The Union Public Service Commission has released the detailed PDF of the NDA Syllabus 2024 in the official notification. Candidates should check the UPSC NDA Syllabus to understand the topics covered for the upcoming NDA Exam. The syllabus includes two subjects: Mathematics and General Ability Test. The NDA Syllabus 2024 consists only of objective-type questions. Candidates should also review the NDA Exam Pattern 2024 to grasp the exam format and requirements. Read the full article to see the NDA Syllabus 2024, exam pattern, marking scheme, and additional details.
NDA Syllabus 2024
The NDA written exam has two papers:
1) Mathematics
2) General Ability Test (GAT)
Both boys and girls planning to apply for NDA 2024 should start preparing by studying the detailed NDA Syllabus, which covers topics, patterns and the marking scheme. The NDA 2 exam will be conducted offline on 1st September 2024. Below are the main points of the NDA Syllabus and Exam Pattern:
| Parameters | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of the Exam | National Defence Academy Exam or NDA exam |
| Exam Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission, UPSC |
| Mode of exam | Offline (Pen and Paper mode) |
| Total Papers in NDA Exam | Mathematics General 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 GAT: -1.33 marks |
| Exam Duration | Mathematics: 2 Hours 30 Minutes GAT: 2 Hours 30 Minutes |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
NDA Exam Pattern 2024
The NDA exam has two parts:
1) Written Test
2) SSB Interview
After the NDA Cut Off is announced, candidates who qualify move on to the SSB interview. The exam lasts for 5 hours in total in which two and a half hour is allocated for both the sections individually. NDA exam consists of objective-type questions covering various subjects. The NDA Written Exam Pattern is as follows.
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 2½ Hours | 300 |
| General Ability Test | 2½ Hours | 600 |
| SSB Test/Interview | 900 |
NDA Exam Syllabus
Candidates should review the NDA syllabus before starting their preparation. The syllabus will inform them of the topics to study for the exam. Key topics for the NDA exam include:
- English: Reading Comprehension, Synonyms, Antonyms, Spotting Errors, Vocabulary, Idioms and Phrases, etc.
- Maths: Matrices and Determinants, Sets, Venn Diagram, Trigonometry, 2D and 3D Geometry, Differential Calculus, etc.
- General Knowledge: History, Chemistry, Current Affairs, Art and Culture, Physics, Basic Science, etc.
Mathematics Syllabus (300 Marks)
The Mathematics syllabus covers various topics from algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and analytical geometry. It aims to evaluate candidates understanding of mathematical concepts, their ability to apply them to solve problems, and their speed and accuracy in calculations. Let us look at some most important topics for NDA Syllabus 2024 for Maths-
| Topics | Sub Topics |
|---|---|
| Algebra | Concept of Set, Operations on Sets, Venn Diagrams, De Morgan Laws, Cartesian Product, Relation, Equivalence Relation. Representation of real numbers on a line. Complex numbers – basic properties, modulus, argument, cube roots of unity. Binary system of numbers. Conversion of a number in decimal system to binary system and vice versa. Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic Progressions. Quadratic equations with real coefficients. Solution of linear equations of two variables by graphs. Permutation and Combination. Binomial theorem and its applications. |
| Matrices and Determinants | Types of matrices, operations on matrices. Determinant of a matrix, basic properties of determinants. Ad joint 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. |
| Trigonometry | Angles and their measures in degrees and in radians. Trigonometrical ratios. Trigonometric identities Sum and difference formulae. Multiple and Sub-multiple angles. Inverse trigonometric functions. Applications-Height and distance, properties of triangles. |
| Analytical Geometry of Two and Three Dimensions | Rectangular Cartesian Coordinate system. Distance formula. Equation of a line in various forms. Angle between two lines. Distance of a point from a line. Equation of a circle in standard and in general form. Standard forms of parabola, ellipse and hyperbola. Eccentricity and axis of a conic. Point in a three dimensional space, 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. |
| 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 – examples. Continuity of functions – examples, algebraic operations on continuous functions. Derivative of function at a point, geometrical and physical interpretation of a derivative – applications. 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. |
| 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 a differential equation, solution of the first order and first-degree differential equations of various types – examples. Application in problems of growth and decay. |
| Vector Algebra | Vectors in two and three dimensions, magnitude and direction of a vector. Unit and null vectors, 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. |
| Statistics and Probability | Statistics: Classification of data, Frequency distribution, cumulative frequency distribution – examples. Graphical representation – Histogram, Pie Chart, Frequency Polygon – examples. Measures of Central tendency – Mean, Median and Mode. Variance and standard deviation – determination and comparison. Correlation and regression. 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 Binomials distribution. |
The Topic wise number of questions from the Maths section is given in the table below:
| Topic | Questions Range |
|---|---|
| Probability | 10 |
| Complex Number | 10-15 |
| Calculus | 20-25 |
| Quadratic Equation | 20-25 |
| Matrices and Determinant | 30 |
| Trigonometry | 30 |
NDA Marking Scheme For Maths
Candidates will receive 2.5 marks for every correct answer in the NDA exam. However, for each incorrect answer, there is a deduction of 0.83 marks as negative marking. Below are details of the marking scheme and the number of questions:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Marks | 300 Marks |
| Total Number of Questions | 120 |
| Marks for Correct Answer | 2.5 marks |
| Marks Deducted for Wrong Answer | -0.83 |
| Total Duration of Mathematics Paper | 2 Hours 30 Minutes |
Download FREE EBOOK for NDA 2024 Preparation
NDA Syllabus For Paper 2
The NDA Paper 2 syllabus encompasses the General Ability Test (GAT), which includes topics such as General Knowledge (GK), English, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, General Science, and Current Events. This paper contains 150 questions, with 50 questions dedicated to English and 100 questions to General Knowledge. The total marks for this section are 600. This syllabus specifies the subjects and topics that candidates need to study for the NDA exam.
