The NDA exam is conducted by UPSC for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA. This exam is a gateway for candidates looking forward to joining Defence Forces including Army, Navy and Air Force.
This is a national level exam conducted twice a year: NDA I and NDA II to help candidates make a career in Defence services. National Defence Academy & Naval Academy (NDA & NA) Examination will be a two-step process where candidates first need to take the exam and then qualify the personality test or interview conducted by the Service Selection Board (SSB). The UPSC is solely responsible for issuing guidelines for selection and the final conduct of the entrance examination.
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) NDA & NA (I) 2025 Notification for the 406 Vacancies was made public on 11 December, 2024. Qualified candidates may register for the NDA (I) 2025 between 11 to 31 December, 2024. The UPSC NDA & NA (I) 2025 Notification was hosted on upsc.gov.in on 11 December, 2024. In addition to the format annoucement, the UPSC NDA (I) application form 2025 must be filled & submitted.
UPSC administers the NDA test twice a year for admission of the Indian Defence Forces, Army, Navy and Air Force branches. Passing this exam allows you to apply for officer positions in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
Every year, the UPSC releases the NDA exam notification to shortlist the candidates for the courses in National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA). Candidates who are aspiring for the Defence Services are advised to download NDA notification pdf. The recruitment NDA exam notification contains all the details such as application process, eligibility, exam pattern and selection process. Explore the NDA notification 2025 pdf below.
| NDA Notification 2025 | Notification Date |
| NDA Notification (I) 2025 | December 11, 2024 |
| NDA Notification (II) 2025 | May 28, 2025 |
The information about the NDA Exam is summarised below.
| Exam Particulars | Exam Details |
| Exam Name | National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (NDA & NA) |
| Conducting Body | UPSC |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Frequency | Twice a year (April & September) |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Exam Stages | Written exam and SSB Interview |
| Medium of Exam | English & Hindi |
| No. of Test Cities | More than 70 test cities |
| Total Marks | Written Exam - 900 & SSB Interview - 900 |
| Exam Duration | Two and half hours (2.30 Mins) |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
| Contact | 011-2338527 / 011 - 23381125 / 011 - 23098543 |
The Union Public Service Commission, popularly abbreviated as UPSC will be conducting the UPSC National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA) (I) Examination on 13 April, 2025. The UPSC NDA & NA 2025 Notification for the 406 vacancies was made public on 11 December, 2024. The candidates who have applied for the test, are anticipated to download their Admit Cards from the official website of the Commission.
The UPSC NDA (I) Admit Card 2025 will release in the month of March, 2025, by the Union Public Service Commission. The Admit Card will be available for download at upsc.gov.in, the official website of the UPSC, for candidates who will appear for the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (I), 2025.
Step 1: Visit the official site of UPSC; upsc.gov.in.
Step 2: Click on UPSC NDA (I) Admit Card 2025 link available on the home page.
Step 3: Enter the login details and click on submit.
Step 4: Your Admit Card will be displayed on the screen.
Step 5: Check the Admit Card and download the page.
Step 6: Keep a hard copy of the same for further need.
On August 18, the Supreme Court has passed an interim order to allow women to join UPSC National Defence Academy & Naval Academy (NDA & NA) exam. The apex court has directed the concerned authority to make necessary arrangements that allow women to sit for the UPSC NDA (II) exam 2021 scheduled on November 14.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will start the Registration process for NDA & NA (II) 2025 on the official website. The aspirants, who find themselve interested and eligible in the examination, being conducted by the UPSC are expected to register themselves for the aforesaid examination. The registration for the UPSC NDA & NA and CDS window is open from May 28, 2025 till June 17, 2025. Candidates interested can fill out the Application Form at the official website of the Commission; upsc.gov.in. Aspirants are requested to keep visiting the website for the latest information and news.
Step 1: Visit the UPSC official website - upsc.gov.in.
Step 2: Click on the ‘Apply Online link’ available on the homepage.
Step 3: Login by using valid login credentials email ID and OTP, password or mobile number and OTP or password or OTR ID and OTP, password.
Step 4: Candidates have to fill out the UPSC NDA & NA 2025 application form in two parts which include filling in other details, fee payment, uploading of scanned documents, signature, photo identity card document and selection of preferred exam center.
Step 5: Once submitted, Applicants will not be able to make changes in their UPSC NDA & NA Application Form 2025.
