Union Public Service Commission, UPSC has released the notification for NDA, NA (I) Exam 2026. The notification is now available on upsc.gov.in. Candidates interested in joining the armed forces and enrolling in the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy are advised to register online. The registration link is now active on upsconline.nic.in.
The basic eligibility criteria and links to apply are provided below. Students may please note that the application is a four-step process. All candidates are required to create an account, complete universal registration and fill the common application form at any time. The exam specific application can then happen once the first three steps are complete.
Candidates can apply for UPSC NDA, NA I Exam 2026 on the link here. A total of 394 candidates will be selected for the 157th Course of NDA and 119th course of NA. The course will begin from January 1, 2027.
UPSC NDA, NA Exam 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- Candidate should be an Indian National.
- Unmarried (For both male and female)
- Should not be born earlier than July 1, 2007, or later than July 1, 2010 (or no less than 16 years and no more than 19 years of age as on July 1, 2026) – This date should be as per the candidate’s Class 10 certificate
- Educational Qualification
- For NDA (Army Wing), Class 12 Passing or equivalent
- For Air Force and Naval Wing of NDA and for NA – Class 12 pass in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from a recognised central and state board
- For both, the candidate will have to submit a Class 12 passing certificate before December 10, 2026. This implies, only candidates who have already passed Class 12 in 2025 or will be appearing in Class 12 examination in 2026 are eligible. Students who are presently in Class 11 are not eligible.
- Candidates have not been rejected or have not resigned or withdrawn on disciplinary grounds from any of the training academies of Armed Forces
All are advised to carefully go through the finer details of the eligibility criteria provided in the NDA, NA I 2026 Notification here.
UPSC NDA, NA 2026: Important Dates
Registration process, as mentioned earlier, has already started. Candidates are required to register online on upsconline.nic.in link provided here by or before 6:00 pm on December 30, 2025. The exam is scheduled for April 12, 2026. eAdmit Cards for the exam will be released on the last working day of the preceding week of the day of the examination. Accordingly, they will be released on April 3, 2026.
Students and parents are again advised to carefully go through the instructions and fill the form within the window provided. No extensions will be given. Also, remember that registrations close at 6 pm and not midnight.