Introduction To NDA Exam
Millions of candidates wait for the release of the recruitment notification from NDA. The importance of the NDA exam is incomparable as passing through this exam opens the doors of Indian Defense Services. Qualified candidates are able to undergo training at the NDA and after the rigorous training, candidates can join one of the cadres from the Indian Armed Forces, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force. NDA is the abbreviation of National Defense Academy and is located in Khadakwasla, Pune. Union Public Service Commission is the conducting body of the NDA Exam. For the year 2021, NDA Exam is for the 400 openings across 75 exam centers.
These 400 posts are divided as:
- Indian Army: 370
- Indian Navy: 42
- Indian Air Force: 120
Key Takeaways
- National Defense Academy aka NDA is the institute responsible for scrutinizing millions of candidates for Indian Defense. This selection procedure is implemented through a written exam and an SSB interview.
- The NDA written exam is of 900 marks and carries a negative marking system. So, candidates are advised to pay deep attention while solving the question paper as the wrong answer can cut down your scores.
- The exam consists of two papers and each of the papers is of 2.5 hours duration. The total marks for each paper are different.
- Passing this written exam will qualify you for the next round of SSB Interviews.
List Of NDA Details
Given below is the list of NDA Details:
1. NDA Exam Passing Marks
NDA cut-off is decided out of 900 marks. The conducting body UPSC also decides the cut-off. For the NDA-1 Exam, the cut-off was 719 out of 1800. For the NDA-2 exam, the cut-off increased to 723.
The cut off is calculated on these factors:
- Number of test-appeared candidates
- Total vacancies
- Exam difficulty
The expected cut off for NDA-1 2021:
- For the written exam, the cut-off is expected to reach 350-360.
- For final cutoff is expected to reach 704.
2. NDA Exam Books
Books are the best sources to study as they give thorough information about the topics.
Here is the list of books:
| Subject | Book Name | Author |
| Mathematics | NDA Entrance Exam | ES Ramasamy |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | RS Aggarwal | |
| Mathematics for NDA/NA: National Defense Academy and Naval Academy | RS Aggarwal | |
| English | Objective General English | SP Bakshi |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman and Lewis | |
| Wren and Martin High School Grammar and Composition | ||
| General Science, History, Geography | Class books from 9th to 10th | |
| Objective GK | Sanjiv Kumar | |
| Physics, Chemistry | NCERT Books |
3. NDA Exam Syllabus
NDA exam is divided into two papers:
- Paper 1: Mathematics
- Paper 2: General Ability Test
The detailed syllabus of each paper along with sections included is mentioned below:
1. Mathematics Syllabus
| Topic | Syllabus | No. Of Questions |
| Algebra | Real and Complex Numbers, Permutation and Combination, Binomial Theorem and Logarithms, Modulus and Cube Roots, Cartesian Product, Set Theory, Venn Diagrams, Binary to Decimal Conversion and Vice-Versa | 10-15 |
| Calculus | Derivatives, Increasing and Decreasing Functions, Applications of Derivatives in Maxima and Minima Problem, Concept of Real-Valued Function, Graph of Function, Composite and one-to-one Function | 20-25 |
| Integral Calculus and Differential Equations | Integration, Standard Integrals, Evaluation of Definite Integrals, General and Particular Solution of Differential Equations, Growth and Decay Problem | 20-15 |
| Vector Algebra | 2D and 3D Vectors, Unit and Null Vector, Vector Product or Cross Product, Scaler or Dot Product, Addition of Vector | |
| Matrices and Determinants | Types of Matrices, Basic Properties of Determinants, Matrix Operation, Adjoint and Inverse of Square Matrix | 30 |
| Trigonometry | Trigonometric Ratios, Trigonometric Sum and Difference, Multiple and Sub-Multiple Angles, Inverse Functions | 30 |
| Statistics and Probability | Probability and Sample Spaces, Elementary Thermos, Bayes’ Theorem, Binomial Distribution | 10 |
2. General Ability Test
a. English:
| Topic Name | Number Of Questions | Number Of Marks |
| Word Selection | 10 | 40 |
| Comprehension | 6 | 24 |
| Error Spotting | 5 | 20 |
| Synonyms | 5 | 20 |
| Antonyms | 5 | 20 |
| Order Sequence of Words in a Sentence | 9 | 36 |
| Improvement of Sentence | 10 | 40 |
| Total | 50 | 200 |
b. Physics:
| Mass, Weight, Volume, Sound Wave, Its Properties | Magnetic Properties | Force And Momentum |
| Archimedes Principles | Density and Specific Gravity | Pressure Barometer |
| Velocity and Acceleration | Ohm’s Law | Effect of Heat |
| Power and Energy | Gravitation | Primary and Secondary Cells |
| X-rays Uses | Human Eye | Physical Properties and States of Matter |
| Spherical Mirrors and Lenses | Conductors and Non-Conductors | Modes of Transference of Heat |
c. Chemistry:
| Acids, Bases, And Salts | Elements | Fertilizers |
| Mixtures and Compounds | Valency | Atom and its Properties |
| Air, Water and its Properties | Symbols, Formulae, and Simple Chemical Equation | Carbon and its Forms |
d. General Science:
| Food | Balanced Diet | Growth And Reproduction Of Animal And Plants |
| Human Body and Important Organs | Solar Systems | Living and Non-living Things |
e. History:
| Indian History | Freedom Movement Of India | Five Years Of Plans Of India |
| Bhoodan and Sarvodaya | Panchsheel | United Nations |
| Co-operatives and Community Development | Panchayati Raj | French, Russian, and Industrial Revolution |
f. Geography:
| Concept Of Time, Earth | Movement Of Earth And Its Effects | Regional Geography Of India |
| Latitudes and Longitudes | Climate, Mineral Sources | Rocks and their Classification |
| International Date Line | Imports and Exports of India | Sea Ports, Routes, Main Sea and Land |
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This is a guide to NDA Details. Here we discuss the introduction and the list of NDA details for the better understanding. You can also go through our other suggested articles to learn more –
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