Step 6: Candidates have to download it as a pdf file and take a printout for future reference.
The Commission has released the NDA & NA (I) 2025 notification on 11th December, 2024. The online applications will be accepted until December 31, 2024. The notification released is for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA for the 155th Course, and for the 117th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) commencing from 01st January 2026. The Union Public Service Commission, UPSC will be conducting the NDA & NA (I) Examinations on April 14, 2025. The candidates who will be appearing for the examinations are supposed to keep an eye on the official website of the Commission. The official website; upsc.gov.in will be updating the aspirants with important information and updates. So, the candidates are expected to visit the website at regular intervals. The number of vacancies are given below for NDA & NA (I) 2025.
| NDA & NA (I) | Wings | No. of Vacancies |
| National Defence Academy | Army | 208 (Including 10 for female candidates) |
| Navy | 42 (Including 06 for female candidates) | |
| Air Force | Flying-92 (Including 02 for female candidates) Ground Duties (Tech) - 18 (Including 02 for female candidates) Ground Duties (Non Tech) - 10 (Including 02 for female candidates) | |
| Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme) | 36 (Including 05 for female candidate) | |
| Total | 406 |
Note: Candidates should note that the 120 vacancies under Air Force including 28 for Ground Duties.
The Commission will release the NDA & NA (II) 2025 notification on May 28, 2025.
The online applications will be accepted until June 17, 2025. The notification was released for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA for the 147th Course, and for the 106th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) commencing from 01st June 2026. The approximate number of vacancies are given below for NDA & NA (II) 2025. The aspiring candidates are requested to visit the official website of the Commission regularly:- upsc.gov.in
| NDA & NA (II) 2025 | Vacancies |
| National Defence Academy | 370 (208 for Army, 42 for Navy and 120 for Air Force) |
| Naval Academy | 36 |
| Total | 406 |
The first step of the selection process will begin with the NDA registration. After checking all the details meticulously in the NDA notification, candidates should start registering for the exam. The NDA exam application form will be available only on the official website of the UPSC. Candidates are advised to explore the complete details about NDA application form steps below.
Below is a breakdown of fees by category.
| Category | Fees (INR) |
| General / OBC | Rs. 100/- |
| SC / ST Sons of JCOs, NCOs, ORs | NIL |
UPSC NDA Exam is divided into two parts: The written exam and the SSB Interview.
The written test consists of two papers: Mathematics Paper I and the General Ability Test (GAT). Each Paper will last 2-12 hours. The test has a maximum score of 900. For incorrect answers, one-third of the marks assigned to each question will be removed. The SSB Interview is divided into two stages. Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) exams and Picture Perception and Description Test (PPDT) are part of Stage I. Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Psychology Tests, and the Conference from Stage 2. The total score for the SSB Interview is 900.
The UPSC NDA Syllabus includes topics such as mathematics and the General Ability Test (GAT). The Mathematics Syllabus is designed for students in grades 11 & 12. To do well in this part, candidates must read the NCERT Books of Mathematics. The GAT is broken into two sections: A and B. Part A has English Questions, Whereas Part B contains General Knowledge questions.
The UPSC NDA & NA Salary is INR 56,000 for the full length of training in Service academies. Following satisfactory training, the Officer Commissioned NDA wage will be established inthe first Cell of Level 10.
The NDA Cut off is the minimum qualifying mark that candidates must get in order to pass the exam and advance to the next phase of selection. Following the completion of the recruitment process, the cut off marks for the written exam and SSB Interview are announced separately. Candidates must get at least 25% in each subject / paper. The NDA cut off for the written exam is set at 900 points, while the final cut off is set at 1800 points. The ultimate cut off is the score obtained by the last recommended applicant.
Candidates can view hte NDA 2025 FAQs below.
Q: What is the NDA Marking Scheme?
A: There are negative marks for incorrect answers; for each incorrect answer, 1/3 of the total marks are deducted.There is no penalty for unanswered queries.The NDA Marking Scheme is shown below.GAT Four points are awarded for correct answers, while 1.33 points are deducted for incorrect answers.Maths Correct answers received 2.5 points, while incorrect ones receive 2.5 points.Candidates' marks are calculated depending on the number of correct and wrong answers.The following is the NDA exam marking scheme:
| Sections | Marks for Correct Answer | NDA Negative Marking |
| GAT | 4 | 1.33 |
| Mathematics | 2.5 | 0.83 |