NDA (1) 2021 Notification (Out), Exam Date, Eligibility, Syllabus, Vacancy

NDA is one of the most sought after defence entrance exams in the country. The exam 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 in two stages: written exam and SSB Interview. Around four lakh, aspirants appear for NDA every year, out of which approximately 6,000 are called for SSB Interview. UPSC prepares a list of candidates who obtain minimum qualifying marks in the written exam. Such candidates are called for SSB Interview for Intelligence and Personality Test.

Jan 29, 2021: UPSC has released the list of candidates whose NDA 2021 application forms have been rejected due to non-payment of examination fees. Read More

Jan 27, 2021: UPSC has activated the link to withdraw NDA application form. Read More

NDA (1) 2021 notification has been released on November 30. The notification has been made available in PDF form. The notification contains details such as number of vacancies, exam date, application dates, exam pattern, syllabus, eligibility criteria, etc. Before filling the application form, candidates should read the notification properly. Read more on NDA 2021 Notification

Candidates need to fulfill the following eligibility criteria in order to be eligible for the exam.

Age Limit: For NDA 1 exam, candidates must have born not earlier than July 2, 2002, and not later than July 1, 2005. For NDA 2 exam, candidates must have born not earlier than January 2, 2002, and not later than January 1, 2006.

Educational qualification: The educational qualification is different for different academies. Candidates can check the educational qualification prescribed for different academies below:

NDA Dates 2021

The dates of NDA I and II exams have been announced. Candidates can check below NDA dates 2021.

NDA I Dates 2021

Events Dates Salient Features
Notification 30-Dec-2020 The complete schedule along with other details have been released
Application form 30-Dec-2020 Registrations for the recruitment exam had started on this date
Last date to apply 19-Jan-2021 Candidates could submit their application forms online
Application withdrawal 27-Jan-2021 to 02-Feb-2021 The facility to withdraw the application form of NDA has been made available
Written exam 18-Apr-2021 The exam will be conducted in two shifts: morning and afternoon across 41 cities spread throughout the country
Admit card March 2021 All registered candidates will be issued admit cards for the exam
Declaration of written result June 2021 The result of the written exam is declared online and displays the roll numbers of shortlisted candidates
SSB Interview July to Sept 2021 SSB Interview is conducted for the shortlisted candidates of written exam in two stages

NDA 2 Dates 2021

Events Dates Salient Features
Notification 09-Jun-2021 NDA 2 notification will be released in PDF format
Application form 09-Jun-2021 Application forms will be made available along with the notification
Last date to apply 29-Jun-2021 Candidates can apply within the application deadline
Written exam 05-Sept-.2021 The written exam of NDA was conducted in two shifts and comprised two papers
Admit card August 2021 The admit card will be released online for registered candidates
Declaration of written result December 2021 The result of the written exam is declared on the official website in PDF form
SSB Interview  January 2022 to April 2022 SSB Interview is conducted in two stages

Check here UPSC Calendar 2021

NDA vacancies 2021

The details regarding NDA 1 vacancies have been announced. Total of 400 vacancies will be filled through the exam. In 2020, a total of 418 vacancies were announced for NDA 1 exam and 413 were for NDA 2.

NDA 1 vacancies 2021

Academy Number of vacancies
NDA 370

Army: 208

Navy: 42

Air Force: 120
(including 28 for ground Duties)

Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme) 30
Total  400

NDA Selection Process 2021

The complete process of NDA is explained below.

Filling the application form 

Interested candidates are required to fill NDA application form online. The application fee is Rs 100 which can be paid both online and offline. The commission releases the list of rejected applicants a few days after the closure of the application process. Besides, the examination authority also activates the link to withdraw NDA application form for a specified period. Candidates who do not wish to appear for the exam can withdraw their application form.

Release of admit card 

NDA admit card is released three weeks before the exam. The link to download the admit card will be available on the official website. Candidates can download the admit card by logging either with roll number or registration number. The hard copy of the admit card is not sent to candidates by post.

Written Exam

All the candidates who successfully register for the exam are required to appear for the written exam. The written exam comprises two sections: Mathematics and General Ability Test. The test carries a total of 900 marks. Candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written exam are called for SSB Interview. Read more on NDA exam pattern.

Declaration of result

NDA result is declared online in two stages: written and final. First, the result of the written exam is declared followed by the declaration of the final result. The result is made available in PDF format. It displays the roll numbers of qualified candidates. The marksheet of candidates is released after the declaration of the final result. Candidates need to secure NDA cut off separately in written exam and SSB Interview.

SSB Interview

The SSB Interview is conducted for Intelligence and Personality Test. The test is conducted in two stages. All qualified candidates are put to stage 1 test on the first day of reporting at Selection Centres/Air Force Selection Boards/Naval Selection Boards. Candidates qualifying the first stage are called for the second stage exam. Those who will qualify the second stage are required to submit a birth certificate and pass certificate.

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.

Release of Answer Key 

NDA Answer Key for both Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT) is released after completion of the recruitment process. The answer keys are made available for sets of test booklets.