| Aspects | Details |
|---|---|
| Total marks for GAT paper | 600 marks |
| No. 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 |
English (Maximum Marks: 200)
The English language question paper is crafted to assess candidates comprehension and effective use of English. The syllabus consists Grammar, Vocabulary, Comprehension and Cohesion.
| Topic | No. of Questions | No. of Marks |
| Spotting Errors | 5 | 20 |
| Comprehension | 6 | 24 |
| Sentence Improvement | 10 | 40 |
| Ordering of Words in a Sentence | 9 | 36 |
| Selecting Words | 10 | 40 |
| Synonyms | 5 | 20 |
| Antonyms | 5 | 20 |
| Total | 50 | 200 |
English Topics For NDA Exam 2024
The NDA syllabus 2024 for English consists of various topics like grammar and its usage, comprehension and expression. Read the table below for the detailed understanding regarding the English topics for the exam.
| Topics | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Grammar and Usage | Parts of speech: Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Conjunction, Preposition, Interjection |
| Subject-verb agreement | |
| Tenses: Present, Past, Future | |
| Active and passive voice | |
| Coherence and unity: Theme, Idea, Paragraph, Sentence Structure | |
| Vocabulary: Synonyms, Antonyms, One-word substitution, Idioms and Phrases, Words often confused | |
| Comprehension | Comprehension of a given passage |
| Drawing of inferences | |
| Use of vocabulary: Synonyms, Antonyms, One-word substitution, Idioms and Phrases, Words often confused | |
| Expression | Simple sentence structure |
| Punctuation: Comma, Full stop, Question Mark, Exclamation Mark, Apostrophe | |
| Conjunctions: Coordinating, Subordinating | |
| Adverbs and Prepositions | |
| Direct and indirect speech | |
| Comparison: Degrees of comparison | |
| Articles: Definite and Indefinite Articles | |
| Verbs: Auxiliary, Modal, Regular and Irregular verbs | |
| Sentence correction: Spotting Errors, Sentence Improvement |
NDA GAT Syllabus (Maximum Marks: 400)
| NDA GAT Syllabus 2024 | ||
|
Physics
|
Chemistry
|
General Science
|
|
History
|
Geography
|
Current Affairs
|
The question paper on GAT will broadly cover the subjects: Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Social Studies, Geography and Current Events.
| Topic | No. of Questions | No. of Marks |
| Physics | 23 | 92 |
| Chemistry | 16 | 64 |
| General Science | 11 | 44 |
| History & Freedom Movement | 16 | 64 |
| Current Affairs | 17 | 68 |
| Geography | 17 | 68 |
| Total | 100 | 400 |
Section ‘A’ (Physics)
The questions in the physics section are asked from the topics like Mass, Weight, Volume, Pressure, Newton’s laws of Motion etc. Given below is the complete list of topics from which the questions are been asked in the NDA examination.
- Physical Properties and States of Matter
- Mass, Weight, Volume, Density, and Specific Gravity
- Principle of Archimedes
- Pressure Barometer
- Motion of Objects, Velocity, and Acceleration
- Newton’s Laws of Motion
- Force and Momentum
- Parallelogram of Forces
- Stability and Equilibrium of Bodies
- Gravitation
- Elementary Ideas of Work, Power, and Energy
- Effects of Heat, Measurement of Temperature, and Heat
- Change of State and Latent Heat
- Modes of Transference of Heat
- Sound Waves and Their Properties
- Simple Musical Instruments
- Rectilinear Propagation of Light, Reflection, and Refraction
- Spherical Mirrors and Lenses
- Human Eye
- Natural and Artificial Magnets
- Properties of a Magnet, Earth as a Magnet
- Static and Current Electricity
- Conductors and Non-Conductors
- Ohm’s Law
- Simple Electrical Circuits
- Heating, Lighting, and Magnetic Effects of Current
- Measurement of Electrical Power
- Primary and Secondary Cells
- Use of X-Rays
- General Principles in the Working of: Simple Pendulum, Simple Pulleys, Siphon, Levers, Balloon, Pumps, Hydrometer, Pressure Cooker, Thermos Flask, Gramophone, Telegraphs, Telephone, Periscope, Telescope, Microscope, Mariner’s Compass, Lightning Conductors, Safety Fuses.
