The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will conduct the National Defence Academy (NDA) exam to shortlist the cadets for NDA and Naval Academy. A large no. applicant appears for this exam every year but only few of them get selected due to a limited number of seats. The candidate will be scrutinized through many stages during selection procedure. So, it is important for the aspiring candidates should prepare well for each round of entrance exam. In this article, we will provide some NDA preparation tips 2021 in order to help the aspirants prepare for the exam in a better way.
NDA Selection Procedure
Before discussing the NDA Preparation Tips 2021, it is important that we should understand the selection procedure of NDA. Basically, the selection procedure for NDA is divided into two stages i.e. written Exam and SSB Interview.
NDA Written Examination
- This is the first stage of NDA selection procedure where candidates have to clear a written entrance exam of 900 marks.
- In written exam, 300 marks are allotted for mathematics section and 600 marks are allotted for the General Ability Test.
SSB Interview
- The candidates who will clear the written exam need to appear for the interview to be conducted by the Service Selection Board (SSB).
- For Army and Navy, the interview will consist of Intelligence Test & Personality Test.
- For Air Force, the candidates need to attend the Pilot Aptitude Test during the SSB interview process.
Preparation Tips for written Exam
Here are some NDA preparation tips 2021, that candidate may follow in order to clear the NDA written Exam.
- Practice is the key to success
Be it the mathematics section or the general ability section, regular practice and studies is going to be your success mantra. Try and solve as many sample papers & mock tests as possible. There are large numbers of mock tests and sample papers available for NDA exam in market as well as online. Always remember there is no substitute for hard work.
- Learn Shortcut tricks for Mathematics Section
When it comes to Mathematics section, you will not have enough time to solve each question step by step. So, it is important that you must know some shortcut trick to solve the complex mathematics problem in a matter of seconds. You can learn these shortcut tricks online.
- Improve your English proficiency
The General ability section of the written exam will test your English proficiency as well. You should work on your grammar and vocabulary to able to score well in this section. Candidates may follow some NDA English preparation books from renowned writers for their preparation. Remember having proficiency in English language will also help you in SSB Interview. The best NDA Preparation tips 2020 for English section is to read as many English articles and post as possible. It will automatically improve grammar and vocabulary.
- Read current Affair Magazines and news papers
The general Ability section will also test the general knowledge of the candidates. Although the general knowledge is a vast subject but reading current affair magazines and news paper is definitely going to help the candidates. You can also subscribe to online news feeds to stay up to date with the current affairs.
- Go through some Indian History books
Having a good knowledge about Indian History is also important when it comes to scores good marks in General Ability Section. It is observed that a lot of questions being asked for Indian History books in recent NDA exams.
How to prepare for SSB Interview?
The candidate who will be shortlisted after the written exam will be called for SSB interview. The NDA preparation Tips 2021 for interview are as follows
- Improve your writing and Analyzing skill
The SSB interview will include Word Association Test (WAT) and Thematic Appreciation Test. It is necessary that you have a good analyzing and writing skill in order to clear these rounds. You can prepare yourself by writing articles about random things around you. Remember, your article should be brief and easy to understand.
- Maintain Good Physical and Mental Fitness
Make sure to have supreme fitness level both physically and mentally while appearing for the interview. Eat healthy and do regular exercise to keep yourself fit. It is also important to remain stress free and not to have any kind of anxiety.
- Be confident and maintain a positive frame of mind.
You should remain calm and confident during each round of the selection process. A positive frame of mind will definitely help you in rounds like group discussion, story narration and personal interview.
- Improve your Communication Skills
It is important that you should able to communicate well during the interview. You can improve your communication skill by narrating stories and presenting yourself in front of a mirror.
- Self Description
Before the personal interview round, every candidate needs to fill a Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ) form. Generally, the officers do ask some questions from these questionnaires and you should be prepared for that. The Best NDA Preparation Tips 2021 for PIQ form is that you should try to project yourself in a best possible way and don’t try to copy anyone. You can ask your friend and teacher for their opinion about yourself.
Other Important Points to keep in mind
- Having gone through all the NDA Preparation Tips 2021, you should remember that these tips will not work like magic. You have to implement them in your daily routine then only you will get the success.
- There is a tattoo prohibition policy in NDA, so it is advised not have any offensive tattoo on your body if you are preparing for the NDA exam. You should read SSB tattoo prohibition policy for details.
Best Books and Study Material
There are large no. of books and sample papers available for the NDA exam preparation. Some of the books recommended by experts are as follows:
- Mathematics for NDA and NA by RS Aggarwal
- Objective General Knowledge & Current Affairs by Disha Experts
- Pathfinder for NDA and NA Entrance Exam by Arihant Publication
- The History Compendium by Disha Publication