NDA Eligibility Criteria for Age, Class 12 and Fitness

NDA eligibility criteria at a glance

Age limit and the birth date window

UPSC does not write the age limit as a number of years. It fixes a range of birth dates for each session. Reports of the latest second session notice give a window of 1 January 2008 to 1 January 2011, both dates included, for the course that begins in July of the following year. For the first session of the same cycle, reports give 1 July 2007 to 1 July 2010, though one copy of the notice text showed 2 July 2007 as the start, so check the official PDF.

The date of birth accepted is the one in your Class 10 certificate or an equivalent certificate. Later affidavits or changes are not accepted, so make sure your records match before you apply.

NDA qualification eligibility by wing

For the Army wing, passing the 10+2 pattern Class 12, or its equivalent, from any recognised state board or university is enough, in any stream. For the Air Force and Navy wings of NDA and for the 10+2 cadet entry at the Indian Naval Academy, Class 12 must include physics, chemistry and mathematics.

You can apply while you are writing your Class 12 exams. If you get through on that basis, UPSC will ask for your pass certificate by a deadline it announces, so plan your board results around it. Class 11 students cannot apply.

Nationality rules

You must be one of the following:

• a citizen of India;
• someone from Nepal or Bhutan holding that country's citizenship;
• a Tibetan refugee settled in India for good since before 1 January 1962;
• of Indian origin and moved here permanently from one of the listed countries, such as Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka or certain East African nations.

Anyone outside the first group must hold an eligibility certificate issued by the central government. Gorkhas from Nepal do not need one.

NDA physical eligibility and medical standards

Physical and medical checks come after the SSB, at a military hospital. Reports of recent notices give a minimum height of 157 cm for men in the Army and Navy and 162.5 cm for Air Force applicants, with lower limits for some hill regions and different figures for women. Weight must be in proportion to height and age as per the table in the notice.

• Eyesight: distance vision limits apply, with tighter rules for Air Force flying and the Navy.
• General fitness: you must be free of any disease or disability likely to interfere with military training, so start a running and strength routine early.

Because these standards are detailed and differ by wing and gender, read the physical standards appendix of the current notice in full.

Documents you will need

• Matriculation or Class 10 pass certificate showing your birth date
• Your 10+2 marks statement, or a school letter saying you are writing the board exam
• A photo identity card whose number you enter on the form
• Recent photographs and signature as specified in the notice
• Certificate of eligibility, where your nationality group needs one

Originals are checked at the SSB, so keep them in one folder with photocopies.

What to do once you know you qualify

If you clear every check, your next job is to plan for two papers and the interview. Start with the NDA syllabus, compare past qualifying totals in our NDA cut off guide, and test yourself with real booklets through our NDA previous papers guide. Graduates who have crossed the NDA age can look at CDS eligibility or AFCAT eligibility. To test several exams at once, try the eligibility checker on this site.