The NDA exam is a test conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year. It’s for people who want to join the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC).
There are two parts to the NDA exam: Maths and GAT (General Ability Test). In the Maths part, you’ll see questions on topics like Algebra, Calculus, Trigonometry, and more. The GAT part covers subjects like English, Physics, Chemistry, Social Studies, General Science, Geography, and Current Events.
The Maths part is based on Class 12, and the GAT is really important in the NDA syllabus.
You can get the latest NDA syllabus online, and to get selected, you need to do well in the written exam and then go through an SSB interview process.
NDA Syllabus 2024
The NDA syllabus for 2024 has two main parts Maths and General Ability Test (GAT). In the Maths section, there are 120 questions, and in the GAT paper, there are 150 questions.
The GAT syllabus covers History, General Knowledge, Current Affairs, English, Science, and Geography. It’s basically testing your understanding.
For the Maths section, it’s about your ability to solve problems using formulas and theorems. The level is around Class 10, 11, and 12 standards.
In the overall NDA syllabus, the GAT paper is given more importance. It carries more marks, with a total of 600, while the Maths paper has 300 marks.
If you score above the cut-off marks in the written exam, you’ll go on to the SSB interview conducted by UPSC.
NDA Syllabus 2024 Highlights
| Parameters | Details |
| Name of the Exam | National Defence Academy Exam (NDA exam) |
| Exam Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Frequency of NDA Exam | Two times a year (NDA 1 & NDA 2) |
| Selection Process | Written TestIntelligence & Personality Test (SSB) |
| Mode of Exam | Offline (Pen and Paper mode) |
| Total Marks for the NDA Exam | MathematicsGeneral Ability Test (GAT) |
| Total Marks for NDA Exam | Total: 900 Marks |
| Mathematics: | 300 Marks |
| GAT: | 600 Marks |
| Total No. of Questions | Mathematics: 120 |
| GAT: | 150 |
| Negative Marking | Mathematics: -0.83 marks |
| GAT: – | 1.33 marks |
| Exam Duration | Mathematics: 2 Hours 30 Minutes |
| GAT: | 2 Hours 30 Minutes |
NDA Syllabus PDF
The NDA (National Defence Academy) exam is a big exam for those who want to join the armed forces in India. The syllabus is like a map that tells you what topics you need to study for the exam. It’s like having a guidebook before going on a journey. This PDF has all the topics you need to cover for different subjects in the NDA exam. So, if you want to do well, you should download it and plan how you’ll study each topic.
NDA Syllabus 2023: Important Points
Here are some key points from the NDA syllabus for 2023:
English:
- Reading Comprehension
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Spotting errors
- Vocabulary
- Idioms and Phrases
Mathematics:
- Matrices and Determinants
- Sets
- Venn Diagram
- Trigonometry
- 2D and 3D Geometry
- Differential calculus
General Knowledge:
- History
- Chemistry
- Current Affairs
- Art and Culture
- Physics
- Basic Science
So here are the topics to be well-prepared to improve your chances of success in the NDA exam.
NDA Syllabus for Paper 1
| NDA Syllabus for Paper 1 | Details |
| Total Marks | 300 Marks |
| Total Number of Questions | 120 |
| Marks for Correct Answer | 2.5 marks |
| Marks Deducted for Wrong Answer | -0.83 (penalty for wrong answers) |
| Total Duration of Mathematics Paper | 2 Hours 30 Minutes |
For the first paper of the NDA exam, which focuses on Mathematics, here’s what you need to know:
Content:
- The syllabus includes topics and sub-topics from Mathematics.
- Questions are based on the Class 10, 11, and 12.
Scoring:
- Each correct answer earns you 2.5 marks, while each incorrect answer results in a deduction of 0.83 marks.
