Indian Armed Forces
6 Must know facts of getting into the Indian Armed Forces after class 12
There remains a plethora of professions to choose from for the students after class 12.
For the ones who are passionate about nation building and defending the nation, joining
the Armed Forces is the most suitable career path. The Indian Armed Forces comprise of
the country’s Army, Navy and Air Force. The tri services are the backbone of the nation.
They safeguard the homeland, sea, and air.
There are certain facts that must be kept in mind by the candidates before joining the
Indian Armed Forces as officers. Candidates can take up Permanent Commission (Cadet
Entry) via Entrance Exam conducted by UPSC twice in a year.
1. Eligibility for Permanent Commission (Cadet Entry):
• The students from any subject combination are allowed in the Army wing if they have
qualified class 12. The candidates should have passed class 12 with physics and
mathematics as compulsory subjects to join the Air Force and Naval wings as officers.
• The minimum age limit for NDA (National Defence Academy) is 16.5 years to 19.5
years.
• Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the NDA & Naval Academy Exam
in April and November each year for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings
of the (1) National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakvasla, Pune and (2) Indian Naval
Academy Course (INAC) in Ezhimala, Kerala.
• The candidates joining NDA (Army, Air Force and Naval wings) on passing out will be
awarded B.Sc./B. Sc. (Computer)/B.A. degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
• The candidates joining Indian Naval Academy would undergo 4 years B. Tech Course
and would be given an opportunity to join Executive and Technical Branches of the
Navy.
• Newspaper Notifications happen in December/January for NDA Exam 1 and June/July
for NDA Exam 2. Written tests are conducted in April and November. SSB is conducted
in Aug/Sept and January/February for each of the two entry opportunities respectively.
• These cadets join the Army, Navy and Air Force as officers.
• The selected candidates are given preliminary training in both academic and physical
aspects during the duration of the course. At the NDA, the training during the first two
and half years is common to the cadets of three wings.
• On passing out from NDA, Army cadets go to the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun,
Naval cadets go to Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, and Air Force cadets go to Air Force
Academy, Hyderabad for a period of one year. Subsequently they pass out as officers.
2. Physical and mental fitness:
• The aspiring candidates must be physically and mentally fit to join the Armed Forces.
One must have a sound mind and body to be a part of the forces as there is a strict
medical examination of the candidates both before the selection process and after
being selected.
• The cadets and recruits are expected to be fit and strong. During the training period
they undergo rigorous exercises such as running, push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, obstacle
courses and many more.
3. Life away from the family:
From the time of training itself the cadets must live alone in the academy. After being
inducted as officers, they are posted at remote places where the living conditions may be
challenging. So, again. they must live away from the family. The fact of the matter is that
the candidates must be willing to live with their comrades in the field postings, whereas
they can live with their families if they are posted in peaceful places.
4. Belief in service before self:
The candidates must believe in ‘service before self’. If someone loves serving the nation
before himself, then one is fit to join the Armed Forces. The conviction in keeping the
country before oneself is the necessity to join the tri services.
The aspiring candidates must know that joining the Armed Forces requires the supreme
sacrifice of giving up one’s life in the line of duty. It is of utmost importance to know that
one should not be afraid of being a martyr. Importantly, martyrdom cannot be attained
by everyone, so it should be considered as accomplishing honour.
5. On duty for 24x7:
The call for duty is above everything else in the life of the cadets and recruits. They should
be ever ready to work for twenty-four hours in all the seven days in a week. They must
enjoy their duty to efficiently deal with the time crunch.
6. Possess humane qualities:
At the time of distress, he should help the sick person, children, and women before
helping himself. He must be humane.
Everything you should know about the NDA & NA Exam
What is NDA & NA Exam?
NDA stands for National Defence Academy which is located at Khadakwasla, Pune. NA
stands for Naval Academy which is located at Ezhimala, Kerala.
The exam is conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) - the same entity
that also conducts the IAS/IPS/IFS exam among many other central Govt. exams.
What is the difference between joining NDA vs joining NA (Naval Academy)?
Cadets joining NDA Khadakwasla in Pune end up joining the Army, Air Force, and the
executive branch of the Navy.
At the end of 3-Years,
• Army cadets receive a 3-Year BA/B.Sc./B.Sc. (Computer Science) degree
• Air Force cadets of Ground Duty non-Tech receive 3-Year B.Sc./B.Sc. (Computer
Science) degree
• Air Force cadets of Flying Branch go to Air Force Academy Hyderabad and complete
their pre-commission training for 1 Year to receive a B. Tech degree.
