NDA Syllabus – Topics in Maths & GAT, Exam Pattern, SSB Test/Interview

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the NDA syllabus 2020 along with the official notification. The NDA & NA (National Defense Academy & Naval Academy) examination is divided into two papers of 2.5 hours each. Paper I is conducted for Mathematics, carrying a total of 300 marks whereas Paper II is the General Ability Test (GAT), which holds a maximum of 600 marks. 

Syllabus for NDA Paper II or GAT is divided into two parts – Part A comprises topics from English language and Part B is all about General Knowledge. The General Knowledge Section (Part B) of the NDA GAT question paper encompasses six major subjects including Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, Geography and Current Affairs. Candidates can refer to this article to gain comprehensive knowledge about important topics and chapters as per the NDA syllabus 2020. 

 

NDA Syllabus 2020 – Overview

1. UPSC conducts NDA exam in two different papers, namely

• Paper I – Mathematics
• Paper II – General Ability Test

2. As per the NDA syllabus 2020, Mathematics paper will broadly have eight sections

3. Paper-II of NDA will have two parts:

• Part A – English
• Part B – General Knowledge

4. As defined in official NDA syllabus 2020, the General Knowledge section of NDA Paper II will have questions from the six subjects mentioned below:

• Section A – Physics
• Section B – Chemistry
• Section C – General Science
• Section D – Social Studies
• Section E – Geography
• Section F – Current Events

5. NDA syllabus 2020 for Paper I and Paper II will include chapters from the NCERT textbooks of class 10th, 11th and 12th. 

NDA Syllabus 2020 for Paper I – Mathematics

The chapter-wise topics as per the NDA syllabus 2020 are available in the table below:

NDA Syllabus 2020 for Mathematics

Name of Chapter	Topics
Algebra	Representation of Real Numbers on a Line
	Complex Numbers—basic Properties
	De Morgan Laws
	Concept of Set
	Operations on Sets
	Venn Diagrams
	Cartesian Product
	Relation
	Equivalence Relation
	Modulus
	Argument
	Cube Roots of Unity
	Binary System of Numbers
	Arithmetic
	Conversion of a Number in Decimal System to Binary System and Vice-versa
	Geometric and Harmonic Progressions
	Quadratic Equations with Real Coefficients
	Solution of Linear Inequalities of Two Variables by Graphs
	Permutation and Combination
	Binomial Theorem and Its Applications
	Logarithms and Their Applications
Matrices and Determinants	Types of Matrices
	Operations on Matrices
	Basic Properties of Determinants
	Applications-solution of a System of Linear Equations in Two Or Three Unknowns by Cramer’s Rule and by Matrix Method
	The determinant of a Matrix
	Adjoint and Inverse of a Square Matrix
Trigonometry	Angles and Their Measures in Degrees and in Radians
	Trigonometric Ratios
	Trigonometric Identities Sum and Difference Formulae
	Multiple and Sub-multiple Angles
	Inverse Trigonometric Functions
	Applications-height and Distance
Analytical Geometry of Two and Three Dimensions	Rectangular Cartesian Coordinate System
	Distance Formula
	Equation of a Line in Various Forms
	Angle Between Two Lines
	Distance of a Point from a Line
	Equation of a Circle in Standard and in General Form
	Standard Forms of Parabola
	Eccentricity and Axis of a Conic
	Point in a Three Dimensional Space
	Direction Cosines and Direction Ratios
	Equation Two Points
	Direction Cosines and Direction Ratios
	Equation of a Plane and a Line in Various Forms
	Angle Between Two Lines and Angle Between Two Planes
	Equation of a Sphere
	Ellipse and Hyperbola
	Distance Between Two Points
Differential Calculus	Concept of a Real-Valued Function–domain
	Composite Functions
	Notion of Limit
	Continuity of Functions—examples
	Derivative of Function at a Point
	Derivatives of Sum
	Second Order Derivatives
	Increasing and Decreasing Functions
	Range and Graph of a Function
	One to One
	Onto and Inverse Functions
	Standard Limits—examples
	Geometrical and Physical Interpretation of a Derivative—applications
	Algebraic Operations on Continuous Functions
	Product and Quotient of Functions
	Derivative of a Function with Respect to Another Function
	Derivative of a Composite Function
Integral Calculus and Differential Equations	Definition of Order and Degree of a Differential Equation
	Integration as Inverse of Differentiation
	Integration by Substitution and by Parts
	Standard Integrals Involving Algebraic Expressions
	Trigonometric
	Exponential and Hyperbolic Functions
	Evaluation of Definite Integrals—determination of Areas of Plane Regions Bounded by Curves—applications
	Formation of a Differential Equation by Examples
	The solution of First Order and First Degree Differential Equations of Various Types—examples
	General and Particular Solution of a Differential Equations
	Application in Problems of Growth and Decay
Vector Algebra	Vectors in Two and Three Dimensions
	Magnitude and Direction of a Vector
	Addition of Vectors
	Scalar Multiplication of a Vector
	Scalar Product Or Dot Product of Two Vectors
	Unit and Null Vectors
	Vector Product Or Cross Product of Two Vectors
	Applications—work Done by a Force and Moment of a force and in geometrical problems
Statistics and Probability	Graphical Representation—histogram
	Classification of Data
	Frequency Distribution
	Cumulative Frequency Distribution—examples
	Pie Chart
	Frequency Polygon— Examples
	Median and Mode
	Measures of Central Tendency—mean
	Variance and Standard Deviation—determination and Comparison
	Correlation and Regression
	Random Experiment
	Outcomes and Associated Sample Space
	Events
	Mutually Exclusive and Exhaustive Events
	Impossible and Certain Events
	Elementary and Composite Events
	Bayes’ Theorem—Simple Problems
	Examples of Random Experiments Giving Rise to Binomial Distribution
	Union and Intersection of Events
	Random Variable as Function on a Sample Space
	Binomial Distribution
	Definition of Probability—classical and Statistical—examples
	Elementary Theorems on Probability—simple Problems
	Complementary

