Is 400 a Good Score in NDA?

Yes, 400 out of 900 in the NDA written exam is a very safe and competitive score. The written cut-off has ranged between 291 and 360 marks over the last five years, making 400 comfortably above the threshold. However, clearing the written exam is only the first step. You still need to clear the SSB interview to make it to the final merit list.

NDA Exam Structure: Know the Numbers First

Before deciding whether 400 is a good score, you need to understand how the NDA exam is structured. Many students confuse the total marks and do not realise there are two completely separate stages.

Stage	Component	Total Marks
Written Exam	Mathematics (Paper 1)	300
Written Exam	General Ability Test (GAT) – Paper 2	600
Written Exam	Written Exam Total	900
SSB Interview	Personality, Leadership & Fitness Tests	900
Final Selection	Grand Total (Written + SSB)	1800

The NDA written exam has 270 MCQ questions, 120 from Maths and 150 from GAT. There is negative marking: you lose 0.83 marks for every wrong answer in Maths and 1.33 marks for every wrong answer in GAT. Accuracy matters as much as the number of questions you attempt.

A score of 400 out of 900 equals roughly 44.4% of the total written marks — which is well above the cut-off in every recent year.

NDA Written Exam Cut-Off Trends (2021–2025)

The cut-off for the NDA written exam changes every year based on exam difficulty, total candidates, and available vacancies. Here is what the official UPSC data shows:

Exam	Written Cut-Off (out of 900)	Is 400 Safe?
NDA 1 2021	343	Yes — 57 marks above cut-off
NDA 2 2021	355	Yes — 45 marks above cut-off
NDA 1 2022	360	Yes — 40 marks above cut-off
NDA 2 2022	346	Yes — 54 marks above cut-off
NDA 1 2023	360	Yes — 40 marks above cut-off
NDA 2 2023	355	Yes — 45 marks above cut-off
NDA 1 2024	291	Yes — 109 marks above cut-off
NDA 2 2024	350	Yes — 50 marks above cut-off
NDA 1 2025	305	Yes — 95 marks above cut-off
NDA 2 2025 (Expected)	365–375	Yes — 25–35 marks above cut-off

Key Insight: In every single NDA exam from 2021 to 2025, a score of 400 would have cleared the written cut-off. The highest cut-off in five years was 360 marks, and 400 sits 40 marks above even that.

Watch Out for the Sectional Cut-Off

Scoring 400 in total is not enough if your marks in one paper are too low. UPSC requires a minimum of 25% in each paper individually:

Paper	Total Marks	Minimum 25% Required
Mathematics (Paper 1)	300	75 marks
GAT (Paper 2)	600	150 marks

This means even if you score 400 overall, you must also score at least 75 in Maths and 150 in GAT separately. Failing the sectional minimum in either paper will disqualify you regardless of your total score.

Important: Many students score well overall but fail the Maths sectional cut-off. Always ensure you prepare both papers evenly and do not neglect either subject.

Is 400 Enough for Final Selection?

Clearing the written exam only earns you an SSB interview call. Final selection is based on your combined score out of 1800 (Written 900 + SSB 900). Here are the final selection cut-offs in recent years:

Exam	Final Cut-Off (out of 1800)
NDA 1 2022	720
NDA 2 2022	684
NDA 1 2023	704
NDA 2 2023	656
NDA 1 2024	654
NDA 2 2024	704–711 (expected)
NDA 1 2025	673
NDA 2 2025 (Expected)	700–715

If you scored 400 in the written exam, you would need approximately 254–320 marks in the SSB (out of 900) to reach the final cut-off range of 654–720. That is a realistic and achievable SSB score for a well-prepared candidate.

Where Does 400 Rank Among All Candidates?

