The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially released the e-Admit Card for the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026 (Advt. No. 10/2026-NDA-II). Candidates who registered for the 394 vacancies across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Naval Academy wings can now access their admit cards directly on the official portal (upsc.gov.in).

The written examination takes place on September 13, 2026 (Sunday) in two separate shifts. UPSC will not dispatch physical admit cards by post; downloading and printing the hall ticket online is mandatory for exam entry.

UPSC NDA II 2026: Key Overview

Important Dates to Remember

Keep track of the vital milestones for the UPSC NDA & NA II 2026 recruitment cycle:

• Notification Release Date: May 20, 2026
• Online Application Start Date: May 20, 2026
• Last Date to Apply Online: June 11, 2026
• Admit Card Availability: September 3, 2026 onwards
• Exam Date: September 13, 2026
• Result Declaration: Expected October/November 2026

UPSC NDA II Vacancy Breakdown 2026

The recruitment drive fills 394 seats across the defense services under the 158th NDA Course and the 120th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC).

Eligibility Criteria Summary

Age Limit Requirements

• Eligible Birth Range: Candidates must be born between January 01, 2008, and January 01, 2011 (both dates inclusive).
• Unmarried candidates are eligible to apply as per commission rules.

Educational Qualification

• For Army Wing: Passed or appearing in 10+2 (Class 12th) from any recognized educational board.
• For Air Force & Navy Wings / Naval Academy: Passed or appearing in 10+2 (Class 12th) with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as mandatory subjects.

How to Download UPSC NDA 2 Admit Card 2026

Downloading the hall ticket requires login details such as your Registration ID or Roll Number. Follow these steps to generate your printout:

1. Visit Official Portal: Navigate to upsc.gov.in.
2. Locate Link: Under the What’s New or e - Admit Cards section, click on "e-Admit Card: National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026".
3. Read Instructions: Read the official exam instructions display screen carefully and press Yes to proceed.
4. Choose Identification Mode: Select either By Registration ID (RID) or By Roll Number.
5. Enter Details: Input your Registration Number/Roll Number, Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY), and the Captcha code shown on screen.
6. Submit & Download: Click Submit to view your admit card. Save the PDF file to your local device.
7. Take Printout: Print at least 2 clear copies on A4 paper (preferably in color).

Exam Timings and Shift Schedule

The examination occurs in two separate written papers on a single day (September 13, 2026):

Critical Note on Gate Closures: Entry to the examination hall closes strictly 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of each paper. Candidates arriving after 9:30 AM for the morning shift or after 1:30 PM for the afternoon shift will be denied entry.

UPSC NDA II Exam Pattern & Scheme

The written examination uses objective-type (MCQ) offline test papers with negative marking.

+-------------------------------------------------------+
| UPSC NDA 2 WRITTEN TEST |
+---------------------------+---------------------------+
|
+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| |
v v
+---------------------------+ +---------------------------+
| PAPER I: MATHEMATICS | | PAPER II: GAT |
| * Questions: 120 | | * Part A: English (200m) |
| * Marks: 300 | | * Part B: GK (400m) |
| * Duration: 2.5 Hours | | * Questions: 150 |
| * Negative: -0.83 marks | | * Marks: 600 |
+---------------------------+ | * Duration: 2.5 Hours |
| * Negative: -1.33 marks |
+---------------------------+

• Negative Marking: One-third ($1/3^{\text{rd}}$) of the marks allotted to a question will be deducted for every incorrect response.
• Answering Medium: Question papers are set bilingually in Hindi and English (except the English language portion of GAT).

Mandatory Documents to Carry to the Exam Centre

Ensure you pack these items in a clear pouch before heading to your examination venue:

1. Printed e-Admit Card: Clear physical copy printed on clean paper.
2. Original Government Identity Card: The exact valid photo ID whose number is printed on your admit card (e.g., Aadhaar Card, Driving License, Voter ID, Passport, PAN Card).
3. Black Ballpoint Pens: Carry 2–3 good quality black ballpoint pens for marking responses on the OMR sheet.
4. Passport Photos: Two recent passport-sized photographs (required if your photograph on the printed admit card is blurry or missing).

List of Prohibited Items inside the Centre

Carrying banned items results in immediate disqualification and potential debarment from future exams:

• Mobile phones, smartwatches, fitness bands, or bluetooth headsets.
• Scientific calculators, digital logs, or mathematical tables.
• Bags, books, notebooks, or loose scratch paper.
• Metallic items, smart accessories, or electronic wristwatches.

How to Resolve Discrepancies on Your Admit Card

Inspect all entries on your hall ticket immediately upon downloading. Contact UPSC right away if you spot mistakes in:

• Misspelled name or parents' names.
• Wrong birth date or category listed.
• Blurred/mismatched photograph or signature.
• Incorrect allotment of exam center.

Official UPSC Contact Information

• Facilitation Counter Address: UPSC, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi - 110069
• Helpline Numbers: 011-23385271 / 011-23381125 / 011-23098543 (Working days from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
• Official Web Portal: upsc.gov.in