UPSC NDA Syllabus, Exam Pattern — National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (II) 2026 (Notice No. 10/2026-NDA-II)
| Conducting body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
|---|---|
| Qualification | 12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern — for the Army Wing, any subjects; for the Air Force and Naval Wings and the 10+2 Cadet Entry at the Naval Academy, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Candidates appearing in the 12th Class may also apply. Only unmarried male/female candidates born not earlier than 01.01.2008 and not later than 01.01.2011 are eligible. |
| Selection process | Written Examination (900 marks) → SSB Test/Interview (900 marks). Final merit is on the written examination plus SSB marks. |
| Negative marking | One-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer. Marking more than one answer counts as a wrong answer; a blank answer has no penalty. |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
Exam Pattern
Written Examination
Both papers are objective-type. Mathematics and Part B of the General Ability Test are set bilingually in Hindi and English. The General Ability Test is ONE paper of 2½ hours carrying 600 marks — Part A (English) 200 and Part B (General Knowledge) 400.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I — Mathematics | — | 300 | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Paper II, Part A — English (General Ability Test) | — | 200 | Part of the 2½-hour GAT paper |
| Paper II, Part B — General Knowledge (General Ability Test) | — | 400 | Part of the 2½-hour GAT paper |
Written total: 900 marks
SSB Test / Interview
Two-stage selection at the Services Selection Board: Stage I — Officer Intelligence Rating tests and Picture Perception & Description Test (candidates are shortlisted at this stage itself); Stage II — Interview, Group Testing Officer tasks, Psychology Tests and the Conference, spread over 4 days.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSB Test / Interview (Intelligence and Personality Test) | — | 900 | — |
Grand total: 1,800 marks (900 written + 900 SSB)
Syllabus — Topics to Prepare
These topics are listed in the official notification's syllabus.
Mathematics (300 marks)
- Algebra
- Matrices and Determinants
- Trigonometry
- Analytical Geometry of Two and Three Dimensions
- Differential Calculus
- Integral Calculus and Differential Equations
- Vector Algebra
- Statistics and Probability
GAT Part A — English (200 marks)
- Grammar and usage
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension and cohesion in extended text
- Tests the candidate's understanding of English and workmanlike use of words
GAT Part B — General Knowledge (400 marks)
- Section A — Physics (about 25% weightage)
- Section B — Chemistry (about 15% weightage)
- Section C — General Science (about 10% weightage)
- Section D — History and the Freedom Movement (about 20% weightage)
- Section E — Geography (about 20% weightage)
- Section F — Current Events (about 10% weightage)
Sources (official documents)
Checked: Pattern verified from the official UPSC notification No. 10/2026-NDA-II dated 20.05.2026 (Appendix-I scheme and syllabus; Appendix-II penalty rule). The notification's scheme table does not state question counts, so those are left blank rather than taken from other sources. Always confirm with the latest notification before applying.