NDA Course Introduction

Talking about NDA course, the National Defence Academy, which is a Joint Services Academy of the Indian Armed Forces where candidates are trained for three services: The Army, The Navy and The Air Force. While as exciting as it may sound to you, even less than 1% of the candidates who apply get selected each year.

Preparing for the NDA course Examination is not something that you did while studying for college or school, but it’s much bigger than all of us.

By appearing for the NDA Examination, you’re willing to do anything for our motherland and if by God’s luck, you get selected! Well, that’s a tale of another time.

If you’re reading this article, then it implies that you feel fit for this job. But think again? Because NDA course is no show-play, you need to be prepared for everything and anything to come in the future.

It’s not about the workload or the long hours, but it is about the tough decision and enduring hardships, by all means.

By spending time in this field, you’ll realize a major yet minor difference between hard work and smart work. This difference, you will know through daily experiences and tasks.

Hard work is playing by the rules in the right direction, whereas smart work is to be smart and use all your resources in the right direction.

A normal individual’s life teaches them many things, but if you REALLY want to crack the NDA Examination in the first attempt, then gear up as every day is a new lesson, a new beginning.

Cracking the NDA Examination is NOT easy. I won’t give you fake hopes but if you want to crack it then you have to eat, sleep, bath with NDA! So without further ado, we’re going to provide you with the best guidance possible to crack your upcoming NDA course exams. Just remember, there’s a strategy for everything. So, let’s begin!

Eligibility and Educational Qualification For NDA course

 

To begin with, if any person wishes to appear for the National Defence Academy Examination, then he/she should be a citizen of India.

The minimum age of the candidate should be 16.5 years and shall not be exceeding 19 years, as on the first day of the month the course is due to begin.

While applying, the marital status should be unmarried.

Both, he or she can apply for the NDA course exam.

As far as educational qualification is concerned then you must have completed 10+2 from a recognized board, for Navy and Air Force candidates must have physics and mathematics as their subjects.

NDA Course Selection Process

There are not one or two but three rounds, before getting selected in our country prestigious institution.

Round 1– Written Test Conducted by UPSC:

We debate about this in the previous paragraph. Come to prepare for Mathematics and General Ability test.

Round 2– Interview Conducted by SSB:

If you clear the written test then you have to appear for the interview conducted by SSB. They will grill you for everything. You have to clear this interview.

Round 3– Physical Test:

If you have cleared the Round 2 then the next round will be your thorough physical examination. You have to fulfill physical standards like height, weight, eyesight, and other details.

If you have any deformity in your body or disease then you will be shortlisted. Hence, you have to clear these three rounds to become an officer.

Exam Pattern and Syllabus Of NDA Course

The syllabus is this examination is strictly based on the Class 12th curriculum. Your exam will be divided into two papers-

Mathematics:

The exam will be having 100 questions for three marks each. Duration of the exam will be two hours thirty minutes.

Topics Included:

  • AlgebraMatrices and Determinants
  • Trigonometry
  • Analytical Geometry of two and three dimensions
  • Differential Calculus
  • Integral Calculus and Differential equations
  • Vector Algebra
  • Statistics and Probability

General Ability and English:

This exam will also be for two hours thirty minutes, but it will have 150 questions and the total marks will be out of 600.

Topics Included:

Part A:

English (Maximum Marks 200). The question paper in English will be designed to test the candidate’s understanding of English and workmanlike use of words.

The syllabus covers various aspects lik: Grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension, and cohesion in extended text to test the candidate’s proficiency in English.

Part B :General Knowledge

Preparation Tips and Tricks For NDA Course

Consider English and GK as the same

As mentioned above, paper 2 of the NDA exam consists of both English and GK, which can work as a plus point for you. Candidates with good self-awareness and command over the language have the chance to score in!

Practice makes a man perfect

You’re nothing if you don’t practice. So, before appearing for the exams, try to practice as many maths questions as you can. Try not to leave anything.

Time check

Performing well is not going to do it, you also have to keep an eye on the time. While you practice, try to solve questions quickly because that’ll save time for you to revise.

History of India

This will not just help you through your exam but throughout your career! It might come across as boring but then again, it is really very helpful. Lots of questions are asked, which are related to Indian history.

Skipping this section will prove to be a costly mistake! Prepare this section well.

Space management skills

Now a question comes to you, what is this supposed to mean? Well, when it comes to mathematics, to solve questions, some or the other sort of rough work is involved. Such rough work requires blank space.

You may do such stuff in your mind too if you are exceptionally smart! But almost all of us will need to do rough work on the blank spaces provided.

