‘Cracking NDA is not a Herculean task’

If you are looking to join National Defence Academy this year, it is important to not only know the syllabus but also keep a few key pointers in mind, says SHISHIR DIXIT

If you are wanting and aspiring to finish up your preparation of National Defence Academy (NDA) it is important to know what the syllabus is. It comprises of two sections — Mathematics and General Ability.

To smartly and effectively prepare one must keep in sync with certain tips and pointers to prepare for both the exams simultaneously with maximum efficiency to get the desired output.

• The sooner, the better is the mantra to achieve success herein. Whatever topics are common for both can be given a priority on a first hand basis with proper time and efficiency as this will definitely save your time and keep you ahead and for the rest of the portions to mix and match and cover equal portions on a daily basis to reduce monotony.
• Following a regular and structured study plan is must for even the brightest of students as this will be very helpful and critical to meet out your dual preparation needs because it is very important to chew better than to bite more meaning sustaining all the knowledge is more important with prioritising so that you move in a progressive manner with your preparations with a strategy and planned approach.
• Keeping stress at bay is paramount as regular breaks and naps break the monotony and increase the efficiency of learning and retaining. Also indulging in some physical activity will keep you fresh and ready.
• Solving mock tests, giving online exams, attending video lectures and discussion forums shall definitely provide you with a vast array of opportunities for preparation and help you to understand and prepare better for both of the exams keeping in mind the competition and difference in syllabus of both the exams so it is very important to discuss and understand the strategy, get your doubts cleared and be prepped fully.
• For the Mathematics portion as it is important and crucial for both the exams so writing and penning down formulas along with practicing two-three sets of practice papers regularly will make it very easy for the candidates to memorise, cover the entire syllabus and solve the questions efficiently with ease of time and speed.
• Always prepare easy topics first then proceed with the tougher and time taking ones for both the exams so that you achieve a precise and calculated planning and preparation strategy by giving ample time to prepare the tougher and difficult parts for both the exams.
• Following a holistic approach is definitely recommended to cover all the subjects and prepare simultaneously for both of the exams as the General Ability Test of the NDA comprising questions from English, Science, Social Studies and General Awareness is pretty much the syllabus for Boards too so a common prep mode is the ground of preparation for both of these exams.
• Focusing on basics and solving previous year question papers will definitely help in analysing the common ground syllabus as well as the distinctive syllabus preparation for both the exams which will help in identifying the strong and weaker areas for the candidates. This will definitely clear the basic concepts of the students and help them memorize better with greater efficiency.
• Last but not the least to revise repeatedly and dedicatedly with ample practice hours will only be the deciding factor for preparation of any exam be it NDA and Boards.