Last minute Preparation of NDA Examination

Due to the Corona pandemic, . , this year UPSC is scheduled to take this exam on 14 November 2021. Things have not been easy for anyone in this pandemic, the aspirants preparing for the NDA exam are also facing the deprivation of motivating factors, offline coachings, and other preparatory stuff. Many aspirants are preparing for the NDA exam at their homes. This might sound like another hurdle but one should always remember to transform adversities into opportunities. We got you covered here!
NDA Exam Pattern and Syllabus
Before moving to tips, let’s first Understand the NDA exam pattern and syllabus that opens doors to success in the exam. The written exam of NDA consists of two papers. Paper 1 is of Mathematics which carries 120 questions out of 300 marks. Paper 2 is the General Ability Test (GAT), which contains 150 questions of 600 marks. Each paper lasts for 2.5 hours. For selection, candidates are judged out of 1800 marks, where 900 marks are assigned to the written test and 900 marks to SSB.
Be consistent with the studies
It is very important for the aspirants who are preparing for the NDA exam to be consistent with their studies. As you can see, two papers consist of maths and GAT. both the paper require a consistent study approach. That is why it’s important to have a consistent approach towards study. Preparing from home has its benefits whereas some disadvantages as well. There can be many distractions and laziness accompanying when you study. But it’s important to have a focused mind and disciplined nature towards studies. Time is limited and the syllabus has to be completed in the same limited time frame. So, the aspirant should not be wasting their time.
1) Divide the syllabus 
Divide the syllabus and chapters into sub-parts and then achieve them in the decided time. Accomplishing small goals will further motivate the aspirants to complete their next goals. For this, one needs to break the big chapters and topics into sub-topics within the desired time frame. Now, focus on accomplishing the sub-topics one by one. This will ensure that all topics are covered and nothing is left out of sight.
2) Time management
Time management is the most vital thing during the preparation and the exam. During the preparation, the candidates need to manage their time.   There should be a proper and realistic timetable to be made by the aspirants with proper allocation of time to different subjects. Paper 1 and paper 2 of the NDA exam consist of 120 and 150 questions respectively which are to be solved in 2.5 hours each. This means that candidates should also be prepared to solve the paper in the stipulated time. And that’s why time management is necessary.
3) Practice previous year papers
Previous year’s papers are the best source of preparation at home. Solving previous year’s papers can help the candidates in finding their weak and strong areas. It also helps them to get an actual feel for the NDA exam. Solving the previous year’s papers will help the candidates in boosting their preparation and creating strategies to score more in the NDA exam. 
4) Revision 
It is human tendency to forget things which they read or write after a certain time. The solution for this problem is timely revision. Revision helps the mind to consolidate the learnings. Most aspirants read and study a lot but do not revise the contents and that is where they get it all wrong. Limiting the study materials and revising the studied content is the key to cracking the NDA exam.
5) Create a list of basic books and standard books
The candidates must first finish all the basic 11th-12th books, especially physics and mathematics. NCERTs are the basic source for this exam,  hence they must be completed first. But to mention the NCERTs are not enough to crack this exam! 
For extra sources, candidates can take the help of the internet, . 
The candidates who are preparing , must now be more focused and dedicated as the NDA exams will be around corner.