The Union Public Service Commission has released the official cutoff marks for the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (I), 2026. The cutoff document was uploaded on the UPSC official website on 6 November 2026, a day after the final result was declared on 5 November 2026. The figures in this article are taken only from that official cutoff document. They cover the minimum qualifying standard at the written stage and the marks secured by the last recommended candidate at the final stage, separately for male and female candidates.
The written examination was held on 12 April 2026. On the basis of the written exam and the subsequent Services Selection Board interviews, UPSC recommended 617 candidates (551 male and 66 female) for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy for the 157th NDA Course and to the Indian Naval Academy for the 119th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC), commencing from 1 January 2027.
Official NDA 1 2026 Cutoff Marks
UPSC has published a single official cutoff for the NDA & NA (I) 2026 cycle, with separate figures for male and female candidates. The written-stage cutoff is out of 900 marks. The final-stage cutoff is out of 1800 marks, which is the combined total of the written examination and the SSB Test/Interview.
| Stage | Male candidates | Female candidates |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum qualifying standard at the written stage (out of 900) | 207.83 | 287.01 |
| Marks secured by the last recommended candidate at the final stage (out of 1800) | 577.00 | 649.18 |
At the written stage, candidates also had to secure at least 20% marks in each subject. That condition is stated in the official cutoff document itself, alongside the overall written-stage minimum of 207.83 for male candidates and 287.01 for female candidates.
In plain terms, a male candidate needed at least 207.83 marks out of 900 in the written exam, with the 20% subject-wise floor, to meet the written qualifying standard. A female candidate needed at least 287.01 marks out of 900, with the same 20% subject-wise floor. At the final stage, the last male candidate recommended by UPSC scored 577.00 out of 1800, and the last female candidate recommended scored 649.18 out of 1800.
NDA 1 2026 Vacancies and Candidates Recommended
The official cutoff document also sets out the vacancies against which recommendations were made, wing by wing, and the total number of candidates recommended. The vacancy total is 394 (370 male and 24 female). The number of candidates recommended is 617 (551 male and 66 female).
| Academy / Wing | Male vacancies | Female vacancies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Defence Academy — Army | 198 | 10 | 208 |
| National Defence Academy — Navy (all Executive branch) | 37 | 5 | 42 |
| National Defence Academy — Air Force (Flying) | 90 | 2 | 92 |
| National Defence Academy — Air Force, Ground Duties (Tech) | 16 | 2 | 18 |
| National Defence Academy — Air Force, Ground Duties (Non Tech) | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme) (all Executive branch) | 21 | 3 | 24 |
| Total | 370 | 24 | 394 |
The recommended list is larger than the vacancy total because UPSC draws up the final result on the basis of the written exam and the SSB only. The official final-result press note for this cycle states that the results of the medical examination have not been taken into account in preparing the list. Candidates then have to clear the medical and the remaining joining formalities before they are actually inducted against a vacancy.
NDA 1 2026 Exam Overview
NDA is the standard written-exam route for Class 12 students who want to join the Indian Army, Navy or Air Force as officers and train at the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, or at the Indian Naval Academy under the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme. The (I) 2026 cycle followed the usual two-stage process: a written examination conducted by UPSC, followed by an SSB interview conducted by the Services Selection Board of the Ministry of Defence.
The official dates of this cycle, taken from the UPSC examination page and the official written-result and final-result press notes, are as follows.
| Stage | Official date |
|---|---|
| Notification | 10 December 2025 |
| Last date to apply | 30 December 2025, 6:00 PM |
| Written examination | 12 April 2026 (Sunday) |
| Written result (roll-number list) | 8 May 2026 |
| Written result (with names) | 13 May 2026 |
| Final result | 5 November 2026 |
| Official cutoff marks uploaded | 6 November 2026 |
| Course commencement | 157th NDA Course and 119th INAC, from 1 January 2027 |
The written exam is held on a single day in two papers. The pattern used in this cycle, which is also the pattern set out in recent official NDA notices, is given below. The written exam and the SSB carry equal weight in the final merit.
| Paper | Subject | Duration | Maximum marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Mathematics | 2½ hours | 300 |
| Paper II | General Ability Test (English and General Knowledge) | 2½ hours | 600 |
| Total (written) | 900 | ||
| SSB Test/Interview | Intelligence and Personality Test | 900 | |
| Grand total | Written exam plus SSB | 1800 |
Both written papers are objective type. In the General Ability Test, English carries 200 marks and General Knowledge carries 400 marks. Wrong answers attract a penalty of one-third of the marks assigned to that question. Only those who clear the written-stage cutoff, including the 20% subject-wise minimum, are called for the SSB.
How the Official NDA 1 2026 Cutoff Works
The official cutoff has two layers, and it helps to keep them distinct.
Written-stage cutoff (out of 900)
This is the minimum qualifying standard at the written examination. For NDA 1 2026, UPSC fixed it at 207.83 for male candidates and 287.01 for female candidates, out of 900, with at least 20% marks in each subject. In this exam, the two written subjects are Mathematics (300 marks) and the General Ability Test (600 marks). Twenty per cent of those maxima works out to 60 marks in Mathematics and 120 marks in the General Ability Test. A candidate who crossed the overall written cutoff but fell short of 20% in either paper would not have met the official qualifying standard.