NDA Syllabus 2020 for Paper II – General Ability Test (GAT)

The General Ability Test (GAT) has two parts – Part A i.e. English carries a maximum of 200 marks. On the other hand, Part B i.e. General Knowledge consists of a total of 400 marks. Find comprehensive details of NDA syllabus 2020 for both the parts of GAT below. 

NDA Syllabus for GAT – English (Part-A)

This part of NDA Paper II helps in analysing the overall English proficiency of candidates. The questions will be framed as per NDA syllabus 2020 mentioned below.

NDA Syllabus 2020 for English 

S.No	Topics
1	Grammar and Usage
2	Vocabulary
3	Comprehension
4	Cohesion

NDA Syllabus for GAT – General Knowledge (Part-B)

UPSC NDA notification has elaborated the NDA syllabus 2020 for all the six sections (Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Social Science, Geography and Current Events), which is as follows.

NDA SYLLABUS 2020 FOR SECTION ‘A’ OF GAT – PHYSICS

Newton’s Laws of Motion	Physical Properties and States of Matter	Modes of transference of Heat	Volume
Force and Momentum	Mass	Sound waves and their properties	General Principles – Balloon
Parallelogram of Forces	Weight	Simple musical instruments	Principle of Archimedes
Stability and Equilibrium of bodies	General Principles – Hydrometer	Rectilinear propagation of Light	Pressure Barometer
General Principles – Pumps	Elementary ideas of work	Reflection and refraction	General Principles – Telephone
Measurement of Temperature and Heat	Power and Energy	Spherical mirrors and Lenses	Velocity and Acceleration
Human Eye	Earth as a Magnet	General Principles – Mariner’s Compass; Lightning Conductors	General Principles – Telegraphs
Natural and Artificial Magnets	Static and Current Electricity	Simple Electrical Circuits	Primary and Secondary Cells
General Principles – Simple Pendulum	General Principles – Simple Pulleys	Heating, Lighting and Magnetic effects of Current	General Principles – Siphon
Properties of a Magnet	Conductors and Non-conductors	General Principles – Levers	Density and Specific Gravity
Use of X-Rays	Effects of Heat	Gravitation	General Principles – Pressure Cooker
Motion of objects	General Principles – Thermos Flask	General Principles – Gramophone	Measurement of Electrical Power
General Principles – Periscope	General Principles – Telescope	Ohm’s Law	General Principles – Microscope
General Principles – Safety Fuses	–	–	–

