Every year the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) conducts the NDA exam in two shifts i.e. NDA exam 1 and NDA exam 2. The official NDA 1 2023 exam date is April 16, 2023, whereas the admit card for NDA 1 2023 written test will be announced on the third week of March 2023. However, the candidates who are interested to join National Defence Academy, but were not able to apply for the NDA 1 2023 Exam can apply for NDA 2 2023 Exam which will be conducted soon.
NDA 2023 Official Notification
UPSC recruits candidates for various National Defence Academies by conducting an NDA written exam twice every year.
On 21 December 2022, the UPSC released the official notification for the NDA 1 2023 exam. The online application form for this exam was available from 21 December 2022 to 12 January 2023. As per the NDA 1 2023 official notification, there were a total of 395 vacancies for recruiting candidates in the Army, Airforce, and Navy.
The UPSC will release the NDA 2 official exam notification on May 17, 2023. The application form for the NDA 2 2023 Exam will be filled from 17 May to 06 June 2023. The candidates can expect the exam date for the NDA 2 2023 written test on 03 September 2023.
What is the UPSC NDA 2023 Exam?
The UPSC NDA 2023 Exam is the most prestigious exam conducted every year in two shifts, NDA 1 Exam and NDA 2 Exam. Both male and female candidates are applicable to give this exam. The candidates are selected through written tests and SSB interviews. The shortlisted candidates are trained under well-known Defence training Academies such as the Indian naval Academy, the Indian Military Academy, and the Indian Air Force Academy. The officers who are trained under these training academies serve the nation at their best.
NDA 2023 Exam Highlights
Aspiring candidates who wish to apply for this exam must check the UPSC NDA 2023 Exam Highlights in the table below. This will provide an overview of the exam to the candidates.
| Specifications | Details |
| Exam Name | NDA (National Defence Academy) Examination |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission |
| Exam Frequency | Yearly (Twice) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Stages | Offline Written Exam Interview Rounds are conducted by SSB (Service Selection Board). |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Application Fees | Rs. 100 |
| Exam Duration | 2.30 hours/Section |
| Mode of Language | English and Hindi |
| Official Website | www.UPSC.gov.in |
NDA (I) and (II) 2023 Exam Dates
As per the official notification released by UPSC for the NDA 2023 exam, the exam dates for both NDA I and II 2023 exams are given in the table below.
NDA (I) Exam Dates
| NDA I 2023 Notification Date | 21/December/2022 |
| Last Date to Apply | 12/January/2023 |
| NDA I 2023 Exam Date | 16/April/2023 |
| NDA I 2023 Result Date | May 2023 |
NDA (II) Exam Dates
| NDA II 2023 Notification Date | 17/May/2023 |
| Last Date to Apply | 06/June/2023 |
| NDA II 2023 Exam Date | 03/September/2023 |
| NDA II 2023 Result Date | October 2023 |
NDA 2023 Vacancies
As per the UPSC NDA 2023 official notification, there are a total of 395 vacancies for male and female candidates. A total of 19 vacancies are reserved for female candidates. We have classified the number of vacancies for the Army, Air Force, and Navy in the table below.
| Defence Wings | Number of Vacancies |
| Army | Total: 208 Female Candidates: 10 |
| Navy | Total: 42 Female Candidates: 03 Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme): A total of 25 Vacancies for Male Candidates only. |
| Air Force | Flying: A total of 92 vacancies out of which 02 for female candidates Ground Duties Technical: A total of 18 vacancies out of which 02 for female candidates Non-Technical: A total of 10 vacancies out of which 02 are for female candidates. |
NDA 2023 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates are advised to understand the detailed UPSC NDA 2023 Eligibility criteria before applying for this exam. As, the NDA eligibility criteria carry various requirements that every candidate must meet such as Physical Measurements, Visual Standards, Educational Qualification, Age limit, and Nationality. We have included the general details about the eligibility criteria in the table below.
| Nationality | Indian |
| Age Limit | 16.5-19.5 years (Candidates should not have been born earlier than 02/July/2004 nor later than 01/July/2007). |
| Educational Qualification | Candidates who are 12th pass or are appearing for the final board exam are eligible for the Army wing of the National Defence Academy. Candidates who wish to join the Naval Academy, Navy and Air force wings of the National Defence Academy should pass 12th class with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. |
| Physical Fitness | Candidates must be physically fit as per the Physical and Visual Standards. |
NDA 2023 Application Process
The UPSC NDA 2023 Application process will be conducted online. Candidates are required to fill out the NDA Application Form through the official website of UPSC. With the help of the easy steps given below, candidates can fill out the UPSC NDA 2023 Application form online.
- Visit the official website of UPSC (www.UPSC.gov.in)
- Complete the basic OTR (One-Time Registration) process, if not registered.
- OTR can be completed by filling in general details such as Name, Father’s Name, Date of Birth, Mother’s Name, Mobile Number, and Email Id.
- Candidates will get the login credentials on their Registered Mobile Number and Mail Id.
- Login through User Id and Password.
- Click on the ‘NDA Exam’ Link.
- The link will redirect the candidates towards the application form.
- Fill out all the mandatory fields.
- Upload Photographs, Educational Documents, Signature, and Identity Card.
- Choose the preferable exam centres.
- Submit the Application Fee as per the table below.
Application Fees
| General/OBC Male Candidates | Rs. 100 |
| SC/ST/Children of JCO/NCO/OR | NIL |
- Click on the ‘Submit’ Button for Final Submission.
