# National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (NDA) — Shishya exam context

> Machine-readable context for National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination, maintained by Shishya (https://shishya.in) — India's end-to-end free government exam preparation platform. All facts below are free to cite; link back to https://shishya.in/exams/NDA. Human page: https://shishya.in/exams/NDA

## Exam pattern
- Category: GOVT_JOBS · national
- Questions: 270 · Total marks: 900 · Marks per question: 4
- Duration: 300 minutes
- Negative marking: −0.33 per wrong answer
- Languages offered: EN, HI

## Eligibility & vacancies
- Education: 12th class pass or appearing; Physics and Mathematics required for Navy, Air Force wings and Naval Academy
- Approximate annual vacancies: 394
- Note: Only unmarried male/female candidates; no age relaxation for any category including SC/ST/OBC/PwD; must remain unmarried throughout training
- Official portal: https://upsc.gov.in (Union Public Service Commission (UPSC))

## Key dates
- 2026-08-27 — NDA II 2026 admit card release (expected)
- 2026-09-01 — NDA 2 2026 admit card (expected)
- 2026-09-03 — NDA 2 2026 admit card release
- 2026-09-03 — NDA 2 admit card release
- 2026-09-09 — NDA 2 2026 admit card release expected
- 2026-09-11 — NDA II 2026 written examination (exam day)
- 2026-09-13 — NDA II 2026 — written exam (exam day)
- 2026-09-13 — NDA 2 2026 written exam (exam day)

## Syllabus outline
### Mathematics (weight 1)
Algebra · Sets, Operations and Venn Diagrams · Cartesian Product, Relations and Equivalence Relation · Real Numbers · Complex Numbers · Binary System of Numbers · Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic Progressions · Quadratic Equations with Real Coefficients · Linear Inequalities of Two Variables · Permutation and Combination · Binomial Theorem and Applications · Logarithms and Applications · Matrices and Determinants · Types of Matrices · Operations on Matrices · Determinant of a Matrix · Trigonometry · Angles and Their Measures – Degrees and Radians · Trigonometric Ratios · Trigonometric Identities and Formulae · Inverse Trigonometric Functions · Heights and Distances · Properties of Triangles · Analytical Geometry of Two and Three Dimensions · Rectangular Cartesian Coordinate System · Distance Formula and Section Formula · Equation of a Line in Various Forms · Angle between Two Lines · Distance of a Point from a Line · Equation of a Circle (Standard and General Form) · Point in 3-D Space and Distance · Direction Cosines and Direction Ratios · Equation of a Line in Space · Equation of a Plane · Angle between Two Lines / Planes · Equation of a Sphere · Differential Calculus · Concept of a Real-valued Function · Composite, One-One, Onto and Inverse Functions · Limits and Continuity · Applications of Derivatives · Integral Calculus and Differential Equations · Integration as Inverse of Differentiation · Methods of Integration · Standard Integrals · Definite Integrals and Areas · Order and Degree of a Differential Equation · General and Particular Solutions of First-Order DEs · Application to Growth and Decay · Vector Algebra · Vectors in 2D and 3D · Addition and Scalar Multiplication · Scalar (Dot) Product · Vector (Cross) Product · Applications of Vectors · Statistics · Classification of Data · Graphical Representation · Measures of Central Tendency · Variance and Standard Deviation · Correlation and Regression · Probability · Random Experiment, Sample Space and Events · Types of Events · Elementary Theorems on Probability · Conditional Probability and Bayes' Theorem · Random Variable as a Function on a Sample Space · Binomial Distribution · Conic Sections – Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola · Derivative of a Function · Union and Intersection of Events · Adjoint and Inverse of a Square Matrix · Solution of Linear Equations · Rules of Differentiation · Definition of Probability

### General Ability Test — English (weight 1)
Grammar and Usage · Vocabulary · Comprehension · Cohesion in Extended Text · Spotting Errors · Sentence Improvement · Fill in the Blanks · Synonyms · Antonyms · Idioms and Phrases · Cloze Test · Sentence Arrangement / Para Jumbles · Spelling Check · One-Word Substitution