NDA 2021 Exam Centres

NDA exam centres are the cities where the offline test will be conducted. Candidates need to appear for the exam in the exam centre allotted to them by the examination authority. While filling the application form, candidates need to enter their preferences of exam city. UPSC allots exam centre to candidates as per the preferences exercised by them in the application form. However, the Commission reserves the right to cancel or add exam centres. The exam will be conducted in the following cities.

City State/Union Territory
Agartala Tripura
Ahmedabad Gujarat
Aizawl Mizoram
Allahabad Uttar Pradesh
Bangalore Karnataka
Bareilly Uttar Pradesh
Bhopal Madhya Pradesh

NDA 2021 Exam Day Guidelines

  • Candidates should carry their NDA admit card to the exam centre
  • Along with the admit card, candidates should also carry one photo-identity proof
  • Carry clipboard or hardboard and a black ball pen for marking their responses
  • Sheet for doing rough work is provided by the invigilator
  • Books, notes, loose sheets, electronic or any other type of calculators, mathematical and drawing instruments, log tables, stencils of maps, slide rules, test booklets and rough sheets are not allowed inside the examination centre
  • Strict action is taken against those candidates found copying or cheating

NDA Exam Analysis 2021 

NDA exam analysis 2021 will be provided separately for the Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT) after the exam gets over. The exam will help candidates to know the overall and section-wise difficulty levels, students reaction regarding the papers, topic-wise distribution of questions, etc. Check below NDA exam analysis 2020 shared by the candidates.

NDA 1 and 2 Student Reaction & Review for GAT 

NDA 1 and 2 Student Reaction & Review for Maths

NDA Preparation Tips by Toppers

Candidates can check below the interviews given by toppers to Shiksha on how to prepare for NDA.

Toppers Preparation Tips
NDA 2019 Topper Piyush Thorve (AIR 16)
  • Candidates must have a strong determination
  • Prepare questions from Mathematics, English and Science through NCERT books of class 6 to 12
  • Read newspapers, magazines and also focus on basic grammar rules for English
  • Do not overstress yourself before the exam
  • Do not learn new topics before the exam rather revise the topics you have learned
NDA Exam 2018 Topper, Sparsh Kankane (AIR 1)
  • Focus on understanding the NDA syllabus and exam pattern of the exam
  • Candidates must solve previous years’ question papers
  • Start preparing for the exam at Class 9 and 10 and do not wait for Class 11 an 12
  • Read NCERT textbooks of class 6 to 10 because questions are directly asked from the same
  • Trust in their own preparation
  • Peace of mind is very important

NDA Preparation Tips 2021

Candidates can prepare for NDA exam by following the tips given below

  • To begin with, candidates must be clear about the subjects, pattern and types of questions
  • The Mathematics section of NDA comprises questions from Algebra, matrices, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, etc. Candidates must clear their concepts from Class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 NCERT books
  • The GAT comprises a variety of subjects such as Chemistry, General Science, Geography, History, and Current Affairs. This section also comprises a section on English
  • Candidates must revise the topics they have studied
  • Make short and simple notes as it will help candidates to revise properly and quickly
  • Solve previous years’ NDA question papers and take a NDA mock test
  • Buy good NDA books and question banks

Check here NDA Preparation Tips 2021

NDA 2021 FAQs

Q. What is the eligibility for NDA exam?

A. Candidates should be between 16 to 19 years and have passed class 12 or equivalent exam.

Q. What is the salary after NDA?

A. During the training period, candidates are offered Rs 56,100.

Q. Can a married candidate apply for NDA exam?

A. No, only unmarried candidates are eligible to apply for NDA exam.

Q. Can girls apply for NDA exam?

A. No, girls cannot apply for NDA exam.

Q. What is the difference between NDA and CDS exams?

A. Though both are defence exams, there are many similarities and differences in the recruitment process, exam pattern, training, salary, perks, promotion, eligibility, etc. Read More

Q. What are the subjects for NDA exam?

A. The exam comprises two subjects: Mathematics and GAT (English and General Knowledge).

Q. What are the minimum qualifying marks for applying to NDA exam?

A. There are no minimum qualifying marks for applying to the exam.

Q. Does class 12 marks matter in NDA exam?

A. Yes, class 12 marks are important for applying to the exam.

Q. Is Mathematics necessary for NDA exam?

A. Yes, if you apply for Air Force and Navy.

Q. Is NDA exam easy?

A. The level of both papers: Maths and GAT remains moderate in terms of difficulty level.

Q. Is NCERT enough for NDA?

A. Mostly the questions are based on the syllabus of CBSE, therefore, it is advisable to prepare from NCERT books of Class 10, 11 and 12.

Q. Can I clear NDA exam by preparing for six months?

A. Yes, you can crack the exam with six months preparation. But, you need to prepare well with utmost dedication.

Q. Can I clear NDA exam in the first attempt?

A. Yes, you can clear in the first attempt with good preparation strategy.


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