NDA Maths Syllabus 2024
| Topics | Sub-Topics |
| Algebra | Analytical Geometry Of Two and Three-Dimension |
| Calculus | Concept of a real valued function, domain, range and graph of a function. Composite functions, one to one, onto and inverse functions. Notion of limit, Standard limits, Continuity of functions, algebraic operations on continuous functions. Derivative of function at a point, geometrical and physical interpretation of a derivative-application. Derivatives of sum, product and quotient of functions, derivative of a function with respect to another function, derivative of a composite function. Second order derivatives. Increasing and decreasing functions. Application of derivatives in problems of maxima and minima. |
| Matrices and Determinants | Types of matrices, operations on matrices. Determinant of a matrix, basic properties of determinants. Adjoint and inverse of a square matrix, Applications-Solution of a system of linear equations in two or three unknowns by Cramer’s rule and by Matrix Method. |
| Integral Calculus and Differential Equations | Integration as inverse of differentiation, integration by substitution and by parts, standard integrals involving algebraic expressions, trigonometric, exponential and hyperbolic functions. Evaluation of definite integrals—determination of areas of plane regions bounded by curves-applications. Definition of order and degree of a differential equation, formation of a differential equation by examples. General and particular solution of differential equations, solution of first order and first-degree differential equations of various types—examples. Application in problems of growth and decay. |
| Trigonometry | Angles and their measures in degrees and in radians. Trigonometric ratios. Trigonometric identities Sum and difference formulae. Multiple and Sub-multiple angles. Inverse trigonometric functions. Applications-Height and distance, properties of triangles. |
| Vector Algebra | Vectors in two and three dimensions, magnitude, and direction of a vector. Unit and null vectors, the addition of vectors, scalar multiplication of a vector, scalar product, or dot product of two vectors. Vector product or cross product of two vectors. Applications—work done by a force and moment of a force and in geometrical problems. |
| Analytical Geometry Of Two and Three Dimension | Rectangular Cartesian Coordinate system, Distance formula, Equation of a line in various forms. The angle between two lines. Distance of a point from a line. Equation of a circle in standard and in a general form. Standard forms of parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola. Eccentricity and axis of a conic. Point in a three-dimensional space, the distance between two points. Direction Cosines and direction ratios. Equation two points. Direction Cosines and direction ratios. Equation of a plane and a line in various forms. Angle between two lines and angle between two planes. Equation of a sphere. |
| Statistics and Probability | Probability: Random experiment, outcomes, and associated sample space, events, mutually exclusive and exhaustive events, impossible and certain events. Union and Intersection of events. Complementary, elementary, and composite events. Definition of probability—classical and statistical—examples. Elementary theorems on probability-simple problems. Conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem—simple problems. Random variable as function on a sample space. Binomial distribution, examples of random experiments giving rise to Binomial distribution. |
The topic-wise distribution of questions in Maths
| Topic | Questions |
| Calculus | 20-25 |
| Quadratic equation | 20-15 |
| Matrices & Determinants | 30 |
| Probability | 10 |
| Trigonometry | 30 |
| Complex number | 10-15 |
NDA Marking Scheme for Maths
candidates will get 2.5 marks for each correct answer and lose 0.83 marks for each incorrect answer.
| Total Marks | 300 Marks |
| Total No. of Questions | 120 |
| Correct Answer | 2.5 marks |
| Marks deducted for the wrong answer | – 0.83 |
| Total duration of Mathematics Paper | 2 Hours 30 Minutes |
NDA Syllabus 2024 for Paper 2
| Parameters | Details |
| Total marks allotted | 600 marks |
| Number of questions | 150 |
| Total questions in English | 50 |
| Total questions in GK | 100 |
| Total marks for English | 200 |
| Total marks for GK | 400 |
| Marks for Correct Answer | 4 marks in each section |
| Marks for Incorrect Answer | -1.33 marks in each section |
| Total Duration of GAT Paper | 2 Hours 30 Minutes |
NDA English Syllabus
The NDA English syllabus is all about testing how well you understand and use the English language. There are 50 questions in this section, and they cover different parts of English like grammar, reading comprehension, and vocabulary.
To prepare, you can read books and newspapers. The questions in this section are not too hard,
- Grammar & usage
- Comprehension & cohesion
- Spotting of errors
- Para Jumbling
- Fill in the blanks
- Synonyms & Antonyms
- Vocabulary
- Cloze Test
- Idioms & Proverbs
- Completion of Sentence & Para
- Sentence Correction & Improvement
NDA Syllabus for GAT
The NDA English syllabus is all about testing how well you understand and use the English language. There are 50 questions in this section, and they cover different parts of English like grammar, reading comprehension, and vocabulary.
NDA Chemistry Syllabus
- Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Carbon Dioxide
- Oxidation and Reduction
- Acids, Bases, and Salts
- Carbon—Different Forms
- Physical and Chemical Changes
- Fertilizers—Natural and Artificial
- Elements
- Materials used in the preparation of substances like Soap, Glass, Ink, Paper, Cement, Paints, Safety Matches, and Gunpowder
- Mixtures and Compounds
- Elementary ideas about the structure of Atom
- Symbols, Formulae, and simple Chemical Equations
- Atomic Equivalent and Molecular Weights
- Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems)
- Valency
- Properties of Air and Water
NDA Exam Pattern 2024
| Subject | Mathematics | General Ability Test (GAT) | SSB Test/Interview |
| Total Number of Questions | 120 | 150 | – |
| Maximum Marks | 300 | 600 | 900 |
| Marks for Correct Answer | 2.5 mark | 4 mark | – |
| Marks for Incorrect Answer | -0.83 mark | -1.33 mark | – |
| Duration | 2.5 hours | 2.5 hours | – |
