NDA II Exam Pattern 2020, Marking Scheme, Syllabus, Books
Updated On -
Apr 7, 2020
Exam Prep Master
NDA I 2020 Exam held two times in a year through offline mode (written test). The exam consists of 2 sections- Mathematics and General Ability Test. The total duration of NDA 2020 is 5 hours combinedly for both sections.
Those who clear the written exam will proceed to the NDA SSB Interview Process. UPSC sets the cut off score to prepare the merit list of candidates who are called for the five-day selection process.
- All the questions in the exam will be objective i.e., Multiple Choice Questions will be asked. Check NDA Exam Eligibility
- The medium of the exam will be bilingual with a total of 900 marks.
- Out of 270 questions, 120 questions are from Mathematics and 150 questions from General Ability section. Check NDA Preparation Books
- There is a provision of negative marking as per the marks allotted to questions asked.
- The syllabus covered under NDA 2020 is of CBSE 10+2 standards. Check NDA Syllabus in Hindi
Check Also Type of Questions Asked in NDA
NDA 2020 Exam Pattern Highlights
| Exam Mode and Medium | Offline (Pen Paper Based) in English and Hindi |
| Number of sections | 2 |
| Question Paper Type | Objective or MCQ |
| Total Number of Questions | 270 Questions (120 from Mathematics and 150 from General Ability Test) |
| NDA 2020 Total Marks for Entrance Test | 900 Marks (300 Marks for Mathematics and 600 Marks for General Ability Test) |
| Exam duration | 2.30 hours (Each Section) |
NDA 2020 Exam Pattern for Mathematics and General Ability Test
NDA 2020 is conducted in offline mode and all the questions are of MCQ type. The exam is held in both English and Hindi language. Candidates are asked to attempt two sections- Mathematics and General Ability Test.
Other details related to exam pattern from both the sections have been tabulated below:
| Subject | Paper | Total No of Questions | Duration of Exam | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 1 | 120 | 2 ½ Hours | 300 |
| General Ability Test | 2 | 150 | 2 ½ Hours | 600 |
| Total | -- | 270 | 900 | -- |
After qualifying the NDA 2020 entrance test, all candidates have to appear for NDA Interview. Details are as below:
| Second Round | Duration | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|
| SSB Interview | 4-5 days | 900 |
Candidates are advised to go through the syllabus of the examination along with NDA 2020 Exam Pattern. It will help them to have better preparations for both Entrance Test as well as Interview.
NDA 2020 Marking Scheme
NDA consists of two sections- Mathematics and General ability test.
- In Mathematics section, there will be total 120 questions of 300 marks.
- All questions will carry 2.5 marks each, which will only be allotted for choosing the correct answer. 0.83 Marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
- General ability test will comprise 600 marks; 200 marks are allotted to English and 400 marks in total are allotted to General Knowledge.
- In this section, there will be total 150 questions, 50 from English and 100 from General Knowledge.
- Candidates will be awarded 4 marks for each correct answer in this section.
- A deduction of 1.33 Marks will be there for each wrong answer. There will be no mark for unanswered questions.
What Type of Questions are Asked in NDA 2020 Exam?
NDA will have questions from two sections mainly- Mathematics and General Ability section. The questions will mainly be asked of 10+2 level. Solve as many NDA Previous Year Question Papers as possible.
- In mathematics, candidates must thoroughly prepare-
- Arithmetic
- Mensuration
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Trigonometry
- Statistics, etc.
- For general ability section, it is important to prepare well for both the sub-sections, i.e., English and General Knowledge.
- For English section, candidates must focus on grammar, comprehension and reading abilities.
- General knowledge questions can be asked from current events, physics, chemistry, general science, history, etc.
Given below is the bifurcation of both the sections of NDA Exam. Marks allotted to each section and sub-sections have been expounded below:
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Marks | Marking scheme | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 120 | 300 | +2.5 | -0.83 |
| English | 50 | 200 | +4 | -1.33 |
| General Knowledge: | 100 | -- | +4 | -1.33 |
| Physics | -- | 100 | -- | -- |
| Chemistry | -- | 60 | -- | -- |
| General Science | -- | 40 | -- | -- |
| History, Freedom Movement, etc. | -- | 80 | -- | -- |
| Geography | -- | 80 | -- | -- |
| Current Events | -- | 40 | -- | -- |
| Grand Total | 270 | 900 | -- | -- |
NDA 2020 Exam Syllabus
The syllabus of NDA 2020 has been divided into two parts namely Mathematics and General Ability Test. The General Ability Test will contain questions from various topics such as General Knowledge (GK), English, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, General Science and Current Events. Check Complete NDA Syllabus 2020
Most of the questions asked in NDA exam will come from 10+2 level, especially in Mathematics. For preparing General Ability test section candidates should read newspaper on a daily basis.
| Sections | Related Topics | Number of questions |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Trigonometry, Differential Calculus, Algebra, Integral Calculus & Differential equations, Logarithms and their applications, Statistics, Probability, Vector Algebra, etc. | 120 |
| English | Grammar and Usage, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and cohesion. | 50 |
| General Knowledge | Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, Geography, Current Events. | 100 |
Candidates, who will be shortlisted on the basis of written exam, will be called for SSB interview which will be conducted for 4-5 days. Candidates, who successfully qualify SSB round, will further call for medical test and document verification process.
NDA 2020 Recommended books
In NDA 2020, questions are asked from class 12 Mathematics. Also, candidates are required to be aware of the current happenings around the world to attempt General Ability test. Some of the recommended books for candidates are mentioned below.
Check Best Books to Prepare for NDA 2020
- These books contain a vast explanation of mathematical concepts.
- It covers every minor topic mentioned in the syllabus like Sets and relations along with functions, quadratic equations, logarithms, trigonometry and geometry topics like circles, triangles, coordinates etc.
- These books also include the tricks and shortcut methods for solving the questions.
| Subjects | Books | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Mathematics for NDA and NA: National Defence Academy and Naval Academy | R S Aggarwal |
| Mathematics | Quantitative aptitude for competitive examinations | RS Aggarwal |
| English | NDA and NA National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Entrance Examination: 10 Practice Sets (English) | Expert Compilations |
| English | NDA INA Practice Papers: Conducted by UPSC (English) | Sachchida Nand Jha |
| General Knowledge | Objective General Knowledge & Current Affairs (Level 1) | Disha Experts |
| General Knowledge | Objective General Knowledge & Current Affairs (Level 2) | Disha Experts |
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.