NDA exam 2027: dates, eligibility, pattern and preparation

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NDA exam 2027: dates, eligibility, pattern and preparation at a glance

The NDA exam is UPSC's National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination, held twice a year for entry to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings after Class 12. The notice for the 2027 (I) exam is not yet announced as of 31 October 2026. UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 tentatively lists the written exam for Sunday, 11 April 2027. The written test carries 900 marks (Mathematics 300, General Ability Test 600), and the SSB interview carries another 900.

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Dates and schedule

UPSC notifies the NDA exam twice a year. The 2027 (I) exam is listed under forthcoming examinations on UPSC's homepage, but its notice is not yet published as of 31 October 2026. The only schedule available is the tentative one in UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027, uploaded on 20 May 2026. UPSC states that it can change exam dates at its discretion, so treat these as planning dates until the notice appears.

The 2026 (II) column is last cycle's data, shown for the usual gap between notice, exam and SSB. The 2027 (II) exam is not yet announced as of 31 October 2026.

Applications go through UPSC's online portal only. The 2026 (II) notice says no field can be corrected after the form is submitted and the window closes, so check every entry before you pay.

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Wings and vacancies

One written exam feeds four entries. Candidates rank their service preferences from 1 to 4 in the application, and they are considered only for the services they list. The notice also asks for at least one preference.

These are 2026 (II) figures and UPSC calls them provisional. Vacancies for the 2027 (I) exam are not yet announced as of 31 October 2026. Men and women are separate entries with separate merit lists, according to the notice.

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Eligibility

Eligibility below comes from the 2026 (II) notice. The 2027 (I) notice will set its own age window and dates, so confirm each point when it is published.

Nationality and marital status: the candidate must be unmarried and be an Indian citizen, a subject of Nepal, or a person of Indian origin from specified countries who has a Government of India eligibility certificate. Gorkha subjects of Nepal do not need that certificate. Candidates must undertake not to marry until training ends. Women can apply, and the notice reserves vacancies for them.

Age: only unmarried candidates born not earlier than 1 January 2008 and not later than 1 January 2011 were eligible for the 2026 (II) exam. UPSC accepts the date of birth on the Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate and no other document. The 2027 (I) window is not yet announced.

Education depends on the wing. For the Army wing, the notice asks for a Class 12 pass under the 10+2 pattern or equivalent and states no subject condition. For the Air Force and Naval wings and the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme, the candidate needs Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Students in Class 12 can apply, and for the 2026 (II) cycle proof of passing was due by 10 June 2027. Class 11 students cannot apply.

Medical standards: the notice says standards follow the Joint Order Manual of Medical Standards for Entry into Armed Forces (1st Edition). It lists common correctable problems such as ear wax, a deviated nasal septum, overweight or underweight, an undersized chest and piles, and advises a medical check before applying. Permanent tattoos are accepted only on the inner forearm and the back of the hand, with case-by-case handling for tribal customs.

Air Force candidates also take the Computerised Pilot Selection System test, once only. A candidate who fails it, or is not tested because of habitual spectacle use, can be considered for Air Force ground duties if willing.

Candidates who resigned or were withdrawn from a training academy on disciplinary grounds cannot apply, and those debarred by the Ministry of Defence from holding a commission are excluded.

Fee: Rs 100 in the 2026 (II) notice. SC and ST candidates, women candidates and eligible wards of JCOs, NCOs and other ranks are exempt.

Hyderabad was an exam centre in the 2026 (II) notice, as were Hanumakonda (Warangal Urban), Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati. Centres are allotted first-apply-first-allot, so apply early.

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Exam pattern

The written exam has two papers of 2.5 hours each, and both are objective type. Mathematics and Part B of the General Ability Test are set in Hindi and English. Calculators, mathematical tables and log tables are not allowed.

The General Ability Test splits into Part A, English (200 marks), and Part B, General Knowledge (400 marks). The scheme in UPSC's notice gives marks and duration but no question counts, so this guide does not list them.

Negative marking applies. Each wrong answer costs one third (0.33) of that question's marks. Marking two answers counts as wrong, and a blank answer carries no penalty.

Part B draws on six areas, with the approximate weightage the notice gives.

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Syllabus in brief

Mathematics covers eight areas: algebra, matrices and determinants, trigonometry, analytical geometry of two and three dimensions, differential calculus, integral calculus and differential equations, vector algebra, and statistics and probability. English tests grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension and cohesion in extended text. General Knowledge runs from motion, heat and electricity to the Indian Constitution, ocean currents and recent events.

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SSB interview stages

Candidates who clear the written cut-off go to a Services Selection Board for the intelligence and personality test. The 2026 (II) notice says SSB interviews were likely in December 2026 to January 2027, and candidates get their centre and date through the Army and Navy recruitment sites named in the notice.

Stage I has the Officer Intelligence Rating tests and the Picture Perception and Description Test. Only those shortlisted from Stage I go on to Stage II.

Stage II runs over four days. It has the interview, Group Testing Officer tasks, psychology tests and the conference. Three assessors score a candidate: the Interviewing Officer, the Group Testing Officer and the psychologist. They do not give each test a fixed weight. Marks follow the candidate's overall performance, and conference marks reflect the initial performance in the three techniques and the board's decision.

The final merit list combines written marks and SSB marks, and allocation to a service follows merit, medical fitness and the candidate's preferences. Success in the exam does not give a right to admission.

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How to prepare

Start with the split. The General Ability Test carries 600 of the 900 written marks, so a plan built only around Mathematics leaves most of the marks untouched. Spread study time across both papers from the first month.

For Mathematics, the topics are those taught in Class 11 and 12, from sets and quadratic equations to integrals and vectors. Students preparing in Hyderabad can find approved maths tutors for concept gaps. Practise by topic first, then move to full 2.5-hour papers with the one-third penalty applied when you score yourself.

For English, read daily, keep a vocabulary list and practise comprehension passages under time. An approved English tutor can help with grammar and usage if that is your weak spot.

For General Knowledge, follow the weightage table. Physics alone is a quarter of Part B, and the syllabus lists school-level topics such as Archimedes' principle, Ohm's law and simple machines. If basics are shaky, physics tutors can help. Add a short current-affairs habit for the 10% Current Events section.

Begin SSB preparation before the written result, not after it. Practise the Picture Perception and Description Test, read about the group tasks, and keep up regular physical fitness.

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Common mistakes

• Ignoring the one-third penalty and guessing on every question.
• Treating the General Ability Test as general reading, when 600 marks sit in it.
• Missing the proof-of-Class-12 date after applying while still in school.
• Skipping the medical self-check the notice itself recommends.
• Filling the form in a hurry, since no correction is allowed after submission.

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Next steps

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Official sources

• UPSC home page: forthcoming examinations and announcements
• UPSC exam calendar: Annual Calendar 2027, uploaded 20 May 2026
• NDA and NA Examination (I), 2027 page: UPSC listing, no notice published yet
• NDA and NA Examination (II), 2026 notice: eligibility, vacancies, scheme and syllabus used in this guide