Like every time, a bulky crowd will appear in the exam to chase their dream academies. For those who are fresh in this field and trying their best to crack the exam in their first attempt, need some direction to follow. Firstly explaining the pattern of the exam in a short way, here is a tubular plan of the exam.
Exam Pattern: The exam consists of 2 papers – Mathematics and General Ability. The actual plan of exam is:-
| S. No | Paper | Time | Questions | Marks |
| 1 | Mathematics | 2 hours 30 Minutes | 100 | 300 |
| 2 | General Ability + English | 2 hours 30 Minutes | 150 | 600 |
NDA exam is different from the other competitive exams that candidates face after 12th. So the candidates need to do some extra efforts for clearing it. The new aspirants of NDA need to follow the tips given below and absorb the required thing as per their requirements.
NDA Exam Prep eBooks
- English and GK as a common part – Paper 2 of the NDA exam consist of GK and English. This is a plus point as the candidates get more chances to score in the section in which they have a good attitude. Those who have good knowledge of G.S. can do well in that part, while those who are good in English can choose it to score.
- Mathematics practice – Mathematics is all about practice. The candidates must practice as much as they can. The questions in NDA exam are framed from the syllabus of 11th and 12th mathematics. So don’t leave any stone unturned.
- Time matters here – The time management in the mathematics paper is the most important thing to do. Keep an eye on time while attempting mathematics paper. As the time given for G.A. paper is sufficient. The candidates have to manage time and keep the pace maintained in mathematics. This can be approached by practicing and doing prior preparation.
- Stream subjects are crucial – The stream that the candidates have opted in their 12th class can be used to score more. Like physics and chemistry for science students, history and polity for Arts students and so on. The questions in G.A. paper are assembled from almost all subjects’ form all stream of the 12th class. So prepare your best subjects.
- Negative marking – The UPSC exams have a negative marking of 1/3 which makes it a judgemental thing to score. Don’t mark the question which are out of your aptitude or knowledge. Just be specific to those which are under the level of your knowledge to reduce the fluctuation of your score.
- Score well in easy parts – There are certain parts in both the papers that are easy to cover. Like passages in English, some directly answered questions from General knowledge. Try to score more in those parts.
- Solve previous papers – The previous year papers of NDA can help the new aspirants in getting the idea of the types of question. The candidates must also go through the G.A. papers of other exams conducted by UPSC to get a good level of knowledge.
- Current affairs are also important – The current affairs are the simplest thing to cover. But need serious efforts to prepare and attempt. The candidates have to prepare the C.A. of last 4-5 months with a deep knowledge of all major points.
- General Ability needs judgment – The general ability is all about your knowledge level. So before making any decision over the correct option of any answer, make sure you have the opted the right one. Be cool and precise in whatever you mark.
- Start from simple and go to the hard – Firstly do all those questions which are easy for you to solve or easy to attempt. Don’t waste your time in solving a tough problem. If you get sufficient time after completing those questions, move to those which are left behind. This will help you in scoring well.
Conclusion – The fresh NDA aspirants, who want to clear the exam for the first time, need to prepare smartly and go through the above tips to make their exam strategy. The exam is just a month ahead. So candidates must do some serious efforts to bring the expected results in the exam. Make sure you have covered all the required knowledge parts before appearing in the exam.
All the Best