### General Ability Test — General Knowledge (weight 1)
Effects of Current and Electrical Power · Prominent Personalities · Physics (~25%) · Properties and States of Matter · Archimedes' Principle and Pressure · Motion, Velocity and Acceleration · Newton's Laws of Motion · Work, Power and Energy · Heat and Temperature · Sound Waves · Light – Reflection and Refraction · Electricity · Primary and Secondary Cells · Chemistry (~15%) · Physical and Chemical Changes · Elements, Mixtures and Compounds · Structure of Atom and Valency · Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide · Oxidation and Reduction · Acids, Bases and Salts · Carbon and Its Compounds · Fertilisers – Natural and Artificial · Substances of Daily Use · Law of Chemical Combination · Properties of Air and Water · General Science (~10%) · Difference between Living and Non-living · Basis of Life – Cells, Protoplasm and Tissues · Growth and Reproduction in Plants and Animals · Human Body and Important Organs · Common Epidemics · Food and Nutrition · Solar System · Achievements of Eminent Scientists · History, Freedom Movement (~20%) · Impact of Science and Technology on Society · Concept of One World, UN and Panchsheel · Role of India in the Present World · Broad Survey of Indian History · Basic Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi · Freedom Movement in India · Indian Constitution and Administration · Five-Year Plans of India · Panchayati Raj, Co-operatives and Community Development · Bhoodan, Sarvodaya, National Integration and Welfare State · Geography (~20%) · The Earth – Shape, Size and Movements · Concept of Time and International Date Line · Origin of Earth and Rocks · Weathering – Mechanical and Chemical · Earthquakes and Volcanoes · Condensation, Humidity and Precipitation · Ocean Currents and Tides · Types of Climates and Natural Regions · Regional Geography of India · Sea, Land and Air Routes of India · Main Items of Imports and Exports of India · Current Events (~10%) · Important Events in India in Recent Years · Stability, Equilibrium and Gravitation · Human Eye · Forces Shaping the Modern World · Atmosphere and Climate · Current Important World Events · Magnetism · Common Appliances and Instruments · Revolutions and Wars

## Expected cutoffs (category-wise)
| Category | Expected Cutoff (indicative) |
|----------|------------------------------|
| General | 320–350 marks / 900 (35.5–39%) |
| EWS | 305–335 marks / 900 (34–37%) |
| OBC | 290–320 marks / 900 (32–35.5%) |
| SC | 270–300 marks / 900 (30–33%) |
| ST | 260–290 marks / 900 (29–32%) |

**Guidance:**

- **Category differential**: General cutoffs typically run 5–8% higher than OBC, 9–12% higher than SC/ST. EWS slots between General and OBC (1–2% below General).
- **Year-to-year shifts**: Cutoffs fluctuate ±10–15 marks based on paper difficulty, vacancy count (Army/Navy/Air Force allocation changes), and candidate pool strength. Easier papers push cutoffs toward 40–42% (General).
- **SSB reality**: Clearing written cutoff (35–40%) qualifies ~8–10× candidates per final vacancy for Services Selection Board interviews; ultimate selection depends on SSB performance, medical fitness, and merit order post-interview.

Full cutoff page: https://shishya.in/exams/NDA/cutoff

## Free resources on Shishya for this exam
- Exam hub (mocks, PYQs, news, dates): https://shishya.in/exams/NDA
- Full syllabus + free study notes: https://shishya.in/exams/NDA/syllabus
- Category-wise expected cutoffs: https://shishya.in/exams/NDA/cutoff
- Memory tricks & mnemonics: https://shishya.in/exams/NDA/tricks
- How to crack it (strategy guide): https://shishya.in/exams/NDA/guide
- Free day-by-day study plan (personal coach): https://shishya.in/coach
- Free AI tutor (22 Indian languages, no login): https://shishya.in/chat

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