India’s defence services are not just a career path—they’re a way of life. For lakhs of aspirants each year, defence competitive exams are the first step towards a prestigious, disciplined, and adventurous life in service to the nation.
In this blog, we explore the most popular defence exams, eligibility criteria, exam patterns, and preparation tips to help you crack these challenging tests.
Popular Defence Exams in India
- NDA (National Defence Academy) Exam
- Conducted by: UPSC
- Eligibility: 12th pass (Science for Air Force/Navy)
- Age: 16.5 to 19.5 years
- Services: Army, Navy, Air Force
- CDS (Combined Defence Services) Exam
- Conducted by: UPSC
- Eligibility: Graduate
- Age: 19 to 25 years
- Services: IMA, INA, AFA, OTA
- AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test)
- Conducted by: Indian Air Force
- Eligibility: Graduate (with Maths & Physics for Flying Branch)
- Services: Flying, Technical, and Ground Duty branches
- INET (Indian Navy Entrance Test)
- Conducted by: Indian Navy
- Eligibility: Graduate/B.E/B.Tech depending on the branch
- Territorial Army Exam
- Conducted by: Indian Territorial Army
- Eligibility: Graduate with civilian employment
- CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) Exam
- Conducted by: UPSC
- Services: BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB