Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will conduct the NDA 2024 exam. NDA stands for National Defence Academy. This exam provides a gateway to a career in the Indian Armed Forces. Those who clear this exam get a chance to become officers in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The selection process for NDA involves a written test, followed by SSB Interview. The written test for the UPSC NDA exam consists of two papers: Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). The mathematics paper carries 300 marks, while the GAT paper carries 600 marks. This exam is open to both male and female candidates.
Update: NDA 2023 I application form will be releasing on 20th December 2023.
NDA 2024 Overview
| Name of the exam | National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination 2024 |
| Authority Conducting the exam | Union Public Service Commission |
| Purpose of examination | To select officers for the Indian armed forces |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Examination Mode | Offline |
| Selection Process | Written Test and SSB Interview |
| Application Fees | Rs. 100/- |
| Official Website | www.upsc.gov.in |
NDA Dates 2024
| Main Events | NDA I 2024 | NDA II 2024 |
| Release of the official notification | 20th December 2023 | 15th May 2024 |
| Starting of online application form submission | 20th December 2023 | 15th May 2024 |
| Last date to submit the application form | 9th January 2024 | 4th June 2024 |
| Availability of correction window | Yet to be notified by UPSC | Yet to be notified by UPSC |
| Release of Admit Card | Yet to be notified by UPSC | Yet to be notified by UPSC |
| NDA Exam Date 2024 | 21st April 2024 | 1st September 2024 |
| Result Declaration | Yet to be notified by UPSC | Yet to be notified by UPSC |
NDA Eligibility Criteria 2024
Before filling out the application form, aspirants must ensure that they fulfil the following eligibility criteria.
Nationality
Unmarried candidates with any of the following nationalities can apply for NDA.
- A citizen of India
- A subject of Nepal
- An Indian-origin person migrated to India to settle here permanently from any of the following countries – Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Burma, Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam.
Age Limit and Gender
- Both unmarried male and female candidates can apply for the exam.
- The date of birth of a candidate should be between 2nd July 2004 and 1st July 2007 (16.5 years to 19.5 years).
Educational Qualification
| NDA Academies | Educational Qualification |
| Army Wing | 10+2 or equivalent examination conducted by a State Education Board/ CBSE or a University. |
| Air Force and Naval Wings | 10+2 or equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics conducted by a State Education Board/ CBSE or a University |
Physical Standards (Height and Weight Standards)
Physical standards requirements are different for Army/ Air Force and Navy. Check out the details in the following table.
For Male Candidates (Army)
| Age | Minimum Weight for All Ages | 17 years to 20 years | 20 years to 30 years | 30 years to 40 years | Above 40 years |
| Height (cm) | Weight (Kg) | Weight (Kg) | Weight (Kg) | Weight (Kg) | Weight (Kg) |
| 140 | 35.3 | 43.1 | 45.1 | 47.0 | 49.0 |
| 145 | 37.8 | 46.3 | 48.4 | 50.5 | 52.6 |
| 150 | 40.5 | 49.5 | 51.8 | 54.0 | 56.3 |
| 155 | 43.2 | 52.9 | 55.3 | 57.7 | 60.1 |
| 160 | 46.1 | 56.3 | 58.9 | 61.4 | 64.0 |
| 165 | 49.0 | 59.9 | 62.6 | 65.3 | 68.1 |
| 170 | 52.0 | 63.6 | 66.5 | 69.4 | 72.3 |
| 175 | 55.1 | 67.4 | 70.4 | 73.5 | 76.6 |
| 180 | 58.3 | 71.3 | 74.5 | 77.8 | 81.0 |
| 185 | 61.6 | 75.3 | 78.7 | 82.1 | 85.6 |
| 190 | 65.0 | 79.4 | 83.0 | 86.6 | 90.3 |
| 195 | 68.4 | 83.7 | 87.5 | 91.3 | 95.1 |
| 200 | 72.0 | 88.0 | 92.0 | 96.0 | 100.0 |
| 205 | 75.6 | 92.5 | 96.7 | 100.9 | 105.1 |
| 210 | 79.4 | 97.0 | 101.4 | 105.8 | 110.3 |
For Female Candidates (Army)
- The Body Mass Index (BMI) of all candidates should be less than 25.
- Waist Hip ratio should be below 0.9 for males and 0.8 for females
- Waist circumference must be less than 90 cm for males and 80 cm for females
- All other biochemical metabolic parameters of a candidate should be within normal limits.
Note: The above physical standards are for army recruitment only. You may check out the physical standards required for other forces in the official notification.
NDA Application Form 2024
- All candidates need to apply for NDA 2024 online through the official website upsconline.nic.in.
- To start the application process, an aspirant needs to register himself/herself first at the One Time Registration (OTR) platform available on the website.
- During OTR, candidates will have to provide their basic personal and educational details.
- Those who have already created their OTR profiles may proceed straight away to fill up the online application.
- There are two stages of the application form i.e. Part – 1, and Part – 2 registration. Candidates need to complete both stages to finish the application process.
- In the part 2 registration, all candidates must upload scanned images of their photograph and signature.
- It is also necessary for applicants to upload their one photo identity card in PDF format. You can upload the PDF file of any one of the following documents – Aadhar Card/ Voter Card/ PAN Card/ Passport/ Driving License/ School Photo ID/Any other photo ID Card issued by the State/Central Government.
- To complete the application process, candidates also need to pay the application fee.
