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

Before analysing the question paper, candidates should understand the NDA written exam pattern.

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).

UPSC mandates that candidates must meet both individual paper cutoffs and an overall aggregate cutoff to qualify the written exam. Candidates must score at least 25% in Mathematics (75 marks out of 300) and 25% in GAT (150 marks out of 600) to remain eligible for shortlisting.

Following the completion of Shift 2 at 04:30 PM, unofficial answer keys compiled by major defence coaching institutes will begin circulating online. These subject-matter expert keys allow candidates to cross-verify their responses for Paper I and Paper II to calculate an estimated written score ahead of official announcements.

Candidates who appeared in the examination can use the question paper to check the questions asked in both shifts, analyse the difficulty level, and calculate their probable scores using the official marking scheme. 

Expected result of the written exam for NDA 2 2026 will be announced by the UPSC in 30 to 45 days. The official result will be in PDF format available on upsc.gov.in which will consist of roll numbers of the selected candidates.

Before analysing the question paper, candidates should understand the NDA written exam pattern.

The UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam Analysis reveals that the written examination conducted on September 13, 2026, concluded with an overall moderate difficulty level across 270 questions. Paper I (Mathematics) proved moderate-to-lengthy with calculation-intensive problems, while Paper II (GAT) offered an accessible mix of easy-to-moderate English and balanced General Knowledge. A score of 145–170 good attempts is recommended for selection.

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).

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.

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).

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.

Part B of the GAT paper features 100 questions for 400 marks, spanning General Knowledge and General Science. The General Science segment typically comprises questions across Physics, Chemistry, and General Biology, while the Social Science segment evaluates Indian History, Freedom Movement, Geography, Indian Polity, and basic Economic principles.

Shift 2 of the UPSC NDA & NA (II) 2026 examination, dedicated to the General Ability Test (GAT), commenced punctually across all 86 test cities at 2:00 PM. Candidates are solving 150 objective-type questions worth 600 total marks. Gate access closed strictly at 1:50 PM in compliance with UPSC directives.

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.

Part A of the GAT exam comprises 50 questions based on Objective type questions carrying a total weightage of 200 marks. Some of the important aspects that are tested include Spotting errors, Synonyms, Antonyms, Sentence Rearrangement and Reading Comprehension. Traditionally, this part has served as a high scorer for candidates.

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).

The historical data shows that the qualifying cut-off marks for 900 total marks for NDA written test usually lie between 350 to 360 marks. The deciding factors behind the final cut-off marks are overall paper difficulty, turnout, and the number of vacancies available.

Shift 1 (Mathematics Paper I) of the UPSC NDA & NA (II) 2026 exam has begun at 10:00 AM in 86 pre-designated National Examination Centres. The candidates will be solving 120 multiple choice questions that carry a total of 300 marks. The entry into the hall was closed by 09:50 AM.

Those who clear the written test have to be physically and medically fit in accordance with the high standards prescribed by the Ministry of Defence. There are some variations in terms of height, weight, chest expansion, and eyesight requirements for the Army, Navy, and Air Force branches.

Expected result of the written exam for NDA 2 2026 will be announced by the UPSC in 30 to 45 days. The official result will be in PDF format available on upsc.gov.in which will consist of roll numbers of the selected candidates.

NDA 2 2026 Written Examination Result declaration by UPSC is anticipated to be done in a span of 30-45 days. The Result will be issued in a PDF format at upsc.gov.in, which will contain the roll number of successful applicants.

Early reports by the Shift 2 aspirants reveal a marked interest in national events, international conferences, military drills, and scientific breakthroughs of the past six to eight months in the Current Affairs section.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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).

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).