NDA, CDS, or AFCAT: Matching the Exam to Your Entry Path
Unlike MBA or engineering entrances, where you often pick the exam that suits your prep style, defence entries are decided mostly by two things you cannot change through study: your age and education stage, and which service and entry route you want. NDA is for candidates still in or just finishing Class 12; CDS and AFCAT are for graduates; the Agniveer written tests sit alongside a physical and medical process most other exams on this list do not have at all.
- NDA is for unmarried candidates after Class 12, roughly 16.5 to 19.5 years old; CDS and AFCAT require a completed or nearly completed degree.
- AFCAT and INET both carry a section-wise qualifying minimum, so a strong overall score is not enough if you fail one section outright.
- The Agniveer written tests (Army, Navy SSR, Air Force) sit inside a larger recruitment process with physical fitness and medical rounds that CDS, NDA, and AFCAT candidates do not go through in the same form.
- Negative marking ranges from 0.25 marks (Agniveer Vayu, Navy SSR) to a full one-third of a mark (NDA, CDS, Territorial Army), which changes how safe a guess really is.
How the major written tests compare
| Exam | Questions | Duration | Marking | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDA Mathematics paper | 120 | 150 min | +2.5/-0.83 | One of two papers; General Ability Test is separate |
| CDS Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 120 min | +1/-0.33 | One of the CDS papers |
| AFCAT | 100 | 120 min | +3/-1 | Four equal sections, no GK section on this site |
| Territorial Army | 100 | 120 min | +1/-0.33 | No Mathematics section in the current cycle |
| INET | 100 | 120 min | +4/-1 | Four sections, each with its own 40% qualifying minimum |
| Agniveer Vayu | 100 | 85 min | +1/-0.25 | English, Physics, Mathematics, Reasoning and General Awareness |
| Navy Agniveer SSR | 100 | 60 min | +1/-0.25 | Science, Mathematics, English, General Knowledge |
NDA: the earliest entry point, with two separate papers
NDA is open to unmarried candidates roughly 16.5 to 19.5 years old, which usually means candidates in Class 12 or just after. The written exam has two papers, Mathematics and a General Ability Test, and the Mathematics paper alone runs 120 questions for 300 marks in 2 hours 30 minutes, with 2.5 marks per correct answer and one-third of a mark, 0.83, deducted per wrong one. Because this is often a candidate's first competitive exam, the sectional pacing habits covered in time management tips for the exam hall matter more here than the syllabus itself in the first few months of prep.
CDS and AFCAT: for graduates, with different marking philosophies
CDS Elementary Mathematics runs 100 questions for 100 marks in 2 hours, each question worth 1 mark with one-third deducted for a wrong answer, the same ratio as NDA. AFCAT weights each question at 3 marks with a full mark deducted for a wrong one, and splits 100 questions evenly across four sections worth 75 marks each: General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test. INET, for Navy officer entry, goes further and requires a separate 40% qualifying minimum in each of its four sections, so a candidate who is strong overall but weak in one section specifically can still fail to qualify.
A candidate who is strong overall but weak in one section specifically can still fail to qualify on INET, since each of its four sections carries its own 40% qualifying minimum.
Agniveer entries: a written test inside a longer process
The Agniveer written tests for the Army, Navy SSR, and Air Force (Agniveer Vayu) are shorter and less negatively marked than the officer-entry exams above, but the written test is only the first stage. Physical fitness tests and a medical examination follow, and unlike CDS or AFCAT, a strong written score does not carry as much weight on its own if the physical or medical stages are not cleared. If you are targeting Agniveer entry, treat the written prep as necessary but not sufficient, and start the physical fitness preparation on the same timeline, not after the written result.
Whichever entry path you are on, understanding negative marking is worth reading before your first mock, since the deduction ratio here ranges from 0.25 to a full one-third of a mark depending on the exam, which changes the guessing math meaningfully. Mock tests for all seven exams above are available from the defence exams directory.
Frequently asked questions
What is the age difference between NDA and CDS eligibility?
NDA is open to unmarried candidates roughly 16.5 to 19.5 years old, typically in or just after Class 12. CDS requires a completed or nearly completed graduate degree, so most CDS candidates are several years older than most NDA candidates.
Does AFCAT have a General Knowledge section on this site?
The official AFCAT includes a General Awareness section worth 75 of the 300 total marks, but this site's mock test covers the three non-General-Awareness sections only, since General Awareness content requires the kind of ongoing current-affairs verification this site does not attempt to fabricate.
Why does INET require a qualifying minimum in every section?
INET is designed to screen for balanced ability across English, Reasoning and Numerical Ability, General Science and Mathematical Aptitude, and General Knowledge, rather than letting a strong section compensate for a weak one, so each of the four sections carries its own separate 40% qualifying minimum.
Is the Agniveer written test the only thing that decides selection?
No. The written test is followed by physical fitness tests and a medical examination, and all three stages matter for final selection, unlike CDS, NDA, or AFCAT, where the written and interview stages carry most of the weight.