Application Fee
- For SC/ ST/ Female/ Wards of JCOs/NCOs/ORs – Nil
- For all other candidates – Rs. 100/-
Mode of payment
- Online – Using Visa/ Master/ RuPay Credit/Debit Card/ UPI Payment or by Net Banking.
- Offline – By submitting a “Pay By Cash” slip by cash payment at any SBI branch.
NDA 2024 Exam Pattern
The NDA selection process consists of a written test followed by an Interview. Let’s take a look at the written exam’s pattern.
- Mode of examination – Offline (OMR sheet-based test)
- Type of questions – Objective type MCQs
- Number of sections – 2
- Duration of examination – 2 hours and 30 minutes for each section
- Language of Questions – Both Hindi and English
- Negative Marking – 1/3rd of the marks assigned to a question will be deducted in case of an incorrect answer.
| Section | Subject Code | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Mathematics | 01 | 2 hours and 30 minutes | 300 |
| General Ability Test (GAT) | 02 | 2 hours and 30 minutes | 600 |
| Total | 900 | ||
| SSB Test/ Interview | 900 |
NDA Syllabus
Candidates preparing for NDA 2024 may check the subject-wise syllabus given in the following table.
| Paper – 1 (Mathematics) | |
| Mathematics | Algebra, Matrices and Determinants, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry of Two and Three Dimensions, Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus and Differential Equations, Vector Algebra, Statistics and Probability. |
| Paper – 2 (General Ability Test) | |
| English | Grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension and cohesion |
| Physics | Physical Properties and States of Matter, Mass, Weight, Volume, Density and Specific Gravity, Principle of Archimedes, Pressure Barometer, Natural and Artificial Magnets, Properties of a Magnet, Earth as a Magnet, Static and Current Electricity, conductors and Nonconductors, etc. |
| Chemistry | Physical and Chemical changes. Elements, Mixtures and Compounds, Symbols, Formulae and simple Chemical Equations, Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems). Properties of Air and Water, Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide, Oxidation and Reduction. Acids, bases and salts, etc. |
| General Science | Difference between the living and nonliving, Basis of Life, Growth and Reproduction in Plants and Animals, Elementary knowledge of the Human Body and its important organs, Common Epidemics, their causes and prevention, Food, Balanced Diet, |
| History, Freedom Movement etc | A broad survey of Indian History, with emphasis on Culture and Civilisation, Freedom Movement in India, Elementary study of Indian Constitution and Administration, Elementary knowledge of Five Year Plans of India, Basic Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, etc. |
| Geography | The Earth, its shape and size, Latitudes and Longitudes, Concept of time, Origin of Earth, Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure, Planetary Winds, Cyclones and Anticyclones, Humidity, etc. |
| Current Events | Knowledge of Important events that have happened in India in recent years, current important world events, Prominent personalities, etc. |
NDA 2024 Examination Centers
The NDA written exam will take place in the following cities – Agartala, Ghaziabad, Panaji (Goa), Agra, Gorakhpur, Patna, Ajmer, Gurgaon, Port Blair, Ahmedabad, Gwalior, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Aizawl, Hyderabad, Puducherry, Aligarh, Imphal, Pune, Almora (Uttarakhand), Indore, Raipur, Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh), Itanagar, Rajkot, Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Jabalpur, Ranchi, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Sambalpur, Bareilly, Jammu, Shillong, Bhopal, Jodhpur, Shimla, Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), Jorhat, Siliguri, Chandigarh, Kochi, Srinagar, Chennai, Kohima, Srinagar (Uttarakhand), Coimbatore, Kolkata, Thane, Cuttack, Kozhikode (Calicut), Thiruvananthapuram, Dehradun, Leh, Tiruchirapalli, Delhi, Lucknow, Tirupati, Dharamshala, Ludhiana, Udaipur, Dharwad, Madurai, Varanasi, Dispur, Mandi, Vellore, Faridabad, Mumbai, Vijayavad, Gangtok, Mysore, Visakhapatnam, Gaya, Nagpur, Warangal, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Navi Mumbai.
Result and Cutoff
- UPSC will declare the result a few weeks after the examination.
- Candidates who will appear for the examination will be able to check their results on the official website of UPSC.
- Along with result cards, UPSC will also release the NDA cut-off. It is important for candidates to score above the cut-off marks to be considered for the next round of selection.
- Those aspirants who will clear the written test will be eligible to appear for the interview.
Interview
The SSB Interview is a two-stage selection process. Here are the details of both stages.
- Stage I – Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests – It comprises picture perception and description tests (PP & DT). These tests take place on the 1st day of SSB.
- Stage II – It comprises interviews, group testing officer tasks, psychology tests, and the conference. These tests are conducted over 4 days.
A team of the following three assessors will judge the personality of a candidate.
- Interviewing Officer (IO)
- Group Testing Officer (GTO)
- Psychologist
NDA 2024: Number of Vacancies
UPSC will inform about the number of vacancies through NDA Notification 2024. However, you may check the tentative number of vacancies given in the following table based on last year’s notification.
| National Defence Academy | Army | 208 (10 female candidates) |
| Navy | 42 (3 female candidates) | |
| Air Force | Flying – 92 (2 female candidates)Ground Duties (Tech) – 18 (2 female candidates)Ground Duties (Non-Tech) – 10 (2 female candidates) | |
| Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme) | 25 (all male candidates) | |
| Total | 395 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Two times.
Yes, poor oral health status (gross visible calculus/ periodontal pockets/ bleeding gums) can result in the rejection of a candidate.
Tattoos are allowed on the inner face of your forearm and the reverse side of your palm.