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UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam Today LIVE: Exam Day Guidelines, Shift Timings & Paper Analysis

UPSC NDA 2 2026: UPSC is conducting the NDA 2 2026 written exam today, September 13, across 86 national centres for 394 vacancies. Held in two shifts (Mathematics and GAT), candidates must follow strict admit card, photo ID, and entry timing rules before moving forward to the subsequent SSB interview rounds.

By Siddhi Sharma
Sep 13, 2026, 10:24 IST
UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam Today
UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam Today

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The NDA 2 2026 examination by UPSC is being held in India in an offline mode today for 394 posts.
  • In shift one, Mathematics paper for 300 marks will be conducted whereas in shift two, the General Ability test will be held.
  • Candidates have to bring printout of the admit card and ID proof with black ballpoint pen.

UPSC NDA 2 2026: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is organising the NDA and Naval Academy Examination (NDA & NA II) 2026 today on September 13, 2026. Thousands of candidates aspiring to join the national defence forces are giving this offline examination at 86 centres across the country for 394 total vacancies available in the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings. It is being conducted in two paper shifts – Mathematics in the morning shift (10:00 AM to 12:30 PM) and GAT in the evening shift (2:00 PM to 4:30 PM), testing the candidates' knowledge on the syllabus of 900 marks.  

Strict security and identity verification norms apply to all examination centers. All candidates have been instructed to bring along a printed copy of their e-admit card and their original photo ID proof issued by the government authorities. Entry gates for the examination centres will be closed 10 minutes before the start of the examination as per the UPSC guidelines, making sure that no candidate is late for the examination. Candidates have been instructed to use only black ink ballpoint pens to fill out their answers on the OMR sheets.

UPSC NDA 2 2026 Shift Timings & Paper Breakdown

Below are the UPSC NDA 2026. Shift Timings & Paper Breakdown:

Shift / Session

Subject

Exam Timings

Gate Closure Time

Total Marks

Shift 1 (Forenoon)

Mathematics (Paper 1)

10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

09:50 AM

300 Marks

Shift 2 (Afternoon)

General Ability Test (GAT - Paper 2)

02:00 PM – 04:30 PM

01:50 PM

600 Marks

Gate Closures and Reporting: Participants should report at least 30 to 60 minutes before each shift starts (by 09:00 AM for Shift 1 and between 01:00 PM and 01:15 PM for Shift 2). The gates will close 10 minutes before the test starts, and participants will not be allowed entry thereafter.

UPSC NDA 2 2026: Essential Exam Day Guidelines & Checklist

  • Mandatory Documents:

    • UPSC NDA 2 2026 e-Admit Card in Print Form.

    • Proof of Photo Identity (Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Voter Identity Card, Passport or Driving Licence which matches the admit card information).

    • 2 passport-size photographs (particularly in case of photograph being blurred on the admit card).

  • Stationery & Marking Rules:

    • OMR Answer Sheet should be marked using only black ball point pen. Answers marked by using pencil or any other colored ink will render the OMR sheet invalid. 

    • Negative marking is applicable for wrong answers.

  • Prohibited Items:

    • Smartwatches, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, calculators, metal items, or notes are strictly banned inside the hall.

Also Read: 

NDA 2 Admit Card 2026 Released, Download Hall Ticket PDF at upsconline.nic.in

 
LIVE UPDATES
  • Sep 13, 2026, 10:24 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Document Verification Rules for SSB Stage

    For those who are eligible for SSB Interview, original education certificates have to be produced. The certificates include 10th pass certificate, 12th pass certificate, birth certificate, and valid certificate of category. Any discrepancy found at the time of verification will result in disqualification.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 10:19 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Preparing for Stage I of the SSB Interview

    Defense mentors advise those who believe their score is higher than the predicted cut-off mark to begin preparing for the SSB soon. Stage I selection is very tough and the candidates are judged on communication abilities, logic, and Officer Like Qualities (OLQs) in PPDT.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 10:15 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: SSB Interview Stage Overview

    The candidates who pass the cut-off for the written test are eligible to attend the 5-day interview procedure for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview, which is allotted 900 marks. The process involves Stage I (Intelligence Test and Picture Perception Test) and Stage II (Psychological Tests, Group Tests, Personal Interview, and Conference).

  • Sep 13, 2026, 10:12 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Official UPSC Answer Key Procedure

    The UPSC releases its official answer keys for both Mathematics and GAT on its website, upsc.gov.in, once the complete selection procedure is over. The official key acts as the base for evaluating answers in the end and determining the merit of the candidates.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 10:11 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Unofficial Answer Keys

    After Shift 2 concludes at 04:30 PM, unofficial answer keys prepared by prominent defence coaching centres will start appearing on the internet. This helps candidates to self-assess their answers for Papers I & II and arrive at a probable score before any official declaration. 

