Exam Pattern
NDA Exam Pattern
NDA (National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination)
Two papers, both scored in fractions, and the practice on this site is shorter than either. Mathematics is 120 questions for 300 marks at 2.5 apiece with about 0.83 deducted; the General Ability Test is 150 questions for 600 marks at 4 apiece with about 1.33 deducted. Both land break-even at one in four. The GAT splits English 50 questions and General Knowledge 100, and only the English part is built here, so two thirds of that paper sits outside this practice. The Mathematics set here is 18 questions in 23 minutes against an official 120 in 150.
The NDA exam pattern below is checked stage by stage, so one stage cannot inherit another stage's scoring rules.
Mathematics
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 120 |
| Total marks | 300 |
| Duration | 150 minutes |
| Negative marking | 0.83 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Algebra and Trigonometry, Calculus and Vectors, Geometry, Statistics and Probability |
Timing: Single composite 150-minute timer for the whole Mathematics paper: no sectional lock.
The official UPSC NDA Mathematics paper has 120 questions for 300 marks in 2 hours 30 minutes, each question carrying 2.5 marks with one-third (0.83) deducted per wrong answer. This mock is a TakeMockTest-defined shorter set: 36 questions in 45 minutes across the same syllabus areas in proportion, at the official pace of 1 minute 15 seconds a question.
Official source · checked 15 August 2026The NDA Mathematics exam pattern is 120 questions carrying 300 marks, to be answered in 150 minutes. That works out to about 75 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 3 sections are Algebra and Trigonometry, Calculus and Vectors and Geometry, Statistics and Probability. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
NDA Mathematics marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 2.5 marks.
- A wrong answer deducts 0.83 marks; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 24.9% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. A blind guess between four options is right 25% of the time, which is already above that line, so an educated guess is worth making rather than leaving the question blank.
- Worked example: attempt 96 of the 120 questions and get 72 right and 24 wrong, and you score 160.08 out of 300.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 75 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free NDA mock test to see where your time actually goes.
General Ability Test: English
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 150 |
| Total marks | 600 |
| Duration | 150 minutes |
| Negative marking | 1.33 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Grammar and Usage, Vocabulary and Comprehension |
Timing: Single composite 150-minute timer covering both the English and the General Knowledge parts of the GAT: no sectional lock.
The official UPSC NDA General Ability Test (GAT) has 150 questions for 600 marks in 2 hours 30 minutes, split into English (50 questions, 200 marks) and General Knowledge (100 questions, 400 marks covering Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, Geography, and Current Events), each question carrying 4 marks with one-third (1.33) deducted per wrong answer. This mock covers the English portion only, a TakeMockTest-defined shorter set: 24 questions in 24 minutes across grammar, usage, vocabulary, and comprehension, at the official pace of one minute a question. General Knowledge is not covered, since it depends on science and current-affairs facts that carry higher correctness risk for self-authored content.
Official source · checked 15 August 2026The NDA General Ability Test: English exam pattern is 150 questions carrying 600 marks, to be answered in 150 minutes. That works out to about 60 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 2 sections are Grammar and Usage and Vocabulary and Comprehension. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
NDA General Ability Test: English marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 4 marks.
- A wrong answer deducts 1.33 marks; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 25% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. That is exactly what a blind guess between four options returns, so guessing at random neither gains nor loses marks over a long paper. The moment you can rule out even one option, it starts paying.
- Worked example: attempt 120 of the 150 questions and get 90 right and 30 wrong, and you score 320.1 out of 600.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 60 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free NDA mock test to see where your time actually goes.
NDA exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in NDA?
NDA Mathematics deducts 0.83 marks for a wrong answer; NDA General Ability Test: English deducts 1.33 marks for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in NDA?
NDA Mathematics has 120 questions, NDA General Ability Test: English has 150 questions. That leaves about 75 seconds per question in NDA Mathematics and 60 seconds per question in NDA General Ability Test: English.
What are the total marks in NDA?
NDA Mathematics is out of 300 marks, which works out at 2.5 marks a question, NDA General Ability Test: English is out of 600 marks, which works out at 4 marks a question.
How long is the NDA exam?
NDA Mathematics runs for 150 minutes, NDA General Ability Test: English runs for 150 minutes.
Does NDA have a sectional time limit?
No. NDA runs every section on one composite timer, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.
How many stages does NDA have?
This site covers 2 objective stages: Mathematics, General Ability Test: English. Each stage is checked against the official notification separately, because scoring rules routinely differ between stages of the same exam.