The last date to fill the application form of NDA 2020 is 28th January 2020. This entrance exam is held by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and is an opening for aspirants who want to make their career in Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. It is a national level test and is conducted twice (NDA I and NDA II) every year in April and November. Students taking the exam must first qualify the written test securing the minimum cut-off marks and then appear for the SSB Interview round to get entry into NDA. After qualifying in the SSB round, selected candidates are required to go through the medical examination and document verification process.
NDA 2020 Eligibility
NDA calls for a very detailed eligibility criterion –
Nationality
- Must be a citizen of India/ subject of Bhutan/subject of Nepal or Refugee of Tibetan (came to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention to settle permanently in India).
- Those of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African countries of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, and Ethiopia or Vietnam with an intention of settling in India can also apply.
Foreign nationals applying to take the test must produce a certificate of eligibility issued by the Govt. of India. However, the Gorkhas are not required to produce such a certificate.
Gender, Age and Marital Status
Gender: Only males
Age: Candidate must be between 16.5 – 19.5 years of age. He must be born between July 2, 2001, and July 1, 2004, for NDA I and between 2nd January 2002 and 1st January 2005 for NDA II.
Marital Status: Must be unmarried and once inducted cannot marry before completing the training.
Educational Qualification
Candidates applying for Air Force and Naval Wings (Cadet Entry Scheme) must have qualified 10th and 12th board exams from a recognized board or university with the main subjects as Physics and Mathematics.
Candidates applying for Army Wing of National Defense Academy must have passed qualified 10th and 12th level exams from recognized board or university.
Candidates in the last year of the qualifying exams are also eligible to apply.
Physical Eligibility
For admission into Naval Academy Examination and National Defence Academy, the physical standards set by the commission are that candidates must be physically fit. Also, if anyone resigns or withdraws from any of the training academies of Armed Forces on disciplinary grounds, he will not be considered eligible to apply.
NDA 2020 Exam Dates
| Events | Dates 2020 | |
| NDA I | NDA II | |
| NDA 2020 Notification | 8th January 2020 | 10th June 2020 |
| Release of Application Form | 8th January 2020 | 10th June 2020 |
| Last date to submit the application form | 28th January 2020 (till 6 pm) | 30th June 2020 |
| Release of Admit card | 3 weeks before the entrance exam | 3 weeks before the entrance exam |
| NDA 2020 Exam | 19th April 2020 | 6th September 2020 |
| Announcement of Results | In the month of May 2020 | In the month of November 2020 |
NDA 2020 Syllabus
Syllabus for written test contains subjects like Mathematics, English and General Knowledge.
Mathematics
Matrices and Determinants, Algebra, Analytical Geometry of two and three Dimensions, Trigonometry, Integral calculus, and Differential Equations, Differential Calculus, Statistics, and Probability, Vector Algebra
English
The paper will test the understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. Topics like Vocabulary, comprehension, Grammar and usage and cohesion in the extended text will gauge proficiency in English.
General Knowledge
Paper on GK covers subjects like Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Social Studies, Geography, and Current Events (Current Affairs).
Answers are expected to establish the candidate’s intelligent understanding and knowledge of the subjects.
NDA 2020 Exam Pattern
- The exam will be conducted in offline mode.
- Questions will be objective type.
- The written test will be of 900 marks including maths – 300 and general ability test – 600. The SSB Interview will be of 900 marks.
- Candidates can choose between English or Hindi language papers.
- Time duration is of 5 hours, i.e. 2½ hours for each paper.
- 0.33% of mark assigned to each question will be deducted for each incorrect answer
Top Reference Books for NDA Exam
- NDA / NA Solved Paper Chapterwise & Sectionwise Paperback
- Pathfinder NDA/NA National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Entrance Examination
- Mathematics for NDA/NA: National Defence Academy and Naval Academy by RS Aggarwal
- General Science Guide for Competitive Exams – CSAT/NDA/CDS/Railways/SSC/UPSC/State PSC/Defence by Disha Publication
- Objective General English by S P Bakshi
NDA Exam 2020 Fees
The fee for all the candidates is Rs. 100. However, ST/SC/NCOs/Ors/Sons of JCOs candidates are exempted to pay the application fee.
Mode of Payment is through SBI Bank Challan method or debit or credit card/net banking.
Preparation Tips for NDA Exam
- Go over the syllabus, pattern of exam, marking scheme
- Prepare short notes each time after finishing a topic. Include all important points in notes.
- Solve as many previous years’ exam papers and sample papers as possible as it will enhance understanding of the exam trends and type of questions.
- Read from good study sources i.e. books, online tutorials, and online content.
- Take as many online or offline mock tests as possible to increase your speed and accuracy levels.