NDA Exam Pattern 2021, Section Wise Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme, & Syllabus
Updated On -
May 1, 2021
Exams Prepmaster
NDA I 2021 Exam held two times in a year through offline mode (written test). The written test of NDA I 2021 has been scheduled for April 18, 2021, The exam consists of 2 sections- Mathematics and General Ability Test. The total duration of NDA 2021 is 5 hours combined for both sections.
Those who clear the written exam will proceed to the NDA SSB Interview Process. The SSB Interview is expected to be taken in the month of July 2021. 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.
- 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 the General Ability section. Check NDA Preparation Books
- For effective preparation, the aspirants can refer to Piyush Thorve’s (AIR 16, 2019) Preparation Strategies.
- There is a provision of negative marking as per the marks allotted to questions asked.
- The syllabus covered under NDA 2021 is of CBSE 10+2 standards. Check NDA Syllabus in Hindi
Check Also Type of Questions Asked in NDA
NDA Exam Pattern 2021 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) |
| 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 Exam Pattern 2021 for Mathematics and General Ability Test
NDA 2021 is conducted in offline mode and all the questions are of MCQ type. The exam is held in both English and Hindi languages. 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 | -- |
Read the following table to get to know about GAT Distribution:
| Sections | Maximum marks | |
|---|---|---|
|
Part A - English |
200 |
|
|
Part B - General Knowledge |
Physics |
100 |
|
Chemistry |
60 |
|
|
General Science |
40 |
|
|
History, Freedom Movement, etc. |
80 |
|
|
Geography |
80 |
|
|
Current Events |
40 |
|
|
Total |
600 |
|
NDA Exam Pattern: SSB Interview
After qualifying for the NDA 2021 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 |
After qualifying for the NDA 2021 entrance test, all candidates have to appear for NDA Interview. Details are as below:
Candidates are advised to go through the syllabus of the examination along with NDA Exam Pattern 2021. It will help them to have better preparations for both Entrance Test as well as Interview.
SSB Interview: Stage I
There are two tests in this stage and these are the officer's Intelligence Rating (OIR) Test and the Picture Perception and Description Test (PP and DT). Only the qualified aspirants will be capable to appear for the Stage II interview process.
SSB Interview: Stage II
In this stage, the aspirants should go through the multiple Group testing Officers Tasks and should attend conferences and Psychology Tests. The entire process of this stage will take 4 days time to complete.
| Stages | Tests | |
|---|---|---|
| Stage-I | Screening Test |
|
| Stage-II | Psychological Test |
|
| Group Testing Officers Test |
|
|
| Personal Interview | - | |
| Conference | - | |
NDA 2021 Marking Scheme
NDA consists of two sections- Mathematics and General ability test.
- In the Mathematics section, there will be a total of 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 a total of 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.
| Particular | Mathematics | GAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Questions | 120 | 150 |
| Total Marks | 300 | 600 |
| Marks allotted to each question | 2.5 | 4 |
| Negative marking for each incorrect response | -0.83 | -1.33 |
What Type of Questions are Asked in NDA 2021 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 the general ability section, it is important to prepare well for both the sub-sections, i.e., English and General Knowledge.
- For the 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 the 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 2021 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 2021
Most of the questions asked in the NDA exam will come from 10+2 levels, especially in Mathematics. For preparing the General Ability test section candidates should read the 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 the written exam, will be called for an SSB interview which will be conducted for 4-5 days. Candidates, who successfully qualify the SSB round, will further call for medical test and document verification processes.
NDA Exam Pattern FAQS
Ques. In which mode NDA exam is conducted?
Ans.NDA exam is conducted offline.
Ques. How many questions are asked in GAT?
Ans. GAT paper comprises a total of 150 questions.
Ques. What are the negative marks for wrong answers?
Ans. There will be a deduction of 1/3 marks for each answer.
Ques.What are the qualifying marks for each section of the written exam?
Ans. The qualifying marks for each section of the written exam are at least 25 %.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.