How to prepare for Defence exams
Defence recruitment (Army, Navy and Air Force Agniveer, NDA, CDS, AFCAT, Territorial Army, paramilitary) combines a written test with physical fitness and a strict medical. Officer entries add the five-day SSB interview.
Main entries
- Agniveer (Army, Navy, Air Force): online common entrance exam, then physical fitness test, adaptability test and medical.
- NDA (after class 12): Mathematics paper and General Ability Test (English, physics, chemistry, history, geography, current affairs), then SSB.
- CDS and AFCAT (graduates): English, General Knowledge and Elementary Maths (AFCAT adds reasoning and military aptitude), then SSB.
How to prepare
- Maths at class 10–12 level decides most written results: practise algebra, trigonometry, mensuration and statistics.
- Start running and basic exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups) now; fitness takes months to build.
- Read the medical standards in the notification before applying: eyesight, height and tattoos rules are strict.
- For SSB, practise speaking about yourself, current events and group discussions; be honest and consistent.
A simple 12-week plan
- Weeks 1–2: read the official syllabus and solve one previous year paper without preparation, to see where you stand.
- Weeks 3–8: one subject block a day (for example Maths and Reasoning on alternate days), plus 30 minutes of current affairs and 30 minutes of revision of the previous day.
- Weeks 9–10: one full mock test every second day. After each mock, spend as long reviewing the mistakes as you spent taking the test.
- Weeks 11–12: a full mock every day in the same time slot as the real exam, and revise only your own short notes.
Common mistakes
- Guessing blindly where there is negative marking. Attempt a question only when you can rule out at least two options.
- Collecting many books instead of finishing one. One standard book per subject plus previous papers is enough.
- Skipping the official notification. Age, qualification and the exact pattern are printed there, and they change between years.
- Leaving the photo, signature and documents for the last day. Keep them ready in the sizes the form asks for.
Next steps
- Confirm the exact pattern in the official notification of your exam: it can change from one year to the next.
- Practise with previous year papers and keep your photo, signature and documents ready in the sizes forms ask for.
- Other guides: SSC exams, Railway exams, Bank exams, Police exams, Teaching exams, State PSC exams, UPSC exams, Government job exams.