• Air Force cadets of Ground Duty–Tech stream receive 4-Year B.Tech degree and go to
Air Force Technical College, Bengaluru to complete their pre-commission 1-year
training
• The Naval cadets from NDA are given further training at Indian Naval Academy,
Ezhimala for a period of 1 year after which they receive their B. Tech from JNU
Cadets joining the Naval Academy (NA) at Ezhimala, Kerala under 10+2 cadet entry
scheme and upon passing out at the end of 4 years receive a B. Tech degree from JNU.
What are the eligibility differences between Army, Navy & Air Force through the NDA
& NA exam?
Educational qualification:
For Army wing of NDA: Class 12 Pass in any subject (no min marks requirement)
For Air Force & Navy wing of NDA & 10+2 cadet entry scheme at Naval Academy Ezhimala:
12th Class pass with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics
Further, to join the Flying Branch (pilot) in the Air Force or the Navy, a candidate must
Qualify the CPSS (Computerized Pilot Selection System) aptitude Test
Note that each service has slight variations in the Medical / physical requirements too.
What are the physical & medical requirements for joining the armed forces through the
NDA & NA exam?
NDA & NA have very stringent medical requirements and vary for each service.
What are the eyesight requirements for NDA & NA?
For the Army & Navy
One must have 6/6 and 6/9 in uncorrected, correctable to 6/6 and 6/6 Hypermetropia
+1.5D Cyl, Myopia: -0.75D Sph, Astigmatism: +/- 075D Sph/Cyl
For the Air Force Flying branch
6/6 in one eye and 6/9 in other, correctable to 6/6 only for Hypermetropia,
Hypermetropia +1.5D Sph, Myopia: Nil, Astigmatism: +0.75D Cyl (within +1.5 D Max),
Retinoscopic myopia: Nil
For the Air Force Ground Duty branch
6/36 and 6/36 in uncorrected, correctable to 6/6 and 6/6, Hypermetropia +2.5D Sph,
Myopia: -2.5D Sph, Astigmatism: +/- 2.0D Cyl
The Dates of NDA-I are as follows:
Start of Applications: 22-Dec-2021
Last Date to Apply: 11-Jan-2022
Date of Exam: 10-Apr-2022
Commencement of course: Jan-2023
The Dates of NDA-II are as follows:
Start of Applications: 18-May-2022
Last Date to Apply: 14-Jun-2022
Date of Exam: 04-Sep-2022
Commencement of course: Jul-2023
What is the difference between permanent commission & short-service commission?
A Permanent Commission means a career in the Army till you retire. Cadets who graduate
from the National Defence Academy or the Naval Academy get a permanent commission.
Under the Short Service Commission scheme of the armed forces, one has the option of
serving as a commissioned officer for 10 years. At the end of this period, one can opt for
Permanent Commission or opt-out.
Are girls eligible to apply for the NDA & NA exam?
Yes, girls are now eligible to apply as cadets into the NDA & NA. The educational and age
requirement remains the same as for boys.
Do women receive a permanent commission in the armed forces?
Yes, women now can get a permanent commission. Joining the forces via NDA also
enables them to get permanent commission.
What is the test pattern for the NDA & NA exam?
NDA & NA exam consist of 2 papers:
Mathematics (Algebra, Matrices & Determinants, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry,
Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, Vector Algebra, Statistics & Probability)
General Ability Test (English, GK, Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, Freedom
Movement, Geography, Current Events)
The written test is conducted in pen-and-paper mode and comprises multiple choice type
questions.
Candidates from any stream will need to attempt both papers.
Students in Humanities & Commerce who do not have Math will need to prepare Math
as per the syllabus to clear the NDA & NA exam.
What are the final selection criteria for getting into NDA or NA?
The NDA & NA exam is worth 900 marks
The SSB process is worth 900 marks
Total marks: 1800
Candidates who score above a desired min qualified marks are recommended to join the
NDA or NA. Note: One needs to score min 25% in each subject in the NDA & NA exam to
be considered for SSB.
For example, in 2020 NDA & NA I Exam, min qualified marks at written exam were 355
(out of 900 marks) Marks secured by the last candidate recommended for selection was
723 (out of 1800)
And in 2020 NDA & NA II Exam, min qualified marks at written exam were 355 (out of 900
marks) Marks secured by the last candidate recommended for selection was 719 (out of
1800)
What is SSB? Is it mandatory?
