The NDA & NA examination is UPSC’s officer-cadet entry after Class 12, decided by two written papers and a five-day SSB interview. The written and the SSB carry equal weight, and within the written the General Ability Test carries twice the marks of Mathematics — two facts that should shape how you divide your time.
The structure, from the official notification
Paper I — Mathematics, 120 questions, 300 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes.
Paper II — General Ability Test (GAT), 150 questions, 600 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes.
| Paper II section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English | 50 | 200 |
| General Knowledge | 100 | 400 |
Both papers deduct one third of the marks for a wrong answer and are offline (OMR). The two papers together are 900 marks; the SSB interview adds another 900, so the final merit is out of 1800.
Spend time in proportion to the marks
Most candidates over-invest in Mathematics and neglect the GAT, which is the larger paper.
- General Knowledge is 400 marks — the single biggest block. It spans Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, Geography and current events. Build it steadily with one-page notes and the approach in general awareness for railway and SSC, plus a daily current-affairs habit via how to prepare current affairs.
- English is 200 quick marks inside the GAT — grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and sentence ordering. Drill it a little each day with reading comprehension and para jumble and rearrangement.
- Mathematics is 300 marks at Class 12 level — algebra, trigonometry, calculus, analytical geometry, vectors, statistics and probability. It is speed-driven, so drill standard problems until they are quick and accurate.
Respect the one-third negative marking
On a 2.5-mark Maths question a wrong answer costs 0.83; on a 4-mark GAT question it costs 1.33. That is steep, so attempt what you are reasonably sure of and leave genuine blanks — the guessing arithmetic is in negative marking strategy.
Start the SSB early, not after the result
The SSB is not a formality you prepare for in the gap between the written exam and the interview — it is 900 marks, equal to the whole written paper. Begin physical fitness, current-affairs awareness and the habit of reasoned self-expression early, so that clearing the written cut-off leaves you already on the way to being SSB-ready rather than starting from scratch.
A workable plan
- Build General Knowledge and English daily, because together they are 600 of the 900 written marks.
- Keep Mathematics sharp with timed problem sets, since it rewards speed over depth.
- Sit full-length, timed OMR mocks so the five-hour, two-paper day holds no surprises.
- Run a fitness and SSB-reading track in parallel from the start.
- Structure it all with how to build a study plan.
Practice that transfers
Rehearse under real conditions. Take the NDA mock tests and full details on the exam page, keep General Knowledge current with the daily quiz, and drill Mathematics and English through their linked practice sets so the two written papers are routine before exam day.
Advertisement
Frequently asked questions
Which carries more weight in the NDA, Mathematics or the General Ability Test?
The General Ability Test carries far more. Mathematics is Paper I at 300 marks, while the GAT is Paper II at 600 marks, split as English 200 and General Knowledge 400. So the GAT is two-thirds of the 900-mark written exam and deserves at least as much preparation time as Mathematics, even though candidates often over-focus on Maths.
How much does the SSB interview count in the NDA?
As much as the entire written exam. The written papers total 900 marks and the five-day SSB assessment also carries 900 marks, so the final merit is out of 1800. This is why fitness, personality and SSB-oriented preparation should start early rather than being left until after the written result.
Do I need Physics and Maths at Class 12 for the NDA?
For the Army wing of the NDA a Class 12 pass in any stream is enough. For the Air Force and Naval wings and the Naval Academy you must have taken Physics and Mathematics at Class 12. Both men and women candidates are eligible, and vacancies are reserved for women across the wings.
Read next
General Awareness
Exam-day strategy and time management: turning preparation into marks
An exam-hall playbook — planned order of attempt, sectional timing, the three-pass method, when to guess or skip under negative marking, and staying calm in the final week — for SSC, IBPS and similar patterns.
General Awareness
General Awareness best practices: how to actually retain GK and current affairs
Preparation habits that make General Awareness stick — split static GK from current affairs, keep one revisable note instead of a shelf of books, a light daily CA habit with monthly consolidation, and active recall through quizzes.
General Awareness
How to prepare for a CAPF Constable (GD/Tradesman) exam
A matriculation-level guide to Central Armed Police Forces constable recruitment — the written test, PET and PST, trade tests for tradesman posts, medical and document checks, and why fitness and the written score both matter.
General Awareness
How to prepare for RRB NTPC: CBT 1, CBT 2 and normalisation
A preparation plan for RRB NTPC at undergraduate and graduate level: CBT 1 as screening, where CBT 2 and general awareness decide merit, one-third negative marking, multi-shift normalisation, and the qualifying skill tests that follow.