NDA Syllabus 2027: Maths and GAT Topics, Marks and GK Weightage (Official)
The NDA syllabus from UPSC's latest notice: Maths units, English and GK sections, the official GK weightage, marks and negative marking, with a study order for NDA 1 2027.
The NDA syllabus can look endless the first time you read it: eight Maths chapters, then English, then a General Knowledge list that runs from Archimedes to the French Revolution. Most students waste their first month simply working out what matters.
This page saves you that month. It sets out the syllabus exactly as UPSC prints it, shows how the 900 marks are split, and turns the official GK weightage into a study order. NDA (I) 2027 is on 11 April 2027, and the notification is due on 2 December 2026 (UPSC calendar 2027).
Not yet. The official syllabus for NDA (I) 2027 will be printed in its notification on 2 December. Everything below is taken from the latest notice, NDA & NA (II) 2026 (UPSC notice, 20 May 2026). UPSC rarely changes this syllabus, but please compare it with the new notice when it comes out.
| Paper | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I – Mathematics | 2½ hours | 300 |
| Paper II – General Ability Test (English 200 + GK 400) | 2½ hours | 600 |
| Written total | 900 | |
| SSB Test/Interview | 900 |
UPSC lists eight units. In short:
| Unit | Main topics |
|---|---|
| 1. Algebra | Sets and Venn diagrams, relations, complex numbers, binary numbers, AP/GP/HP, quadratic equations, linear inequations, permutations and combinations, binomial theorem, logarithms |
| 2. Matrices and determinants | Types and operations, properties of determinants, adjoint and inverse, Cramer’s rule and the matrix method |
| 3. Trigonometry | Ratios and identities, sum and difference, multiple and sub-multiple angles, inverse functions, heights and distances, properties of triangles |
| 4. Analytical geometry (2D and 3D) | Lines, circles, parabola, ellipse, hyperbola, direction cosines and ratios, planes, lines and spheres in 3D |
| 5. Differential calculus | Functions, limits, continuity, derivatives, second-order derivatives, increasing and decreasing functions, maxima and minima |
| 6. Integral calculus and differential equations | Substitution and by parts, definite integrals, area under curves, order and degree, first-order equations, growth and decay |
| 7. Vector algebra | Vectors in 2D and 3D, dot and cross products, work done and moment of a force |
| 8. Statistics and probability | Frequency distributions, graphs, mean, median, mode, variance, correlation and regression, probability, conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem, binomial distribution |
It is essentially Class 11 and 12 Maths. If you are in Class 12 now, your board preparation covers much of Paper I. Keep our NDA maths formula sheet beside you while you revise.
Part A – English (200 marks) tests grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension and cohesion in longer passages. There is no fixed topic list, so daily reading helps more than memorising rules.
Part B – General Knowledge (400 marks) is split into six sections. UPSC gives an approximate weightage for each:
| GK section | Weightage | Approx. marks out of 400 |
|---|---|---|
| A – Physics | 25% | 100 |
| B – Chemistry | 15% | 60 |
| C – General Science (biology, health, solar system) | 10% | 40 |
| D – History, Freedom Movement, Polity | 20% | 80 |
| E – Geography | 20% | 80 |
| F – Current Events | 10% | 40 |
The marks column is our own arithmetic from UPSC’s percentages, and the notice calls the weightages approximate. Even so, the message is clear: Physics alone (about 100 marks) outweighs Current Events and General Science put together (about 80).
UPSC notes that this list is not exhaustive, and questions on similar topics can be asked.
Our NDA GK preparation guide goes deeper into the GK books and methods, and the NDA 1 2027 exam date guide has the full calendar and a week-by-week plan.
The written paper is only half the story. The SSB carries another 900 marks. Stage I has the Officer Intelligence Rating tests and the Picture Perception and Description Test, and Stage II has the interview, group tasks, psychology tests and the conference. Your written preparation and your personality both count.
We teach the full NDA syllabus in Dehradun, with regular tests and SSB preparation. Course details are on our NDA coaching in Dehradun page.
A syllabus is just a map. It cannot walk the road for you, but it does stop you walking in circles. Print the two tables above, tick off one topic at a time, and by April the map will be yours.
Sources (checked 11 November 2026): UPSC NDA & NA (II) 2026 notice, Appendix I; UPSC Programme of Examinations 2027. The NDA (I) 2027 syllabus will be confirmed in its notification on 2 December 2026.
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Paper I is Mathematics (300 marks): algebra, matrices, trigonometry, 2D and 3D geometry, differential and integral calculus, vectors, and statistics and probability. Paper II is the General Ability Test (600 marks): English (200) and General Knowledge (400). This is from the NDA (II) 2026 notice; the 2027 notice is due on 2 December 2026.
UPSC gives Physics about 25% of the 400 GK marks, the largest share. Chemistry is about 15%, General Science 10%, History 20%, Geography 20% and Current Events 10%.
Yes. One-third (0.33) of the marks for a question is deducted for each wrong answer, and marking more than one option counts as a wrong answer.
No. UPSC does not allow calculators or mathematical or logarithmic tables in the NDA objective papers.
The Mathematics paper closely follows Class 11 and 12 Maths. The GK paper is broader and includes history, geography, current events and basic science.
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