Over 4 lakh candidates apply for NDA every year. Only around 400–420 seats are available across Army, Navy, Air Force, and Naval Academy combined. Here is how different score ranges compare:

Written Score (out of 900)	Status	What It Means
Below 291	High Risk	May not clear the written cut-off
291–340	Borderline	Depends on that year's cut-off
341–380	Safe Zone	Comfortably above most cut-offs
381–420	Strong Score	Well above cut-off; solid SSB chance
421–500	Excellent	Top written performer; SSB is key
500+	Outstanding	Among the highest scorers nationwide

At 400 marks, you fall in the Strong Score band. You will almost certainly receive an SSB call letter, and your written performance gives you a solid foundation going into the interview stage.

What Happens After You Score 400?

Once you clear the written exam, here is the complete selection roadmap:

Written Exam Result

UPSC publishes the written result on upsc.gov.in. Candidates who clear the written cut-off and meet the sectional minimum are shortlisted for the SSB interview.

SSB Interview (5 Days)

The SSB is a 5-day evaluation held at selection centres across India. Stage 1 includes the Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) test and Picture Perception and Description Test (PPDT). Stage 2 includes psychology tests, group tasks, group discussions, outdoor activities, and a personal interview. The SSB is worth 900 marks. Candidates who do not clear Stage 1 screening are sent home on Day 2.

Medical Examination

Candidates who clear the SSB are sent for a thorough medical exam. Conditions like poor vision, flat feet, or colour blindness can still result in rejection at this stage. Medical fitness is non-negotiable.

Final Merit List

UPSC prepares the final merit list based on combined written and SSB marks out of 1800. Only the top-ranked candidates within available vacancies are offered admission to the NDA or Naval Academy.

Tips to Score 400+ in NDA Written Exam

Master NCERT for GAT First

The GAT paper is worth 600 marks, double the Maths paper. English and General Knowledge together form this section. Strong performance in GAT can single-handedly push your total well above 400.

Be Smart About Negative Marking

Wrong answers cost 0.83 marks in Maths and 1.33 marks in GAT. Do not attempt questions you are guessing on blindly. Skipping an uncertain question is often more valuable than attempting it.

Solve Previous Year Papers

The last 7–10 years of NDA papers are your best preparation tool. UPSC repeats question patterns and topic weightages frequently. Familiarity with the paper style directly improves your score.

Practice Timed Mock Tests

Each paper is 2.5 hours long. Regularly practise full-length timed tests to build speed and accuracy under real exam conditions.

Focus on High-Weightage GAT Topics

Physics, History, Geography, and Current Affairs carry high marks in the GAT. Consistent daily reading of a newspaper covers both English comprehension and Current Affairs at once.

Final Verdict

400 out of 900 in the NDA written exam is a genuinely strong score. Here is the summary:

•        400 marks clears the written cut-off in every NDA exam from 2021 to 2025.

•        It gives you a comfortable 40 to 109 marks of buffer above typical cut-offs.

•        It earns you an SSB interview call, your real shot at selection.

•        With a decent SSB performance, final selection is very much within reach.

•        You must also clear 25% in each paper separately, do not ignore this rule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 400 out of 900 a good score in NDA?

Yes. 400 is a strong, safe score. The highest written cut-off in the last five years was 360 marks, meaning 400 comfortably clears the written stage in any recent NDA exam cycle.

Can I get selected for Army, Navy or Air Force with 400 marks?

Clearing the written exam with 400 marks earns you an SSB call. Final selection depends on your SSB performance. You would need around 254–320 marks in SSB to reach the final cut-off range, which is achievable with good preparation.

What is the minimum score to clear the NDA written exam?

There is no fixed minimum each year. Based on recent trends, it has ranged from 291 to 360 out of 900, plus a minimum of 25% in each subject separately. Always target 400+ for a comfortable safety buffer.

Is there a separate cut-off for Army, Navy, and Air Force?

The written exam cut-off is common for all branches. However, branch-wise vacancies affect competition. Air Force and Naval Academy seats are fewer, making competition relatively tighter for those wings.

Does category (OBC/SC/ST) affect the NDA cut-off?

No. UPSC applies a uniform cut-off for all categories in NDA. There is no separate lower cut-off for reserved categories in this exam.