UPSC NDA 2 Notification 2026 has been released on 20th May 2026, announcing 394 vacancies for admission to the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings of the NDA for the 158th Course and for the 120th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) commencing from 1st July, 2027. The online form is open for unmarried boys & girls to be recruited for the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy. Candidates can get complete information regarding the exam from the article.
National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (NDA & NA) is a gateway to joining the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force as an officer. The NDA Exam is a national-level defence exam conducted twice every year to select eligible candidates for admission to the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Courses (INAC). Unmarried male and female 12th pass candidates born not earlier than 01st January 2006 and not later than 1st January, 2011, can submit their application forms for the NDA Exam 2026.
The Union Public Service Commission prescribed the NDA eligibility criteria 2026 in the official notification. Candidates must check the NDA eligibility before filling the NDA examination form. NDA exam 2026 eligibility criteria comprise various factors like Nationality, age limit, educational qualification, marital status, and others. They can check more details about NDA eligibility from the table given below.
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NDA Exam 2026 – Summary |
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| Exam Name | National Defence Academy (NDA) |
| Organization | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Vacancies | 394 |
| Registration Dates | 20th May to 09th June 2026 |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Exam Stages | Written Test and SSB Interview |
| Exam Duration | Five hours (Mathematics : 2½ hours, General Ability Test (GAT): 2½ hours) |
| Exam Pattern |
1. GAT : 150 Objective type questions 2. Mathematics : 120 Objective type questions |
| Eligibility | Unmarried Boys & Girls |
| Language of Exam | English & Hindi |
| Official Website | www.upsc.gov.in |
A total of 394 vacancies are to be recruited through the NDA 2 2026 exam for admission to the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings of the NDA for the 158th Course and for the 120th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) commencing from 1st July, 2027.
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Academy |
Service | Vacancies (Male) | Vacancies (Female) | Total |
| National Defence Academy | Army | 198 | 10 | 208 |
| Navy | 37 | 05 | 42 | |
| Air Force | ||||
| (i) Flying | 90 | 02 | 92 | |
| (ii) Ground Duties (Tech) | 13 | 02 | 18 | |
| (iii) Ground Duties (Non-Tech) | 08 | 02 | 10 | |
| Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme) | 21 | 02 | 24 | |
| Total Vacancies | 270 | 24 | 394 | |
The complete schedule, including registration date and exam date for NDA 2 exams, has been released along with the NDA 2 Notification 2026 PDF. Candidates can start submitting their NDA 2 Application from 20th May 2026, and the application link will remain active till 9th June 2026.
| Events | Dates |
| Apply Online Dates | 20th May 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 09th Jun 2026 |
| NDA II Admit Card 2026 | 03rd Sep 2026 |
| NDA II Exam Date | 13th Sep 2026 |
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The candidates must hold the minimum qualification to be eligible for Defence Jobs. Below we have mentioned the details for Education Qualification, Age Limit, Nationality, and Physical Standards.
For Army Wing of National Defence Academy: The candidate should be a 12th pass/HSC or equivalent examination from a State Education Board or a University
For Air Force and Naval Wings of National Defence Academy and for the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy: The candidate should have completed their 12th Class/HSC or equivalent with Physics and Mathematics from a State Education Board or a recognised University
NOTE: The candidates appearing in the 12th Class under the 10+2 School Education or equivalent examination are also eligible to appear in the UPSC NDA examination.
Only unmarried male/female candidates born not earlier than 01st January 2008 and not later than 01st January 2011 are eligible.
The candidates must be physically fit as per the physical standards for National Defence Academy and Naval Academy. They should be able to fulfill the following criteria:
(a) Running: 2.4 km in 15 minutes
(b) Skipping
(c) Pushups & Sit-ups: Minimum 20 each
(d) Chin-ups: Minimum 08
(e) Rope Climbing: 3.4 meters
| For Ground Duty | ||
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Height Requirement |
Min Height |
Max Height |
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Except states mentioned below |
157.5 cm |
— |
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Height for Gorkhas and individuals belonging to North Eastern |
152.5 cm |
— |
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Candidates from Lakshadweep |
155.5 cm |
— |
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For Flying Duty |
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Height Requirement |
Min Height |
Max Height |
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Sitting Height |
81.5 cm |
96 cm |
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Leg Length |
99 cm |
120 cm |
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Thigh Length |
— |
64 cm |
The online registration process for the NDA 2 Exam has started at the official website www.upsc.gov.in from 20th May 2026 onwards. The last date for submission of the application form is 9th June 2026. Candidates are advised to complete the online form before the last date to avoid last-minute technical glitches.
| Category | Application Fee |
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General |
Rs. 100/- |
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SC/ST candidates / female candidates / Wards of JCOs / NCOs / ORs |
Exempted |
 |
NDA 2 is the examination process that is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission to provide the opportunity to the youth of the country who wish to join the defense services. The NDA will be conducted in two stages:
A candidate who qualifies in a written examination will be called for a personality test, which will be conducted to check the intelligence and personality. The candidates have to clear both stages to get their names on the merit list. The merit list/final result will be generated by UPSC with the cumulative score of the Written Exam and the SSB will be considered for final selection.
