The National Defence Academy (NDA) is a prestigious institution that trains cadets for the Indian Armed Forces. The selection process for NDA consists of a written exam followed by a Service Selection Board (SSB) interview. Both the written exam and the SSB interview have separate cutoff scores.



The written exam for NDA is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). It consists of two papers: Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT). The Mathematics paper is of 300 marks, while the GAT paper is of 600 marks. The total marks for the written exam are 900.

The cutoff score for the written exam is determined based on various factors, including the number of vacancies, the difficulty level of the exam, and the performance of the candidates. The cutoff score is the minimum score that a candidate needs to secure in order to be eligible for the SSB interview.

The cutoff score for the written exam is different for each subject (Mathematics and GAT) as well as for each category (General, OBC, SC, ST). The cutoff scores are announced by UPSC after the declaration of the written exam results. Candidates who score above the cutoff score in both Mathematics and GAT are shortlisted for the SSB interview.



The SSB interview is conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB) and consists of various tests such as the Psychological Test, Group Testing Officer Tasks, and Personal Interview. The SSB interview is designed to assess the candidate's suitability for a career in the Indian Armed Forces.

The cutoff score for the SSB interview is determined based on the overall performance of the candidates in the various tests. The SSB interview cutoff is not announced publicly like the written exam cutoff. It is decided by the SSB board based on the quality and performance of the candidates during the interview process.

Candidates who score above the SSB interview cutoff are recommended for final selection to the NDA. The final merit list is prepared based on the combined performance of the candidates in the written exam and the SSB interview.



To summarize, the cutoff scores for the NDA written exam and SSB interview are different. The written exam cutoff is announced by UPSC based on the performance of the candidates in the Mathematics and GAT papers. The SSB interview cutoff is decided by the SSB board based on the overall performance of the candidates in the interview process. Candidates need to score above both cutoff scores to be recommended for final selection to the NDA.