In the previous article on the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination, we discussed the exam in brief. In this article, let us understand the scheme and syllabus of the examination.

As you already know, this examination is held in two stages:

(i) Written Examination and 

(ii) SSB Interview 

The subjects, marks and duration of the written (objective type) test are as follows:

1) Mathematics                                   2 hr 30 mins                 300 marks

2) General Ability Test                       2 hr 30 mins                 600 marks

(NOTE: There is negative marking for wrong answers in the objective type papers.)

The syllabi for the above mentioned papers is as follows:

Mathematics: This paper consists of questions based on concepts of Algebra, Matrices and determinants, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry of two and three dimensions, Differential calculus, Integral Calculus and differential equations, etc.

General Ability Test: This paper consists of questions based on various components of English and General Knowledge. The questions in the English section cover various aspects like Grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension, cohesion in extended text, etc. These questions are designed to test a candidate’s proficiency in English. The question types expected in the test comprise error spotting, synonyms, antonyms, fill in the blanks, rearranging jumbled sentences in a meaningful order, and reading comprehension.

Other questions in the General Ability Test cover subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Social Studies, Geography and Current Affairs, etc. In the current affairs portion, questions based on Awards, Sports, Books and Authors, Chronology of events (especially for historical events), etc. are often asked.

SSB Interview

Only those candidates who qualify the Written Examination would be permitted to appear for the Intelligence and Personality test/ SSB Interview. The Intelligence and Personality test involves two stages:

Stage I comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception Description Test (PP & DT). Candidates will be shortlisted based on a combination of their performance in the OIR Test and in the PP & DT.

Stage II comprises Interview, Group testing officer tasks, Psychology tests and the Conference. These tests are conducted over 4 days.

For additional details, candidates can view the NDA & NA exam notification 2015 at: http://www.upsc.gov.in/exams/notifications/2015/NDA_I_2015/NDA-1%20ENGLISH.pdf