NDA Exam Pattern 2025: Essential Guide to Success

The National Defence Academy Exam is a springboard to getting into the Indian Armed Forces—Army, Navy, and Air Force. It is one of the most competitive entrance tests in India.

Conducted by the Union Public Service Commission twice a year, the NDA exam tests not just physical endurance but also competitive mental acuity in the test takers. Success in this serves as a bedrock building block for that next step to pursuing getting into the National Defence Academy.
This article offers a thorough examination of the NDA Exam Pattern 2025, giving full particulars down to the level of individual subjects, their marking schemes, and the expert-provided preparation tips with which a candidate is expected to flap over the SSB Interview process.

NDA Selection Process Overview
There are two stages in the NDA selection process.
1. Examination written – Conducted by UPSC, it contains Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT).
2. SSB Interview – A five-day assessment by the Services Selection Board (SSB) to evaluate intelligence, leadership, and personality.
To be eligible for the last stage of selection, candidates must pass both parts and place high enough in the overall merit list to qualify. On the list, they must also place high enough to qualify as one of the final selectees.

Also Check:  NDA Eligibility Criteria

NDA Exam Pattern 2025 (Written)
The examination written is made up of two segments.
1. Mathematics
– Length: 2.5 Hours
– Overall Marks: 300
– Total Questions: 120
– Scheme Marking

The text in question says the following:
– Correct Answer: +2.5 marks
This gives the impression that it is rather straightforward, almost like a listicle, and not something that would appear in any human-written document intended for serious consumption.
– Wrong Responses: Minus one point for each incorrect answer. – Leaving an answer blank: No penalty. – Leave questions unanswered if you like, but don’t guess, as it will lead to negative marking.
– Content Scope: Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Statistics, Probability, Matrices, etc.

2. General Ability Test (GAT)
– Time: 2.5 Hours
Total Marks: 600
– Total Questions: 150
– Sections:

Part A: English (200 Marks) – Writing Proficiency, Vocabulary, and Grammatical Competence. Comprehension.
– Section B: Broad Understanding (400 Marks) – Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Historical Knowledge, Geographical Insights, Up-to-Date Matters, and Topics Related to National Defense.
– Evaluation Scale: Candidates must keep these things in mind while checking NDA exam pattern 2025

– Correct Answer: +4 marks
– Incorrect Answer: 0 marks
– Answer is incorrect: -1.33 marks; (This is negative marking).
Written Exam Total Marks = 900

NDA SSB Interview Process

The SSB Date allotment can be check on the website Indian Army website

The candidates who qualify the written examination are called for the SSB Interview, which comprises two stages:
Stage 1: Screening Test Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) Test- OIR

Officer Intelligence Ratings test the knowledge, intelligence, and reasoning ability of candidates who wish to become police officers. Police work has become more complex in modern society, and it requires greater cognitive skills than ever before. The OIR is a crucial part of the selection process.
– Description and Perception Picture Test (PP&DT)

Stage 2: Psychological Tests & Group Tasks
– Tests of a Psychological Nature – TAT, WAT, SRT, SDT
– Group Discussion (GD) & Group Planning Exercise (GPE)
– Body signals and interpretation
– Physical traits of individual athletes
– Task type
– Performance under stress
– Personality traits of athletes and their mental toughness
– Variability in motor skills and adaptations to unique contexts

– Individual face-to-face discussion
SSB Interview Marks Distribution:

1. GTO: 400 Marks
2. Psychologist: 300 Marks
3. Interview: 200 Marks
Final Selection & Merit List

The conclusive choice relies on:
1. Written Exam Scores (900 Points)
2. SSB Interview Marks (900 Marks)
3. Medical Examination – Candidates must fulfill the required standards of medical fitness.
A candidate’s total score out of 1800 marks is the basis for the preparation of the final merit list.

Best Preparation Strategy for NDA Exam Pattern 2025

Here are some professional recommendations to aid you in succeeding in the NDA exam:
✅ Comprehend the Curriculum & Assessment Framework – Concentrate on significant subjects and their respective importance.
✅ Work on Previous Year Papers – Improving precision and time control comes from working on what was once controlled at a previous period.
✅ Enhance your English and General Knowledge – Peruse newspapers, view news pertinent to the defense sector, and hone your grammar skills.

✅ Time Management – Increase pace by answering practice exams within prescribed time limits.
Developing leadership and communication skills, as well as mastering the art of conversing with confidence, is instrumental to the strategy the SSB has laid out for candidates attempting to breach the Service Selection Board gates. To accomplish this, all that is needed is a revision of the psychological tasks which are necessary for the SSB Interview stage.
✅ Maintain Physical Fitness – To pass the medical examination, it is necessary to be in a good physical condition.

Conclusion
The NDA Exam Pattern 2025 stays true to the structure of its precursors, holding fast to the imperative that the two essential components—written test and SSB Interview—demand a thorough and comprehensive level of preparation by the candidate. The NDA remains a discipline-testing, practice-requiring, strategy-imparting mechanism for the would-be officer. Start preparations now; do not dawdle. Keep up with the currents of today’s world, and act in such a manner that, if the NDA were held tomorrow, you would be ready to take it.
Check out our separate blog post on the NDA Syllabus 2025 for detail on the NDA syllabus and for NDA 2025 Notification.

NDA Exam Pattern 2025 FAQs