NDA SYLLABUS 2020 FOR SECTION ‘B’ OF GAT – CHEMISTRY

Preparation and Properties of Carbon Dioxide	Physical and Chemical Changes	Preparation and Properties of Nitrogen	Oxidation and Reduction
Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen	Fertilizers—Natural and Artificial	Elements	Preparation and Properties of Oxygen
Mixtures and Compounds	The material used in the preparation of different substances	Elementary ideas about the structure of Atom	Symbols, Formulae and simple Chemical Equation
Acids, bases and salts	Carbon— different forms	Atomic Equivalent and Molecular Weights	Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems)
Valency	Properties of Air and Water	–	–

NDA SYLLABUS 2020 FOR SECTION ‘C’ OF GAT – GENERAL SCIENCE

Achievements of Eminent Scientists	Food—Source of Energy for man
Constituents of food	Difference between the living and nonliving
Elementary knowledge of Human Body and its important organs	Common Epidemics, their causes and prevention
Balanced Diet	Basis of Life—Cells, Protoplasms and Tissues
The Solar System—Meteors and Comets, Eclipses	Growth and Reproduction in Plants and Animals

NDA SYLLABUS 2020 FOR SECTION ‘D’ OF GAT – SOCIAL SCIENCE

Role of India in the present world	Freedom Movement in India	Co-operatives and Community Development	Elementary study of Indian Constitution and Administration
Forces shaping the modern world; Renaissance	Elementary knowledge of Five Year Plans of India	Bhoodan, Sarvodaya, National Integration and Welfare State	Concept of one World
A broad survey of Indian History, with emphasis on Culture and Civilisation	Exploration and Discovery; War of American Independence	Basic Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi	A broad survey of Indian History, with emphasis on Culture and Civilisation
Panchayati Raj	United Nations, Panchsheel, Democracy, Socialism and Communism	Impact of Science and Technology on Society	French Revolution, Industrial Revolution and Russian Revolution

NDA SYLLABUS 2020 FOR SECTION ‘E’ OF GAT – GEOGRAPHY

Latitudes and Longitudes	Concept of time	Condensation and Precipitation
Location and distribution of agricultural and Industrial activities	Main items of Imports and Exports of India	Humidity
Movements of Earth and their effects	Major Natural Regions of the World	Important Sea ports and main sea, land and air routes of India
Ocean Currents and Tides Atmosphere and its composition	Mineral and Power resources	International Date Line
Origin of Earth. Rocks and their classification	Regional Geography of India—Climate, Natural vegetation	The Earth, its shape and size
Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure, Planetary Winds, Cyclones and Anticyclones	Weathering-Mechanical and Chemical, Earthquakes and Volcanoes	Types of Climate

NDA SYLLABUS 2020 FOR SECTION ‘F’ OF GAT – CURRENT EVENTS

S.No	Topics
1	Knowledge of Important events that have happened in India in recent years
2	Current important world events
3	Prominent personalities—both Indian and International including those connected with cultural activities and sports

NDA Syllabus – Section-Wise Weightage in General Knowledge

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) designs the NDA question paper for General Knowledge (Part B of GAT) by providing a certain weightage to all the six sections. Candidates can check the table below to know the section-wise weightage in the general knowledge paper of UPSC NDA.

NDA General Knowledge Paper – Section-Wise Weightage 

Section	Name of Section	Weightage
A	Physics	25%
B	Chemistry	15%
C	General Science	10%
D	Social Science	20%
E	Geography	20%
F	Current Events	10%

NDA Exam Pattern 2020 

Apart from the NDA syllabus 2020, it is also wise to understand the exam pattern of NDA written exam. It is really helpful in preparation of a smart study plan. 

