NDA is one of the most sought after defence entrance exams in the country. NDA recruitment is conducted for admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC). NDA is conducted twice a year. The exam is conducted two stages – written exam and SSB Interview. Around 4 lakh aspirants sit for NDA every year, out of which approximately 6000 are called for SSB Interview.
Let us take a look at some of the preparation tips for the NDA exam.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 19 Apr ’20 | NDA 1 Exam |
| 10 Jun ’20 | Release of NDA 2 Application Form |
| 30 Jun ’20 | Last Date to Apply for NDA 2 |
| 6 Sep ’20 | NDA 2 Exam |
The total vacancies will be divided into following categories:National Defence Academy: 360Army: 208Navy: 60Air Force: 92Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme): 55
NDA application form 2020 – The application forms are made available online for both NDA 1 and 2. NDA application form comprises two parts – I and II. To submit the application form, candidates need to pay the requisite examination fees of Rs 100. The examination fees can be paid both online and offline.
NDA Admit Card 2020 – The admit card is released three weeks before the exam. For exam scheduled to be conducted on April, NDA 2020 admit card is expected to be released in the last week of February. NDA 2 admit card 2020 is expected to be issued in August since the exam is scheduled to be conducted in September.
NDA Answer Key 2020 – The official answer key is released after completion of the selection process. However, several coaching institutes release NDA answer key unofficially within a few hours after completion of the test.
NDA Result 2020 – The result is announced online on the official website. NDA 1 result for the written exam is expected to be released in June while the final result will be declared in November. NDA 2 result 2020 for written exam will be announced in December and the final result will be declared in May.
NDA Eligibility Criteria 2020
Candidates need to fulfil the following eligibility criteria inorder to be eligible for the exam.
Age Limit: Candidates who have been born not earlier than July 2, 2001, and not later than July 1, 2004, are eligible to apply for the NDA 1 exam. The date of birth is calculated as mentioned on the Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate or in a certificate recognised by an Indian University as equivalent to Matriculation.
Educational qualification: The educational qualification is different for different academies. Candidates can check the educational qualification prescribed for different academies below-
Army Wing of National Defence Academy: Candidates must have passed Class 12/HSC under 10+2 pattern of school education or equivalent from a recognised board or university.
Air Force, Navy and Naval Academy of National Defence Academy: Candidates must have passed Class 12/HSC under 10+2 pattern of school education with Physics and Mathematics conducted by a State Education Board or a University.
Preparation Tips for Paper 1:
The written exam constitutes two Papers i.e. Maths and General Ability Test. Each Paper is 2 ½ Hours. The maximum marks for Maths Paper is 300 and for General Ability Test it is 600. The two Papers will be of objective type. 2.5 marks is allotted to each question with a deduction of 0.833 for wrong answer. You have 150 minutes for 120 questions so you have to be quick along with being accurate.
The Maths Paper will cover topics like Integral Calculus, Differential Equations, Trigonometry, Algebra, Vector Algebra, Matrices and Determinants, Analytical Geometry, Statistics & Probability. The syllabus for mathematics is covered in NCERT books of 10th ,11th and 12th. After going through the basics from NCERT, also truck through the concepts from some of the following books:
- Mathematics for NDA and NA: National Defence Academy and Naval Academy by R.S Aggarwal
- Quantitative aptitude for competitive examinations by R.S Aggarwal
- Study Package Mathematics NDA & NA by Manjul Tyagi and Amit Rastogi
Preparation Tips For Paper 2 – General Ability
Part A: English
The English test is for 200 marks and covers topics like vocabulary, grammar and usage and comprehension. To prepare for this section read at least 2 to 3 newspapers daily. It would help you build vocabulary, get to the meanings of difficult words in context and also help you linearly track an event and form a perspective.
Part B: General Knowledge
The GK test is for 400 marks and will check your general understanding and insight into the Current Affairs within the country, and outside. The test will comprise six sections: General Science, Indian history, Physics, Geography, Chemistry and Current Events.
Sectional cutoff : One needs a minimum of 20 % in both the sections of written examination which means a minimum of 60 marks in maths and 120 marks in general ability.
Overall cutoff: NDA cut off 2020 for final selection is the marks secured by the last finally recommended candidates. The cut off for this stage is decided out of 1800 marks (900 marks of written exam + 900 marks of Interview.
Online content
Browse and collect previous year question papers and solve them. Try to solve the question paper 15 minutes before the finishing time, so that you would have time to revise. This will help you in understanding the exam pattern better and learn which type of questions comes in the exam and how.
Take online mock tests regularly. It will help you stay up to date with your preparations. Some of the top online forums are:
- SSB Crack
- Unacademy
Wide range of courses and contents with adequate options. Free easy to access video lectures and peer forums for discussions.
- Wi-Fi study
Course content available in pen drive for a nominal fee. Hosts forum interaction sessions in Hindi and English.
- TCY online
Test samples, solutions and study materials available at a nominal fee
- Time
Institutionalized setup with supportive counselling and crisp content access
Phase 2
SSB Interview (Psychological Aptitude Test and Intelligence Test) The SSB Interview is the second and final round of the NDA Selection Process. The SSB Interview round comprises two separate tests – Psychological Aptitude Test and Intelligence Test.
Hone your Body:
Maintaining not only your health but also your physical strength is important. The type of diet and exercise and eating routine mentioned above must be followed timely.Work hard on yourself and you can also join a gym. You can consult a dietician and a personal trainer at the gym to have you through the right type of diet and exercise every day in a better way.
Focus on Communication Skills:
Work on your English speaking skills.Reading the newspaper on a daily basis is the best way to improve your English speaking skills.
Phase 3 Final Selection
Candidates are finally selected for admission to admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and INAC based on their performance in written exam and SSB Interview. The final allocation will be done as per the number of vacancies subjected to candidates eligibility, medical fitness and merit-cum-preference.