SSB stands for Service Selection Board. After qualifying for the NDA & NA written exam,
the candidate is instructed to appear for the SSB. It is mandatory.
What is the SSB Selection Process?
Each service (Army/Air Force/Navy) conducts its own SSB.
The candidate, depending upon his/her preference of service, is invited to a particular
SSB centre to undergo the SSB process. But at times depending upon the availability,
candidates may be called to other SSB services.
The candidates are assessed for various Officer Like Qualities at the Service Selection
Boards. The qualities include planning & organizing ability, social adaptability, social
effectiveness, and dynamic ability. The SSB is conducted in two stages as under: -
(i) (a) Stage I Officer Intelligence Rating Test, Picture Perception, and Discussion
test. (Day 1) (b) Stage II Psychological testing (Day 2), Group testing, and
interview (Day 3 & 4)
(ii) Candidates who have applied for flying branch and have been recommended,
will also have to undergo Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS) test
Successful candidates are thereafter required to undergo medical examination (Approx.
duration 03 to 05 days).
An All-India Merit List is compiled on the basis of candidate performance in the written
Where is the SSB test & interview process held?
test and SSB interview, subject to being medically fit. Based on the vacancies available in
various branches / sub-branches, joining instructions are issued to join NDA or NA.
Army SSB centres: Allahabad, Bhopal, Bangalore
Navy SSB centres: Coimbatore, Bangalore, Bhopal
Air Force SSB centres: Dehradun, Mysore, Gandhinagar, Varanasi
Can I give my choice of services - (Army/Navy, etc.) while applying for the NDA & NA
exam?
Yes.
How much does it cost to do a course at NDA or NA?
The cost of training including accommodation, books, uniforms, boarding and medical
treatment will be borne by the Government.
However, the personal expenses will need to be met by the cadet which is estimated to
be Rs.3000/- per month. At the time of joining cadets will need to deposit a sum of
Rs.59,850/- towards meeting 5 months personal expenses, incidental expenses, clothing,
equipment, and insurance.
What degree do I get after completing the course through NDA & NA?
Army:
3-Year B.A. (History, Political Science Economics, and Geography)
3-Year B.Sc. (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics)
3-Year B.Sc. (Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics)
Navy:
4-Year B. Tech in Applied Electronics & Communication Engineering (for Executive
Branch)
4-Year B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering (for Engineering Branch including Naval
Architect specialization)
4-Year B.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering (for Electrical Branch)
Air Force:
4-Year B. Tech
3-Year B.Sc. (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics)
3-Year B.Sc. (Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics)
All degrees are granted by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
How many attempts can one make for NDA & NA?
There is no limit to the number of attempts one can make at NDA & NA. However, the
candidate must satisfy the age criteria - i.e., he/she must be between 16.5 to 19.5 years
(at the time of commencement of course).
What is the selection ratio for NDA & NA?
Nearly 4-5 lac candidates appear for each NDA & NA exam of which nearly 8200 (i.e.,
2.65% - 2% of applicants) are called for the SSB.
Of which finally nearly 400 to 500 are selected.
Which implies a selection ratio of 0.1% - 0.125%
Pretty tough indeed but it's candidates like you who make it finally. Hence, prepare well
and give it your best.
I have a compartment in one subject in Class 12. Am I eligible to appear for the NDA &
NA exam?
Yes, that is not an issue if you have written the compartment and passed. As per the UPSC
criteria, you must have passed Class 12.
Are there minimum marks in Class 12 to apply for the NDA & NA exam?
No. You need to have passed Class 12 or equivalent.
Are IB / IGSCE board students eligible for the NDA & NA exam?
Yes, if your age is between 16 ½ to 19 ½ years at the time of commencement of course
and satisfy the subject eligibility conditions for the 3 services can apply.
Are reservations applicable in the NDA & NA exam?
There are no reservations in the NDA & NA exams.
I am in Class 11. Can I apply for the NDA & NA exam?
No, you cannot.
Are the Class 10 marks applicable for applying to the NDA & NA exam?
No, Class 10 marks are not applicable. You only need to have passing marks in Class 10.
Is there any weightage for NCC cadets or cadets from Sainik schools when applying for
NDA & NA exam?
No.
Is NDA the only route to join as an officer in defence services after Class 12?
Actually, the NDA & NA exam is just one way of getting into the defence services as an
officer after Class 12. Here are the other avenues:
Army: Technical Entry scheme via JEE Main & SSB Navy: Technical Entry scheme via JEE
Main & SSB Inter-services into Armed Forces Medical College via NEET.
