NDA & NA 2026 — National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Exam

What Is NDA?

NDA — the National Defence Academy — is India's joint services military training academy in Khadakwasla, Pune. If you want to become an officer in the Indian Army, Navy, or Air Force straight after 12th class — without going through a college degree first — NDA is the path.

You join the NDA as a cadet, spend 3 years there (getting a degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University simultaneously), and then move to the respective service academy — Indian Military Academy (IMA) for Army, Naval Academy (Ezhimala) for Navy, and Air Force Academy (Dundigal) for Air Force — for a further 1–1.5 years of specialized training. By the time you're commissioned as a Lieutenant/Sub-Lieutenant, you're 21–22 years old with a degree and an officer's rank.

The SSB (Services Selection Board) interview is what most candidates find hardest. Written exam scores matter — but your SSB performance decides whether you're officer material. SSB tests personality, leadership potential, communication, and mental toughness across 5 days. The pass rate at SSB is roughly 2–3 per batch of 12–15 candidates recommended.

Wings and Vacancies

Two exams per year: NDA I (April exam, July course start) and NDA II (September exam, January course start).

Eligibility

Age

• NDA I 2026: Born between January 2, 2007 and January 1, 2010
• NDA II 2026: Born between July 2, 2007 and July 1, 2010

This means you must be in 12th class or just completed 12th when you apply.

Educational Qualification

• Army Wing: 12th pass in any stream from a recognised board
• Navy Wing: 12th with Physics and Mathematics
• Air Force Wing: 12th with Physics and Mathematics
• Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry): 12th with Physics and Mathematics

Note: Candidates appearing in 12th Class Board exams may also apply — you can appear for the written exam before results, and produce marksheet if called for SSB.

Physical Standards

No spectacles or contact lenses for Air Force (flying branch). Army and Navy have more lenient vision standards (glasses allowed if within limits). Full medical done after SSB.

Exam Pattern

Mathematics Paper (300 marks, 2.5 hours)

Algebra, Matrices, Determinants, Trigonometry, 2D/3D Geometry, Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, Probability, Statistics, Vector Algebra. Class 11–12 NCERT Mathematics covers the core of the syllabus. Practice speed — 120 questions in 150 minutes means 75 seconds per question.

General Ability Test — GAT (600 marks, 2.5 hours)

• English (200 marks): Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, spotting errors, fill in the blanks
• General Knowledge (400 marks): Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Indian Polity, Current Affairs

Negative marking: 1/3 of marks per wrong answer.

SSB Interview — What To Expect

The 5-day SSB is unlike any other selection process:

• Day 1: PPDT (Picture Perception Test) — narrate a story from an ambiguous image, then group discussion
• Days 2–4: TAT (Thematic Apperception Test), WAT (Word Association Test), SRT (Situation Reaction Test), GTO tasks (group and individual outdoor tasks), and Personal Interview
• Day 5: Conference with board

What SSB evaluates: Officer Like Qualities (OLQs) — courage, communication, decisiveness, integrity, cooperativeness. There's no trick to faking this — examiners are experienced officers who've seen thousands of candidates. Be yourself, be consistent.

Salary After Commissioning

Additionally: free accommodation (officers' mess), free ration, official vehicle, CSD canteen, ECHS medical for life (including family), free air travel in service, and pension after 20 years.

Important Dates 2026 (NDA II)

Official Links