The National Defence Academy (NDA) exam is one of the most popular entrance examinations taken by students after Class 12th in India. It is meant for those who aspire to serve the nation by being part of its prestigious defence forces.

The entrance exam is conducted for the selection of officer posts in the Indian Army, Indian Air force and Indian Navy. The NDA exam is conducted twice a year under the supervision of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and consists of a written test of two-and-a half hours. The written test is followed by a SSB (Services Selection Board) interview. The next edition of the exam is scheduled to be conducted on April 19, 2015.

Exam Pattern:

The written test is the first phase of the NDA exam, consisting of objective-type questions asked in two sections: Mathematics for 300 marks and General Ability for 600 marks.  Aspirants who qualify the written examination are called for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview which carries 900 marks. After successfully qualifying the SSB round, the final merit list is prepared and candidates are selected as per their preferences.

Preparation Tips:

Colonel DJS Chahal, who has served the Army for over 25 years, suggests that the NDA exam needs special preparation. “As it is a multiple-choice exam, it will contain many questions which will force the students to be familiar with a broader range of material,” says Chahal.
Multiple-choice exams tend to focus on details, and you cannot retain too many things in a short span. Divide the topics in parts and allow plenty of time for reviews.

Understand the concepts thoroughly as questions are mostly application based. Pay particular attention to fundamental terms and concepts that describe important events or features, or that tie related ideas and observations together. Use the process of elimination while attempting the paper.

The paper includes Math, General English and General Studies (History, Geography, Polity, Economics, Science, Current Affairs).
Prepare your favourite subjects first and spend more time on the subjects having greater weightage proportionately. Brainstorm possible questions with other students who are also preparing for the exam.

Candidates who have cleared the written exam successfully suggest that those taking the test this year should get their basics right.

The key to crack the NDA exam lies in acing English. One should practise putting together sentences, improving sentences and spotting errors etc. On the day of the exam, as soon as you get the question paper, don’t start solving in a rush. Read the questions for five minutes and categorise them as easy, those that take time or are difficult. Category one should be attempted first followed by category two. Time management is very important.

Source: HT Education
 

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