NDA Exam 2021

NDA 2021 notification has already been released on the UPSC official website for the recruitment of 418 vacancies for admission in Army, Navy, and Air Force. The examination is conducted in more than 41 cities in India in two stages. The first stage is the written exam which is an offline exam. The candidates who will qualify written exam will be eligible for the second stage i.e. SSB interview. This article contains information about the NDA 1 exam 2021 and NDA 2 exam 2021 examinations, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, etc. 

NDA 1 Exam 2021

NDA 1 Exam 2021 notification and the application form, both were released on 30th December 2020. The NDA 1 Exam 2021 will be conducted on 18th April 2021 (written exam) and July to September (SSB interview). NDA 1 Exam 2021 admit cards will be released by March 2021. NDA 1 Exam 2021 result declaration of written exam will be in June 2021.

NDA 2 Exam 2021

NDA 2 Exam 2021 application forms with the official notification, both are expected to be released by 9th June 2021. NDA 2 Exam 2021 Admit Card will be available by August 2021. The written exam will be conducted on 5th September and NDA 2 Exam 2021 result on December 2021. The SSB Interview will be scheduled from January 2022 to April 2022.

Exam Name	National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (NDA & NA)
Conducted by	UPSC
Exam Level	National
Exam Category	After Class 12
Frequency of Exam	Twice a year
Exam Stages	Written Test and SSB Interview
Exam Mode	Offline
Exam Duration	5 hours
Exam Syllabus	Mathematics:  Algebra Matrices and Determinants Trigonometry Analytical Geometry of two and three dimensions Differential Calculus Vector Algebra Statistics and Probability General Aptitude Test:  English General Knowledge Physics Chemistry General Science Geography Current Events etc.
Exam Pattern	GAT: 150 objective type questions Mathematics: 120 objective type questions
Language	English and Hindi
Exam Purpose	For admission to National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC)
Test Cities	41

UPSC has announced the dates of NDA 1 and 2 exams. Students can check below the NDA Exam Dates.

NDA 1 Exam Dates 2021

Events	Dates
Notification Release Date	30th December 2020
Application form Starting Date	30th December 2020
Last Date to Apply	19th January 2021
Application Withdrawal Date	27th Jan. to 2nd Feb. 2021
NDA 1 2021 Written Exam	18th April 2021
Admit Card Release Date	March 2021
Declaration of Written Result Date	June 2021
NDA 1 2021 SSB Interview	July to September 2021

NDA 2 Exam Dates 2021

Events	Dates
Notification Release Date	09th June 2021
Application Form Starting Date	09th June 2021
Last Date to Apply	29th June 2021
NDA 2 2021 Written Exam	05th September 2021
Admit Card Release Date	August 2021
Declaration of Written Result	December 2021
NDA 2 2021 SSB Interview	January 2022 to April 2022

The candidates must check the eligibility criteria given below before filling the NDA 2021 Application Form. The application forms of Ineligible students will be rejected. 

Nationality

• Indian Citizens
• Subjects of Nepal and Bhutan.
• The Tibetan refugees came and settled in India before 1st January 1962.
• Person of Indian origin migrated from Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and East African Countries of Kenya, Zaire, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Ethiopia or Vietnam.

Age Limit

• Candidates appearing in NDA 1 exam must have born before 1st July 2004 and for NDA 2 candidates must be born between 2nd January 2002 and 1st January 2005.
• Female candidates are not eligible.
• Married males are also not eligible for NDA 2021.

Education Qualification

• For the army wing of the national defense academy- Candidates must have passed class 12/HSE or equivalent from any recognized board or university.
• For Air Force, Navy, and Naval Academy of National Defence Academy- Candidates must have passed class 12/HSC with Physics and Mathematics.
• Candidates appearing for the Class 12th examination can also apply.

Physical Standards

• Candidates applying for NDA 2021 must be physically fit as per the physical standards.
• The candidates who have resigned or left any Army training on disciplinary grounds are not eligible.

NDA 2021 doesn’t have any type of reservation.

The application form for NDA 1 2021 has been released and NDA 2 2020 application forms will also be released soon. The candidates must know the proper procedure of filling the application form to avoid rejection due to any mistake in the application form. Below are the steps that you must follow while filling the NDA 2021 application forms: 

Step 1- Registration

1. Apply online 

• Visit the official website
• On the right-hand side, there will be two links ‘ PART 1’ and ‘Part 2’. Click on the link ( part 1 or 2, in which you want to apply)

2. Fill the application form

The application form will be divided into four pages-

Page 1

• Enter your details
• Enter you address
• Enter your educational qualifications

Page 2

• In this, the candidate has to choose the preferences from the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy.
• Mark the preferences according to your choice.
• Mark ‘o’ in the areas in which candidates don’t want to give any preference. 
• This page will also ask whether the appearing candidate belongs to Sanik/Military School or Son of JCO/NCO/Other Rank Officer?
• Mark your answer as  ‘no’ or ‘ yes’
• Click on “continue”.

