The Pattern of written Examination:
The written exam comprises two papers Mathematics and General Ability as below:
| Code | Subject | No of ques. | Total marks | Marks for correct answer | Marks for wrong answer | Time duration |
| 01 | Mathematics | 120 | 300 | 2.5 | 0.83 | 2½ Hrs. |
| 02 | General Ability | 150 | 600 | 4 | 1.33 | 2½ Hrs. |
| Total Marks | 900 | |||||
| SSB Test/Interview | 900 | |||||
The Second Paper (General Ability) of NDA will be checked of those students who have qualified in first paper (Mathematics).
The Second Paper General Ability comprises two parts as:
| Part | Subject | Marks |
| A | English | 200 |
| B | General Knowledge | 400 |
The questions of English will be designed to test the candate’s understanding of English and workman like use of words. The syllabus covers various aspects like Grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension, and cohesion in extended text to test the candidate’s proficiency in English.
The marks and subjects with marks distributions of General Knowledge are as below:
| Subject | Section | Marks |
| Physics | A | 100 |
| Chemistry | B | 60 |
| General Science | 40 | |
| History, Freedom, Movement | D | 80 |
| Geography | E | 80 |
| Current | F | 40 |
The qualified candidates in written examination will be called for Personal Interview-SSB.
The SSB procedure consists of two-stage selection process stage l and stage II, which are conducted over 4 days.
Stage I: Office Intelligence Rating (OIR) Test and Picture Perception/ Description Test (PP&DT)
Stage II: Interview, Group Testing Office task, Psychology Test and the Conference.
Note: Only those candidates who clear the stage I are permitted for stage II.
A candidate recommended by the service selection board (SSB) will undergo a medical examination by a Board of Service Medical Officers. Only those candidates who are declared fit by the Medical Board will join National Defense Academy.