Hello aspirant.

Firstly, their is only one option for joining NDA after choosing commerce that is if you have opted “Maths” also then you can apply for Army by giving the same examination in 12th or after passing 12th. As in the written exam of NDA one question paper is totally of Mathematics consisting of 120 questions.

.WHAT IS NDA?

The NDA is the joint services academy of the Indian Armed Forces. Here, the cadets of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force get trained together before they embark on a pre-commissioning training in respective academies. The first tri-service  academy of the world, the NDA is located in Pune, Maharashtra and is ranked among the best academies in the world

.HOW TO PREPARE FOR NDA: -

The basic requirement for NDA is knowing what to study as the syllabus is pretty extensive and try to avoid unnecessary burden by studying from many different sources.

Information about the examination:

.The exam will be conducted through pen and paper based mode.

.The exam will consist of two sections that are Mathematics and General Ability Test.

.Two and half hours will be given for each section respectively.

.The questions will be in English & Hindi.

.There will be negative marking which is 1/3rd of the allotted marks to the question.

.Syllabus and Marks distribution:

.Paper-1 Mathematics (Code No. 01) :

The paper of mathematics consists of 120 questions. Maximum marks for this section is 300. 2.5 marks is allotted to each question with a deduction of 0.833 for wrong answer. You have 150 minutes for 120 questions so you have to be quick along with being accurate.

.Paper-II General Ability Test (Code No. 02) :

The second section is of 600 marks. It has a total of 150 questions with each weighing 4 markswith a penalty of 1.33 for wrong answer.This section is further divided into two parts-

.Part A English:

This part has 50 questions for 200 marks and and covers topics like vocabulary, grammar and usage and comprehension. This test evaluates the basic command a person has on the language. To prepare for this test, read English newspaper daily, learn new words, go back to basic grammar and learn the rules thoroughly. Try to solve as many English tests as possible. There are many English tests available online as well. Try to attempt them as much as possible.

.Part B General Knowledge :

This part has 100 questions for 400 marks and will check a candidates general understanding and his insight into the Current Affairs within the country and outside. The test will comprise six sections: General Science, Indian history, Physics, Geography, Chemistry and Current Events. To prepare for this test, follow the news updates regularly, be aware of the latest happenings in the field of sports, arts, literature, and the like. Read about the current economic scenario in the country, the recent and past policy changes and such other topics that are directly related to India and its neighbouring countries.

General Knowledge has six sections with the break-up of 400 marks as below:

.Section for Physics 100 marks.

.Section for Chemistry 60 marks.

.Section for General Science 40 marks.

.Section for History, Freedom Movement (Social Studies) 80 marks.

.Section for Geography 80 marks.

.Section for Current Events 40 marks.

Now let's have a look at the syllabus for NDA :

.Mathematics: Algebra, Matrices and Determinants, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry – 2D and 3D, Differential Calculus, Integral calculus and Differential equations, Vector algebra, Statistics and Probability.

The syllabus for mathematics is covered in NCERT books of 10th ,11th and 12th. There is no need to buy any fancy books as questions asked in NDA exams are pretty standard.

Tips and tricks ( things that matter) :

Sectional cutoff : One needs minimum of 20 % in both the sections of written examination which means a minimum of 60 marks in maths and 120 marks in general ability.

Overall cuttoff: The overall cutoff has been varying from 300 - 240. Scoring 320+ ensures a good chance not only in written but for overall merit list.

Build timelines: Study with time goals this ensures timely completion of syllabus and ample time for mock.

Mock tests and Previous year papers: This is the most important part of the preparation and one should take the test to check if they are able to manage the time and self assessment to work on weaker sections. Questions from previous years are repeatedly asked and provide you with a fair idea of examination.

I hope my answer will help you and all the best.