UPSC publishes every NDA and NA question paper on its own website, in the Previous Question Papers archive. The papers from NDA and NA (II) 2026 back to NDA and NA (II) 2016 are there as two PDFs per examination: Mathematics and the General Ability Test. The table below links each one directly to the UPSC file. We do not host or copy the papers, so what you open is always the original.
Checked against UPSC’s website on 12 October 2026. Each link below returned a PDF on that date.
NDA question papers by examination, 2026 to 2016
The newest examination is at the top. UPSC lists the 2020 papers under one heading for the first and second examinations of that year, and the 2016 (II) General Ability Test is labelled “GAT” in UPSC’s archive.
UPSC uploads the paper the day after the examination. The 2025 (II) paper, for example, went up on 15 September 2025, a day after the examination on 14 September, and the 2026 (II) paper went up on 14 September 2026, after the examination on 13 September. The files are scans of the printed booklets, so they are large (the 2026 (II) General Ability Test is close to 40 MB) and they may open slowly on a mobile connection.
What an NDA paper looks like
The numbers below come from UPSC’s NDA and NA (II) 2026 notice and from the cover pages of the 2026 (II) question booklets.
| Paper | Questions | Maximum marks | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I: Mathematics | 120 | 300 | 2 hours 30 minutes | All questions carry equal marks. Set in Hindi and English. |
| Paper II: General Ability Test | 150 | 600 | 2 hours 30 minutes | Part A English (200 marks) and Part B General Knowledge (400 marks). All questions carry equal marks. Part B is set in Hindi and English. |
- Objective only. Every question has four answer options and you choose one.
- Negative marking. For each wrong answer one-third (0.33) of the marks for that question is deducted. That works out to about 0.83 of a mark in Mathematics and about 1.33 in the General Ability Test. A question left blank loses nothing, and so does one you skip.
- More than one answer marked counts as wrong, even if one of the answers is correct.
- No calculator or logarithm table is allowed in the examination hall.
- Booklet series A, B, C or D. Each candidate gets one series and must encode it on the OMR sheet; a mistake there can make the answer sheet liable for rejection. The 2026 (II) files that UPSC has posted are series A booklets.
The General Knowledge part is weighted by section. The notice says Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History and the freedom movement, Geography and Current Events carry approximately 25%, 15%, 10%, 20%, 20% and 10% of the 400 marks. That is a useful guide to where to spend your revision time.
Does UPSC publish answer keys for NDA?
Only to the candidates who sat the examination, and only for a short time. The notice says appeared candidates can send representations on the questions and the provisional answer keys through UPSC’s online portal, from the third day after the examination until 6 p.m. on the seventh day. Anyone who did not appear does not get that window.
UPSC’s public Answer Keys page is separate. When we checked on 12 October 2026 its archive listed answer keys for Combined Defence Services Examination (II) 2025 and for a CISF AC (Exe) LDCE, and we found no NDA key there. Answer keys that appear for NDA papers on coaching sites are the sites’ own work. Treat them as a way to check your practice, and verify any answer you are unsure about from a textbook.
How to practise from these papers
Old papers are most useful when you use them in a fixed order, not all at once.
- Learn the paper first. Take the most recent paper and attempt it untimed, noting how each question is framed. This shows you the real level and style before you attempt anything under pressure.
- Tally by topic. Make your own sheet using the syllabus headings. For Mathematics the notice lists eight: Algebra; Matrices and Determinants; Trigonometry; Analytical Geometry of two and three dimensions; Differential Calculus; Integral Calculus and Differential Equations; Vector Algebra; and Statistics and Probability. Count how many questions each topic sends you in a paper, and you will see for yourself where marks sit. We do this with our own students, and a count you make from the papers is worth more than a ready-made table.
- Then go timed. Attempt full papers within 2 hours 30 minutes, using the real marking scheme, including the one-third penalty. Your score tells you how well you manage guessing, not just what you know.
- Keep an error log. For every wrong or skipped question, write why: concept gap, careless slip, or time. After four or five papers the pattern is usually clear.
- Return to the older papers for topic drills. Once you have worked on a weak topic, go back through the 2016 to 2023 papers and attempt only that topic’s questions.
If you are not sure how to build this routine around school or college, free counselling is available by phone or WhatsApp on +91 70170 31757, and we can help you plan it.
Where these papers fit in your preparation
Papers show you the target. Books and notes get you there. Our class-wise NDA booklist starts with NCERT and adds one book per paper. The pass marks that these papers lead to are in our NDA cut-off and result guide, built only from UPSC’s own files. For the eligibility rules, see NDA eligibility criteria, and for dates see the exam calendar. The next examination in UPSC’s calendar is NDA and NA (I) 2027 on 11 April 2027, with the notification due on 2 December 2026.
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppWhere can I download NDA previous year papers officially?
From UPSC's Previous Question Papers archive on upsc.gov.in. The table on this page links each examination's Mathematics and General Ability Test files directly.
How many questions are there in the NDA papers?
In the 2026 (II) booklets, Mathematics has 120 questions for 300 marks and the General Ability Test has 150 questions for 600 marks. Each paper is 2 hours 30 minutes.
Is there negative marking in the NDA?
Yes. One-third of the marks for a question is deducted for each wrong answer. Blank answers carry no penalty.
What are series A, B, C and D?
They are versions of the same test booklet. Each candidate receives one series, writes it on the OMR sheet and encodes it in the circles provided. A mistake can make the answer sheet liable for rejection.
Does UPSC release NDA answer keys to everyone?
UPSC's notice offers provisional answer keys to appeared candidates for a five-day representation window. When we checked UPSC's public Answer Keys page, it listed no NDA key.
Are previous year papers enough to prepare?
They are an essential part, not the whole. Use them to learn the level and your weak topics, and use books and notes to fix those topics.
Sources
- UPSC: Previous Question Papers (current examinations)
- UPSC: Previous Question Papers archive, National Defence Academy
- UPSC: NDA and NA (II) 2026 notice (scheme, negative marking, representation window, syllabus)
- UPSC: NDA and NA (II) 2026 Mathematics booklet (cover page: 120 questions, 2 hours 30 minutes)
- UPSC: NDA and NA (II) 2026 General Ability Test booklet (cover page: 150 questions)
- UPSC: Answer Keys archive
- UPSC: Programme of examinations 2027
Preparing for the NDA in a classroom with a hostel? GS India Defence Academy runs NDA coaching in Dehradun, with separate hostels for boys and girls and a mess, and the fee structure page shows the current options.
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