Course Detail

N.D.A. 

To join National Defence Academy a candidate must appear in the entrance exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission, New Delhi, twice a year. The Union Public Service Commission is solely responsible for issuing guidelines for selection and the final conduct of the entrance examination.

 

Eligibility Criteria (As obtained from official recruitment website of the Indian Army)
Age between	As per  UPSC notification
Qualification	12th Class of 10+2 System of Education/Equivalent for Army and with Physics and Maths for AF & Navy
Marital Status	Unmarried
Application to be Received by	As per  UPSC notification
Likely SSB Date	Sep to Oct and Jan to Apr
Date Commencement of Training	Jan and Jul
Training Academy	NDA, Khadakwasla, Pune
Duration of Training	3 Yrs at NDA and 1 Yr at IMA(For Army cadets)/ 3 Yrs at NDA and 1 Yr at Naval Academy(For Naval cadets)/ 3 Yrs at NDA and 1 & 1/2 Yrs at AFA Hyderabad (For AF cadets)

 

Exam Pattern for NDA

The subjects of the written examination, the time allowed and the maximum marks allotted to each subject will be as follows:–

 

Subject	Code	Duration	Maximum Marks
Mathematics	01	2-½ Hours	300
General Ability Test	02	2-½ Hours	600
Total			900

Note:

The papers in all the subjects consist of Objective (multiple choice answers) Type questions only.

Question Papers of Paper I – Mathematics and Part B of Paper II will be set in English and Hindi.

SI units will be used in the papers and Candidates should use only International form of Indian numerals (i.e. 1, 2, 3,4,5,6 etc.) while answering question papers.

Commission has discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all the subjects of the examination.

Candidates are not permitted to use calculators for answering objective type papers (Test Booklets).

 

Interview

  • The Union Public Service Commission declares a list of qualified candidates (based on the written exam).

  • The selected candidates appear before a Services Selection Board for Intelligence and Personality Test.

  • Candidates for the Army/Navy wings of the NDA and Executive branch of Naval Academy will be assessed on      officer’s potentiality.

  • Candidates for the Air Force wing, along with officer potentiality assessment, will also undergo a Pilot Aptitude Test.

 

Guidelines for Physical Standards for Admission to the NDA:-

Guidelines for physical standards for admission to the national defence academy note: candidates must be physically and mentally fit according to the prescribed physical standards. The guidelines for the same are given below. A number of qualified candidates are rejected subsequently on medical grounds. Candidates are therefore advised in their own interest to get themselves medically examined before submitting their applications to avoid disappointment at the final stage.

Candidates are also advised to rectify minor defects/ailments in order to speed up finalization of medical examination conducted at the Military Hospital after being recommended at the SSB.

The under mentioned ailments are considered, common minor ailments:-

  (a) Wax (Ears)

  (b) Deviated Nasal Septum

  (c) Hydrocele/Phimosis

  (d) Overweight/Underweight

  (e) Under sized Chest

  (f) Piles

  (g) Gynaecomastia

  (h) Tonsillitis

  (i) Varicocele

Civilian candidates appearing for all types of commission in the Armed Forces will be entitled to out-patients treatment from service sources at public expense for injuries sustained or diseases contracted during the course of their examination by the Selection Board.

They will also be entitled to in-patient treatment at public expense in the Officers’ ward of a hospital provided–

(a) The injury is sustained during the tests or,

(b) The disease is contracted during the course of the examination by selection board and there is no suitable accommodation in local civil hospital or it is impracticable to remove the patient to the civil hospital; or,

(c) The medical board requires the candidates’ admission for observation.

 

NOTE: They are not entitled to special nursing. A candidate recommended by the Services Selection Board will undergo a medical examination by a Board of Service Medical Officers. Only those candidates will be admitted to the academy who are declared fit by the Medical Board. The proceedings of the Medical Board are confidential and will not be divulged to anyone. However the candidates declared unfit will be intimated by the President of the Medical Board and the procedure for request for an Appeal Medical Board will also be intimated to the candidate.

Candidates declared unfit during Appeal Medical Board will be intimated about the provision of Review Medical Board.

(a) The candidate must be in good physical and mental health and free from any disease/disability which is likely in interferes with the efficient performance of military duties.

(b) There should be no evidence of weak constitution, bodily defects or underweight. The candidate should not be overweight or obese.

(c) The minimum acceptable height is 157.5 cms. (162.5 cms for Air Force) For Gorkhas and individuals belonging to hills of North Eastern regions of India, Garhwal and Kumaon, the minimum acceptable heights will be 5 cms. less. In case of candidates from Lakshadweep the minimum acceptable height can be reduced by 2 cms. Height and weight standards are given below:

 

Height/Weight Standards for Army/Air Force

TABLE-I

 

Height in Centimeters (Without shoes)			Weight in Kgs.
	16-17 years	17-18 years	18-19 years
152	42.5	44	45
155	43.5	45.5	47
157	45	47	48
160	46.5	48	49
162	48	50	51
165	50	52	53
167	51	53	54
170	52.5	55	56
173	54.5	57	58
175	56	59	60
178	58	61	62
180	60	63	64.5
183	62.5	65	66.5

 

Height/weight Standards For Navy:-

TABLE-II

Height in Centimeters (Without shoes)			Weight in Kgs.
	16-17 years	17-18 years	18-19 years
152	44	45	46
155	45	46	47
157	46	47	48
160	47	48	50
162	48	50	52
165	50	52	53
168	52	53	55
170	53	55	57
173	55	57	59
175	57	59	61
178	59	61	62
180	61	63	64
183	63	65	67

 

A ± 10% (A ± 6 Kg for Navy) departure from the average weight given in the table 1 above is to be considered within normal limit. However, in individuals with heavy bones and broad build as well as individuals with thin but otherwise healthy this may be relaxed to some extent on merit.

NOTE 1: Height relaxableupto 2.5 cm (5 cm. for Navy) may be allowed where the Medical Board certifies that the candidate is likely to grow and come up to the required standard on completion of his training.

NOTE 2 : To meet special requirement as a pilot in the Air Force the acceptable measurements of leg length, thigh length and sitting height will be as under :–

	Minimum	Maximum
Leg Length	99.00cms.	120.00 cms.
Thigh Length	–	64.00 cms.
Sitting Height	81.50cms.	96. 00 cms.

 

On account of lower age of NDA candidates, a margin of upto 5.0 cm. in height, 2.5 cm. in leg length (minimum) and 1.0 cm. sitting height (minimum) may be given provided it is certified by the Medical Board that the candidate is likely to grow and come upto the required standard on completion of his training in NDA.

(d) Chest should be well developed. Fully expanded chest should not be less than 81 cms. The minimum range of expansion after full inspiration should be 5 cms. The measurement will be taken with a tape so adjusted that its lower edge should touch the nipple in front and the upper part of the tape should touch the lower angle of the shoulder blades behind. X-Ray of the chest is compulsory and will be taken to rule out any disease of the chest.

(e)There should be no mal-development or impairment of function of the bones or joint.