NDA Exam Tips: Know how to prepare for NDA to become an army officer

In NDA, many important responsibilities are available at an early age, here there is a great opportunity to serve the country. Along with this, the salary is also very strong. If you want to get a job in this, then this is a great opportunity. NDA job in defense is considered to be the best, because it offers many attractive facilities as well as the opportunity to become an officer at a young age. Let us know how to prepare for UPSC NDA exam.

When is UPSC NDA Exam:

If you also want to join the army, then this is the best opportunity for you. The application forms for UPSC NDA exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission are out in July and UPSC NDA exam is conducted in September. NDA exam is very different from other competitive exams. Where mental strength is seen in other examinations, in this examination both physical and mental strength is necessary. This is the reason why students who clear this exam become commissioned military officers at an early age.

What is UPSC NDA Exam Qualification:

Only those unmarried male candidates can apply for NDA exam, who are eligible for it. For Airforce and Navy, 12th pass with Physics and Mathematics subjects. However, 12th pass youth from any stream can apply for Army Wing. The youth who are appearing in the 12th examination can also apply for this competitive exam but they have to give proof of passing 12th at the time of SSB interview.

What is the UPSC NDA Exam Pattern:

The NDA exam consists of two subjects for a total of 900 marks—Mathematics and General Ability Test. Both will have two-and-a-half-hour papers. The Mathematics paper will be of 300 marks and the General Ability paper will be of 600 marks. All questions will be of objective type. OLQ is checked in SSB. The candidates who clear the written test are called for interview and personality test by the Service Selection Board of the Army i.e. SSB. The main objective of SSB is to test the personality of the candidate, his IQ and his Officer Like Quality (OLQ) as an officer in the army. SSB centers are located in many cities of the country and the candidate is called only at the center nearest to him.

UPSC NDA Exam Marking Scheme:

NDA written exam consists of two sections, namely, Mathematics and GAT (Common Aptitude Test). The former consists of 120 questions of 2.5 marks, each carrying a total weightage of 300 marks. The latter has 150 questions, consisting of 50 questions for English and 100 questions for General Knowledge spread over General Science, Geography, History and Politics, each question carrying 04 marks. A total of 2.5 hours are provided to the candidates for each section. Candidates must note that the marking scheme includes negative marking. A penalty of 0.83 and 1.33 marks is deducted for each wrong answer in Mathematics and GAT sections respectively. Every year more than 5 lakh candidates appear in the NDA exam, but due to extreme competition, only 2% of the candidates are able to clear the exam.

Read NCERT Book:

Every year 30 to 40 percent questions are based on NCERT syllabus. So a complete revision of it will boost your confidence. Further revisions can help you identify your weaknesses better.

Practice with mock tests and previous year papers:

Going through previous years question papers (up to 10 years) and mock tests will help the candidates to get familiar with the exam pattern and manage time effectively. They will also have a proper understanding of the state of their preparedness, assess the weaknesses and strengths.

Read Reference Books for Maths and GAT:

Reference books are important for clearing last minute doubts. These suggested books can help you plan for subjects like Maths and GAT and save time. To master short tricks in maths, there are Arihant 3000 MCQs for NDA, RS Aggarwal for NDA and Super 30 Notes by Arpit Choudhary for NDA,NCERT RD Sharma,  Under GAT category, one can refer to 14000 MCQs for GK from Lucent’s GK and Disha publications and for English, follow books like Wren & Martin and Pathfinder.