NDA Exam II How to Prepare for Mathematics for NDA 2, 2025
The NDA Mathematics paper is one of the most challenging sections in the NDA written exam. It carries 300 marks, and scoring well can significantly boost your overall performance. With the right strategy and practice, you can easily clear the cutoff and secure a good rank.
NDA Maths Preparation Tips 2025
Understanding the Exam Pattern. First things first, it’s crucial to know what you’re up against, so that you get your direction right. Out of the two papers, NDA Mathematics is the difficult one. It is difficult mainly because candidates mostly run out of time to attend all 120 questions compounded with the negative marking, which adds on to the difficulty
NDA Exam Pattern - Mathematics. Before diving into NDA Maths preparation strategies, it is important to understand the exam pattern.
· Total Marks: 300
· Total Questions: 120
· Marks Per Question: 2.5
· Negative Marking: 0.83 for each incorrect answer
· Time Duration: 2.5 hours
NDA Cut Off – Air India Rank. NDA cut off for final selection is calculated out of 1800 marks, wherein 900 marks each are for NDA written Exam and SSB Interview. NDA cut off each year is different, which is calculated based on difficulty level of the exam, number of Candidate’s and number of vacancies for different arms of Indian Armed Forces.
NDA Written Exam Cut Off. To clear the NDA written exam and to be subsequently called for SSB Interview, you generally need to score between 340 to 360 out of 900 marks., provided you have scored min 25% marks in each written section i.e., Mathematics and GAT.
Mathematics: The Right Approach. To clear the NDA written exam, a score of 150+ in Mathematics is considered safe. However, aiming for 200-225 marks can give you an edge in the final merit list.
Mathematics Strategy. To effectively prepare for the NDA Maths exam, focus on building a strong foundation in core mathematical concepts, creating a structured study plan, practicing regularly with a variety of questions, and managing your time effectively. Prioritize understanding over rote memorization, and don't neglect topics like trigonometry, algebra, calculus, and coordinate geometry.
NDA Exam – Mathematics Syllabus. The NDA Mathematics syllabus is based on Class 11 and 12 concepts. Here are the most important topics.
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Topics |
Sub-Topics |
|
Algebra |
Sets, Venn diagrams, De Morgan laws, Cartesian product, relation, equivalence relation. Real numbers, Complex numbers, Modulus, Cube roots, Conversion of a number in Binary system to Decimals and vice-versa. Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic progressions. Quadratic equations, Linear inequations, Permutation and Combination, Binomial theorem and Logarithms. |
|
Calculus |
Concept of a real-valued function, domain, range and graph of a function. Composite functions, one-to-one, onto and inverse functions. Notion of limit, Standard limits, Continuity of functions, algebraic operations on continuous functions. Derivative of function at a point, geometrical and physical interpretation of a derivative application. Derivatives of sum, product and quotient of functions, derivative of a function with respect to another function, derivative of a composite function. Second-order derivatives. Increasing and decreasing functions. Application of derivatives in problems of maxima and minima |
|
Matrices and Determinants |
Types of matrices, operations on matrices. Determinant of a matrix, basic properties of determinants. Adjoint and inverse of a square matrix, Applications-Solution of a system of linear equations in two or three unknowns by Cramer’s rule and by Matrix Method. |
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Integration as inverse of differentiation, integration by substitution and by parts, standard integrals involving algebraic expressions, trigonometric, exponential and hyperbolic functions. Evaluation of definite integrals—determination of areas of plane regions bounded by curves-applications. Definition of order and degree of a differential equation, formation of a differential equation by examples. General and particular solutions of differential equations, solutions of the first order and first-degree differential equations of various types-examples. Application in problems of growth and decay. |
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Trigonometry |
Angles and their measures in degrees and in radians. Trigonometric ratios. Trigonometric identities Sum and difference formulae. Multiple and Sub-multiple angles. Inverse trigonometric functions. Applications-Height and distance, properties of triangles. |
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Vectors in two and three dimensions, magnitude, and direction of vector. Unit and null vectors, the addition of vectors, scalar multiplication of a vector, scalar product, or dot product of two vectors. Vector product or cross product of two vectors. Applications—work done by a force and moment of a force and in geometrical problems. |
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|
Analytical Geometry – 2 & 3 Dimension |
Rectangular Cartesian Coordinate system. Distance formula. Equation of a line in various forms. The angle between two lines. Distance of a point from a line. Equation of a circle in standard and a general form. Standard forms of parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola. Eccentricity and axis of a conic. Point in a three-dimensional space, the distance between two points. Direction Cosines and direction ratios. Equation two points. Direction Cosines and direction ratios. Equation of a plane and a line in various forms. Angle between two lines and angle between two planes. Equation of a sphere. |
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Statistics and Probability |
Probability: Random experiment, outcomes, and associated sample space, events, mutually exclusive and exhaustive events, impossible and certain events. Union and Intersection of events. Complementary, elementary, and composite events. Definition of probability. Elementary theorems on probability-simple problems. Conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem simple problems. Binomial distribution,. |
Topic-Wise Distribution of Questions in NDA Maths Paper
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Subjects |
Number of Question |
|
Algebra |
30 |
|
Trigonometry |
20 |
|
Determinants and matrices |
10 |
|
Analytical Geometry |
20 |
|
Vector Algebra |
10 |
|
Statistics and Probability |
10 |
|
Differential calculus and Integral calculus |
20 |
|
Total |
120 |
How to Prepare for NDA Mathematics?
· Analyse Previous Year Exam papers. Candidates must have a clear understanding of the important topics after analysing the previous years’ question papers.
· Easy Topics First. Start preparing the important topics first, and at the same time, delegate time for the difficult topics.
· Mock Tests. Solve mock tests to decide how much time to dedicate to each type of question. Also, candidates must solve the previous year's question papers to get an idea about the type of questions asked in the exam.
· Shortcuts – Solving Problems. Candidates must learn tips, tricks and shortcuts for efficient time management.
· Squares & Cubes. Memorise simple calculations such as squares and cubes.
· Formula Handbook. Make notes of shortcuts and formulas to refer to during last-minute revision.
· No Guess Work. As there is a negative marking in the exam, they should mark the answer only if they are sure about it. Do not guess the answers during the exam.
Time Management. In the NDA Mathematics paper, we observe a mix of questions with varying levels of difficulty. There are easy, medium and difficult questions but the questions don’t explicitly mention their difficulty levels and at times candidates spend too much time on a single question finding the answer.
They fail to realise that each question carries equal marks and hence no matter the difficulty one shouldn’t spend more than a minute and a half to find the solution.
Conclusion. Scoring high marks in NDA Mathematics is all about concept clarity, regular practice, and time management. Focus on important topics, practice daily, and attempt mock tests to improve speed and accuracy.
