- NDA
- 15-Sep-2025
- 34
The long-awaited NDA-2 2025 has been completed, and candidates across the country are discussing the paper, difficulty level, and expected cut-off marks. If you took the exam or are to appear in future attempts, an in-depth analysis will tell you where you stand and what to expect.
NDA-2 2025 Exam Overview
There were two papers in the NDA exam 2025, each corresponding to the different sections of the examination. Paper 1 was from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM, and questions on subjects like Mathematics were asked. Paper 2 was from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM, and questions on general ability subjects were asked.
In the NDA 2 2025 exam, both papers will be a total of 900 marks, and have 2 ½ hours for each paper. Following is a breakdown assessment of the weightage the NDA question paper is based on:
Subject |
Code |
Duration |
Maximum Marks |
Mathematics |
01 |
2½ Hours |
300 |
General Ability Test |
02 |
2½ Hours |
600 |
Total |
|
|
900 |
Difficulty Level & Good Attempts
Overall, in terms of difficulty, the NDA 2 2025 was at a moderate level. Aspirants who had a good speed and accuracy could have answered the following set of questions:
Paper |
Difficulty Level |
Mathematics |
|
General Ability |
|
NDA Exam Analysis 2025 Good Attempts
The NDA Exam conducted in 2025 was held with questions spread out over multiple topics of Mathematics and General Ability.
Aspirants should consider good attempts and the need to balance accuracy with as many attempted questions within the allocated time. Here is a good attempt analysis on each subject:
Subjects |
Good Attempts Range |
Mathematics |
|
General Ability |
|
These good attempt ranges serve as a benchmark for candidates to evaluate their performance and strategise their approach toward attempting questions in future examinations.
NDA Exam Analysis 2025 Mathematics Section
The Mathematics section of the NDA 2025 exam tested candidates on various mathematical concepts. Here's a glimpse into the topics covered, along with the number of questions:
Topics |
No. of Questions |
Relations and Functions |
|
Conic Sections (Parabola, Ellipse, Circle & Sphere) |
|
Sequence and Series |
|
Indefinite & Definite Integration |
|
Straight Lines |
|
Binomial Theorem |
|
Complex Numbers & Quadratic Equations |
|
Application of Derivative |
|
Application of Integration |
|
Matrices and Determinants |
|
Trigonometric Functions |
|
Inverse Trigonometric Functions |
|
Limits and Derivatives |
|
Continuity & Differentiability |
|
Differential Equations |
|
2-D |
|
3-D |
|
Statistics |
|
Probability |
|
Permutation & Combination |
|
Properties of Triangles |
|
Logarithm |
|
Sets |
|
Vector Algebra |
|
Miscellaneous (Number Theory) |
|
NDA Exam Analysis 2025 General Ability Section
The General Ability section had questions from different subjects, which form the overall assessment. Below is the summary of topics with their number of questions:
Topic |
No. of Questions |
Ordering of words |
|
Word classes |
|
Antonyms |
|
Passage |
|
Synonyms |
|
Sentence Completion |
|
Idioms and phrases |
|
Cloze test |
|
Current Affairs |
|
Ancient History |
|
Medieval History |
|
Modern History |
|
Geography |
|
Polity |
|
Economics |
|
Physics |
|
Chemistry |
|
Biology |
|
NDA Cut Off – Overview
The NDA cut-off marks are the minimum scores aspirants require to move on to the next stages of selection in the SSB Interview and Medical Examination. The cut-off is based on factors such as:
- Total number of candidates
- Vacancies available
- Difficulty level of the exam
- Marks obtained in the written exam
NDA 2 2025 Expected Cut Off
Branch/Wing |
Written Exam (Out of 900) |
Army |
|
Navy |
|
Air Force |
|
Naval Academy |
|
The final selection cut-off is out of 1800 marks (900 for the written exam + 900 for the SSB/Medical).
NDA Previous Year Cut Off for Written Exam
Year |
NDA 1 Cut Off Marks |
NDA 2 Cut Off Marks |
2023 |
301 |
292 |
2022 |
360 |
316 |
2021 |
343 |
355 |
2020 |
355 |
355 |
2019 |
342 |
346 |
2018 |
338 |
325 |
2017 |
342 |
258 |
2016 |
288 |
229 |
Final Selection Cut Off (Out of 1800)
Year |
NDA 1 |
NDA 2 |
2023 |
664 |
656 |
2022 |
720 |
678 |
2021 |
709 |
719 |
2020 |
723 |
719 |
2019 |
704 |
709 |
2018 |
705 |
688 |
2017 |
708 |
624 |
2016 |
656 |
602 |
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- In Math and Science, do most of your preparation, which is key to doing well in the exam.
- Current Affairs and Geography play a key role in the General Ability Test.
- Knowing the cut-off trend, which is a key factor in planning which target scores to achieve.
- A candidate must do well in terms of accuracy and speed.
By looking at past exams and cut-off scores, candidates are able to plan their preparation to improve their chances of success and securing a career in India’s defence services.