The NDA CDS Defence Exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), for admission to the National Defence Academy (NDA). The examination is the qualifying criteria to get into the defence forces – the army, navy and air force. NDA Combined Defence Services Exam is held twice every year, usually in the months of April and August.
Candidates who wish to apply for the NDA CDS exam, should be unmarried males, and a citizen of India. All applicants should have passed the Class XII exam from a recognized Board (State or Central). The age has to be between 16 and a half to 19 years.
The notification for the test typically appears in the leading newspapers and government publications a year before the commencement of the course. To apply, you have to fill up the original form provided in the newspapers or in Employment News. Or type out the form exactly as it has been published, or acquire it from a private agency. The same should be then mailed to the National Defence Academy, with the compulsory tag – Application for National Academy Examination.
The test centers are located in the Indian cities of Agartala, Ahmedabad, Aizwal, Allahabad, Bengaluru, Bareilly, Bhopal, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Cochin, Cuttack, Delhi, Dharwar, Guwahati, Gangtok, Hyderabad, Imphal, Itanagar, Jaipur, Jammu, Jorhat, Kavaratti, Kohima, Lucknow, Chennai, Madurai, Nagpur, Goa, Patna, Port Blair, Raipur, Sambalpur, Shillong, Simla, Srinagar, Tirupati, Thiruvananthapuram, Udaipur and Vishakhapatnam.
The selection process is three fold. The first is the Written Test conducted by UPSC. Second is the Interview by the Service Selection Board that is more of an intelligence and personality test. The final step is a medical examination by the Service Medical Board.
The written test has objective type questions. It consists of 2 papers – Mathematics and General Ability Test. Both are two and a half hour paper, of multiple choice.
The mathematics Paper contains 300 marks. The topics covered in it are – Arithmetic, Mensuration, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics.
The General Ability Test comprises of two sections. The first is English, that has maximum marks of 200. It tests your proficiency in the language, understanding, and use of words. It contains questions on grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and cohesion.
The other part of the paper is General Knowledge. It covers questions on physics, chemistry, general sciences, social studies, geography and current affairs.
The second step to NDA admissions is the Interview (only those who qualify in the written test are called for the interview). Candidates are marked out of 900 in this multiple-round interview session. It includes Psychology Tests; Intelligence Tests – verbal and non verbal; and Group Tasks, like as group discussions, group planning, outdoor group activities, and brief presentations on specified topics. The Interview round test your mental agility, capability and caliber; your ability to lead, work in groups and problem solving.
The Medical Fitness Test, is the last hurdle to NDA. The medical experts will check you on health parameters, commonly, your heart beat, blood pressure, eyesight, hearing, speech, physical fitness and endurance, ability to take stress, agility, etc. You may have passed the earlier barricades with ease, but a small health flaw can disqualify you.
Clearing the NDA CDS Defence Exam demands knowledge as well as the right attitude. This is a serious and grave profession, and more of a passion to serve the nation. Sample test papers and previous year’s papers are available to help you practice. The real test is of your personality and fitness. You can pass the written test by studying hard, solving papers and mugging, but the other two steps cannot be passed hence. So if you want to get into the NDA, start proper acquisition of knowledge and character building today itself.