The candidates who are preparing for the NDA Exam 2026 must be familiar with the exam pattern that is followed by UPSC. We have discussed the details for the NDA Exam Pattern 2026 below:
1. The exam will be conducted in an offline mode
2. The questions will be in multiple-choice format
3. The questions will be asked in bilingual languages (English & Hindi)
4. There will be a negative marking of 0.83 marks for Maths, 1.33 for English, and 1.33 marks for GK
5. Have a look at the detailed exam pattern for the NDA 2 Examination
| NDA 2026 Exam Pattern | |||
| Code | Subject | Max. Marks | Duration |
| 1. | Mathematics | 300 | 2.5 hrs |
| 2. | General Ability Test | 600 | 2.5 hrs |
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TOTAL |
600 | 5 hrs | |
There would be two subjects, Mathematics & General Ability Test, for which the candidates have to be well-prepared. The candidates are advised not to skip any topic for the NDA Exam and begin their preparation along with the detailed syllabus. There will be questions from English (200 marks) and General Knowledge (400 marks) in the General Ability Test.
| Paper – I Mathematics (Maximum Marks – 300) |
| Algebra |
| Matrices and Determinants |
| Trigonometry |
| Analytical Geometry of Two and Three Dimensions |
| Differential Calculus |
| Integral Calculus and Differential Equations |
| Vector Algebra |
| Statistics and Probability |
The questions in this paper will be asked from the English language and General knowledge.
| Paper – II General Ability Test (Maximum Marks – 600) |
| Part ‘ A’ – English (Maximum Marks – 200) Topics covered under English |
| Spotting Errors |
| Comprehension |
| Ordering of Words in a Sentence |
| Sentence Improvement |
| Antonyms |
| Synonyms |
| Part ‘ B’ – General Knowledge (Maximum Marks – 400) Topics covered under GK |
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Section ‘A’ (Physics) : Physical Properties and States of Matter, Mass, Weight, Volume, Density and Specific Gravity, Principle of Archimedes, Pressure Barometer. Motion of objects, Velocity and Acceleration, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Force and Momentum, Parallelogram of Forces, Stability and Equilibrium of bodies, Gravitation, elementary ideas of work, Power and Energy. Effects of Heat, Measurement of Temperature and Heat, change of State and Latent Heat, Modes of transference of Heat. Sound waves and their properties, Simple musical instruments. Rectilinear propagation of Light, Reflection and refraction. Spherical mirrors and Lenses, Human Eye. Natural and Artificial Magnets, Properties of a Magnet, Earth as a Magnet. Static and Current Electricity, conductors and Non-conductors, Ohm’s Law, Simple Electrical Circuits, Heating, Lighting and Magnetic effects of Current, Measurement of Electrical Power, Primary and Secondary Cells, Use of X-Rays. General Principles in the working of the following: Simple Pendulum, Simple Pulleys, Siphon, Levers, Balloon, Pumps, Hydrometer, Pressure Cooker, Thermos Flask, Gramophone, Telegraphs, Telephone, Periscope, Telescope, Microscope, Mariner’s Compass; Lightning Conductors, Safety Fuses. |
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Section ‘B’ (Chemistry) : Physical and Chemical changes. Elements, Mixtures and Compounds, Symbols, Formulae and simple Chemical Equations, Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems). Properties Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon dioxide, Oxidation and Reduction. Acids, bases and salts. Carbon—different forms. Fertilizers—Natural and Artificial. Material used in the preparation of substances like Soap, Glass, Ink, Paper, Cement, Paints, Safety Matches and Gun-Powder. Elementary ideas about the structure of Atom, Atomic Equivalent and Molecular Weights, Valency. |
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Section ‘C’ (General Science) : Difference between the living and non-living. Basis of Life—Cells, Protoplasm’s and Tissues. Growth and Reproduction in Plants and Animals. Elementary knowledge of Human Body and its important organs. Common Epidemics, their causes and prevention. Food—Source of Energy for man. Constituents of food, Balanced Diet. The Solar System—Meteors and Comets, Eclipses. Achievements of Eminent Scientists. |
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Section ‘D’ (History & Freedom Movement) : A broad survey of Indian History, with emphasis on Culture and Civilization. Freedom Movement in India. Elementary study of Indian Constitution and Administration. Elementary knowledge of Five Year Plans of India. Panchayati Raj, Co-operatives and Community Development. Bhoodan, Sarvodaya, National Integration and Welfare State, Basic Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Forces shaping the modern world; Renaissance, Exploration and Discovery; War of American Independence. French Revolution, Industrial Revolution and Russian Revolution. Impact of Science and Technology on Society. Concept of one World, United Nations, Panchsheel, Democracy, Socialism and Communism. Role of India in the present world. |
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Section ‘E’ (Geography) : The Earth, its shape and size. Latitudes and Longitudes, Concept of time. International Date Line. Movements of Earth and their effects. Origin of Earth. Rocks and their classification; Weathering—Mechanical and Chemical, Earthquakes and Volcanoes. Ocean Currents and Tides. Atmosphere and its composition; Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure, Planetary Winds, Cyclones and Anti-cyclones; Humidity; Condensation and Precipitation; Types of Climate, Major Natural regions of the World. Regional Geography of India—Climate, Natural vegetation. Mineral and Power resources; location and distribution of agricultural and Industrial activities. Important Sea ports and main sea, land and air routes of India. Main items of Imports and Exports of India. |
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Section ‘F’ (Current Affairs / Events) : Knowledge of Important events that have happened in India in the recent years. Current important world events. Prominent personalities—both Indian and International including those connected with cultural activities and sports. |
The SSB Interview will be conducted to assess the Intelligence and Personality Test. The candidates who have qualified in the written exam have to appear in the 2nd stage, i.e. interview process conducted by the officials. The candidates who qualify for the interview round are required to submit a birth certificate and a pass certificate. The merit list will be prepared based on the candidate’s performance in the written examination and interview rounds.
The cutoff for the written exam and final selection is released after the declaration of the final result. NDA cut-off marks for the written exam will be calculated out of 900. The final cutoff marks are calculated on the basis of marks scored by the last recommended candidates out of 1800 marks (900 marks for the written exam and 900 marks for the SSB Interview). The minimum qualifying mark for each subject is 25%.