UPSC NDA Notification 2025 (Out): Check NDA (I) Details & Apply Now

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) released the UPSC NDA Notification 2025 on 11 December 2024, for the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (I) 2025. The application window for UPSC NDA 2025 will be open from 11 to 31 December 2024 (until 6:00 PM). Eligible and interested candidates can submit their applications online via the official UPSC website.

Candidates are strongly advised to apply within the time frame specified in the UPSC NDA Notification 2025. Once the application is submitted, candidates will not be allowed to withdraw their applications. In the Online Application Form, candidates must clearly indicate their preferences for the services they wish to be considered for, in order of preference. For the latest updates on UPSC NDA 2025, please scroll down this page.

UPSC NDA Recruitment 2025  

The UPSC NDA Notification 2025 has been released, providing all the essential details such as application dates, exam date, eligibility criteria, exam pattern and application process. The UPSC NDA (I) Exam 2025 is scheduled for 13 April 2025. A total of 406 vacancies have been announced through the UPSC NDA Notification. Candidates are advised to carefully review the UPSC NDA Notification 2025 before applying. To be selected for the UPSC NDA 2025 Exam, candidates must undergo a two-stage selection process: the Written Examination followed by the Interview.

What is NDA?

The National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (NDA & NA Exam) is a prestigious national-level examination organized by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year. Its purpose is to select eligible candidates for the Army, Air Force, and Navy branches. This year, the exam will take place on 13 April 2025, for admission to the 155th Course of the NDA and the 117th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC), which will begin on 1 January 2026.

UPSC NDA Exam 2025: Overview

The UPSC NDA Notification 2025 is now available for candidates who wish to appear in the UPSC NDA (I) 2025. For a quick overview, candidates can refer to the table below, which summarizes all the essential details mentioned in the UPSC NDA Notification 2025:

UPSC NDA Important Dates 2025

The UPSC NDA Exam Date 2025 has been announced through the UPSC NDA Notification 2025. Candidates are advised to begin their preparation according to the scheduled date. For a quick reference, here are all the important dates related to UPSC NDA (I) 2025 in the table below:

UPSC NDA (I) 2025 Recruitment: Important Links

The UPSC NDA Notification 2025 is now available, and candidates can apply for UPSC NDA (I) 2025 after reviewing it carefully. Below is a table with all the important links related to the UPSC NDA Exam 2025 for candidates' convenience:

UPSC NDA 2025 Vacancy

The UPSC NDA Vacancy 2025 has been announced through the UPSC NDA Notification 2025. The Commission has stated that the vacancies are provisional and may change based on the available training capacity at the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Naval Academy (INA). The approximate number of vacancies to be filled based on the results of this examination is as follows:

UPSC NDA Eligibility Criteria 2025

UPSC NDA Eligibility Criteria has been detailed in an official notification which typically contains nationality, age limit and educational qualification etc. Candidates applying for the examination must ensure they meet all eligibility criteria for admission. Their admission at every stage of the examination will be provisional, contingent upon satisfying the specified eligibility conditions. Check the below points to know the NDA 2 Eligibility Criteria:-

Nationality

A candidate must be unmarried (male/female) and must either be: 

(i) a Citizen of India, or 

(ii) a subject of Nepal, or 

(iii) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam intending to permanently settle in India. 

Age Limit and Marital Status

Only unmarried male and female candidates who were born between 2 July 2006 and 1 July 2009 are eligible to apply.

The candidates are required to submit Proof/Documents in Support of Age Limit and marital Status.

Important:

• The Commission will only accept the date of birth as recorded in the Matriculation/ Secondary School Examination Certificate or an equivalent certificate on the date of application submission and no subsequent request for its change will be considered or granted.
• Candidates must also be unmarried and can only marry once their training term is completed.

Note: A candidate who marries after the date of his application, even if he is successful in this or any later examination, will not be chosen for training. A candidate who marries while in training will be discharged and must reimburse the government for all expenses incurred on his behalf.

Educational Qualification 

Note:- 

Candidates who qualified for the SSB interview but were unable to produce their Matriculation/10+2 or equivalent certificate in original at the time of the SSB interview should send duly self-attested photocopies to 'Directorate General of Recruiting, Army HQ, West Block III, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066' and for Naval Academy candidates to Naval Headquarters, DMPR, OI&R Section, Room No. 204, 'C' Wing. The submission deadline for this request is 24 June 2025. Failure to meet this deadline will result in the cancellation of their candidature.

D. Physical Standards

To be eligible for admission to the National Defence Services Examination (I) 2025, a candidate must meet the physical fitness requirements as per the standards and guidelines established by the respective wings

Online Application Process & Fees for UPSC NDA (I) 2025

Candidates willing to participate in the NDA (I) Exam 2025 must apply online by visiting the official website of UPSC. They will be required to complete the Online Application form, which consists of two stages, Part I and Part II. In case any issue persists during the online application process, candidates are suggested to read the steps mentioned below: 

Follow these step-by-step instructions mentioned below to apply online for the NDA Exam. 