Page 3

• Candidates can update the filled details if required by clicking on the update button.
• At last mark one of two options listed ‘ I agree’.

Page 4

• A registration ID will be generated.
• An E-mail regarding this will be sent to you.

Step 2

A. Fee payment

• The payment can be done through cash/ credit or debit card/ net-banking.
• Pay the fees at any branch of SBI bank in case of cash.
• The payment in the case of net banking can be done using the internet banking facility of State Bank of India/ State Bank of Hyderabad/State Bank of Travancore/State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur/State Bank of Patiala/State Bank of Mysore.
• An SMS will be sent regarding confirmation.

B. Uploading of photograph

• The size of the photo of the candidate should be less than 300Kb but more than 20Kb.
• It should be in .jpg format.
• The photo should be in 140*110 pixels.
• Bit depth should be 24 bit.

C. Uploading the signature

• The signature should be black ink with white background.
• The file format should be .jpg.
• It should be in 140*110 pixels.
• The file size should be between 40kb to 1kb.
• Bit depth should be 24 bit.

D. Choose the exam center

Step 3

Read the declaration shown and click agree.

Students can check below the NDA 2021 Fee structure details.

Category	Amount
General Category / OBC Candidates	Rs.100
SC/ST candidates or Sons of  Junior Commissioned Officer Or NCOs Non-Commissioned Officers  or Ors Other Ranks of Army and equivalent ranks in the Indian Navy/Indian Air Force.	Exempted

NDA examination centres are the cities wherever the offline test will be conducted. Candidates got to seem for the examination within the examination centre assigned to them by the examination authority. whereas filling the application form, candidates got to enter their preferences of examination city. UPSC allots exam centre to the students as per the preferences exercised by them within the application form. However, the Commission reserves the proper to cancel or add examination centres. The examination will be conducted within the following cities.

City Name	State
Aizawl	Mizoram
Agartala	Tripura
Ahmedabad	Gujarat
Allahabad	Uttar Pradesh
Bhopal	Madhya Pradesh
Bangalore	Karnataka
Bareilly	Uttar Pradesh

Check the complete list of NDA Exam Centres: Click Here

NDA 2021 admit cards are expected to be released by March 2021 and August 2021 for NDA 1 and NDA 2 respectively. 

Admit card will contain the following details:

• Candidate’s name 
• Date of Birth
• Roll no.
• Photograph and Signature
• Examination Date and Timing
• Exam Centre Name and code
• Exam center Address

Documents needed to be carried along with the admit card

Candidates need to carry the following documents to the exam center on the day of examination:

• Original identity proof like Passport, driving license, aadhar card, etc.
• Photocopy of the ID proof.
• 2 Passport size Photographs
• Admit Card

Candidates appearing in the NDA exam are tested eligible for the post by the written and SSB interview.

Stepwise to fill the Application Form

• Filling up the Application Form: Candidates who want to appear in NDA 2021 exam have to undergo this process. Candidates have to register themselves on the official website and then fill up the application form. The fee of Rs. 100 is charged but SC/ST or OBC are exempted to pay any fees. 
• Release of Admitting Card: The admits card will be released online before 3 weeks of the exam date. Candidates have to download it. 
• Written Exam Appearing: It is divided into two sections- Mathematics and general ability. The total marks will be 800 and 2.5 hours will be allotted to complete each section (mathematics and general ability). GAT contains 150 questions while mathematics contains 120 questions. 
• Declaration of the Result: The result will be declared in two stages: written exam result and final result. Results will be released on the official website.
• SSB Interview: IT has two stages. Stage 1 comprises of Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP&DT). Stage 2 will comprise of Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference.
• Final Selection: Candidates who have scored the qualifying marks in both the written exam and SSB interview are listed in the final election result.

