UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 Exam Date Out – Check Time Table PDF

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the exam time table for the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026. The written exam will be held on 13 September 2026 (Sunday) for a total of 394 vacancies across the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings. Candidates who applied between 20 May and 11 June 2026 can check the subject-wise timing, exam pattern, and next steps below.

Source: UPSC official NDA & NA (II) 2026 time table notice, upsc.gov.in.

UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 – Important Dates

UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 – Exam Time Table

As per the official time table, the written exam will be held in two sessions on the same day. Indian Standard Time (IST) will be observed for both papers.

Source: UPSC official Time Table, National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (II) 2026, upsc.gov.in.

UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 – Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

Knowing the exact marking scheme before exam day matters more than most candidates realise, since NDA carries steep negative marking. Each paper is offline, objective-type (MCQ), and answered using a black ball-point pen on an OMR sheet.

Each correct answer is generally worth a fixed mark per question (2.5 marks in Mathematics), but one-third of the marks allotted to a question is deducted for every wrong answer — that works out to roughly -0.83 in Mathematics and -1.33 in GAT per incorrect response, with no penalty for questions left unattempted. Candidates must also clear a minimum 25% sectional cutoff in each paper separately to be considered for the SSB interview — scoring well in one paper cannot offset a very weak attempt in the other. Given this penalty structure, guessing only pays off when a candidate is reasonably confident, since a wrong answer can cost more than an unattempted question. Final merit is decided by the combined written + SSB score out of 1,800, so the SSB carries equal weight to the entire written exam.

UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 – Vacancy Details (Total: 394 Posts)

Source: UPSC official NDA & NA (II) 2026 notification, upsc.gov.in.

UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 – Eligibility & Age Limit

Age relaxation is applicable as per the NDA & NA II 2026 Exam Notification — check the official notification PDF for category-wise details.

UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 – Application Fee

Fee could be paid through Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card, or offline via e-Challan, as per the official notification.

UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 – Selection Process

Selection for NDA & NA is a two-stage process. Candidates first attempt the written exam (Mathematics + GAT), and only those who clear both the overall cutoff and the 25% sectional qualifying mark in each paper are shortlisted for the SSB Interview. The SSB itself runs over five days and is conducted in two stages: Stage I involves the Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) test and a Picture Perception & Description Test (PP&DT), while candidates who clear Stage I proceed to Stage II, which covers Group Testing Officer (GTO) tasks, psychological tests, and a personal interview/conference. Candidates recommended by the SSB then undergo a medical examination by service medical boards before final merit-based allotment to the Army, Navy, or Air Force wing.

How to Download the UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 Time Table – Step by Step

1. Visit the official UPSC website at upsc.gov.in.
2. Go to the "What's New" or "Examinations" section on the homepage.
3. Click on the link for "Time-Table: National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026."
4. Open the PDF to check the exam date, session timing, and subject codes.
5. Download and save the time table for reference while planning your admit card download and exam-day schedule.

UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 – Official Links

UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 – Frequently Asked Questions