NDA
Selects unmarried 16.5–19.5-year-olds for the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme of the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, leading to a permanent commission and a degree.
Eligibility
Unmarried men and women who are Indian citizens. For NDA I 2027 you are expected to be born between 2 July 2008 and 1 July 2011. Class 12 pass or appearing; the Air Force, Navy and Naval Academy wings require Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. There is no limit on attempts within the age band, and you must meet the physical and medical standards.
Age limit: 16.5 to 19.5 years (NDA I 2027: born 2 Jul 2008 – 1 Jul 2011, expected)
Exam pattern
Offline OMR (pen-and-paper) written test with two papers on one day. Mathematics: 120 questions, 300 marks, 2.5 hours. General Ability Test (GAT): 150 questions, 600 marks, 2.5 hours (English 200 marks, General Knowledge 400 marks covering Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, Geography and Current Affairs). One-third of the marks for a question are deducted for each wrong answer. Candidates who clear the written cut-off attend a five-day Services Selection Board (SSB) interview worth 900 marks; the final merit list is out of 1,800.
Syllabus at a glance
Mathematics at Class 11–12 level: algebra, matrices and determinants, trigonometry, analytical geometry in 2D and 3D, differential and integral calculus, differential equations, vectors, statistics and probability. GAT English covers grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and cohesion. GAT General Knowledge covers Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Indian history and freedom movement, geography, polity, economy and current events.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| NDA & NA (I) 2027 notification | 2 Dec 2026 | confirmed |
| NDA & NA (I) 2027 online application closes | 22 Dec 2026 | confirmed |
| NDA & NA (I) 2027 written exam | 11 Apr 2027 (Sunday) | confirmed |
| NDA & NA (I) 2027 written result | May–Jun 2027 | expected |
| NDA & NA (II) 2027 notification | 12 May 2027 (applications close 1 Jun 2027) | confirmed |
| NDA & NA (II) 2027 written exam | 19 Sep 2027 (Sunday) | confirmed |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Pathfinder NDA/NA Entrance Examination – Arihant Experts
- Mathematics for NDA/NA – R.S. Aggarwal
- Objective Mathematics for NDA/NA – R.S. Aggarwal / Arihant
- NCERT Physics and Chemistry, Classes 11–12
- Lucent's General Knowledge – Lucent Publications
- High School English Grammar and Composition – Wren & Martin
How toppers play it
- Maths is 300 of the 900 written marks and usually decides selection; aim for 60–70 accurate attempts rather than all 120, since each wrong answer costs 0.83 marks.
- In GAT, English (200 marks) is the most scoring part; work hard on synonyms, antonyms, error spotting and ordering, as these repeat in pattern every year.
- For General Knowledge, use NCERTs for Physics and Chemistry; science questions outweigh pure current affairs.
- Keep a margin over the overall cut-off (usually about 290–360 out of 900) and the 25% minimum in each paper; you need both to get an SSB call.
- Start SSB preparation (OIR tests, PPDT story writing, a fitness routine) before the written result; there are only a few weeks between the result and your interview date.