• The total span of the paper is 5 hours
• The exam will be held in two languages – Hindi and English
• Candidates have to write a paper with their hand
• Question is of objective type
• In  case of any wrong answer, .33 Marks will be deducted
• The calculator is strictly not allowed in the exam hall
• The questions will be in MCQ format

Subjects	Marks
Mathematics	300
General Ability Test (Section-1: English)	200
General Ability Test (Section-1: General Knowledge)	400
Total Marks	900
SSB Interview	900
Grand Total	1800

NDA 2021 Syllabus for Mathematics

Algebra

Binary system of numbers	The concept of sets, Venn diagrams, operations on sets.
Representation of real numbers on a line	Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic Progressions
De Morgan laws, Cartesian product, relation, equivalence relation	Conversion of a number in decimal system to binary system and vice-versa
Complex numbers—basic properties, cube roots of unity, argument, modulus	Quadratic 17 equations with real coefficients
Permutations and Combinations	Binomial theorem and its applications
A solution of linear inequations of two variables by graphs	Logarithms and their applications

Matrices and Determiners

Adjoint and inverse of a square matrix, Applications-Solution of a system of linear equations in two or three unknowns by Cramer’s rule and by Matrix Method	The determinant of a matrix, basic properties of determinants.
Types of matrices, operations on matrices	-

Trigonometry

Angles and their measures in degrees and radians	Trigonometric identities Sum and difference formulae
Trigonometrical ratios	Multiple and Sub-multiple angles
Inverse trigonometric functions	Applications- Distance and Height, properties of triangles

Analytical Geometry of 2 and 3 Dimensions

Rectangular Cartesian Coordinate system	Equation of a circle in standard and general form
Distance formula	Standard forms of parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola
Equation of a line in various forms	A point in a three-dimensional space, the distance between two points
The angle between two lines	Eccentricity and axis of a conic
The distance of a point from a line	Direction Cosines and direction ratios
Equation of a plane and a line in various forms	Direction Cosines and direction ratios
Equation two points	The angle between two lines and the angle between two planes
Equation of a sphere	-

Differential Calculus

Concept of a real-valued function–domain, range, and graph of a function	Continuity of functions—examples, algebraic operations on continuous functions
Composite functions, one to one, onto and inverse functions	The notion of limit, Standard limits—examples
Derivative of function at a point, geometrical and physical interpretation of a derivative—applications	Derivatives of sum, product, and quotient of functions, a derivative of a function concerning another function, a derivative of a composite function
Second-order derivatives	Application of derivatives in problems of maxima and minima
Increasing and decreasing functions

Integral and Differential Calculus

Standard integrals involving algebraic expressions, trigonometric, exponential, integration as the inverse of differentiation, integration by substitution and by parts, and hyperbolic functions	Definition of order and degree of a differential equation, formation of a differential equation by examples
Evaluation of definite integrals determination of areas of plane regions bounded by curves— applications	General and particular solution of differential equations, solution of the first order, and first-degree differential equations of various types—examples
Application in problems of growth and decay	-

Vector Algebra

Vector product or cross product of two vectors	Vectors in two and three dimensions, magnitude and direction of a vector
Unit and null vectors, the addition of vectors, scalar multiplication of a vector, scalar product, or dot product of two vectors	Applications—work done by a force and moment of a force and in geometrical problems

Statistics and Probability

Statistics: Classification of data, Frequency distribution, cumulative frequency distribution- examples	Graphical representation—Histogram, Pie Chart, frequency polygon—examples
Measures of Central tendency—Mean, median, and mode	Variance and standard deviation—determination and comparison
Probability: Outcomes, and associated sample space, events, mutually exclusive and exhaustive events, random experiment, impossible and certain events. Union and Intersection of events	Correlation and regression
Elementary, Complementary, and composite events	Definition of probability—classical and statistical— examples
Conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem—simple problems	Elementary theorems on probability - simple problems
Random variable as function on a sample space	Examples of random experiments giving rise to Binominal distribution, Binomial distribution

NDA 2021 Syllabus for General Ability

Section A – Physics

Mass, Weight, Volume, Density, Physical Properties and the States of Matte, and Specific Gravity, Principle of Archimedes, Pressure Barometer.	The motion of objects, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Velocity and Acceleration,  Force and Momentum, Stability and Equilibrium of bodies, Parallelogram of Forces, Gravitation, elementary ideas of work, Power and Energy.
Measurement of Temperature and Heat, Effects of Heat, change of State and Latent Heat, Modes of transference of Heat.	Sound waves and their properties, Simple musical instruments.
Rectilinear propagation of Light, Reflection, and refraction. Spherical Mirrors and Lenses, Human Eye.	Natural and Artificial Magnets, Properties of a Magnet, Earth as a Magnet.
Static and Current Electricity, conductors and Non-conductors, Simple Electrical Circuits, Ohm’s Law, Heating, Lighting and Magnetic effects of Current, Measurement of Electrical Power, Primary and Secondary Cells, Use of X-Rays.	General Principles in the working of the following: Simple Pendulum, Simple Pulleys, Siphon, Levers, Pressure Cooker, Balloon, Pumps, Hydrometer, Thermos Flask, Gramophone, Telegraphs, Telephone, Periscope, Telescope, Microscope, Mariner’s Compass; Lightening Conductors, Safety Fuses.

