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Defence · English guide

NDA English: 200 marks inside the General Ability Test

In NDA, English is Part A of the General Ability Test — 200 of its 600 marks, in a 150-minute paper shared with General Knowledge. For many candidates it is the easiest 200 marks in the written exam to secure.

Updated 15 Oct 2026 · Pattern as of UPSC NDA 2026 notification

NDA EnglishAt a glance
Paper
GAT Part A
Marks
200 of 600
Questions
About 50 (4 marks each)
Wrong answer
−1.33

In short

  • English is Part A of GAT: 200 marks of 600; Part B (GK) is 400.
  • GAT is 2½ hours for both parts — there is no separate English timer.
  • Recent papers carry 50 English questions at 4 marks, with −1.33 for a wrong answer.
  • Topics: spotting errors, sentence improvement, ordering, synonyms, antonyms, fill in the blanks, cloze and comprehension.
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NDA English pattern

GAT partSubjectMarks
AEnglish200
BGeneral Knowledge400
Total2½ hours, both parts600

What NDA English asks

  • Spotting errors and sentence improvement.
  • Synonyms and antonyms.
  • Ordering of words in a sentence and of sentences in a passage.
  • Fill in the blanks and cloze tests.
  • Reading comprehension passages.

How to plan time in GAT

English and GK share 150 minutes. Most toppers finish English in 40–45 minutes and leave the rest for GK's 100 questions. Practise English as a 45-minute block so it does not eat into GK time on the day.

More exam guides

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NDA English — questions students ask

How many marks is English in NDA?

200 marks — Part A of the 600-mark General Ability Test. Recent papers have 50 English questions at 4 marks each.

Is there a separate time limit for NDA English?

No. English and General Knowledge share the GAT's 2 hours 30 minutes. Plan about 45 minutes for English.

Study the topics

Free lessons for what NDA asks

Grammar

Error Spotting Rules: 20 Rules That Cover Most SSC, Bank & Defence Questions

The 20 grammar rules behind most spot-the-error questions in SSC CGL, CHSL, bank exams, CDS and NDA — each with a wrong and right example and the trap the examiner sets.

Comprehension

Para Jumbles Tricks for Bank & Defence Exams: Find the Opening Sentence First

A reliable method for para jumbles and sentence rearrangement in IBPS PO, SBI, CDS, NDA and SSC — opening sentence, linked pairs, pronoun and connector clues, with an example.

Strategy

Negative Marking Strategy: When to Guess in SSC, Bank & Defence Exams

The maths of guessing under −0.25, −0.5, −1 and −1/3 negative marking — when an educated guess pays, when to skip, and how to build accuracy instead of attempts.

Practise NDA English the way it is set.

Previous year questions, mocks in your exam's pattern, every answer explained, and an AI teacher you can ask at any hour. Free to start.

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