NDA Exam Pattern 2026- UPSC releases the exam pattern of NDA 2026 along with official notification. UPSC NDA 2026 exam pattern contains subject and topics to prepare, number of question, marking scheme and more. NDA paper pattern will be available at upsc.gov.in. As per the UPSC NDA exam pattern, there The exam pattern of NDA 1 exam and NDA 2 exam are similar. NDA 2026 exam pattern helps in creating a well-planned strategy to clear the examination.
To successfully qualify the NDA 2026 exam, candidates have to qualify in both the papers by attaining minimum NDA cut off marks. UPSC will conduct the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy 2026 on April 12. NDA 2 Exam 2026 will be held on September 13. Check the provided details to get the complete view of the NDA 2026 Exam Pattern.
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NDA Exam Pattern 2026 Highlights
| Exam Conducting Body | UPSC |
| Name of Exam | National Defence Academy & Naval Academy 2026 |
| NDA Exam Date 2026 | April 12 & September 13 |
| Exam Mode | Offline (Pen Paper Based) |
| Medium | English and Hindi |
| Number of sections | 2 |
| Type of Question | Objective or MCQ |
| Total Number of Questions | 270 Questions (Mathematics- 120 and General Ability Test- 150) |
| Total Marks | 900 Marks (Mathematics- 300 Marks and General Ability Test- 600 Marks) |
| Exam duration | 2.30 hours (Each Section) |
| Negative Marking | -0.83 in Maths and -1.33 in GAT |
UPSC NDA 2026 Exam Pattern
There will be 2 papers including GAT and Maths in NDA 2026 exam. Below is the duration and complete NDA marking scheme-
| Paper | Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| I | Mathematics | 2 hours 30 minutes | 300 |
| II | General Ability Test | 2 hours 30 minutes | 600 |
| Total | 900 | ||
NDA Paper Pattern 2026 for General Ability Test
| Part | Subject | Maximum Marks |
| Part A | English | 200 |
| Part B | General Knowledge | 400 |
| Total | 600 |
NDA 2026 Marking Scheme
| Sections | Marks for Each Right Answer | Negative Marking for Wrong Answer |
| GAT | 4 | 1.33 |
| Mathematics | 2.5 | 0.83 |
UPSC NDA Exam Pattern 2026 for SSB Interview
Candidates who qualify the written examination will be called for SSB Interviews, to be conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB) of the Ministry of Defence for Admission to Army, Navy and Air Force Wings of the National Defence Academy.
| Stages | Tests | |
| Stage 1 | Screening Test |
|
| Stage 2 | Psychological Test |
|
| Group Testing Officers Test |
|
|
| Personal Interview | – | |
| Conference | – | |
NDA Syllabus 2026
- Algebra
- Matrices and Determinants
- Trigonometry
- Analytical Geometry of 02 & 03 Dimensions
- Differential Calculus
- Integral Calculus and Differential Equations
- Vector Algebra
- Statistics
- Probability
NDA Preparation Tips 2026- 11 Simple Tricks to Score Well in NDA
NDA 2026 Admit Card
The admit card of NDA 2025 will be released 03 weeks prior to the examination. Candidates will have their registration number and date of birth details to download the call letter. The admit card will be available online on the main website of UPSC. Before the release of admit card, candidates must ensure that they know all aspects of NDA exam pattern 2026.
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