NDA Exam Date 2026: NDA 1 & NDA 2 Exam Dates, Admit Card (Out), Shift Timing, Schedule

The Union Public Service Commission has issued the NDA 2 Admit Card 2026 on September 4, 2026, for candidates appearing in the September 13, 2026 exam. The hall ticket provides candidates with details about their allotted exam city, centre, and other exam-day details for the National Defence Academy Exam 2026. Earlier, UPSC had released the official NDA 2 notification on May 20, 2026, while the online application process concluded on June 11, 2026. Following the written examination, UPSC will declare the result and shortlist qualified candidates for the UPSC SSB Interview 2026. This article covers the complete NDA Important Dates 2026, including the NDA 1 and NDA 2 schedules and upcoming events.

For the NDA 2 exam 2026, UPSC has released the official notification on May 20, 2026, and the online UPSC NDA form 2026 submission was concluded on June 11, 2026. Candidates who have successfully applied can download the NDA 2 Admit Card 2026, which will confirm their examination city, centre, and other exam-day details. After the September 13, 2026 written examination, UPSC will announce the result for candidates shortlisted for the SSB Interview. This article contains complete NDA important dates 2026, including NDA 1 and NDA 2 exam dates and upcoming events.

NDA Exam Date 2026

UPSC conducts the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination in two sessions every year: NDA 1 and NDA 2. The dates for the National Defence Academy Exam 2026 are published in the UPSC annual examination calendar and subsequently confirmed in the individual examination notification.

NDA 2026 Exam Dates

The NDA 2 2026 exam date is September 13, 2026, according to the official UPSC examination page. UPSC lists the examination duration as one day.

NDA 2 Exam Date 2026

The NDA 2 Admit Card 2026 was made available on September 3, 2026, for the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026, which will be held on September 13, 2026. The examination is for admission to the 158th National Defence Academy Course and the 120th Indian Naval Academy Course, with courses scheduled to commence in 2027.

UPSC's official page confirms September 13 as the commencement date and June 11 at 6 PM as the last date for applications.

NDA Exam Timing 2026

The NDA 2 written exam 2026 will be held across two sessions, and candidates should refer to their NDA 2 admit card 2026 for the reporting time and venue-specific instructions mentioned for their examination centre.

Candidates are required to take both NDA 2 papers on the same day, with the respective session timings as specified in the examination schedule. They should follow the reporting time and venue-specific instructions provided on the e-Admit Card.

What is the NDA 2 exam 2026 shift timings?

The NDA 2 exam 2026 will begin at the scheduled time for each session, with the Mathematics paper from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM and the GAT from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Candidates must reach the examination venue well in advance for face authentication, identity verification, and frisking. As per the UPSC instructions, entry to the venue will close 30 minutes before the commencement of each session, i.e., at 9:30 AM for the forenoon session and 1:30 PM for the afternoon session. Candidates will be permitted to appear only at the examination venue mentioned on their e-Admit Card.

NDA 1 Exam Date 2026

The first NDA examination of 2026 was scheduled for April 12, 2026.

NDA 1 is the first of the two annual NDA examinations. Its notification and application process take place several months before the written examination, followed by the written result and SSB selection process.

For candidates planning their next attempt, the NDA 1 date is useful for understanding the annual examination cycle:

NDA 1 → April examination

NDA 2 → September examination

This pattern allows candidates who meet the eligibility conditions to plan for either examination or prepare for both cycles.

NDA Exam Date 2027

As per the UPSC Annual Calendar 2027, the NDA 1 2027 examination is scheduled for April 11, 2027, while NDA 2 2027 will be conducted on September 19, 2027. Candidates planning to appear for the NDA examination in the next recruitment cycle can use these dates to plan their preparation in advance.

Candidates who miss NDA 2 2026 or are planning their preparation for the following cycle should refer to the latest UPSC calendar rather than relying on dates from coaching websites or previous years.

The 2027 examination dates should be treated as calendar dates until the corresponding NDA notification is released, because UPSC can modify examination schedules when circumstances require.

When Will NDA 2 Admit Card 2026 Be Released?

The NDA 2 Admit Card 2026 was issued by UPSC on September 4, 2026, ahead of the September 13, 2026 examination. The release follows the usual UPSC timeline of making the hall ticket available around 10 days before the National Defence Academy Exam 2026. The NDA 1 admit card 2026 was released around 10 days before the April 12, 2026 examination, indicating that admit cards for NDA examinations are generally released about 7 to 10 days before the exam.

Candidates should download the NDA 2 Admit Card promptly and review the details provided on it, as the hall ticket carries essential information required for appearing in the examination, including:

• Roll number
• Examination centre
• Centre address
• Reporting instructions
• Examination session
• Candidate details
• Instructions for examination day

The September 13, 2026 NDA 2 exam date is already confirmed, so candidates should not wait for the admit card before beginning final preparation.

NDA 2 Exam Centre 2026

The examination centre allotted to each candidate will be mentioned on the e-Admit Card.

Candidates should not assume that the examination centre will be the same city in which they submitted the application. The final centre allotted by UPSC should be treated as authoritative.

After downloading the admit card, candidates should carefully verify the following details:

What to Carry on NDA Exam Day?

Candidates appearing for NDA 2 2026 should follow the instructions printed on their admit card.

Important items generally include:

• Printed e-Admit Card
• Valid photo identity proof
• Required stationery
• Any additional document specifically mentioned by UPSC

Electronic devices such as mobile phones, smartwatches and other prohibited communication devices should not be carried into the examination hall.

Candidates should reach the centre sufficiently early to complete entry and verification formalities.

NDA Exam Date 2026: What Happens After the Written Exam?

The NDA selection process does not end with the written examination.

Candidates who qualify the written examination are shortlisted for the SSB Intelligence and Personality Test. Candidates recommended through the SSB process then undergo the prescribed medical examination before the final merit list is prepared.

NDA Selection Process

Written Examination → SSB Interview → Medical Examination → Final Merit List → Joining

The written examination carries 900 marks, while the SSB Test/Interview also carries 900 marks.

Therefore, candidates should not treat the written examination as the final stage of selection.

NDA Exam Preparation Timeline After Exam Date Announcement

For NDA 2 candidates, the September 13 examination date gives a fixed preparation deadline. Instead of preparing only around the admit card release, candidates should divide the remaining preparation period into focused stages.

The Mathematics paper carries 300 marks, while GAT carries 600 marks, so preparation should cover both papers rather than focusing exclusively on Mathematics.

NDA Exam Date 2026 FAQs