UPSC NDA 2024 has now released on the UPSC website on 20th December. Eligible and interested candidates can apply for NDA 1 exam 2024 on upsc.gov.in/- NDA is the most sought-after exam by the 12th pass/appearing candidates to join the defence forces of the country. NDA 2023 exam is held two times in a year termed as NDA 1 and NDA 2
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has now released the NDA 1 2024 notification on its website on 20th December 2023. The candidates can apply for the same from the same date which is 20th December. The last to fill the NDA 1 application form will be 9th January 2024.
The candidates who will apply for the NDA exam successfully will be able to appear for the exam on 21st April 2024, Sunday. The exam shall be held in offline mode in various exam centres of the country. NDA exam is a defence exam which is held twice a year for admission into the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC). Only the unmarried male and female candidates are eligible to apply for it. Know about NDA exam date, notification release date, eligibility criteria, and other important details on this page.
NDA Exam Latest Updates:
- 26 November 2023: UPSC will release the NDA 2 notification on its website for NDA 1 2024 exam.
NDA exam is held twice a year, termed as NDA 1 and NDA 2. NDA 1 exam will be held on 21st April 2024 while NDA 2 will be held on 1st September 2024. Here are the major highlights of the NDA exam in the table below.
| NDA 2024 Exam Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | National Defence Academy Exam (NDA) |
| Conducting institute | Union Public Service Commission |
| Type of exam | Entrance exam into the armed forces of India |
| NDA syllabus | Maths and General Ability Test (GAT) |
| NDA pattern | Written exam conducted in pen and paper mode |
| Exam frequency | Twice a year |
| Exam fees | INR 100 (SC/ST/Women candidates/Sons of JCOs/NCOs/ORs are exempted from fee payment) |
| Eligibility | Passed Class 12 or are appearing in the same |
| Exam website | upsc.gov.in |
| NDA 2 2024 Exam Date | |
|---|---|
| NDA 2 2024 Exam Events | Date |
| NDA 1 2024 Notification releases on | 20th December 2023 |
| Apply Online Link Activates on | 20th December 2023 |
| Last Date to Apply for NDA 1 2024 exam | 9th January 2024 |
| NDA 2024 Exam Date | 21st April 2024 |
| Result release date | To be notified |
| NDA 1 Notification PDF Download Link | Download PDF |
NDA 1 2024 Vacancy 2024 will be released by the UPSC along with the notification. It is expected that approximately 400 vacancies will be released. In the meantime, NDA exam aspirants can go through the previous year’s NDA exam vacancy.
Previous Year’s NDA Exam Vacancies
We have shared the NDA/NA vacancies in the following table below of the last 5 years and more.
| Year/ Paper | National Defence Academy (NDA) | Indian Naval Academy (10 2 Cadet Entry Scheme) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 - (2) | 325 | 25 | 350 |
| 2023 – (1) | 370 | 25 | 395 |
| 2022 | 370 | 30 | 400 |
| 2021 – (1) | 370 | 30 | 400 |
| 2021 – (2) | 370 | 43 | 413 |
| 2020 – (1) | 370 | 48 | 418 |
| 2019 – (2) | 370 | 45 | 415 |
| 2019 – (1) | 342 | 50 | 392 |
| 2018 – (2) | 339 | 44 | 383 |
| 2018 – (1) | 360 | 55 | 415 |
| 2017 – (2) | 335 | 55 | 390 |
| 2017 – (1) | 335 | 55 | 390 |
The NDA 2024 application form can be filled from the UPSC website in online mode. The NDA 1 application form link will be activated on 20th December 2023. Candidates can fill out the form by entering their details, uploading the required documents and paying the application fee. The steps to apply for NDA exam is as follows:
NDA 1 2024 Apply Online Process
- Visit the official website of UPSC and click on the NDA 1 2024 online form link.
- Complete the One Time Registration (OTR) Process if not registered earlier.
- Those who have already registered for it can proceed to fill out the application form.
- The NDA 2 application form has to be completed in two parts, Part 1 and Part 2.
- In Part 1 process, they have to full the basic details while in Part 2, the scanned copy of the photograph, signature, fee payment, etc has to be done.
- Candidates will also have the option to withdraw their NDA 1 application form during the date that shall be notified by the UPSC.
NDA Application Fee
The NDA application fee can be paid through SBI challan or through online mode. The application fee for NDA exam is Rs. 100/-. SC/ ST/ NCOs/ Sons of JCOs/ ORS category are exempted from paying the application fee. Here is the table depicting the category-wise exam fee for NDA exam.
| Category of candidates | Fees |
|---|---|
| General/OBC | Rs. 100/- |
| SC/ST/Sons of JCOs, NCOs, ORs | Exempted |
| NDA age parameters | NDA Age Limit |
|---|---|
| Minimum Age | 16.5 years during the commencement of course |
| Maximum Age | 19.5 years during the commencement of course |
The educational qualification fo NDA exam remains the same for NDA 1 and NDA 2 exam. Here is the educational qualification for NDA exam:
- Candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class 12th exam can apply for the Army Wing.
- Candidates who wish to join the Air Force, Navy and Naval Academy of NDA should have passed or are appearing class 12th with Physics, Chemistry and Math.
NDA Nationality
Any candidate who is an Indian citizen or subject of Nepal/ subject of Bhutan/ refugee of Tibetan who came to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention to settle permanently in India is eligible to fill the NDA form. Other than this, the following candidates are also eligible to apply for NDA exam:
- Candidates who have migrated from Burma, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and east African countries of Zambia, Tanzania, Zaire, Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda or Vietnam with an intention of settling in India.
- Foreign nationals (except Gorkhas) will be required to produce a certificate of eligibility which is issued by Govt. of India
Gender and Marital Status for NDA Exam
The gender and marital status to fill the NDA online form is as follows:
- Male and Female candidates, both are eligible to apply for NDA exam 2024
- The candidate must be unmarried. They must not have married until their training period gets over.
NDA Exam Pattern 2024 for Written Exam
NDA exam pattern 2024 for the written test is composed of two papers-Maths and General Aptitude Test (GAT). Both the papers will be held on the same day with a break in between. Each paper of NDA written exam is objective in nature. GAT is for 600 marks where one has to attempt 150 questions. The exam duration for each paper of NDA exam is 2.5 Hours. The NDA exam pattern is tabulated below.
| Papers | Subject | Maximum marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Mathematics | 300 | 2.5 Hours |
| Paper 2 | GAT | 600 | 2.5 Hours |
| Total | 900 | 5 hours | |