• First, visit the official online application portal of UPSC (a link for the same is given above in the Important Links section).
• You need to enter your details in the “Part I” section of the application form.
• Following “Part I,” a registration ID will be generated, and you can proceed to “Part II” of the NDA I application form.
• Upload all scanned documents and signatures in the format specified.
• Finally, pay the application fee and select the examination centre.
• Re-check all details entered by you before clicking the “Submit” button.
• Print the generated application number and a copy of the final application form for future reference.

Application fee

Mode of Fee Payment:

The application fee can be paid online by Visa/Master/Rupay Credit/Debit Card/UPI Payment, or by using any bank's internet banking facility or in cash at any SBI branch.

Selection Process of UPSC NDA (I) 2025

The candidates who wish to join the prestigious National Defence Academy will have to undergo the two-stage selection process, which is further divided into two substages:

Stage I -  Written Examination

• The written exam is divided into two parts: Elementary Mathematics and the General Ability Test (GAT).
• In the written exam for Maths and General Ability, only objective questions (MCQs) will be asked.
• Candidates must pass both papers separately.

To advance to the next phase, the candidate must pass a written examination.

Stage II -  Intelligence & Personality Test

Following the written examination, the next level is the SSB interview, which involves the Personality test/Interview. The SSB interview has two parts. An IQ and personality test is administered initially, followed by a psychology test that comprises an interview, group discussion, and conference round.

Note: Candidates who clear Stage - I of the Personality Test are permitted to appear for Stage - II.

Candidates who pass both the interview and the document verification rounds are eligible for the medical exam.

UPSC NDA (I) 2025 Exam Pattern

The NDA exam pattern serves as a guide for students, providing important details on the exam's structure and organization. Knowing the highlights of the NDA test pattern will allow you to optimize your study strategy and increase your chances of passing this difficult exam.

The written exam has two sections: Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). The written exam contains objective-style questions in both sections. The structure of the written exam and SSB interview is shown in the table below.

A. WRITTEN EXAMINATION

• The papers will exclusively include objective-type questions.
• The General Ability Test will be divided into two sections: English and General Knowledge. The broad Knowledge section will cover themes such as current events, history, broad science, and so on.
• The duration of each paper will be 2½ hours.
• The maximum and minimum marks will be 300 for the Mathematics Paper and 600 for the General Ability (GAT) Paper.
• For each wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of ⅓ marks.

B. SSB INTERVIEW (INTELLIGENCE & PERSONALITY TEST)

The SSB interview is worth 900 marks, and the total marks for the written exam and the SSB interview are 1800.

The NDA SSB Interview, as previously stated, is divided into two stages, each of which includes an intelligence and personality test:

(a) Stage I: Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests include Picture Perception & Description Test (PP&DT). The candidates will be shortlisted based on a combination of performance in the OIR Test and PP&DT. 

(b) Stage II: Interviews, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests and the Conference. These tests are conducted over a period of 4 days.

Syllabus for NDA (I) Exam 2025

Now that you understand the exam pattern, have a look at the UPSC NDA Syllabus to assist you in comprehending the topics and arrange your study and time for each paper accordingly. Every year, the syllabus for the NDA Exams (I and II) remains the same.  

UPSC NDA (I) Exam Centre 2025

The NDA 2 exam will be conducted at various locations throughout India. UPSC announces the NDA 2025 Exam Centres through an official notification. Below is a table listing all the exam centres for the 2025 examination:

UPSC NDA Answer Key 2025

UPSC NDA (I) 2025 Answer Key will be uploaded by the UPSC after the exam is conducted successfully. Candidates will be able to download the UPSC NDA (I) 2025 Answer Key and raise their objections once the answer key is uploaded. Below you will find the direct link to download the UPSC NDA Answer Key 2025, once the answer key is uploaded:-

UPSC NDA Answer Key 2025 Link (inactive)

UPSC NDA Result 2025 

The results of the NDA & NA 1 Examination 2054 will be announced approximately one month after the written examination, slated for 13 April 2025. The commission publishes the results of each stage, namely the written exam and the SSB interview, on its official website. Following the steps below, candidates can access their UPSC CDS Results.

Step 1: Navigate to the UPSC website at upsc.gov.in.

Step 2: On the homepage, click the Written Result NDA & NA I Examination 2025 link.

Step 3: The Result PDF will be shown on the screen.

Step 4: Examine the details in the result PDF and use the Ctrl+F key to find your roll number.

Step 5: Save a copy of the UPSC NDA result PDF for future reference.

UPSC NDA 2025 Exam Cut-off 

UPSC NDA (I) Exam Cut-off Marks will be announced after the exam is conducted successfully. Candidates must score above the cut-off marks to secure their seats. Once the cut-off marks is declared by the UPSC, we will update the direct link to download the UPSC NDA 2025 Exam Cut-off Marks:-

UPSC NDA (I) 2025 Exam Cut-off Marks Link (Inactive)

UPSC NDA (I) 2025 Salary

Fixed Stipend for Cadet Training:

• Gentlemen or Lady Cadets would be paid a stipend of Rs 56,100/- per month for the duration of their training academies, i.e. at IMA.
• After successful commissioning, the officer's pay in the Pay Matrix shall be fixed under 10, and the time of training shall not be recognised as commissioned service. Check the rank-wise pay scale in the table below:

Military Service Pay (MSP) to the officer is as follows:-