On January 2026, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had uploaded the examination time table for NDA-I. According to the time table the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (I), 2026 is to be held on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Aldo, as per the notice shared by UPSC the Commission will upload the e-Admit card for the convenience of the admitted candidates on its website (https://upsconline.nic.in). The admitted candidates are advised to download
their e-Admit Card and take a printout as soon as the same is uploaded on the website. The e-Admit card must be preserved till the declaration of the final result of National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (I) 2026.
Click here to check the latest exam notification released by UPSC.
NDA Exam Dates 2026 – Event Schedule for NDA I
The table below will help you in keeping abreast with NDA exam dates 2026.
NDA Exam Dates 2026 – Date & Time of Examination
| Date | Time | Subject | Subject Code |
| April 12, 2026 | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM | Mathematics | 01 |
| 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM | General Ability Test | 02 |
NDA Exam Date 2026 – Admit Card Release
The admitted candidates are advised to download their e-Admit Card and take a printout as soon as the same is uploaded on the website. No paper Admit Card will be issued for the Examination. “Important Instructions to the
candidates” appended with the e-Admit Card must be read carefully by the candidates. Moreover, the candidates will have to produce the printout of their e-Admit card at the allotted venue for appearing at the Examination. A candidate, who does not produce his/her e-Admit card for checking at the allotted venue, shall not be allowed to take the Examination.
NDA Exam Date 2026 – Expected Cut-Off Marks
In 2025, the minimum qualifying standard at the written stage was 334 out of 900 across all wings, with the candidates required to secure at least 25% marks in each subject, whereas, for the final stage, cut-off marks for the last recommended candidate was 699 out of 1800, indicating the competitive nature of the selection process.
Given that this year’s NDA-I Exam is expected to follow similar trends, we anticipate that the cut-off marks for 2026 will likely be in the same range, keeping in mind the number of vacancies and the expected performance of candidates.
NDA Exam Date 2026 – How Dues Are Settled?
In the event of candidates securing equal aggregate marks in the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (I), the following principles may be used to resolve ties:
- Written Exam Marks: If the total marks are equal, the candidate with a higher score in the written exam will be ranked higher.
- General Ability Test Marks: If the scores in the written exam are also tied, the candidate with the higher marks in Paper-II General Ability Test will be ranked higher.
- Age Factor: If there is still a tie after the above criteria, the candidate who is senior in age will be ranked higher.
NDA Exam Date 2026 – FAQs
✔️ What is the NDA exam date 2026?
UPSC is conducting NDA I exam on April 12, 2026. Students can check the calendar on the UPSC's website.
✔️ Will UPSC merge the NDA (I) & (II) 2026 exam dates?
No, the NDA-I and NDA-II examinations are supposed to be conducted on different dates.
✔️ Has UPSC released the NDA I admit card 2026?
The e-Admit Card is usually released 2-3 weeks prior to NDA exam date 2026. All the information related to the admit card can be found on the official page of the UPSC.
✔️ When can I expect declaration of the NDA result 2026?
UPSC is yet to roll-out the official date for NDA 2026 result declaration.
✔️ When would the SSB interview be conducted for the candidates who qualify the NDA written exam?
Service Selection Board (SSB) interview is a long process to be covered in 3-4 months. SSB interviews are expected to be started in January 2021 and the process might stretch up to April 2021.
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