Skip to main content
Sarkari.tools61 calculators for India

NDA Attempt Eligibility Calculator

Calculate exact number of eligible UPSC NDA (I & II) exam attempts based on Date of Birth and age limits.

Eligible NDA attempts
6
First eligible exam
NDA I 2024
Course starts 2 Jan 2025
Last eligible exam
NDA II 2027
Course starts 2 Jul 2027
NDA exams and eligibility for this date of birth
ExamCourse commencesYour age thenDate of birth windowEligible
NDA I 20242 Jan 202516y 8m2 Jul 2005 to 1 Jul 2008
NDA II 20252 Jul 202517y 2m2 Jan 2006 to 1 Jan 2009
NDA I 20252 Jan 202617y 8m2 Jul 2006 to 1 Jul 2009
NDA II 20262 Jul 202618y 2m2 Jan 2007 to 1 Jan 2010
NDA I 20262 Jan 202718y 8m2 Jul 2007 to 1 Jul 2010
NDA II 20272 Jul 202719y 2m2 Jan 2008 to 1 Jan 2011
NDA I 20272 Jan 202819y 8m2 Jul 2008 to 1 Jul 2011
NDA II 20282 Jul 202820y 2m2 Jan 2009 to 1 Jan 2012
NDA I 20282 Jan 202920y 8m2 Jul 2009 to 1 Jul 2012
NDA II 20292 Jul 202921y 2m2 Jan 2010 to 1 Jan 2013
NDA I 20292 Jan 203021y 8m2 Jul 2010 to 1 Jul 2013
NDA II 20302 Jul 203022y 2m2 Jan 2011 to 1 Jan 2014

How eligibility is determined

UPSC requires candidates to be between 16 years 6 months and 19 years 6 months on the date the course commences at the academy.

Courses commence on 2 January and 2 July each year, so the window is exactly three years wide and the number of attempts follows directly from the date of birth.

NDA Attempt Eligibility Calculator: how it works

NDA eligibility is a fixed three-year window based on your date of birth. Knowing exactly how many attempts you have lets you plan properly.

The age rule

Because the window is exactly three years wide and NDA is held twice a year, most candidates get five or six attempts. The exact number depends on where your birthday falls relative to the course commencement dates.

How the window is derived

For a course commencing on 2 January 2027, UPSC requires candidates born not earlier than 2 July 2007 and not later than 1 July 2010. Those dates are simply the commencement date minus 19 years 6 months, and minus 16 years 6 months less one day.

Worked example · Born 15 May 2008

Given

  • Date of birth: 15 May 2008

Working

  1. 1Earliest qualifying course: the first where age ≥ 16y 6m
  2. 215 May 2008 + 16y 6m = 15 November 2024
  3. 3So the course commencing 2 January 2025 onwards
  4. 4Latest: 15 May 2008 + 19y 6m = 15 November 2027

Eligible for courses commencing January 2025 through July 2027 — six attempts

The other eligibility conditions

  • Unmarried, and candidates must remain unmarried through training.
  • Class 12 passed or appearing, from a recognised board.
  • Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics at Class 12 for the Air Force, Navy and the Naval Academy course.
  • Any stream is acceptable for the Army wing.
  • Physical and medical standards as prescribed, which are a common point of rejection.

Based on

  • UPSC National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination notifications

Frequently asked questions

There is no attempt limit. You may sit every NDA examination for which you fall inside the age window of 16 years 6 months to 19 years 6 months at course commencement, which usually works out to five or six attempts.

More in Academics & Competitive Exams