NDA
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)Closed
National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026 — the exam was held on 13 Sep 2026 and UPSC has published the Written Result.Use the official UPSC result notice for the current next stage.
Important Dates
Some details below are not confirmed — check the official notification ↗
Vacancies & Posts
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Total Vacancies394Pay
| Pay Level | Pay Band | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Officer Cadet (training) | ₹56,100/month (Level 10 starting pay) as a training stipend | National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla — 3-year joint Army/Navy/Air Force training, then a service-specific academy before commissioning |
| Lieutenant/equivalent on commissioning | Level 10, ₹56,100–₹1,77,500 + Military Service Pay ₹15,500/month fixed (Lieutenant to Brigadier) | Rank progresses Captain (2 yrs) → Major (6 yrs) → Lt Col (13 yrs) → Colonel and above by selection, not automatically |
Confirmed from the official notification's Appendix IV.
Who Can Apply
Check against the official notification ↗
Application fee
What You Need
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- 📷 PhotoNo fixed pixel dimensions given in the current official instructions — file-size range only · 20–200 KB · JPG/JPEG — colour photo, plain white background, face ≥75% of frame, both ear lobes visible, no glasses glare/dark glasses; live photo capture also mandatory during the application
- ✍️ Signature350–500 px wide · 20–100 KB · JPG/JPEG — TRIPLE SIGNATURE required — sign three times vertically, one below the other, black ink on plain white paper, with adequate gap between each signature; scan all three as a single image
- 💳 Application FeeGeneral/OBC male candidates: Rs 100.SC/ST candidates and all female candidates (NDA now admits women): exempted from fee.
How to Apply
Check against the official notification ↗
View Official Notification ↗- Register at upsconline.nic.in — the only official application site — via UPSC's 4-part system (account → Universal Registration Number → Common Application Form → exam-specific module)
- Upload your photo and triple signature to spec
- Pay the fee — ₹100, waived for SC/ST, all women, and wards of JCO/NCO/OR in Sainik Schools
- Live photo capture is mandatory at the Common Application Form stage, in addition to the uploaded photo
- Download your e-admit card when released — no postal or emailed admit cards are sent
Exam Pattern
Some details below are not confirmed — check the official notification ↗
Mathematics paper: 2.5 hours. GAT (General Ability Test) paper: 2.5 hours. Total written exam: 5 hours across the two papers (same day). SSB interview process spans 4-5 days. · Negative Marking: Mathematics: -0.83 marks per wrong answer (1/3 of 2.5). GAT: -1.33 marks per wrong answer (1/3 of 4). No deduction for unattempted questions. · Passing Marks: N/A for a single fixed percentage — NDA uses a two-stage qualifying structure: candidates must first clear a merit-based written exam cutoff (varies each year with normalization, not fixed), then separately qualify the SSB Interview (which has its own pass/fail standard, not a percentage) before final merit combines both written and SSB marks (out of 900 + 900 = 1800 total).
| Section | Details |
|---|---|
| Written: Mathematics | 120 questions, 300 marks, 2.5 hours, each correct answer = 2.5 marks |
| Written: General Ability Test (GAT) | 150 questions, 600 marks, 2.5 hours — Part A: English (50 questions), Part B: General Knowledge covering Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, Geography, Current Affairs (100 questions) |
| SSB Interview | 900 marks — assessed by Interviewing Officer (IO), Group Testing Officer (GTO), and Psychologist over multiple days (includes psychological tests, group tasks, personal interview) |
Figures agree across multiple coaching-site sources' news coverage of the actual NDA-2 2025 answer key release (secondary + semi-official confirmation via secondary coverage of the released marking scheme) — high confidence for the written exam structure; fee figures are commonly cited across multiple sources.
Syllabus
Want the complete topic-by-topic syllabus for this exam?
View Full Syllabus →Selection Process
Two-stage selection — (1) UPSC written exam (offline, pen-and-paper OMR, objective type: Mathematics + General Ability Test), followed by (2) SSB Interview (Intelligence &Personality Test) for candidates who clear the written exam, then medical examination.
Result
Written Result published
Career
Official — from the notification's Appendix IV. Unlike civil service, ranks above Colonel are not time-bound.
- Lieutenant (or equivalent) — on commission
- Captain (or equivalent) — at 2 years
- Major (or equivalent) — at 6 years
- Lt Col (or equivalent) — at 13 years
- Colonel (or equivalent) — on selection, or a 26-year time-scale
- Brigadier and above — on selection only
Source & Verification
FAQs
If I clear the written exam but fail the SSB interview, can I retake just the SSB?
No, each NDA cycle (NDA-1, NDA-2) requires clearing the written exam again — SSB clearance from a previous written attempt doesn't carry forward to a new cycle.
Is Mathematics or GAT weighted more heavily in the final merit?
GAT carries more raw marks (600) than Mathematics (300), but both are added into your total written score of 900, and then combined with SSB marks (also 900) for final merit — so both matter and there's no single easier path.
Is there a fixed minimum percentage I need in the written exam to qualify for SSB?
No fixed public percentage — UPSC sets a cutoff each cycle based on vacancies and performance (normalized), so "passing" the written stage is relative to that year's cutoff, not a stated fixed percentage.
Can women apply for NDA now?
Yes, since 2021 NDA is open to female candidates for the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings, with fee exemption applicable to female candidates same as SC/ST.
Important Links
GovBabu is independent and not affiliated with UPSC, SSC, IBPS, Railway, BPSC or any government body. Requirement details are compiled from official notifications where available — always confirm against the current official notification before submitting.