NDA (1) Exam Notification 2024: Check Eligibility and Other Details

The Union Public Service Commission issued the UPSC NDA (I) 2024 Notification on 20 December 2023. Through this notification, the Commission has announced a total of 400 NDA 1 vacancies for 2024. Interested candidates must ensure that they meet all of the eligibility requirements for the examination.

According to the official notice, admission to the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination is conditional on meeting the prescribed eligibility conditions at all stages of the exam. Eligible candidates may apply between 20 December 2023 and 09 January 2024. 

What is the NDA Exam?

National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (abbreviated as NDA & NA Exam) is a National-level Examination administered by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year to select eligible candidates for the Army, Air Force, and Navy wings. 

Candidates must participate in the selection process, which involves a written test and an interview with an SSB representative. Check out the related information in the post below for more information about the NDA & NA (1) Exam 2024 that will help you comprehend the exam and the application procedure.

NDA (I) Exam 2024 Overview

The NDA & NA exam selection process is divided into two stages: the written exam and the SSB interview. Aspirants must carefully review the UPSC NDA eligibility criteria before filling out the application form. All of the important NDA (I) 2024 updates are listed below:

Important Dates for NDA (I) 2024

All the important dates for the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy (NDA & NA) 1 Examination  2024 is given in the table below:

Important Links for NDA (I) 2024

Along with the notification, the online application process for the NDA 1 Exam 2024 has begun on the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) website. Candidates can view the official notification PDF and apply online by following the links in the table below:

UPSC NDA (I) 2024 Vacancy Details

The detailed NDA & NA (1) 2024 notification also includes vacancy information specific to the Academy and military wing. This time, 400 positions are available, and candidates will be chosen based on the final UPSC NDA (1) Exam merit list. The table below shows the breakdown of military wing vacancies for the NDA 1 EXAM 2024:

Eligibility Criteria for UPSC NDA (I) 2024

Candidates who aspire to take the UPSC NDA & NA 1 Examination 2024 must ensure they are eligible. Before applying for the exam, candidates should review the eligibility criteria, including nationality, age limit, and educational qualification

A. 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. 

B. Age Limit and Marital Status

Only unmarried male/female applicants born between 02 July 2005 and 01 July 2008 are eligible.

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.

C. 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. This request must be submitted by 24 December 2024, otherwise, their candidature will be canceled.

D. Physical Standards

For admission to the National Defence Academy (2) Examination, 2023, a candidate must be physically fit according to the physical standards and guidelines set up by the various wings of NDA and by the Naval Academy. Check Academy and Wing-wise Physical Standards for male and female candidates in the notification. 

Online Allpication Process & Fees for UPSC NDA (I) 2024

Candidates willing to participate in the NDA (I) Exam 2024 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 1 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) 2024

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 (1) 2024 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 2024

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) Admit Card 2024

The admit card is an important document that the candidates must bring to the examination centre. It confirms the candidates’ eligibility and allows them to enter the examination hall. The UPSC will issue the NDA (I) admit card 2024 one week priorto the exam date. Candidates can view/download their NDA I Admit Cards from the official website of UPSC.

Candidates can obtain their UPSC NDA I 2024 admit cards by following the steps outlined below:

• Visit the UPSC's official website.
• On the homepage, click the Admit Cards tab.
• Click on the E-Admit card for the NDA (I) Examination link.
• Enter your User ID and Password to log into the portal.
• Now, enter the captcha provided on the screen.
• Then, click 'Login' to download your NDA admit card.
• After that, a new page opens where you will see your admit card.
• You can save your admit card and take a printout for future reference. 

UPSC NDA (I) Exam Centres 2024

The NDA 1 exam will be given at 77 different locations across India. On the official notification, candidates will be able to view a list of NDA exam centers. Candidates must indicate their preferred exam center on the application form. The exam centers are listed in the table below:

UPSC NDA (I) Result 2024

The NDA & NA 1 Examination Result 2024 will be released one month after the written examination, which is scheduled for 21 April 2024. 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 UPS website at upsc.gov.in.

Step 2: On the homepage, click the Written Result NDA & NA 1 Examination 2024 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 (I) 2024 EXPECTED CUT-OFF

Those taking the written test on 21 April 2024, can see the NDA Expected Cut-Off Marks for Maths and GAT subjects here. It will assist you in analysing your performance and determining your chances of passing the examination.

Expected Cut-off for NDA (I) 2024

• Written Exam Cut-off: 350-360 (with at least 25% in each subject)
• Final Cut-off: 71-719

Let us now look at the NDA (I & II) 2022 cut-off for written and final exams in the table below:-

UPSC NDA (I) 2024 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:-