National Defence Academy (NDA) is a joint training academy of Indian Armed Forces. Here the junior cadets of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force are groomed and trained together in the tri-service academy, NDA, Pune, Maharashtra. During the three years training at NDA, the cadets are prepared to face the challenges in the battlefield, that may consist of physical, mental and moral elements; and they will also be trained in the fields including arts, science, technology, and military subjects. After the completion of three years a Bachelor’s Degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru University will be awarded to the cadets, post which Army cadets shift to Indian Military Academy at Dehradun, Naval cadets to Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala and Air Force cadets to the Air Force Academy at Hyderabad. The cadets will be trained for a year in respective training academies before getting commissioned as officers in respective services. In all these years of training, an individual will be transformed from Cadet to an Officer and also a gentleman who will serve for his country with all the potential skills.

Entering into the prestigious NDA is a challenging task that needs a great amount of dedication and hard work; it’s the matter of serving the country. One has to be very committed towards their aim of joining the services; the candidate has to start preparing for it as soon as they complete class 12. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the NDA exam twice a year. This is the most prominent entrance exam and to crack NDA exam one should not only be knowledgeable in terms of theory but also, should have the qualities accordingly. The second round of NDA exams of 2019 is scheduled to commence on 17^th of November, it will a one-day exam as per the notification of UPSC.

The two levels to enter NDA is by getting selected in written exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission that is UPSC and secondly, personality test conducted by the Services Selection Board that is (SSB). The written exam comprises of two sections that are Mathematics and General Ability. The maths exam consists of 120 questions for 300 marks and General Ability Test is for 600 which have two parts such as Part A and Part B. Each exam is for two and a half hours. All the questions will be in the form of objectives and available in English and Hindi.

Following are the few tips to prepare for NDA exam after class 12:

1. Understand the Syllabus and the Subjects :

Initially, when you start preparing for the exam, understand the syllabus and the subjects. This will help in knowing the level of difficulty you may face in studying the subjects, plan smartly and set a firm pattern to study each subject. By planning according to the pattern you may be able to spend more time studying the subjects that may feel you are weak in learning. Scheduling the subjects will make it easy for the applicant to cover all the subjects.

2. Practice Managing Time :

The applicants get less than a minute to read and answer each question, and due to improper time management during the exam one may get panic and this may also affect them negatively. One should practice managing the time and this will increase their speed and ability to answer with a calm state of mind also, by this you may avoid wasting of time.

3. Solving Question Papers :

By solving the previous years’ question papers, you may understand the nature of the question paper and the type of questions. This will also help in time management like - by knowing the nature of the question you may know how much time you require to solve such questions. One should try solving as much as mock test papers possible.

4. Avoid Guessing Game:

This is one of the important factors to concentrate during NDA exam because; guessing may get you negative marks. In the exam, wrong answers carry negative markings and this affect in the results.

5. Focus on the Language:

The hold on language also plays a key role in the NDA exam, work on improvising the language by reading English newspapers. One should have good knowledge about the grammar, vocabulary, and phrases this makes easier to attend the General ability test.

6. Be Updated :

The applicant should keep himself updated with the current affairs and the technologies and trends changing happening around the world. Reading or watching the news will also help in keeping you updated with the ongoing things.

7. Stay Fit and Healthy :

NDA is not only about the theory and time management, but the applicant should also be fit and healthy to serve in the armed force. The height, weight, flexibility, and fitness are counted as important factors in the selection process.

NDA exam is the toughest exam to crack, as it is the matter and responsibility to serve for the security of the country. To get into NDA one has to go through several exams and, to get selected in all these exams the preparation should be very hard. The applicant has to think like an officer to understand the level and nature of the NDA exam. One has to be fit and strong both mentally and physically to face all types of difficulty and challenges in future o the battlefield.