But the problem is that the amount of blank space provided is not too much. It is quite limited, to be honest.

So, in order to tackle this issue and to prevent ourselves from running out of blank space, we must practice space management. Learn to do calculations and rough work in as limited space as possible. Also, do much of the task using mental arithmetic rather than written work.

Every question/subject is important

The stream that you chose in 12th can benefit a lot in this. The questions in G.A. paper are assembled from almost all subjects’ form all stream of the 12th class. So prepare your best subjects.

Learn the shortcuts

Not in your life or career but when it comes to solving mathematics, you need to know every shortcut possible else it is just simply going to be time wasting! The mathematics part of the exam is a bit tricky.

The questions asked in it are analytical and needs to be worked upon to find the solution.

As long as you don’t know the shortcut method, it will for sure take much time and efforts to find the right answer.

This often results in a waste of time and marks! Learning the shortcut methods using the guide book will help you save time. This will eventually help you attend all the questions asked in the paper.

There is negative marking!

The UPSC exams have a negative marking of 1/3 which makes it a judgmental thing to score. Don’t mark the question which are out of your aptitude or knowledge.

Just be specific to those which are under the level of your knowledge to reduce the fluctuation of your score.

Take advantage of your strong points

Say you’re amazing in English, then try to save your time there and also, try to score the most in those parts.

Be Aware

What is happening where? Who is saying what? How did what happen? These are somethings that you should be able to answer at all time. Start reading newspapers, tabloid. But put your serious effort in knowing everything that’s happening in the world.

Coaching Classes

Well learning from the experienced ones is never wrong. Do not commit the mistake of underestimating coaching classes. The amount of hard work, notes and extra knowledge that they’ll help you with, is genuinely beyond imagination.

Be a part of School Co-Curricular Activities

This is for your interview round because it is very different from your writing test. You can memorize things and answers overnight but you surely cannot build a personality overnight. Right? So start developing your personality by taking part in school’s co-curricular activities. It will greatly help you when you have a face-to-face interview.

Begin from the easiest

If you feel that there’s something that you’re good at, then begin from that because the easiest is always the quickest to attempt. And also, you’ll get enough time to scratch your head with the really complexed ones.

General Ability needs judgment

The general ability is all about your knowledge level. So before making any decision over the correct option of any answer, make sure you have the opted the right one. Be cool and precise in whatever you mark.

Previous solved papers

The previous year papers of NDA  course can help the new aspirants in getting the idea of the types of question. The candidates must also go through the G.A. papers of other exams conducted by UPSC to get a good level of knowledge.

Intelligence and Personality Test

If you pass the written step, then you are one step closer to your dream. After writing, all the qualified candidates appear for the Intelligence and personality test.

This test is said to be even more difficult and horrifying than the written one but you people have nothing to worry about. We have everything covered for you, just continue reading!

The Intelligence and Personality Test is more practical than theoretical. So, this test is all about flaunting you brilliant officer-like qualities such as responsibility, team work, leadership, quick reaction, the presence of mind, confidents and other traits that are needed to be a good officer.

In order to prepare for this test you have to take part in group activities, engage your friends, you don’t have to be shy, take mock interviews and finally focus on your overall personality.

 

Conclusion

Preparing for the National Defence Academy examination cannot be easy, not in the wildest dreams. But if you’ve set your eyes on it then don’t let anything get in the way.

There are no two ways of saying this, but NDA course will be possibly the most difficult thing that you’ve ever done but that is just the beginning. After clearing NDA, you will see that there is a whole new life just waiting for you.

We hope that this article has been helpful for you and that you do, abide by the aabove-mentionedthings. We’re sure, if you go by the little hacks that we’ve revealed, that you will be selected in the FIRST ATTEMPT!

Just don’t be afraid of going an extra mile to achieve your dream because as I said, once you plan on appearing for the NDA  course Exam, it’s like you eat, breathe and bath with it.

You have nothing more but just prove how valuable you, can be in keeping our motherland, India above everything and everyone else in this world.

I think you need no more pep talk, so don’t hold back and start preparing. Leave no stone unturned because now is your time. Each and every one of you, all of your NDA  aspirants have it in you!! Try to stay alert at all times and know what is happening around. The rest is all covered.

Stop overthinking people! Grab a hot cup of coffee and let the work begin! You do have some serious efforts to put forward if you wish to succeed in this one.

The National Defence Academy is no place for shortcuts or procrastinators, but it is the most remarkable place, an individual can dream of going.

Times are changing and so has India’s hold on the world-forum. NDA needs our youth to come forward and make their country proud!