the Academy at Khadakwasla, Pune, as a cadet, train for three years, then go to your service academy for final training. After that you are commissioned as an officer. You do not apply for a civilian post. You apply to become a Lieutenant in the Army, a Sub Lieutenant in the Navy or a Flying Officer in the Air Force.

The same exam also fills seats in the Indian Naval Academy 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at Ezhimala, Kerala. These are permanent commission jobs, which means a full career till retirement, not a short contract. That is the biggest difference from entries like CDS through OTA or Agniveer, which are for a fixed period.

NDA jobs include all three wings:

• Army: infantry, artillery, armoured corps, engineers, signals and other arms and services.
• Navy: executive, engineering and electrical branches.
• Air Force: flying branch, and ground duties in technical and non technical streams.

NDA exam eligibility: qualification, age limit and who can apply

Here is the eligibility as given in the latest UPSC notification. Read your own notice once before you fill the form, because the birth date window shifts every cycle.

The notification gives one birth date window for everyone. Unlike many civil posts, there is no extra age relaxation for SC, ST or OBC candidates here. Use the tool below to see whether your birth date fits the window.

So, about the NDA exam qualification: a Commerce or Arts student can still become an Army officer through NDA. Only the Navy and Air Force seats need Physics and Maths in class 12. If you are also looking at other routes after school, see our list of govt jobs after 12th.

Can girls give NDA exam

Yes. The current notice invites unmarried female candidates and lists separate seats for women in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Naval Academy. Girls write the same papers and face the same SSB as boys. Medical and physical standards have some differences, which are listed in the notification.

NDA exam pattern and NDA exam time

The NDA written exam has two objective papers on the same day. Both are of 2.5 hours. Questions are multiple choice and there is negative marking.

For every wrong answer, one third of the marks for that question is cut. A blank question gets zero. So the NDA exam total marks are 900 in writing and 1800 after SSB. There is no fixed NDA exam passing marks figure. UPSC sets minimum qualifying marks in each paper and in total, and these change every cycle. Old cut-offs are on the UPSC website.

NDA exam syllabus and subjects

The NDA exam syllabus is at class 11 and 12 level for maths, and general awareness level for GK.

Mathematics (300 marks)

• Algebra, matrices and determinants
• Trigonometry
• Analytical geometry of two and three dimensions
• Differential calculus, integral calculus and differential equations
• Vector algebra
• Statistics and probability

General Ability Test (600 marks)

Part A is English for 200 marks: grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension and how sentences connect in a passage. Part B is General Knowledge for 400 marks. The approximate weight given in the notice is Physics about 25 percent, Chemistry about 15 percent, General Science about 10 percent, History and Freedom Movement about 20 percent, Geography about 20 percent and Current Events about 10 percent.

Notice that Physics and Chemistry carry a big share of GK. This is why Science students often find it easier, but Arts and Commerce students clear it too by learning class 9 and 10 science well.

NDA salary per month and officer pay

Many students ask NDA ki salary kitni hoti hai. During NDA training you do not get a salary. Cadets get a small pocket allowance, and the notice mentions financial help for families with low income. Once you reach your final year academy (IMA for Army, for example), you get a fixed stipend of ₹56,100 per month.

Once commissioned, NDA officer salary begins with a basic of ₹56,100 in pay Level 10, and you also draw ₹15,500 a month as Military Service Pay (MSP). Then come Dearness Allowance, house rent or free housing, transport allowance and special allowances based on posting. The salary box near the top of this page breaks this into basic, DA, HRA for X, Y or Z class cities, transport allowance and an estimated in-hand amount. MSP is paid over and above that figure.

Navy and Air Force ranks have the same levels. NDA air force salary for a pilot is higher in hand because flying officers in the flying branch get flying allowance, which the notice lists at ₹25,000 per month. Officers in hard or high altitude areas get field and hardship allowances. The highest salary of an NDA officer comes at the top ranks, but most officers reach Colonel level pay if they serve a full career. To understand each allowance, read salary allowances explained.

SSB interview, medical and final selection

If you clear the written cut-off, you are called to a Services Selection Board (SSB) for about five days. Day one has a screening test: an intelligence test and a picture story with a group discussion. Those who pass screening stay for psychology tests, group tasks and a personal interview. The SSB carries 900 marks. A pilot candidate also takes a pilot aptitude test.

After SSB comes a detailed medical exam. Minimum height for Army entry is generally 157 cm, with lower limits for some hill and North East regions. Check eyesight, weight and other standards in the notification before you start, because a medical rejection after clearing SSB is painful. The final merit list adds written and SSB marks.

NDA training, courses and life at the academy

NDA training lasts three years. The first two and a half years are common to all three wings. You study a degree level academic course along with drill, sports, horse riding, swimming, camps and leadership training. Cadets rise at dawn, and the day is packed till lights out. It is hard, but most cadets say it is the best time of their life.

After NDA:

• Army cadets go to the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, for one year.
• Naval cadets go to the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, for one year.
• Air Force flying cadets do about one and a half years of flying training.
• Naval Academy 10+2 entry cadets train for four years at Ezhimala.

People sometimes search for NDA course fees or an NDA foundation course. There is no fee to study at NDA; the government bears training costs. A foundation course is just a school level coaching plan; it is not needed if you study on your own with a clear plan.

Promotions and career growth

Officers get time scale promotions. As per Army rules in recent notices, a Lieutenant becomes Captain after 2 years, Major after 6 years and Lieutenant Colonel after 13 years of service. Higher ranks such as Colonel, Brigadier and General come by selection. Along the way you get free medical care, canteen facility, leave travel, subsidised housing and a pension after a full career. Compare this with other routes on our Indian Army jobs, Indian Navy jobs and Indian Air Force jobs pages.

Is NDA exam tough and how to prepare

Is NDA exam tough? The written paper is moderate, but seats are few, so competition is heavy. The SSB is the real filter. Many good students clear writing and fail SSB because they did not work on communication and confidence. It is also listed in our page on the toughest exams in India.

NDA exam preparation tips that work for my students:

1. Start in class 11. Class 11 and 12 maths covers most of Paper I. Six to twelve months of steady work is usual.
2. Use NCERT books for maths, physics, chemistry, history and geography. Most NDA exam questions are at this level.
3. Read a newspaper daily for current events and English vocabulary.
4. Solve previous papers under a 2.5 hour timer. UPSC puts old question papers on its website.
5. Avoid blind guessing because of negative marking.
6. Get fit early. Run, do push-ups and keep your weight in range.
7. Prepare for SSB by speaking in groups, reading about the forces and knowing yourself well.

NDA exam form, fees and official website

The NDA exam form is filled online on the UPSC online application portal. The NDA exam fees are ₹100. SC and ST candidates, all female candidates and certain wards of serving or retired JCOs, NCOs and ORs are exempt. OBC and EWS candidates must pay. The exam is held twice a year, but for dates, vacancies and results always check the official website upsc.gov.in. Do not trust any message that asks for money for selection.