Final-stage cutoff (out of 1800)
This is the score of the last candidate recommended by UPSC, after the written marks and the SSB marks are added. For NDA 1 2026, that figure is 577.00 out of 1800 for the last recommended male candidate and 649.18 out of 1800 for the last recommended female candidate. Because the two stages carry 900 marks each, a candidate who just cleared the written cutoff still needed a strong SSB performance to reach the final cutoff.
UPSC has given these cutoffs for male and female candidates as a whole, not as separate cutoffs for the Army, Navy, Air Force or Naval Academy wings. The official document also does not publish a further breakdown by reserved categories. The figures above are therefore the complete official cutoff as released for this cycle.
One more official caveat matters for anyone reading the merit list. The final-result press note of 5 November 2026 states that medical examination results have not been taken into account in preparing the list, and that the candidature of all recommended candidates is provisional, subject to the submission of the required certificates of date of birth and educational qualification.
What Happens Next After the NDA 1 2026 Final Result
For candidates who have been recommended
Recommended candidates are in line for the 157th NDA Course at Khadakwasla and the 119th INAC, both scheduled to commence from 1 January 2027. Joining depends on the medical examination and on the remaining document checks. The official final-result press note asked candidates to submit the required certificates, where this has not already been done, directly to the Additional Directorate General of Recruiting, Adjutant General’s Branch, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Army), and not to UPSC. Any change of address is also to be intimated to Army Headquarters at the address given in that press note.
The same press note said that marks of the candidates would be available on the UPSC official website 15 days after the declaration of the final result. With the final result dated 5 November 2026, that window falls around 20 November 2026.
For candidates preparing for the next cycle
If you are targeting the next NDA (I) cycle, the useful documents now are this official cutoff, the exam pattern above, and the schedule already announced for the following year. The NDA 1 2027 exam date has been scheduled by UPSC for 11 April 2027, with the notification due on 2 December 2026 and the last date to apply on 22 December 2026. Before you fill that form, confirm that your date of birth sits inside the window for that cycle. The expected age window, the Class 12 rule and the marital status condition are explained in our guide to the NDA age limit.
A realistic preparation plan is to treat the official NDA 1 2026 written cutoff as a floor, not a target. The 20% subject-wise rule means Mathematics and the General Ability Test both have to be cleared, and the final merit is decided only after a 900-mark SSB. Candidates who will still be eligible in 2027 should also keep the NDA 1 age limit 2027 in view while deciding whether to attempt the (I) cycle, the (II) cycle, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the official NDA 1 2026 cutoff?
As per the official UPSC cutoff document uploaded on 6 November 2026, the minimum qualifying standard at the written stage is 207.83 out of 900 for male candidates and 287.01 out of 900 for female candidates, with at least 20% marks in each subject. The marks secured by the last recommended candidate at the final stage are 577.00 out of 1800 for male candidates and 649.18 out of 1800 for female candidates.
2. Is the NDA 1 2026 cutoff different for male and female candidates?
Yes. UPSC has published separate official figures for male and female candidates at both the written stage and the final stage. There is no further official breakdown of the cutoff by wing or by reserved category in this document.
3. How many candidates were recommended in NDA 1 2026?
UPSC recommended 617 candidates: 551 male and 66 female. The vacancy total in the official cutoff document is 394 (370 male and 24 female). The recommended list is longer than the vacancy total because the medical examination is not taken into account at this stage.
4. What does “at least 20% marks in each subject” mean?
Along with the overall written cutoff, a candidate had to score at least 20% in each written paper. In this exam that means at least 60 marks out of 300 in Mathematics and at least 120 marks out of 600 in the General Ability Test.
5. When was the NDA 1 2026 written exam held, and when did the results come out?
The written exam was held on 12 April 2026. The written result (roll-number list) was issued on 8 May 2026, and the list with names followed on 13 May 2026. The final result was declared on 5 November 2026, and the official cutoff was uploaded on 6 November 2026.
6. When does the training start for NDA 1 2026 recommended candidates?
The 157th NDA Course and the 119th Indian Naval Academy Course are scheduled to commence from 1 January 2027. Actual joining is subject to the medical examination and the remaining document formalities.
7. Where can I check the official cutoff?
The official cutoff is published by UPSC on its official website, under the cut-off marks section and on the examination page for the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (I), 2026. The English cutoff document is titled as the NDA & NA (I), 2026 cut-off, uploaded on 6 November 2026. The figures in this article are taken from that official document.
Conclusion
The official NDA 1 2026 cutoff is now out. UPSC has fixed the written-stage qualifying standard at 207.83 out of 900 for male candidates and 287.01 out of 900 for female candidates, with at least 20% marks in each subject. At the final stage, the last recommended male candidate scored 577.00 out of 1800, and the last recommended female candidate scored 649.18 out of 1800. A total of 617 candidates have been recommended against 394 vacancies, for the 157th NDA Course and the 119th INAC commencing from 1 January 2027.
These are the official figures released by UPSC on 6 November 2026. Candidates who have been recommended should now follow the joining and medical instructions issued by the Services. Aspirants aiming at the next cycle should use this cutoff as a benchmark and keep a close watch on the NDA (I) 2027 notification, scheduled for 2 December 2026.
