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The official notification issued by UPSC is that there are a total of 394 vacancies for NDA 2 2026. Of these, 370 posts are allotted to the National Defense Academy with a distribution of 208 for the army, 42 for the navy, and 120 for the air force. There are 24 vacancies for the Indian Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme).

For the written test for NDA 2 2026 recruitment, candidates need to score at least 25% marks in each subject separately (Mathematics and GAT), apart from the cutoff for aggregate marks specified by UPSC. The total written examination is held out of 900 marks, which helps in selecting for the further stage of SSB Interview.

Shift 2 of the UPSC NDA & NA (II) 2026 examination, dedicated to the General Ability Test (GAT), commenced punctually across all 86 test cities at 2:00 PM. Candidates are solving 150 objective-type questions worth 600 total marks. Gate access closed strictly at 1:50 PM in compliance with UPSC directives.

The historical data shows that the qualifying cut-off marks for 900 total marks for NDA written test usually lie between 350 to 360 marks. The deciding factors behind the final cut-off marks are overall paper difficulty, turnout, and the number of vacancies available.

Shift 1 (Mathematics Paper I) of the UPSC NDA & NA (II) 2026 exam has begun at 10:00 AM in 86 pre-designated National Examination Centres. The candidates will be solving 120 multiple choice questions that carry a total of 300 marks. The entry into the hall was closed by 09:50 AM.

Early reports by the Shift 2 aspirants reveal a marked interest in national events, international conferences, military drills, and scientific breakthroughs of the past six to eight months in the Current Affairs section.

For those who are eligible for SSB Interview, original education certificates have to be produced. The certificates include 10th pass certificate, 12th pass certificate, birth certificate, and valid certificate of category. Any discrepancy found at the time of verification will result in disqualification.

The candidates who pass the cut-off for the written test are eligible to attend the 5-day interview procedure for the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview, which is allotted 900 marks. The process involves Stage I (Intelligence Test and Picture Perception Test) and Stage II (Psychological Tests, Group Tests, Personal Interview, and Conference).

The state-level administrative officials and the UPSC monitors have certified that the test was smooth for the 86 centres without any technical or operational difficulties. The standard procedures such as stringent identity checking and queue arrangements at entry gates were followed properly.

The candidates appearing for the Shift 2 exam will have to bear the negative marking as per the conventional UPSC pattern. The paper two (GAT) carries four marks for a correct answer, while one loses 1.33 marks for a wrong answer (one-third penalty). Questions left unanswered are not penalized.

Security personnel in these centers conducted biometric and document verification of all the candidates appearing for the test. The candidates had to carry physical copies of their e-Admit cards along with their original photo identification proofs, like Aadhar Card, PAN Card, or Driving Licenses. Those aspirants who had blurry photographs on their admit cards had to furnish two physical passport-size photographs.

As per the UPSC instructions, the gate of the examination centers was locked exactly 10 minutes prior to the commencement time of the morning shift, that is, at 09:50 AM. All late comers were refused entry in order to maintain the sanctity of the examination process. The same rule regarding closure of the gates holds true for Shift 2 (General Ability Test).

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is efficiently holding the NDA & NA (II) 2026 examination today, which is Sunday, 13th September 2026. Several defense aspirants from all over the country are appearing for the offline examination in 86 exam centers. The NDA examination acts as the entrance examination for joining the three academies, i.e., Army, Navy, and Air Force Wings of the National Defense Academy and the Indian Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme).