NDA 1 Cutoff 2026 (soon): Check Previous Year Cutoff
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will release NDA 1 2026 Cutoff on its official website after the completion of the written exam. The cutoff marks for the written test will be published along with the result at upsc.gov.in. The cutoff will be determined based on factors such as the number of candidates appearing, the difficulty level of the exam, total available seats, and overall performance of candidates. Candidates need to score the cutoff marks to qualify for the SSB Interview.
NDA Cut Off 2025
NDA 1 exam was held on April 13, 2025, and NDA 2 exam was conducted on September 14, 2025 and the cutoff of NDA 2025 will be released soon on the official website of NDA. The cutoff will include separate qualifying marks for the written exam and the SSB interview, with the written exam cutoff calculated out of 900 marks and the final cutoff out of 1800 marks (including both stages). Until the official cutoff is announced, candidates can refer to the expected cutoff based on expert analysis, previous years’ trends.
| NDA 2025 Exam | Expected Cutoff Marks (Written Exam out of 900) |
|---|---|
| NDA 1 2025 | 310 – 325 |
| NDA 2 2025 | 340 – 375 |
Types of NDA Cut Off Marks
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) publishes two types of cut off marks for the NDA examination.
1. Written Examination Cut Off
The first stage of the NDA exam is the written test, which consists of Mathematics and the General Ability Test with a total of 900 marks. To qualify for the next stage, candidates must secure the minimum qualifying marks set by UPSC at their discretion. Only those who meet or cross this benchmark are shortlisted to appear before the Services Selection Board (SSB) for the intelligence and personality test.
2. Final Cut Off (Written + SSB Interview)
The final cut off is declared after combining the marks of the written exam (900 marks) and the SSB interview (900 marks), making a total of 1800 marks. This cut-off reflects the minimum score required for admission into National Defence Academy or Naval Academy. Candidates must not only clear the written cut off but also perform well in the SSB to meet the final benchmark decided by UPSC at their discretion.
Factors Affecting NDA Cut Off
The cut off marks in the NDA examination are not fixed in advance. They are decided by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) after the exam and vary every year. Several factors influence the determination of these marks:
- Number of Candidates Appearing: The more candidates who appear for the exam, the higher the competition. This can push the cut off marks upward.
- Difficulty Level of the Exam: If the Mathematics or General Ability Test paper is tougher than usual, the cut off may be set lower. Conversely, if the papers are easier, the cut off is likely to rise.
- Number of Vacancies: NDA 2 2025 notification mentions 406 vacancies. A higher number of vacancies may reduce the cut off slightly, while fewer vacancies generally lead to higher cut off marks.
- Performance of Candidates: If a large proportion of candidates perform well, the overall cut off goes up. If most candidates find the paper challenging, the cut off is adjusted downward.
- Previous Year Trends: UPSC also considers the cut off trends of past NDA examinations to decide a fair benchmark for the current year.
NDA 2 2024 Cutoff
For NDA & NA (II) 2024, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had announced a total of 404 vacancies across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Naval Academy. Out of these, 792 candidates were finally recommended after the complete selection process.
| Stage of Exam | Total Marks | Minimum Qualifying Standard | Final Cut Off (Marks secured by last recommended candidate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 900 | 305 marks (with at least 25% marks in each subject) | – |
| Final Selection (Written + SSB Interview) | 1800 | – | 673 marks |
NDA Previous Year Cut-Off Trend
| Year | NDA 1 | NDA 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written | Final | Written | Final | |
| 2024 | 291 | 654 | 305 | 673 |
| 2023 | 301 | 664 | 292 | 656 |
| 2022 | 360 | 720 | 355 | 720 |
| 2021 | 343 | 709 | 355 | 726 |
| 2020 | 355 | 726 | 355 | 719 |
| 2019 | 342 | 704 | 346 | 709 |
Candidates who score above the cutoff will be eligible to appear for the SSB Interview. Those who qualify the SSB rounds will then proceed to the medical examination, which forms the final stage of the selection process.
NDA Cut Off 2025 FAQs
Ques: What is NDA exam cut off 2026?
Ans: NDA exam cut off 2026 is the minimum score candidates must secure in the written exam and SSB interview to qualify for admission to the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy.
Ques: When will UPSC release NDA 1 2026 exam cut off?
Ans: UPSC will release NDA 2 2025 exam cut off after the declaration of the final result, once both the written exam and SSB interview are completed.
Ques: How to check NDA exam cut off 2026?
Ans: Candidates can download the NDA exam cut off 2025 PDF from the official UPSC website (upsc.gov.in) under the “Examination” or “Cut Off Marks” section.
Ques: What was NDA 2 2024 exam cut off?
Ans: In NDA 2 2024, the written exam cut off was 305 out of 900 (with at least 25% in each subject), and the final cut off was 673 out of 1800 marks.
Ques: Does NDA exam have sectional cut off marks?
Ans: Yes, in the written exam, candidates must score the minimum qualifying marks in each subject separately. In past NDA exams, this was fixed at 25% per subject, but for NDA 2026, UPSC will announce it officially.
Ques: Why should aspirants check the previous year NDA exam cut off?
Ans: Checking the previous year NDA exam cut off helps aspirants understand the competition level, set target scores, and prepare effectively for the upcoming exam.
Download the PREPP App and attempt FREE NDA Mock Tests and get complete study material!
General Ability Full Test 2
General Ability Full Test 1
NDA General Ability Test 21 April 2024 Official Paper
NDA-I 2023 General Ability Test Prev. Year Paper ( 16-Apr-2023)
17 September 2024 Daily Current Affairs Analysis
16 September 2024 Daily Current Affairs Analysis
14 September 2024 Daily Current Affairs Analysis
Comments