Overview of NDA Exam Pattern

Particulars	Details
Mode of exam	Offline i.e., Pen & Paper Based
Medium of exam	English or Hindi
Number of Papers	2 (Mathematics and General Ability Test)
Type of questions	MCQs
Total questions	270 (Mathematics – 120 and General Ability Test – 150)
Paper-wise marks	Mathematics – 300 and General Ability Test – 600
Total marks	900
Time duration	2.30 hours (for each paper)

Highlights of NDA Marking Scheme

Particulars	Marking pattern
Mathematics	2.5 marks for every right answer
General Ability Test	4 marks for every right answer
For an incorrect answer in both Paper I and II s	0.33% marks will be deducted
For unattempted questions	Zero marks
For picking more than one answer	0.33% marks will be cut

NDA Syllabus – Intelligence and Personality Test

1. Final selection of candidates is based on their total NDA score out of 1800 marks. NDA Written Exam (Paper I & II) carries a maximum of 900 marks whereas SSB Test/Interview also holds the same weightage i.e. 900 marks. 
2. SSB Interview procedure consists of two stages. Candidates, who qualify the first stage of SSB Interview, are eligible for participation in stage II
3. SSB Interview Stage I includes  Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR), Picture Perception and Description Test
4. SSB Interview Stage II consists of an interview followed by Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests and a Conference
5. Stage II of the Intelligence and Personality Test is conducted in a stretch of four days

NDA 2020 – Tips to Prepare

1. Get the hang  of NDA exam pattern and syllabus around which you need to devise your NDA preparation plan
2. Make it a daily habit to read newspaper/s to keep a track of current events
3. For the GAT Part A (English), read as many recommended books as possible and watch English news channels & movies as a leisure pursuit 
4. While preparing for GAT Part B (General Knowledge), you need to have a basic understanding of topics covered in each section 
5. Do not dig deep inside the topics while preparing for Part B of GAT as it is a General Knowledge paper and requires only the basic understanding of the concepts 
6. Practise as many sample papers and previous year question papers as possible. This will help you in recognising the most important topics and chapters
7. Prepare a plan in sync with a daily calendar, set targets and meet the deadlines religiously
8. Create short notes while studying. This will help in last-minute revision

NDA Previous Years’ Question Papers 

Solving previous years’ papers is immensely helpful in understanding the nature of questions and the paper pattern of the NDA written test. The table below comprises the NDA question papers of last three years that candidates can refer to:

Subjects	2019		2018		2017
	NDA I	NDA II	NDA I	NDA II	NDA I	NDA II
General Ability	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here
Math	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here

Most Recommended Books for NDA Preparation 

NCERT textbooks from class 10th to 12th are considered to be the best for NDA preparation. Still, aspirants can refer to other expert-recommended books for a foolproof NDA preparation. 

Important Books for NDA Paper I (Mathematics) Preparation 

1. Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Aggarwal
2. NDA Entrance Exam by ES Ramasamy
3. Mathematics for NDA/NA: National Defence Academy and Naval Academy by RS Aggarwal

Important Books for NDA Paper II (General Ability Test) Preparation 

Section	Books
English	Objective General English by SP Bakshi Wren & Martin High School English Grammar and Composition Word Power Made Easy by Norman & Lewis
Physics	NCERT 10th to 12th Books  NCERT Exemplars
Chemistry	NCERT 10th to 12th Books  NCERT Exemplars
General Science, History, Geography	Objective GK by Sanjiv Kumar
Current Affairs	Pratoyogita Darpan  Manorama Yearbook

NDA Syllabus – Frequently Asked Questions

✔️ How many papers do I need to appear for while taking the UPSC NDA exam?

UPSC NDA written exam is divided into two papers - Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). General Ability Test is further divided into two parts - Part A comprises questions on English language and Part B is about General Knowledge.

✔️ Do I need to prepare for other topics beyond NDA syllabus 2020?

Yes, while preparing for a particular section, candidates must study all the topics that can be covered under it. UPSC NDA evaluates the basic understanding of the candidates for a particular subject. Thus, any topics beyond NDA syllabus 2020 may also surprise you.

✔️ What is the difficulty level of the UPSC NDA exam?

Union Public Service Commission designs the question paper of NDA after considering all the topics covered in the NCERT syllabus of class 10th, 11th and 12th broadly. Candidates must have an understanding of all the topics they have been taught at secondary and senior secondary level.

✔️ Is the syllabus for NDA and NA similar to each other?

Yes. The syllabus for NDA and NA is the same. Candidates have to follow a similar preparation strategy as test structure and the syllabus are similar to each other.

✔️ In NDA Paper II, how are the marks divided between English and General Knowledge sections?

As per sectional marks distribution in NDA Paper I & II, English section holds a maximum of 200 marks and General Knowledge consists of a total of 400 marks.