Section B – Chemistry

Physical and Chemical changes Mixtures, Elements, and Compounds, Symbols, Formulae and simple Chemical Equations, Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems).	Properties of Air and Water. Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen,  and Carbon dioxide, Oxidation, and Reduction.
Acids, bases, and salts.	Carbon— different forms.
Fertilizers—Natural and Artificial.	The material used in the preparation of substances like Paper, Cement, Paints, Soap, Glass, Ink, Safety Matches, and Gun-Powder.
Elementary ideas about the Structure of Atom, Molecular Weights, Valency, and Atomic Equivalent.	-

Section C - General Science

Difference between the non-living and living.	Basis of Life—Cells, Tissues, and Protoplasms.
Common Epidemics, their causes, and prevention. Food- Source of Energy for man.	The Solar System-Meteors and Comets, Eclipses, Constituents of food, Balanced Diet.
Achievements of Eminent Scientists.	Elementary knowledge of the Human Body and its important organs.
Growth and Reproduction in Plants and Animals.	-

Section D - History, Freedom Movements

A broad survey of Indian History, with emphasis on Culture and Civilisation.	Forces shaping the modern world; Renaissance, Exploration, and Discovery; War of American Independence.
Elementary study of Indian Constitution and Administration.	Sarvodaya, Bhoodan, National Integration, and Welfare State, Basic Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
Freedom Movement in India.	Elementary knowledge of Five Year Plans of India. Panchayati Raj, Co-operatives, and Community Development.
French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, and Russian Revolution. Impact of Science and Technology on Society.	Concept of one World, Panchsheel, United Nations, Democracy, Socialism, and Communism.
Role of India in the present world.	-

Section E - Geography

The Earth, its shape, and size	Rocks and their classification,  Weathering- Chemical and Mechanical, Volcanoes and Earthquakes.
Latitudes and Longitudes, Concept of time.	Ocean Currents and Tides Atmosphere and its composition; Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure, Planetary Winds, Cyclones, and Anti-cyclones; Humidity; Condensation and Precipitation; Types of Climate, Major Natural Regions of the World.
International Date Line	Regional Geography of India—Climate, Natural vegetation.
Movements of Earth and their effects.	Location and distribution of agricultural and Industrial activities and Mineral and Power Resources.
Origin of Earth.	Important Sea ports and main sea, land, and air routes of India.
Main items of Imports and Exports of India.	-

Section F - Current Events

Knowledge of Important events that have happened in India in recent years.	Prominent personalities—both Indian and International including those connected with cultural activities and sports.
Current important world events.	-

Stage 2- SSB Interview

The candidates who qualify written exam will be eligible for NDA SSB Interview. The interview will be conducted into 2 parts:

Part 1:  It comprises of Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) and Picture Perception & Description Test (PP&DT). 
Part 2: It comprises of Interview, Group testing officer tasks, psychology test, and conference.

Selecting the best books for the NDA 2021 is very important as the competition is very high and candidates need to study hard. Students should select the books that have important topics and chapters in which they need help. 

Best books for NDA 2021

• For NDA & NA Entrance Examination Pathfinder by Arihant

Best books for NDA 2021 General Knowledge

• By Lucent 'Lucent’s General Knowledge'
• By Disha Experts 'Objective General Knowledge and Current Affairs'

Best Books for NDA 2021 Quantitative Aptitude

• Mathematics for NDA/NA by R.S. Aggarwal 
• Qualitative Aptitude For Competitive Examination by R.S. Aggarwal

Best Books for NDA 2021 English

• Objective General English by SP Bakshi

• Candidates will be awarded 5 marks for the correct answer in the case of GAT and 2.5 marks in mathematics and 0.33 marks will be deducted in the case of any wrong answer.
• Each section will have 900 marks. So the final paper will be of 1,800 marks.

The NDA 2021 Result will be declared after few weeks of examination. The candidates who will qualify for both stages will be listed in the final result.

