New Delhi, India – December 11, 2025 – The detailed NDA exam syllabus 2026 remains the golden ticket for over 5 lakh aspirants gunning for the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy. With the UPSC NDA 1 2026 exam scheduled for April 12, mastering every topic in this detailed NDA syllabus – from Algebra to Modern Indian History – is the only way to crack the 900-mark written test and march into the SSB.
The NDA written exam comprises two papers totalling 900 marks: Mathematics (Paper I – 300 marks, 2½ hours) and General Ability Test (Paper II – 600 marks, 2½ hours). Negative marking of ⅓ applies across both. Below is the official, most detailed NDA exam syllabus 2026 straight from the UPSC notification, broken down topic-by-topic with weightage and high-yield areas.
PAPER 1: MATHEMATICS (300 Marks – 120 Questions)
- Algebra (≈70–80 marks)
- Sets, Venn diagrams, De Morgan laws
- Complex numbers – modulus, argument, cube roots
- Quadratic equations & theory of equations
- Arithmetic, Geometric & Harmonic progressions
- Binomial theorem & coefficients
- Permutations & Combinations
- Logarithms
- Matrices & Determinants (≈25–30 marks)
- Types, operations, adjoint, inverse
- Solution of linear equations (2 & 3 variables)
- Trigonometry (≈50–60 marks)
- Angles & identities
- Multiple & sub-multiple angles
- Inverse trig functions
- Heights & distances
- Properties of triangles, sine/cosine rule
- Analytical Geometry (2D & 3D) (≈40–50 marks)
- Cartesian & polar coordinates
- Distance formula, section formula
- Straight lines, pair of straight lines
- Circles, parabola, ellipse, hyperbola
- Direction cosines, planes
- Differential Calculus (≈50 marks)
- Limits, continuity, differentiability
- Derivatives & applications (tangents, normals, maxima-minima)
- Increasing/decreasing functions, Rolle’s & Lagrange theorems
- Integral Calculus & Differential Equations (≈35–40 marks)
- Integration as inverse of differentiation
- Definite integrals & area under curves
- First & second order differential equations
- Vector Algebra (≈25 marks)
- Vectors in 2D & 3D, scalar & vector products
- Scalar triple product applications
- Statistics & Probability (≈30–35 marks)
- Classification of data, frequency distribution
- Mean, median, mode, variance, standard deviation
- Probability – random experiments, Bayes’ theorem, binomial distribution
PAPER 2: GENERAL ABILITY TEST (600 Marks – 150 Questions)
Part A – English (200 marks – 50 questions)
- Grammar & usage
- Vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution)
- Comprehension & cohesion
- Spotting errors, sentence improvement
- Para jumbles, fill in the blanks
High weightage: Vocabulary (≈15–18 Qs), Comprehension (≈10–12 Qs)
Part B – General Knowledge (400 marks – 100 questions)
- Physics (≈23–25%)
- Mechanics, heat, light, sound, electricity, magnetism
- Modern physics basics (atoms, nuclei)
- Chemistry (≈15–18%)
- Physical & chemical changes
- Elements, mixtures, compounds
- Acids, bases, salts
- Carbon compounds, oxidation-reduction
- General Science (≈10–12%)
- Biology basics, human body, diseases
- Food & nutrition, environment
- History & Freedom Movement (≈20%)
- Ancient, medieval, modern India
- Indian National Movement (1857–1947)
- Gandhi era, prominent leaders
- Geography (≈18–20%)
- Earth, latitudes, longitudes
- Rocks, oceans, atmosphere
- Indian geography – rivers, mountains, climate
- Current Affairs (≈12–15%)
- Last 12–18 months: Defence deals, summits, awards, sports, appointments
- Indian Polity (≈8–10%)
- Constitution, Panchayati Raj, fundamental rights/duties
- President, PM, Parliament basics
Key Changes & Trends in NDA Syllabus 2026
- Increased focus on application-based questions in Calculus & Vectors
- More numericals from Coordinate Geometry & Statistics
- Current Affairs now stretches back to 18 months (Jan 2024 – March 2026)
- English vocabulary shifted toward defence & military terminology
Scoring Strategy for 2026
- Safe score to clear written: 380–420 (with 40%+ in each paper)
- Last 5 years’ cut-off hovered 355–372
- Maths accuracy target: 85+ questions correct → 220–250 marks
- GAT accuracy target: 115+ correct → 380–420 marks
Preparation Resources Aligned with Detailed NDA Syllabus
- Maths: NCERT 11th & 12th + R.D. Sharma Objective
- English: SP Bakshi + Norman Lewis Word Power
- GK: Lucent + Manorama Yearbook + Pratiyogita Darpan
- Current Affairs: Daily The Hindu/Indian Express + monthly compilations
The detailed NDA exam syllabus 2026 is not just a list – it’s the exact battlefield where the next generation of Army, Navy, and Air Force officers will be selected. With only 394 vacancies announced for NDA 1 2026, every mark counts more than ever.
Start your prep today – because the question paper doesn’t care about excuses, only accuracy.
By Sam Michael
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