- Candidates will receive a final confirmation message on their registered Mobile Number and Mail ID.
- Print out at least 2-3 copies for further reference.
NDA 2023 Selection Process
The selection of the eligible candidates will be done on the basis of Written Tests and SSB Interview Rounds. However, the UPSC NDA 2023 Selection Process is divided into four stages as given below.
Stage I – Written test
Stage II – SSB interview
Stage III – Medical examination
Stage IV – Final Merit List
Phase I – Witten Test
The first phase of the UPSC NDA 2023 Selection Process is a Written exam. This exam will consist of 2 sections, Mathematics and General Ability Test for a total of 900 marks. The questions will be objective in nature. Candidates will have to score minimum qualifying marks for clearing this phase.
Phase II – SSB Interview
The SSB Interview round is a 5-day event where the recruiters assess the overall personality of candidates through various physical and mental tasks. The details of these events are given in the table below.
| Days | Events |
| Day 1 | Picture Perception and Description Test |
| Day 2 | Psychology Tests |
| Day 3 | Group Testing Officers’ task |
| Day 4 | Interview Rounds |
| Day 5 | Conference rounds |
Phase III – Medical Examination
The candidates will have to go through a medical examination that is conducted by medical authorities in a military hospital.
Phase IV – Final Merit List
The candidates who will excel in each phase of the UPSC NDA 2023 selection process will be shortlisted. The points scored by the candidates in each phase will be considered in the final merit list.
NDA 2023 Exam Pattern
UPSC NDA 2023 Exam Pattern comprises two sections, Mathematics and General Ability Test. The weightage of both sections is given in the table below.
| Sections | Total Marks | Exam Duration | Marking |
| Mathematics | 300 | 150 minutes | 2.5 marks/question |
| General Ability Test | 600 | 150 minutes | 4 marks/question |
Negative Marking Scheme
There will be a negative marking scheme in the UPSC NDA 2023 Written Test. For every wrong answer, a 1/3 mark will be deducted.
NDA 2023 Exam Syllabus
The UPSC NDA 2023 Exam Syllabus is divided into two Papers, Paper I and Paper II. Paper 1 consists of various questions from Mathematics. Paper 2 comprises various sections such as General Science, History, Geography, Current Affairs, and General Knowledge. The syllabus for both Paper I and Paper II is given in the table below.
Paper I Syllabus: Mathematics
| Analytical Geometry | Algebra |
| Calculus | Trigonometry |
| Matrics and Determinants | Statistics |
| Probability | Vectors |
Paper II Syllabus: General Ability Test
This section carries questions from two major sections, English and General Knowledge. The syllabus for both sections is given in the table below.
| Sections | Topics |
| English | Vocabulary, Comprehension, Reading Abilities, and Various Grammatical Topics. |
| General Knowledge | History, Current Affairs, Freedom Movements in India, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, Art, and Culture. |
NDA 2023 Exam Preparation Books
To crack competitive exams like UPSC NDA 2023 Exam, candidates will need a set of UPSC NDA 2023 preparation books that help the candidates in acing each section of the exam. These books will help the candidates to understand various complex topics from Mathematics and General Ability.
| Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi | Newspapers: The Hindu, The Indian Express, and The Economic Times |
| General Awareness by Manohar Pandey | Manorma Yearly Book by Philip Mathew |
| Mathematics for Combined Defence Services by R.S Aggarwal | Quantitative Aptitude by R.S Aggarwal |
| High School Grammar Book by Wren and Martin | History of Modern Indian by Bipin Chandra |
| NDA Entrance Exam by E.S Ramasamy | Pathfinder for NDA by Arihant |
NDA 2023 Admit Card
Interested candidates will have to download the NDA 2023 hall ticket from the official website of UPSC. The admit card is generally released a few days before the exam date. To download the UPSC NDA 2023 Admit Card, candidates can follow the simple steps given below.
- Visit the official website of UPSC.
- Login with the help of Login Credentials.
- Click on the ‘Home Page’ and then click on the ‘E-admit card NDA link’
- Agree to terms and conditions after reading them carefully.
- Enter the Registration Id and Roll Number.
- Click on the ‘Submit’ Button.
- The Admit Card will Display on the candidate’s screen.
- Print out the admit card before visiting the exam hall.
NDA 2023 Results
The UPSC releases the NDA exam results in a few months after the exam is conducted. The results are announced officially on the website of UPSC. The Roll number of the shortlisted candidates will appear on the results screen.
- Visit the official website of UPSC.
- Click on the ‘UPSC NDA 2023 Final Results’ link.
- Enter your ‘Roll Number’ on the Search Bar.
- The list of Roll numbers will display on the computer screen.
- Candidates should check their Roll Number on the list. If the Roll Number is mentioned there that means that the particular candidate has cleared the exam.
- Download the Result and Print it Out for further reference.
NDA 2023 Exam FAQs
The NDA I 2023 Exam will be conducted on 16/April/2023. The exam date for the NDA II 2023 Exam is 03/September/2023.
Candidates should be 12th pass or should be appearing for the 12th board exam.
Yes, there are various vacancies released for female candidates by the UPSC.
Service Selection Board.
The candidates can expect the official notification for the NDA II 2023 exam on 17/May/2023.
Candidates should fall between the age limit of 16.5-19.5 years.
Yes, the candidates who will clear the SSB Round will have to go through the Medical Examination.
The SSB Interview Round consists of mental and physical ability tasks.