NDA 2021 Result Dates

Particulars	NDA 1 Result 2021	NDA 2 Result 2021
Written Exam	18th April 2021	5th September 2021
Written Exam Result Declaration	June 2021	November 2021
Declaration of final NDA Result	To be notified	To be notified

Steps to Check the NDA 2021 Result:

• Go to UPSC's official website.
• Click on the result link
• Download the pdf file 
• You can check for your roll numbers in the pdf file.

NDA scoreboard 2021 will comprise the details of marks scored by the candidates. The following information will be printed on the NDA 2021 scoreboard: 

• Candidate’s Name
• Roll number
• Selection and overall score

If more than 1 candidate scored equal marks, this will be a tie. In this case, the elder candidate will be given preferences.

NDA cutoff 2021 will be released along with the final result. The cutoff will be based on the number of students and marks obtained. 

Here is the analysis of the NDA 2020 cutoff:

NDA 1 2019 Final Cut Off

Academy	NDA 1 Final Cut off 2019 (out of 1800)
Army	704
Navy	704
Air Force	704
Naval Academy	704

NDA 1 Cut Off Analysis

Year	NDA 1 Cut Off out of 1800 Marks
2018	705
2017	708
2016	656

NDA 2 Cut Off Analysis

Year	NDA 1 Cut Off out of 1800 Marks
2018	688
2017	624
2016	602

There will be no such thing in NDA as directed by the UPSC. Because no other institution can enroll you if you pass the exam.

• B.E./ B. tech
• B Sc.
• B.A.
• B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering
• B.Sc in Computer Sciences

The NDA answer key will be available officially after few days of the exam but after few hours of the exam most of the educational institutes publish the answer key but they will not be recognized by the appropriate authorities.

As it is obvious that the numbers of candidates competing are very high which is making the NDA 2021 highly competitive. Proper preparation is very important to crack the examination. Here are some tips that will help you to crack the NDA 2021 with a good score.

1. Understand the syllabus: NDA 2021 syllabus is mention above. Candidates must understand the syllabus and plan their studies accordingly. Find out which chapters or topics are tough for you and focus on them.
2. Know the examination pattern: NDA 2021 exam pattern is explained in the article. Candidates must have a clear understanding of the exam pattern to study accordingly. Focus on the high weightage sections or topics.
3. Make a well-planned timetable: Candidates must prepare a well-planned timetable that contains enough time for study and hobbies as well. You can’t keep on studying for long hours continuously, so, plan your schedule in such a way that you get enough time for yourself too.
4. Solve previous year question papers: You can search the previous year's NDA papers online and solve them. It will help you to understand the types of questions and important questions also. 
5. Keep revising: Regular revision is very important to feed the topics in your mind properly. 
6. Eat healthily: Your health is very important during exam preparation. A healthy body and mind can concentrate more on studies. Candidates are advised to eat a healthy and balanced diet. 
7. Meditation: Meditation is very helpful in increasing mental capacity and focus. Do meditation daily for better preparation.

Mock tests perform an important role in exam preparation. It fills up you with confidence that yes I can do it. You get to know your weakness and work on them. Mock tests help you to identify types of questions and important topics along with marks distribution in the paper. It familiarizes you with the actual examination.

After the declaration of the NDA final result, Candidates have to undergo a training period after which they are given the rank of Lieutenant in Army, Sub Lieutenant in Navy, and Flying Officer in Airport.

Mobile number-011-23385271/011-23381125/011- 23098543
Official website www.upsc.gov.in

Q1. The age limit for NDA 2021 exam?
Ans. The age of the candidate should be between 16 to 19 years. 

Q2. Can girls apply?
Ans. No, girls cannot apply?

Q3. Can a married candidate apply?
Ans. No, only unmarried candidates are allowed to apply

Q4. Can I clear in the first attempt?
Ans. Yes, you can clear in the first attempt.

Q5. Can it be cleared with the six moths preparation?
Ans. Yes, but you need to prepare with the utmost dedication

Q6. Can a candidate apply offline?
Ans.  No, the registration will be online only

Q7. Can a second form be filled in case of any mistakes in the form?
Ans. Yes, however, you are given a chance to go through the form once again after filling it but if the mistake is not seen because of any reason the second form has to be filled with a different E-mail id.

Q8. What is the registration fee?
Ans. The registration fee is Rs.100 but the candidates who belong to Sc/St Are exempted from paying it. 

Q9. Will, a candidate get the hard copy of the result?
Ans. No, the result will be available online.

Q10. What are the qualifying marks?
Ans. Candidates have to secure a minimum of 25% of total marks in each subject.