Section ‘B’ (Chemistry)
The Chemistry segment is the NDA examination consists questions from the topics like Elements, Mixtures and Compounds, Acids, Bases and Salts, Properties of matter etc. Consider the table given below in order to get the glimpse over the topics from which the questions are been asked.
- Physical and Chemical Changes
- Elements, Mixtures, and Compounds
- Symbols, Formulae, and Simple Chemical Equations
- Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems)
- Properties of Air and Water
- Preparation and Properties of: Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide
- Oxidation and Reduction
- Acids, Bases, and Salts
- Carbon – Different Forms
- Fertilizers – Natural and Artificial
- Materials Used in the Preparation of: Soap, Glass, Ink, Paper, Cement, Paints, Safety Matches, Gunpowder
- Elementary Ideas about the Structure of Atom
- Atomic Equivalent and Molecular Weights
- Valency
Section ‘C’ (General Science)
The General science is the category that consists of the general topics like Growth and Reproduction, basis of life, questions on food and balanced diet etc. All the topics from the General science section in the NDA syllabus are given below:
| General Science Syllabus For NDA |
|
Section ‘D’ (History, Freedom Movement etc.)
The Questions in this sections are majorly asked from History like Various movements, Indian constitution, Various plans in india, various revolutions etc. Given below is the list of the complete topics:
| History, Freedom Movement etc. Syllabus For NDA |
|
Section ‘E’ (Geography)
The question in this section are made from the topics like Origin of earth, latitude and longitudes, rocks, wind, cyclones etc. Check the list of topics given below to get the better understanding about this section.
| Geography Syllabus For NDA |
|
Section ‘F’ (Current Events)
Knowledge of Important events that have happened in India in recent years. Current important world events. Prominent personalities—both Indian and International including those connected with cultural activities and sports.
NOTE: Out of the maximum marks assigned to part ‘B’ of this paper, questions on Sections ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’ and ‘F’ will carry approximately 25%, 15%, 10%, 20%, 20% and 10% weightages respectively.
|
Section/Subject
|
Percentage of Marks
|
|
Section A: Physics
|
25%
|
|
Section B: Chemistry
|
15%
|
|
Section C: General Science
|
10%
|
|
Section D: History/Freedom Movements
|
20%
|
|
Section E: Geography
|
20%
|
|
Section F: Current Events
|
10%
|
Paper 3: Intelligence and Personality Test
The SSB process comprises two stages: stage I and stage II. Candidates who successfully pass stage I can progress to stage II. Here’s an overview:
Stage I includes:
- Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests
- Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT)
- Shortlisting based on combined OIR and PP&DT performance
Stage II includes:
- Interview
- Group Testing Officer (GTO) tasks
- Psychology tests
- Conference
- Conducted over 4 days
- Details available on joinindianarmy.nic.in
- Candidate’s personality is assessed by: Interviewing Officer (IO), Group Testing Officer (GTO), Psychologist
No separate weightage for each test; marks are given based on overall performance in all tests. Conference marks are based on initial performance and Board’s decision. Tests are designed to identify Officer Like Qualities and trainability. Candidates are either Recommended or Not Recommended based on their performance.
NDA SSB Syllabus 2024
NDA SSB Interview consists of two stages:
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Screening Test | It involves verbal and non-verbal tests along with Picture Perception and Description Test (PPDT). |
| Psychological Test | It consists of Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Word Association Test (WAT), Situation Reaction Test (SRT), and Self Description Test (SD). |
| Group Testing Officers Test | It includes Group Discussion (GD), Group Planning Exercise (GPE), Progressive Group Task (PGT), Half Group Task (HGT), Individual Obstacles Task (IOT), Command Task, Snake race or Group Obstacle Race, Individual Lecture, and Final Group Task (FGT). |
| Personal Interview and Conference | The final part of Stage 2 involving individual interviews and a conference. |
NDA OIR Syllabus 2024
The NDA Syllabus 2024 for the OIR Test is given below:
| Verbal Test | Non-Verbal Test |
|---|---|
| Completion of Series | Figures |
| Analogies | Shorter and Taller Problems |
| Blood Relation | Locating Hidden Figure |
| Logical Venn Diagram | Figure Matrix |
| Odd one out | Paper Cutting |
| Jumbled Words | Problem on Dice |
| Classification of Data | Problem on Ranks |
| Coding-Decoding | Problem on Cubes |
| One-word Substitution | Interchanging 2 signs |
| Identification of Letters | Visualizing Patterns |
| Spatial Ability | Reconstruction of Test |
