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Applicants to the NDA are selected via a written exam conducted by the UPSC, followed by extensive interviews covering general aptitude, psychological testing, team skills and physical and social skills, along with medical tests. Incoming classes are accepted twice a year for semesters starting in July and January. About 300,000 applicants sit for each written exam. Typically, about 9,000 of these are invited to interview. Applicants to join the Air Force also go through a Pilot Aptitude Battery Test. About 300-350 cadets are accepted to the academy each semester. About 66 cadets are accepted for the Air Force, 39 for the Navy and 195 for the Army. Cadets who are accepted and successfully complete the program are sent to their respective training academies for one year of training before granting of commission: army cadets go to IMA at Dehradun, Air Force cadets to AFA at Dundigal, Hyderabad, and naval cadets to INA, Ezhimala, Kerala. A cadet can only decline a commission in case of a serious permanent medical condition caused during the program. NDA offers only a full-time, residential undergraduate program. Cadets are awarded a Baccalaureate degree (a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science or a "Bachelor of Technology" ) after 3 years of study. Cadets have a choice of two streams of study. The Science stream offers studies in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science. The Humanities (Liberal Arts) stream offers studies in History, Economics, Political Science, Geography and Languages. In both streams, academic studies are split into three categories.
In the Compulsory Course, cadets study English, Foreign Languages (Arabic, Chinese, French or Russian), Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science, History, Political Science, Economics and Geography. Note that all cadets must take basic classes in all these subjects except Foreign Languages. Cadets then take advanced classes depending on their chosen stream. The Foundation Course is mandatory and comprises Military Studies and General Studies. Subjects such as Military History, Military Geography, Weapons systems and Armaments, etc. are covered in Military Studies. Subjects such as Geopolitics, Human Rights, Laws of Armed Conflict and Environmental Sciences are covered in General Studies. The Optional Course focuses on subjects specific to the cadet's chosen Service. Cadets spend first four semesters on the Compulsory Course and the Foundation Course.