NDA 2026 Exam: Notification, Exam Date, Cut Off, Syllabus, Eligibility, Pattern

UPSC NDA exam is a national level defence exam that is held two times a year. NDA exam is conducted by the UPSC and is the most sought-after exam by the 12th pass/appearing candidates to join the defence forces of the country. The notification for NDA 2 exam shall be released today along with the apply online link. Check the latest updates on NDA NA exam on this page. 

NDA 1 2026 Exam Latest Updates 

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) officially released the NDA/NA 2026 notification on December 10, 2025, at upsc.gov.in. This is the official start of the selection process, providing essential details for all aspirants. It covers everything from eligibility criteria and important dates to the detailed syllabus and exam pattern.

Registration for the exam began immediately with the release of the notification. Candidates are advised to carefully review all eligibility requirements before submitting their applications. As per the official schedule, the UPSC NDA 1 exam is set for April 12, 2026, while the NDA 2 exam will take place on September 13, 2026.

NDA 1 2026 Highlights

NDA exam is held twice a year, termed as NDA 1 and NDA 2. Here are the major highlights of the NDA exam in the table below. 

What is NDA Exam - Full Form and Details

The full form of NDA is the National Defence Academy. The NDA exam is a national-level exam that is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission two times a year. More than 2.5 lakh unmarried male and female candidates fill NDA for each year. The selection process for the NDA exam is composed of a written exam followed by SSB and interview. Candidates who qualify each stage of the examination process are eligible to undergo the NDA course. After the successful completion of the NDA course, the candidates are appointed as officers in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. 

NDA 1 2026 Exam Date 

UPSC will release the NDA 2 notification 2026 on its website on May 20, 2026. Candidates can fill out the application forms until June 9, 2026. The exam is scheduled to be held on September 13, 2026. Check the table below for more details.

NDA Admit Card 2026

The admit card for NDA 1 exam will be released online on upsconline.nic.in/. Once the admit card has been released online, the candidates will be able to download it by logging in with their login credentials. 

NDA 1 2026 Notification 

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) released the official NDA/NA 1 2026 notification on December 10, 2025, at upsc.gov.in. This is the official start of the selection process and contains all the essential details for aspirants. It includes the latest eligibility criteria, important exam dates, the detailed syllabus, and the exam pattern.

NDA 1 2026 Vacancy

The UPSC has announced a total of 394 vacancies for the NDA 1 2026 exam. These vacancies are distributed among the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Naval Academy.

Here is the branch-wise breakdown:

NDA 2026 Application Form

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is scheduled to release the NDA 2 2026 application form on May 20, 2026, via the official website at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can fill out the application forms until June 9, 2026. While the specific dates for the application correction window will be confirmed in the formal notification, candidates must possess a UPSC One-Time Registration (OTR) number to access the form.

NDA 2026 Online Application Process

• Visit the official website of UPSC and click on the NDA 1 2026 online form link. 

• Complete the One Time Registration (OTR) Process if not registered earlier.

• Those who have already registered for it can proceed to fill out the application form. 

• The NDA 2 application form has to be completed in two parts, Part 1 and Part 2. 

• In Part 1, they have to fill in the basic details while in Part 2, the scanned copy of the photograph, signature, fee payment, etc has to be done. 

• Candidates will also have the option to withdraw their NDA 2 application form during the date that shall be notified by the UPSC. 

NDA Application Fee

The NDA application fee can be paid through SBI challan or through online mode. The application fee for NDA exam is Rs. 100/-. SC/ ST/ NCOs/ Sons of JCOs/ ORS category are exempted from paying the application fee. Here is the table depicting the category-wise exam fee for the NDA exam.

NDA 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The UPSC defines the NDA eligibility criteria. Candidates who wish to fill the NDA online form should ensure that they fulfil the following given criteria. 

NDA Age Limit

The age limit plays a crucial role in determining the candidates’s eligibility for the NDA exam. The age limit of the candidates for NDA exam must be as follows:

Educational Qualification for NDA

The educational qualification for the NDA exam remains the same for the NDA 1 and NDA 2 exam. Here is the educational qualification for NDA exam:

• Candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class 12th exam can apply for the Army Wing.

• Candidates who wish to join the Air Force, Navy and Naval Academy of NDA should have passed or are appearing in class 12th with Physics, Chemistry and Math.

NDA Nationality

Any candidate who is an Indian citizen or subject of Nepal/ subject of Bhutan/ refugee of Tibetan who came to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention to settle permanently in India is eligible to fill the NDA form. Other than this, the following candidates are also eligible to apply for NDA exam:

• Candidates who have migrated from Burma, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and east African countries of Zambia, Tanzania, Zaire, Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda or Vietnam with an intention of settling in India.

• Foreign nationals (except Gorkhas) will be required to produce a certificate of eligibility which is issued by Govt. of India

Gender and Marital Status for NDA Exam

The gender and marital status to fill the NDA online form is as follows:

• Male and Female candidates, both are eligible to apply for NDA exam 2026

• The candidate must be unmarried. They must not have married until their training period gets over. 

Check NDA Study Material

NDA Exam Pattern 2026 for Written Exam

NDA exam pattern 2026 for the written test is composed of two papers-Maths and General Aptitude Test (GAT). Both the papers will be held on the same day with a break in between. Each paper of the NDA written exam is objective in nature. GAT is for 600 marks where one has to attempt 150 questions. The exam duration for each paper of the NDA exam is 2.5 Hours. The NDA exam pattern is tabulated below.

NDA Exam Pattern 2026 for SSB Interview

The candidates who will qualify the NDA written exam shall be called to appear for the SSB Interview. There are two stages for the NDA SSB and Interview. The stage 1 of the NDA SSB consists of Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT). While Stage 2 consists of Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference. The total marks for the NDA SSB interview is 900 marks. 

NDA 1 Cutoff 2025

UPSC releases the NDA cut off marks after the declaration of final result. It is mandatory to score at least 25% in each subject of the NDA written exam. We have provided the NDA previous year cut off in the following table below for your reference.

NDA Syllabus 2026

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) outlines the NDA syllabus in its official notification. To effectively prepare for the upcoming NDA exam, candidates should thoroughly review the syllabus, which is categorized into Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). The exam features objective-type questions, and candidates are advised to familiarize themselves with the exam pattern to grasp the exam's requirements and format. The syllabus corresponds to the standards of Classes 10, 11, and 12. Below are the topics covered in the syllabus:

NDA Mathematics Syllabus 

• Algebra

• Calculus

• Matrices and Determinants

• Integral Calculus and Differential Equations

• Trigonometry

• Vector Algebra

• Analytical Geometry of Two and Three Dimensions

• Statistics and Probability

NDA General Ability Test (GAT) Syllabus 

The GAT syllabus is divided into two parts:

NDA Part A Syllabus 

• Grammar and Usage

• Vocabulary

• Comprehension

• Cohesion

NDA Part B Syllabus 

• Physics

• Chemistry

• Social Studies

• General Science

• Geography

• Current Events

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