NDA Eligibility 2026: Age Limit, Attempts, Height & Physical Criteria

Before you spend a single hour preparing for the National Defence Academy exam, one question must be settled: are you actually eligible? Every year thousands of applications are rejected — or careers are derailed at the medical board — over criteria that could have been checked in five minutes. This guide breaks down the complete NDA eligibility 2026 framework: age, education, nationality, attempts, and the physical standards that trip up the most candidates.

Age limit: the 16.5 to 19.5 window

To be eligible for NDA, a candidate must be between 16.5 and 19.5 years of age as on the cut-off date specified in the notification. This is a narrow three-year window, and it is calculated to the day — so your date of birth must fall within the range printed in the UPSC notification for that specific exam cycle (NDA 1 or NDA 2). Always cross-check your DOB against the exact dates in the official notice before applying.

Marital status and gender

Only unmarried candidates are eligible. Since 2022, following a Supreme Court direction, both male and female candidates can apply to the NDA across the Army, Navy and Air Force wings — a landmark change every aspirant should know.

Educational qualification

• Army wing: Passed Class 12 (10+2) or appearing, in any stream.
• Air Force, Naval wing and the 10+2 Cadet Entry at the Naval Academy: Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM).

Candidates appearing in their Class 12 exams can apply, but must produce proof of passing within the timeline UPSC specifies. If your concepts need strengthening, our subject-wise NDA study material — including dedicated NDA Maths notes and Physics — maps directly to the written syllabus.

Nationality

A candidate must be a citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from certain specified countries — subject to an eligibility certificate where required.

How many attempts do you get?

This is the most misunderstood part of NDA eligibility. There is no fixed "number of attempts" cap for the NDA the way there is for some other exams. Instead, your attempts are limited by the age window. Because the eligible age band is only 16.5–19.5 years, a candidate can realistically appear in a limited number of NDA cycles before ageing out — typically a handful, depending on when their birthday falls. The practical lesson: treat every attempt as precious and start early.

Physical standards — where many get rejected

Clearing the written exam and SSB is only part of the story; you must also pass a strict medical examination. Key standards:

• Height: Minimum acceptable height is 157 cm for the Army (and Navy), and 162.5 cm for the Air Force. Relaxations apply for candidates from certain regions and hill areas.
• Weight: Must be proportionate to height and age as per the standard tables.
• Vision: Standards are strictest for the Air Force (where uncorrected vision and refraction limits are tight). The Army and Navy allow more correction, but myopia/hypermetropia limits still apply. LASIK acceptance has specific conditions.
• General fitness: No knock knees, flat feet beyond limits, colour-blindness (for relevant entries), or significant dental, ENT or cardiac issues. Build a basic running and fitness routine well in advance.

The selection process at a glance

Eligibility is the gate; selection is the race. The NDA selection has two stages, each worth 900 marks:

• Written exam (900 marks): Mathematics (300 marks) + General Ability Test or GAT (600 marks).
• SSB Interview (900 marks): A five-day personality and officer-potential assessment.

Want the exam-day numbers and a study roadmap? See our companion guides on improving Maths and GK quickly and whether an average student can crack NDA. For interview prep, explore our SSB interview coaching.

Quick eligibility checklist

• ✅ Age 16.5–19.5 years on the cut-off date
• ✅ Unmarried (male or female)
• ✅ Class 12 passed/appearing (PCM for Air Force & Navy)
• ✅ Indian nationality (or specified categories)
• ✅ Meets height, weight and vision standards

Tick all five, and you are ready to apply and prepare seriously. Stay current with defence and exam updates through our daily NDA current affairs, and check the latest batches on our upcoming courses page.