National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination. Conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Harpreet knows this paper from the site's own pattern pages — and reads your scores, your mocks and what you haven't touched before saying a word.
Twice a year — NDA I (notification ~December–January, exam ~April) and NDA II (notification ~June, exam ~September). Offline, pen-and-paper (OMR-based) — two objective papers on the same day: Mathematics in the morning session, GAT in the afternoon session.
Two objective papers on the same day: Mathematics (120 Q / 300 marks / 150 min) in the morning, GAT (150 Q / 600 marks / 150 min) in the afternoon. One-third of a question's marks is deducted for a wrong answer; unattempted questions score zero. Candidates must clear both a subject-wise and an aggregate qualifying cut-off to be called for SSB.
A 4-5 day Services Selection Board process at one of the SSB centres. Stage I is an intelligence test plus picture perception & discussion, which screens out most candidates on day one; Stage II — for those who clear Stage I — covers group tasks, a personal interview, psychological tests and a final conference, scored out of 900.
Written score (900) plus SSB score (900) gives a final merit out of 1800, subject also to a medical fitness examination. Candidates are allotted to the Army, Navy or Air Force wing by merit rank, preference and vacancies, and join the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, for training.
Qualifying + merit — objective paper, morning session
Marking: ≈ -0.83 per wrong answer (1/3 of 2.5 marks)
No calculator is allowed. Algebra and Trigonometry alone account for well over a third of the 120 questions, so a fast, accurate pass across all eight topics — breadth before depth — decides most of this paper's score.
Qualifying + merit — objective paper, afternoon session, two parts sharing one time block
Marking: ≈ -1.33 per wrong answer (1/3 of 4 marks)
English (Part A) and General Knowledge (Part B) share the single 150-minute GAT window with no internal time lock — a candidate can attempt either part first. General Knowledge alone is worth 400 of GAT's 600 marks, so most candidates budget more of that time there.
NDA's written exam is two objective papers sat on the same day — Mathematics (300 marks) in the morning session and the General Ability Test, GAT (600 marks), in the afternoon session — 900 marks in all.
120 questions, no calculator. Algebra and Trigonometry together are over a third of the paper; the rest rewards recognising a topic instantly and applying a memorised rule within seconds.
50 questions with no separate time limit inside GAT. Reading Comprehension and Grammar & Usage are tied as the heaviest sub-areas, together 60% of this section.
100 questions — the single biggest block of written marks. Physics alone is a quarter of it; the whole section stays close to CBSE Class 9-10 level and rewards recall speed over depth.
The highest-weight chapters in each subject, linked to their notes. Weights are estimates from previous papers where the conducting body publishes none. Your guide weighs these against your own scores.
The NDA written paper, and getting to the SSB with the maths already safe. Pick one to start, or just talk — Harpreet has read your profile either way.
Every fact on this page comes from the exam's blueprint on this site. How the guide uses it: how Guidance works.
Harpreet has the pattern and will read your work. Talk it through, and leave with a plan you tick off.
