Exam for National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Officers through Union Public Service

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is pleased to announce the National Defence Academy (NDA)-I and Naval Academy Examination (I), 2026, a recruitment drive for Officer Government Jobs in Indian Armed Forces. The examination will be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on 12/04/2026 at various test centres across India for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA for the 157th Course, and for the 119th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC).

Vacancy Details

Eligibility Criteria

To join the National Defence Academy (NDA), a candidate must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Candidates should be born between 1st July 2007 and 1st July 2010.
• Candidates should have completed their 12th Class of the 10+2 System of Education or equivalent examination conducted by a State Education Board or a University.
• Candidates for Air Force, Navy and Naval Academy should have Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics subjects in their 12th Class examination.

Application Process

Suitable and desirable candidates can apply online in the prescribed format provided at UPSC Recruitment website from 10/12/2025 to 30/12/2025 for UPSC NDA and Naval Academy Examination (I) 2026.

• Candidates should deposit an application fee of ₹100/- (No fee for SC/ST) either by remitting the money in any Branch of State Bank of India by cash, or by using Visa/Master/RuPay Credit/Debit Card/UPI Payment or by using the internet banking of any Bank.
• Candidates should note that there will be a penalty (Negative Marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the Objective Type Question Papers.

Important Dates

The following are the important dates to keep in mind:

• Date of Examination: 12/04/2026
• Online Application Start Date: 10/12/2025
• Online Application End Date: 30/12/2025

Elaborate

The National Defence Academy (NDA) is a prestigious institution that provides training to the officers of the Indian Armed Forces. The Naval Academy Examination (I) 2026 is an opportunity for candidates to join the Indian Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA.

The examination will be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on 12/04/2026 at various test centres across India. Candidates should note that there will be a penalty (Negative Marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the Objective Type Question Papers.

Candidates who are selected through the National Defence Academy (NDA) Exam (I) 2026 will undergo a training of 3 years duration at NDA and 1 Yr at IMA (For Army cadets)/ 3 years duration at NDA and 1 & 1/2 Yrs at AFA Hyderabad (For AF cadets) after getting selected.

It is worth noting that the examination will be conducted in two parts – Objective Type Question Papers and Subjective Questions. The objective type question papers will have a penalty for wrong answers marked by a candidate, while the subjective questions will not have any marks.

For candidates who want to prepare themselves for the examination, guidebooks and study materials are available to purchase. There are many free study materials and previous year question papers that can be accessed online.

Candidates should use these resources to their benefit and get ready to be selected for UPSC NDA and Naval Academy Examination (I) 2026.