How to prepare for NDA Exam

The NDA Exam is a major exam among students who want to join the Indian Defence Forces, it is the gateway for candidates who want to join the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy. It is not easy to pass through NDA and SSB. To prepare for the exam, candidates need to make a smart study plan. It is effective to make a smart study plan for better preparation strategy. Firstly, candidates should clear their basic concepts. They should not forget to practise the previous year question papers. However, to crack the highly competitive NDA Exam, candidates must also have an effective NDA preparation strategy and a delay-proof study timetable. Defence & Doon IAS Academy

Revise the topics given in the syllabus as much as possible. NDA written exam will be followed by SSB interview round and medical fitness test. Read the complete article to get expert NDA exam preparation tips along with other important insights on NDA exam structure.

Pattern and Syllabus

Before jumping into the preparation, get a printed copy of NDA Syllabus & Exam Pattern. This will open the doors of success in the exam by understanding the NDA Exam Pattern and Syllabus and will help the candidates to cover the topics one by one and plan the timetable accordingly. There are two papers in the NDA written exam, Paper 1 is Mathematics with 120 questions of 300 marks.

Paper 2 is the General Ability Test (GAT), which consists of 150 questions carrying 600 marks, each paper of two and a half hours. It is also important to get your hands on the best books and study material for the exam.

Recommended Books

In the NDA Exam, questions are asked from class 12 maths. Also, it is necessary for the candidates to be aware of the current events across the world to attempt the Common Aptitude Test. Some recommended books for the candidates are mentioned in this article.

How to prepare?

It will not be easy to crack the NDA exam being the exam of national importance, you have to build a suitable personality, work on your spoken language, general knowledge and other factors. Below we are providing you the best NDA preparation tips and tricks from experts. which is as follows-

Make a schedule

Candidates must know the remaining preparation time for the written test and make a list of how many subjects need to be completed and know how much time it will take to complete everything. Based on that, allocate your time for each subject as well as your other activity.

Lear the basics

Firstly, you should clear your basic concept by following the NCERT books and then start by brushing up on the principles of the concepts which you have already covered. Then the topics which are untouched, they start with clearing the basic understanding.

Make short notes

While doing NDA preparation work one has to check a huge number of books and notes. So, it is better to write short notes which come in handy and you can revise them without taking much time and which are really useful and important. Also one can refer to NDA study material to learn all important concepts in brief.

Track events

All the major events that happened in India or the world in the last five years are very important. Make a habit of watching news on a daily basis, reading newspapers, listening to interviews of famous personalities, keeping track of all the awards.

Stay fit

You cannot afford to lose health and stamina. Remember we are talking about the National Defence Academy here, you have to take your health as priority. Maintaining a proper diet rich in nutritious food, regular exercise or yoga is mandatory as well as sleep for at least 6-8 hours.

Mathematics Section:

1. Mathematics is very important for you if you are planning to face the NDA Exam.
2. The candidates must have the speed to calculate as you cannot waste time in calculations while solving the maths section.
3. Start preparing for important topics first, as well as devote time to difficult topics.
4. For better practice, keep in mind the previous years question papers and sample papers.
5. Remember simple calculations like square and cube and learn tips, tricks and shortcuts for efficient time management.
6. Since there is negative marking in the exam, they should mark the answer only if you are sure about it i.e. do not guess the answers during the exam.

General Ability Test Section:

1. While preparing for NDA, clear your basic concepts of Physics, Chemistry and Biology from the NCERT books of class XI and XII.
2. For History, Civics and Economics, you just have to memorise a few key concepts, but nothing is too difficult.
3. General Ability Test (GAT) covers most parts of the NDA Exam and hence, you cannot ignore any aspect of this section.
4. Read the syllabus for the General Ability Test (GAT) section very carefully and prepare for each and every topic mentioned under the heading.
5. For English in this section, pay attention to the rules of grammar.

SSB Interview:

SSB Interview consists of Intelligence Test and Psychological Test. Go through the following material to get an idea about SSB Interview, like-

1. Maintain both physical and mental health.
2. Improve your eating habit and hence, take a look at your diet plan, and exercise regularly.
3. You must work hard to improve your English speaking skills.
4. Make a good habit of reading the newspaper regularly to increase your knowledge of English. To know more about SSB interview read here- What is SSB Interview?

Final general tips:

1. In your last few days, don’t go on unresolved topics. Try practising previous years papers and sample question papers.
2. Eat healthy food and get at least 8 hours of sleep which will help your mind stay active and focused.
3. Revise the short notes made by you during preparation.
4. Arrive at the venue of the examination centres 1 day before the exam with the required documents, which helps you to avoid any chances of being late.
5. As you would know, a negative marking scheme is applicable in the NDA Exam. So try to avoid unnecessarily guessing in the exam.
6. Invest the exam duration wisely. Go for the easy answers first and don’t waste time predicting the answers.

Toppers Tips:

In order to crack NDA Exam, candidates can go through the following material to get an idea about the preparation tips of various toppers, such as-

1. Candidates should have clear and in-depth knowledge about the subjects.
2. Read NCERT books thoroughly.
3. Divide the entire syllabus into sections and prepare a routine and then follow it while studying.
4. Try to keep yourself calm, do not take unnecessary stress.
5. To get good marks, candidates should practice more and work hard.
6. You should have a clear understanding of the exam pattern and NDA syllabus.
7. Try to practice previous years question papers to know the pattern of questions.