  • Sep 13, 2026, 10:07 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Smooth Exam Administration Across All 86 Centers

    The state-level administrative officials and the UPSC monitors have certified that the test was smooth for the 86 centres without any technical or operational difficulties. The standard procedures such as stringent identity checking and queue arrangements at entry gates were followed properly.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:56 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Negative Marking Rules Applied in GAT Session

    The candidates appearing for the Shift 2 exam will have to bear the negative marking as per the conventional UPSC pattern. The paper two (GAT) carries four marks for a correct answer, while one loses 1.33 marks for a wrong answer (one-third penalty). Questions left unanswered are not penalized.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:48 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: General Knowledge

    General Ability Test Part B consists of 100 questions, each carrying 4 marks, making the total marks for Part B 400, and the questions are divided into two segments – General Knowledge and General Science. In the General Science segment, questions from Physics, Chemistry, and General Biology are usually asked.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:34 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Cutoff Factors and Marking Scheme Mechanics

    For the written test for NDA 2 2026 recruitment, candidates need to score at least 25% marks in each subject separately (Mathematics and GAT), apart from the cutoff for aggregate marks specified by UPSC. The total written examination is held out of 900 marks, which helps in selecting for the further stage of SSB Interview.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:32 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Shift 2 General Ability Test (GAT)

    As candidates have already gathered outside the examination venue for Shift 2, which will start at 02:00 PM and conclude at 04:30 PM. The General Ability Test will be of 600 marks with 150 objective type questions. The paper II will have two parts: Part A – English (200 marks) and Part B – General Knowledge (400 marks).

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:29 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Paper I Mathematics Structural Weightage

    Test I assessed the candidates for their knowledge of mathematics of secondary and higher-secondary standard using 120 MCQs which carried a total score of 300. Two and a half marks were allocated for each correct answer, but an incorrect answer deducted 0.83 marks from the total score of the candidate (negative marking at 1/3rd scale).

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:28 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Zero-Tolerance Policy on Electronic Gadgets

    A strict rule about electronic devices was followed in all examination centers. Items like smart watches, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, health bands, calculators, and other digital storage devices were not allowed to be taken into the examination rooms. Those candidates who brought any such prohibited items had to keep them outside the examination center area.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:24 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Mandatory Use of Black Ballpoint Pens on OMR Sheets

    The UPSC made it clear that the aspirants were required to use only black ballpoint pens for writing answers. The marking done through pencil, gel pen or blue ink is invalid for the process of optical mark recognition, resulting in rejection of the answer sheet. They had been asked to darken the circles completely without folding the OMR sheets.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:23 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Strict Verification Protocols at Entry Gates

    Security personnel in these centers conducted biometric and document verification of all the candidates appearing for the test. The candidates had to carry physical copies of their e-Admit cards along with their original photo identification proofs, like Aadhar Card, PAN Card, or Driving Licenses. Those aspirants who had blurry photographs on their admit cards had to furnish two physical passport-size photographs.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:21 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Gate Closure Timings

    As per the UPSC instructions, the gate of the examination centers was locked exactly 10 minutes prior to the commencement time of the morning shift, that is, at 09:50 AM. All late comers were refused entry in order to maintain the sanctity of the examination process. The same rule regarding closure of the gates holds true for Shift 2 (General Ability Test).

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:20 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Shift 1 Mathematics Paper

    The first shift of NDA 2 2026 exam, which is exclusively based on Paper I (Mathematics), has successfully ended at 12:30 PM in all exam centers. The duration of 2.5 hours of morning shift started on time at 10:00 AM. As per reports by the invigilators, everything went well since there was a proper check-in process conducted even before locking the gate. Now, candidates will take their afternoon break.

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:18 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Total Vacancies Announced by UPSC

    The official notification issued by UPSC is that there are a total of 394 vacancies for NDA 2 2026. Of these, 370 posts are allotted to the National Defense Academy with a distribution of 208 for the army, 42 for the navy, and 120 for the air force. There are 24 vacancies for the Indian Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme).

  • Sep 13, 2026, 09:17 IST

    UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam: Conducting Nationwide

    The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is efficiently holding the NDA & NA (II) 2026 examination today, which is Sunday, 13th September 2026. Several defense aspirants from all over the country are appearing for the offline examination in 86 exam centers. The NDA examination acts as the entrance examination for joining the three academies, i.e., Army, Navy, and Air Force Wings of the National Defense Academy and the Indian Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme).

Siddhi Sharma

Executive - Editorial

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