NDA Eligibility Criteria: Age, Education and Physical Standards

NDA eligibility is set by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Ministry of Defence, not by any coaching academy. Every cycle, the examination notice lists who may apply. This guide explains the NDA eligibility criteria in plain language, using the latest notice available at the time of writing, which is the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II) 2026 (notice dated 20 May 2026).

The next cycle, NDA and NA (I) 2027, is scheduled in the UPSC calendar with its notification on 2 December 2026, the last date to apply on 22 December 2026 and the examination on 11 April 2027. When that notice appears, it replaces the figures below, so always check the notice for the cycle in which you plan to apply.

NDA eligibility at a glance

Nationality

A candidate must be a citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia, or Vietnam with the intention of settling permanently in India. Candidates in the second and third categories need a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India. The certificate is not necessary for Gorkha subjects of Nepal.

Gender and marital status

Only unmarried male and female candidates can apply. Women are eligible on the same footing as men, with vacancies notified separately. Our guide on whether girls can join the NDA covers this in detail.

Candidates must undertake not to marry until they finish their training. A candidate who marries after the date of the application, even if successful in the examination, will not be selected for training. A candidate who marries during training is discharged and is liable to refund all the expenditure incurred on him or her by the Government.

Age limit

The notice states an age rule as a date-of-birth window. The window is set so that candidates are roughly 16½ to 19½ years old when the course begins. The last two notices were as follows.

The notice also sets strict rules for proving your date of birth:

• The date accepted is the one on the Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate, or an equivalent certificate recognised by an Indian university, or an extract from a university register of matriculates.
• Horoscopes, affidavits, birth extracts from a municipal corporation, service records and similar documents are not accepted.
• Once a date of birth is submitted and entered in the UPSC records, no change is allowed later, in that or any other examination.

If you want to test your own date of birth against each window, use our eligibility checker. It is a quick guide, and the notice decides.

Educational qualification

For the Army wing, you need a Class 12 pass of the 10+2 pattern of school education or an equivalent examination conducted by a state board or university. Any stream is acceptable.

For the Air Force and Naval wings, and for the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy, you need a Class 12 pass with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Three clarifications settle most doubts:

• Candidates appearing in Class 12 can apply. They must provide proof of passing by the date in the notice (10 June 2027 in the latest one), and no extension is granted for late board results.
• Candidates appearing in the Class 11 examination are not eligible.
• The notice sets no minimum percentage for Class 10 or Class 12. It requires a pass. If you search for “NDA eligibility 10th percentage” or “12th percentage”, the official answer is that the written exam and the SSB decide your place, not a fixed cut-off in board marks.

In exceptional cases, the Commission may treat a candidate without the prescribed qualification as educationally qualified if the standard of his or her qualification, in its opinion, justifies admission to the examination.

Physical and medical standards

The notice requires candidates to be physically fit according to its Appendix III. That appendix states that the standards come from the Joint Order Manual of Medical Standards for Entry into Armed Forces, available on the Army recruiting website, and that the guidelines are subject to revision. It adds a strong warning: a number of qualified candidates are rejected on medical grounds, so you should get yourself examined before submitting the application.

The appendix lists common defects that can be corrected early, including ear wax, a deviated nasal septum, hydrocele, being overweight or underweight, an under-sized chest, piles, tonsillitis and varicocele. Permanent body tattoos are allowed only on the inner side of the forearm, from the inside of the elbow to the wrist, and on the back of the hand. Other tattoos can bar a candidate from selection, with a case-by-case provision for tribes with customary tattoos.

For the Air Force flying branch, candidates must also qualify the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS). It is given only once. A candidate who fails it cannot apply for the flying branch again, though he or she can still be considered for ground duties if willing. Habitual wearers of glasses are not tested for CPSS, and they too can be considered for ground duties.

Who is not eligible

• Candidates debarred by the Ministry of Defence from holding any type of commission in the Defence Services.
• Candidates who resigned or withdrew on disciplinary grounds from any training academy of the Armed Forces.
• Candidates removed from an earlier NDA or Naval Academy course for lack of officer-like qualities or on disciplinary grounds.

Candidates who were withdrawn from the NDA or the Indian Naval Academy on medical grounds, or who left voluntarily, remain eligible if they satisfy the medical and other conditions.

Fee and documents

The application fee in the latest notice is ₹100. SC and ST candidates, female candidates and the wards of serving or ex-JCOs, NCOs and other ranks studying in Military Schools or Sainik Schools (with the certificate required) are exempt. OBC and EWS candidates pay the full fee. Keep one photo ID ready, since UPSC advises candidates to carry the same ID to the examination and the SSB, and have your Matriculation certificate ready for the date of birth.

Checking eligibility for coaching

Students sometimes ask about the “qualification” for a defence academy in Dehradun. The conditions above belong to the UPSC examination. A coaching academy sets its own admission process for its courses, and we explain ours at counselling. If you are in Class 10 or 11 and not yet eligible for the NDA exam, a preparatory course can still make sense, and our NDA foundation course is designed for that stage.

Frequently asked questions

Planning your preparation around these conditions? GS India Defence Academy runs classroom NDA coaching in Dehradun, with separate hostels for boys and girls, and our team can check your own eligibility at counselling. Call +91 70170 31757 or message us on WhatsApp.