UPSC NDA 2027: exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply

The National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (NDA & NA) is how the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) admits young men and women, straight after Class 12, to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy and to the Indian Naval Academy's 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme. It is held twice a year, and the next one is close: UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 puts the NDA & NA (I) 2027 notification on 2 December 2026, the last date to apply on 22 December 2026, and the exam on Sunday 11 April 2027 (checked 20 October 2026). This guide covers the dates, eligibility, the two papers and a plan for the weeks that are left.

UPSC NDA at a glance

UPSC NDA 2027 exam date

From UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 (PDF), read on 20 October 2026:

NDA is held on the same day as the CDS exam (see our CDS guide). The calendar says dates can change; check the exam calendar page and our NDA exam-dates page.

How to apply for UPSC NDA (I) 2027

Apply online at upsconline.nic.in, the portal UPSC's notices name. The window is about three weeks in December.

1. Create an account on the portal.
2. Get your Universal Registration Number (URN). It is made once and used for every UPSC exam. Enter your date of birth exactly as on your Class 10 certificate: UPSC accepts no other proof and allows no change later.
3. Fill in the Common Application Form, with an uploaded photograph and a live photograph. UPSC advises Aadhaar as the ID document.
4. Between 2 and 22 December 2026, fill in the NDA form, choose your wing preferences and centre, and pay the fee unless exempt. Once submitted, the form cannot be changed.

Keep ready: Class 10 certificate (for date of birth), Class 12 marksheet or school details if you are still in Class 12, photo ID, and scanned photograph and signature.

Eligibility (NDA (II) 2026 notice; check the (I) 2027 notice for exact dates):

• Who: unmarried men and women, citizens of India (or the other categories the notice lists). Candidates must not marry until training ends.
• Age: about 16½ to 19½. For NDA (II) 2026, candidates had to be born between 1 January 2008 and 1 January 2011.
• Army wing: Class 12 pass in any stream.
• Navy and Air Force wings, and the INA 10+2 entry: Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
• Students now in Class 12 can apply, and must prove they passed by the date in the notice.

UPSC NDA exam pattern

• A wrong answer, or two answers marked, loses one-third: 0.83 in Mathematics and 1.33 in the GAT. A blank costs nothing.
• No calculators or log tables.
• UPSC sets qualifying marks for each paper and the total; there is no fixed pass mark. Those who qualify go to the SSB, and Air Force candidates also take the Computerised Pilot Selection System.
• The final merit adds the written total (900) and the SSB (900).

UPSC NDA syllabus

• Mathematics (Class 11 and 12): algebra, matrices and determinants, trigonometry, analytical geometry in two and three dimensions, differential and integral calculus, differential equations, vectors, statistics and probability.
• GAT Part A, English: spotting errors, sentence improvement, synonyms and antonyms, fill in the blanks, ordering, comprehension.
• GAT Part B, General Knowledge: physics (about a quarter of the marks), chemistry, general science, history and the freedom movement, geography and current events.

The full list is on our NDA syllabus page.

A plan for the 24 weeks to April 2027

Many NDA candidates are also in Class 12, so this plan keeps board exams in mind.

• Now to 22 December: finish the portal steps and apply early in December. Take a full NDA mock test to see where you stand in each paper.
• January and February: Mathematics overlaps your Class 12 syllabus; add Class 11 topics (trigonometry, sequences, permutations, coordinate geometry) and do timed sets of 30 questions. For GK, physics is the largest part: revise it from your own textbooks.
• March (board exams): keep 30 minutes a day for English and current affairs.
• Late March to April: two full mocks a week at the real timings, 2½ hours each with a break between. Review every wrong answer, as in how to analyse a mock test.

In Mathematics, 120 questions in 150 minutes is 75 seconds each. Skip long calculations on the first pass and return. Our negative-marking article explains when a guess is worth it.

Useful links

• Apply online: UPSC portal (upsconline.nic.in)
• NDA & NA (II) 2026 notice with the scheme and syllabus (PDF)
• UPSC Annual Calendar 2027 (PDF)
• Free UPSC NDA mock tests
• UPSC NDA syllabus
• UPSC NDA exam dates
• UPSC CDS 2027: exam date and how to apply

Frequently asked questions

When is the NDA 1 2027 exam date?

UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 puts NDA & NA (I) 2027 on Sunday 11 April 2027, with applications from 2 to 22 December 2026 (checked 20 October 2026). NDA (II) 2027 is on 19 September 2027.

Is there negative marking in NDA?

Yes. A wrong answer loses one-third of the question's marks: 0.83 in Mathematics and 1.33 in the General Ability Test. Leaving a question blank costs nothing.

Can girls apply for NDA?

Yes. The notice is open to unmarried male and female candidates, and the 2026 notice gave separate vacancy numbers for women.

Can I apply for NDA while in Class 12?

Yes. Candidates appearing in Class 12 can apply and must show they passed by the date in the notice.

Is PCM compulsory for NDA?

Only for the Navy and Air Force wings and the INA 10+2 entry. The Army wing accepts Class 12 in any stream.

What is the NDA pass mark?

There is no fixed figure. UPSC sets minimum qualifying marks for each paper and the total each time, at its discretion.