NDA Entrance Exam-2, 2022 on September 4, 2022: detailed last-week tips to crack NDA Exam 2022

How about joining the armed forces as an officer when most of your friends are still in school? It's possible by clearing the NDA (National Defence Academy) Exam - a great way to land a job in the Indian army, air force, and the Indian navy officers.

Each year lakhs of students apply for the NDA Exam but only a few get selected. Many lose despite being brilliant academically while there also are few who make it through even when they were considered average students. So what's the trick?

The trick is to know how to prepare for the NDA exam. If you are preparing for NDA Exam 2023, here are detailed last-week tips to help you pass the NDA Exam:

Have detailed knowledge of the NDA Exam pattern and syllabus

"Knowing the enemy is winning half the battle," it is said. So the first and the most important tip is to know about the NDA Exam pattern and syllabus

NDA Exam Pattern
There are two sections in NDA Written Exam-
Mathematics and General Ability Test.

The detailed exam pattern for NDA:

Mathematics Paper:

• The Mathematics section includes questions from Arithmetic, Algebra, Mensuration, Trigonometry, Calculus, etc.
• There are 120 questions in total and you get 2.5 hrs of time to solve it.
• You get 4 marks for each right answer, while every wrong answer will reduce 1.33 marks from your overall score.

The General Ability Test (GAT)

It consists of two sections:

• General English: 50 questions
• General Knowledge: 100 questions
• There are 150 questions in total and you get 2.5 hrs of time to solve it.
• You get 4 marks for each right answer, while every wrong answer will reduce 1.33 marks from your overall score.
• It contains questions from a wide range of topics such as General Knowledge, English, Current Affairs, Geography, History etc.

The whole NDA Exam is conducted in offline mode. That means you'll have to be physically present at the allotted exam centre to write the test

Some Good Books for preparation for Mathematics in NDA Exams are:

• NCERT Mathematics Textbooks of Class 11 and Class 12
• Pathfinder NDA & NA by Arihant Publications
• Mathematics for NDA and NA by RS Aggarwal
• Mathematics for NDA and NA by S Chand publication
• NDA entrance exam by E.S. Ramaswamy
• Quantitative Aptitude by R.S. Agarwal

Some Good Books for preparation for the General Ability test in NDA Exams are:

• Latest Manorama Yearbook
• General Knowledge 2022 by Arihant Publication
• Objective General Knowledge by Lucent Publications
• High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman & Lewis
• History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra

These books are given just for reference. Great if you already have it OR just prepare from the ones you already have.

Make a note of all the important tricks and formulas

It's important to make a note of all the important tricks and formulas. Have them memorized. Make sure to practise questions based on them. Frequently.

Keep the last few days exclusively for revision.

Do not waste time learning new topics. It can confuse you. It's very difficult to learn something new in so few days and to make the matter worse, you can even forget or complicate things learned earlier.
A week before the examination, just revise whatever you have learned...a report says we forget 90% of what we study within 24 hours unless we revise. Revision helps us in better retention of concepts and information.

Focus on learning concepts and practice

If you have the concept sorted, no question - however complicated - can trouble you. Go through important concepts and see if you need to further work on them.

Solve Mock tests and previous year's question papers:

Most of the questions asked in the NDA Exams are repeat ones. That's why having the experience of solving several Mock tests and previous year's question papers can be the difference between success and failure.
Practising Mock tests and previous year's question papers helps you in identifying your weaknesses; analyse your progress, and manage your exam time better.

Go for the low-hanging fruits first:

You get limited time to solve all the questions. So, how do you plan to start? Chronologically? Wait, do you even have a plan or strategy regarding this?

The expert says we should start the test by solving easier questions first. Just like it is easier to pick low-hanging fruits from a tree. It builds much-needed momentum and confidence essential to solving tougher questions next.
Even if you can't attempt all the questions in the allotted duration, you won't feel guilty for not attempting questions you think you could easily have done.

Avoid Bouncer Questions:

Some candidates waste a lot of time trying to solve bouncer questions and that leaves them with little time for other questions. This is a suicidal urge or strategy. Don't be one of them. Always go for easier questions first and move up the difficulty level with time.

Never devote more than 2-minute to any question:

If there is any question that is consuming over 2 precious minutes of yours, Leave It!
Move to other questions. You can always come back to it if you still have time left.

Be updated with current affairs

Read newspapers, articles, journals, etc to keep yourself updated on current affairs. It doesn't only help you in the written NDA exam but also in the SSB interview.

Never Panic

Come what may! Never panic. This is how most of the candidates go out of the race.
It might be the very first competitive exam you are sitting for and there is a world of opportunities waiting for you even after this. Just do all you can, like staying consistent in your studies and believing in yourself. Don't let negative people or ideas surround you and stay motivated.

Keep a track of your time

Keep a track of time while solving questions. So that you solve the maximum number of the question you think are possible for you to solve.

We hope these last-week detailed tricks and tips will help you clear the NDA Exam 2022.

Best of Luck!