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NDA Preparation 2026–27: Eligibility, Study Plan & Official Papers

NDA Preparation 2026–27: Eligibility, Study Plan & Official Papers. Check the latest official updates, important dates and next steps for the 2026–27 preparation session.

Latest update — 6 October 2026

NDA II 2026 was conducted on 13 September, with official Mathematics and GAT papers uploaded on 14 September. The reviewed NDA II examination page does not show a written-result entry. NDA I 2027 is scheduled for 11 April in the official tentative calendar.

NDA/NA II 2026 at a glance

Examination-cycle overview
ItemDetails
AuthorityUnion Public Service Commission
Notification20 May 2026
Application deadline11 June 2026, 6:00 pm on the official exam page; closed
Written examination13 September 2026; date now past
Initial vacancies394 provisional: 370 male and 24 female
Courses158th NDA and 120th Indian Naval Academy courses, commencing 1 July 2027

What is new for this session?

The examination page gives 11 June as the final application deadline, superseding the original calendar/notice date. Use the 394-place NDA II table and current academy/course details. An older NDA I table must not be substituted for NDA II.

Official notification

Notification and complete rules

Important dates

NDA II 2026 dates
ItemDetails
Notification20 May 2026
Final application deadline11 June 2026, 6 pm; closed
e-admit-card entry3 September 2026
Examination13 September 2026
Question papers14 September 2026

Eligibility and academy/service choice

Detailed guide: NDA 2026–27: Notification, Exam Dates, Eligibility, Syllabus & Latest Updates

Class 12 qualification by wing

Educational requirements
ItemDetails
Army wing of NDAClass 12 under the 10+2 pattern or equivalent from the specified recognised board/university
Air Force and Naval wings of NDAClass 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics or equivalent
Indian Naval Academy 10+2 entryClass 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics or equivalent
Class 12 appearing candidatesPermitted conditionally; proof must be supplied under the notice’s requirements
Class 11 appearing candidatesNot eligible under the cited notice

The notification sets 10 June 2027 as the proof-of-passing deadline for candidates using the Class 12 appearing concession. It gives different handling instructions depending on whether originals were verified at SSB; follow those instructions and later official correspondence.

Nationality, marital status and fitness

The notice covers Indian citizens, subjects of Nepal and specified persons of Indian origin; eligibility-certificate conditions and the exception for Gorkha subjects of Nepal are set out in section 3. Candidates must satisfy the unmarried-status and training-related marriage conditions. The physical and medical standards are in Appendix III and depend on the relevant service.

Do not use a height-only online chart to decide medical fitness. An application acknowledgment, written score or SSB recommendation does not waive medical or document requirements.

Only candidates within the exact birth-date window in section 3(b) of the linked NDA II notice are eligible. Match your school-certificate date of birth to that session’s inclusive endpoints; the 2027 calendar does not supply a new birth-date range.

Exam pattern

Written pattern and selection

NDA/NA written scheme
ItemDetails
Mathematics300 marks; 2½ hours
General Ability Test600 marks; 2½ hours
Written maximum900 marks
SSB Test/Interview900 marks separately

The written papers are objective. Mathematics and the General Knowledge part of GAT are bilingual in Hindi and English. Qualifying written marks do not alone ensure admission: SSB, medical standards, eligibility, preferences and available places remain relevant.

For objective questions, an incorrect response attracts one-third of the marks assigned to that question; blanks do not attract a penalty.

Syllabus and preparation plan

Mathematics syllabus

Main Mathematics areas
ItemDetails
AlgebraSets, complex numbers, progressions, quadratics, inequalities, permutations/combinations, binomial theorem and logarithms
Matrices and determinantsOperations, properties, inverses and linear-equation applications
TrigonometryRatios, identities, inverse functions and triangle/height-distance applications
Coordinate geometryLines, conics and three-dimensional lines, planes and spheres
Differential calculusFunctions, limits, continuity, derivatives and applications
Integration and differential equationsStandard integration methods, definite integrals, simple differential equations and applications
Vector algebraVectors, dot/cross products and geometrical or physical applications
Statistics and probabilityData representation, averages, variation, correlation/regression, probability and distributions

GAT English

English tests comprehension, grammar and usage, vocabulary and coherence in extended text. Practise reading accurately under timed conditions as well as isolated grammar questions; the official syllabus is broader than memorising word lists.

GAT General Knowledge

The six broad areas are Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Social Studies, Geography and Current Events. The notification explains that the listed topics indicate scope and are not exhaustive. Physics includes basic mechanics, heat, sound, light, electricity and magnetism; Chemistry includes matter, reactions and common substances; General Science includes living systems, health, food and scientific developments. Use the full PDF for the detailed history, civics, geography and current-events entries.

Build a weekly study routine

Map the official topics to previous questions, practise weak areas first and reserve a timed-paper session each week. Record conceptual errors, careless errors and time lost separately. Use the final weeks for revision and full-paper practice rather than continuously adding books.

Preparation resources

NDA official previous papers · NDA syllabus · NDA eligibility. Prepare Mathematics and GAT consistently; map errors back to the official syllabus and practise the full 2½-hour paper duration.

2027 session planning

UPSC calendar dates — subject to change
ItemDetails
CDS I / NDA I notification2 December 2026
CDS I / NDA I application deadline22 December 2026
CDS I / NDA I examination11 April 2027
CDS II / NDA II notification12 May 2027
CDS II / NDA II application deadline1 June 2027
CDS II / NDA II examination19 September 2027

The calendar provides dates. The next notification must establish its vacancies, eligibility cut-offs and application rules.

Official sources

Checked on 6 October 2026. Later official amendments take precedence. Preparation plans are GovtAdhikari editorial guidance.

Frequently asked questions

What is the latest official update?

NDA II 2026 was conducted on 13 September, with official Mathematics and GAT papers uploaded on 14 September. The reviewed NDA II examination page does not show a written-result entry. NDA I 2027 is scheduled for 11 April in the official tentative calendar.

Are the 2027 dates guaranteed?

Published calendar dates are subject to change. Where a detailed notification has been issued, read it with any later amendment.

Can I reuse the previous cycle’s eligibility conditions?

Only as preparation context. The notification for your own examination/session determines eligibility and the application rules.

About the author

Shiksha Niketan Editorial Team

Education guides covering exams, courses and college choices.