The career of an army officer has always been one of the most coveted ones for the spirited Indian youth. If you are ardently passionate about your motherland and is gallant enough to fight for her, the Indian Army is the rightmost portal for you. The reverend army generals always uphold the notion that the post of army officer is not confined to a mere term of “profession”- in fact, it’s much more to it. Indian Army Officers are the metaphors of courage, chivalry, power, strength, patriotism and Indian army has only place for those fearless bunch of youth who are ready to reach up to any extent to ensure utmost safety of the country.
Are you too passionate about your country and eager to serve her as a brave army officer? Well, the post here is all about how to become an army officer in India.
You must know that there are several ways to sit for the Indian army entrance examination but among these the most vital ones are NDA (National Defense Academy) Examination and CDS (Combined Defense Service) Examination.
NDA Exam
- Eligibility: The candidate must be 16 ½ to 19 years of age with a 10 plus 2 degree on any discipline. The NDA exam is only open for male candidates of Indian candidates.
- Physical standards- The NDA aspirant should be mentally and physically sound with a well developed and strong physique- free from any disease, weakness and defects. The candidate is also required to have good binocular eyesight.
- Syllabus- The NDA exam covers English, Mathematics and General Ability including Physics, General Science, Chemistry, Geography, History with Indian Freedom Movement & Current Affairs.
- Exam-There will be 2 papers- Paper A & Paper B with objective type questions. the First Paper is Maths with 300 marks. The second paper is a divide between English (200 marks) & General Ability (400 marks). In regards to General Ability you have –
100 marks for Physics
40 marks for General Science
80 marks for Geography
60 marks for Chemistry
80 marks for History
40 marks for Current Affairs
- Exam time- The UPSC conducts the CDSE twice a year- once in April and the other in August. The exam notification would be published 5-6 months in advance.
- Training- If you can clear through NDA exam you wi8ll receive a 3 year training from NDA & 1 year training from IMA.
Combined Defense Service Examination
The Combined Defense Service Examination is meant for recruitment into Indian Air Force, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military and Officers’ Training.
- Eligibility- The CDSE examination is open to all Indian unmarried candidates with a bachelor’s degree on any discipline from a well recognized university.
- Age eligibility- The age eligibility for CDSE candidates will differ according to their choice of discipline.
Indian Military- 19 to 24 years.
Indian Air Force- 19-23 years
Indian Navy- 19-22 years
Officers’ Training- 19 to 25 years.
- Syllabus- The CDSE syllabus covers English General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics for Indian Military, Navy & Air Force aspirants. The candidates planning to sit for Officer’s Choice discipline will just have to study English and General Knowledge.
- Exam- The exam would involve objective type questions with 100 marks for each of the subjects. The primary written exam would be followed by a face-to-face interview with SSB (Service Selection Board).
- Exam time- The UPSC conducts the CDSE twice a year- once in February and the other in November. The exam notification would be published 5-6 months in advance.
Engineering Graduates
The engineering graduates would be able to join up IMA (Indian Military Academy) directly. They would just have to clear a SSB interview.
Eligibility- The candidate should be an unmarried Indian between 20 to 27 years of age with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from some reputed university.
Becoming An Army Officer In India
Step I- Your eligibility applications would be scanned by UPSC and if you are through, UPSC will send you a call letter directing you to sit for the entrance examination- be it NDA or CDSE.
Step II- If you have successfully cleared the written test, you would be called for Officer Like Qualities Test (OLQ) involving psychological tests, interview & group activities. Psychological exams would be written tests conducted by psychologists. The Group Examinations would cover tests on indoor & outdoor activities to test the physical ability of the candidate. In regards to interview, you have to site with the interviewing officer. These tests would be conducted at any of the 3 Indian Army Selection Board Offices at Bengaluru, Allahabad and Bhopal.
Step III- If you have successfully cleared the first 2 steps you would be sent for an elaborate medical examination.
Step IV- If you are declared medically fit after clearing Step I & Step II, you would be notified for recruitment by Army headquarter through All India Merit List- based on the vacancies.
Preparation For The Army Officer Examination
If you are eager to succeed in the entrance examinations, you have to start studying in advance. The successful NDA or CDSE candidates always advise to start studying with a year at hand to ensure an effective entry on the first appearance. There are guide books for both NDA & CDSE aspirants. It’s suggested that you join up with a reputed NDA or CDSE coaching center where you will be taught on the right tactics to complete answers within a tight timing. Then, you have to solve the entrance examination papers of previous years.
Follow the newspaper and television news to keep yourself updated on all the current happenings around. You will definitely get guides on current affairs but your best preparation depends on how much you can abreast yourself about the happening events on a regular basis.
Mental calmness and transparency is vital since your stability would be tested during the interview. There is no place for cramming here. So, if you get tensed or nervous often, it’s good to practice meditation that will enable you to deliver informed and well thought-out decisions even in a tense situation.