You need to work hard for clearing NDA

NDA is one of the most sought after defence entrance exams in the country. NDA recruitment is conducted for admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC). NDA is conducted twice a year. The exam is conducted two stages — written exam and SSB Interview. Around 4 lakh aspirants sit for NDA every year, out of which approximately 6,000 are called for SSB Interview.

Let us take a look at some of the preparation tips for the NDA exam.

For Paper 1

The written exam constitutes two Papers i.e. Maths and General Ability Test. Each Paper is 2 ½ Hours. The maximum marks for Maths Paper is 300 and for General Ability Test it is 600. The two Papers will be of objective type. 2.5 marks is allotted to each question with a deduction of 0.833 for wrong answer. You have 150 minutes for 120 questions so you have to be quick along with being accurate.

The Maths Paper will cover topics like Integral Calculus, Differential Equations, Trigonometry, Algebra, Vector Algebra, Matrices and Determinants, Analytical Geometry, Statistics & Probability. The syllabus for mathematics is covered in NCERT books of X, XI ad XII. After going through the basics from NCERT, also truck through the concepts from some of the following books:

• Mathematics for NDA and NA: National Defence Academy and Naval Academy by R.S Aggarwal
• Quantitative aptitude for competitive examinations by R.S Aggarwal
• Study Package Mathematics NDA & NA by Manjul Tyagi and Amit Rastogi

For Paper 2

General Ability

Part A: English

The English test is for 200 marks and covers topics like vocabulary, grammar and usage and comprehension. To prepare for this section read at least 2 to 3 newspapers daily. It would help you build vocabulary, get to the meanings of difficult words in context and also help you linearly track an event and form a perspective.

Part B: General Knowledge

The GK test is for 400 marks and will check your general understanding and insight into the Current Affairs within the country, and outside. The test will comprise six sections: General Science, Indian history, Physics, Geography, Chemistry and Current Events.

Sectional cutoff: One needs a minimum of 20 % in both the sections of written examination which means a minimum of 60 marks in maths and 120 marks in general ability.

Overall cutoff: NDA cut off 2020 for final selection is the marks secured by the last finally recommended candidates. The cut off for this stage is decided out of 1800 marks (900 marks of written exam + 900 marks of Interview.

Online content

Browse and collect previous year question papers and solve them. Try to solve the question paper 15 minutes before the finishing time, so that you would have time to revise. This will help you in understanding the exam pattern better and learn which type of questions comes in the exam and how.

Take online mock tests regularly. It will help you stay up to date with your preparations. Some of the top online forums are:

• SSB Crack
• Unacademy

Wide range of courses and contents with adequate options. Free easy to access video lectures and peer forums for discussions.

Wi-Fi study

Course content available in pen drive for a nominal fee. Hosts forum interaction sessions in Hindi and English.

TCY online

Test samples, solutions and study materials available at a nominal fee

Time

Institutionalized setup with supportive counselling and crisp content access

Phase 2

SSB Interview (Psychological Aptitude Test and Intelligence Test) The SSB Interview is the second and final round of the NDA Selection Process. The SSB Interview round comprises two separate tests – Psychological Aptitude Test and Intelligence Test.

Hone your body: Maintaining not only your health but also your physical strength is important. The type of diet and exercise and eating routine mentioned above must be followed timely.Work hard on yourself and you can also join a gym. You can consult a dietician and a personal trainer at the gym to have you through the right type of diet and exercise every day in a better way.

Focus on Communication Skills: Work on your English speaking skills.Reading the newspaper on a daily basis is the best way to improve your English speaking skills.

Phase 3 Final Selection

Candidates are finally selected for admission to admission to Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NDA and INAC based on their performance in written exam and SSB Interview. The final allocation will be done as per the number of vacancies subjected to candidates eligibility, medical fitness and merit-cum-preference.