The National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (I), 2020 remains one of the most competitive defence recruitment exams conducted by UPSC. With thousands of young aspirants aiming for a career in the Indian Armed Forces, the official cut-off marks play a crucial role in understanding the level of competition and the minimum qualifying standards. This article shares complete details about the UPSC NDA & NA (I) 2020 official cut-off along with a clear guide to download the PDF directly from the official website.
I chose this topic because many NDA aspirants preparing for upcoming exams often look for reliable data related to past cut-offs. The cut-off patterns help them gauge how much they need to score in both Mathematics and GAT sections to clear the written exam, followed by the SSB Interview. In my interactions with students, I’ve seen a common concern: most of them rely on guesswork due to scattered information online. Having a clean, fact-based explanation with a direct link to the official PDF makes their preparation more practical. Since UPSC exams demand consistency and informed planning, understanding the 2020 cut-off becomes an essential step for anyone aiming to join the Army, Navy or Air Force through the NDA route.
About the NDA & NA Examination
The NDA & NA Examination is conducted twice a year by UPSC for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy, and for the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme of the Naval Academy. The exam consists of a written test followed by the SSB Interview for candidates who qualify the written stage.
The written exam includes two papers:
- Mathematics
- General Ability Test (GAT)
The final merit list is prepared based on the performance in both the written examination and the SSB Interview.
UPSC NDA & NA (I) 2020 Cut-off Pattern
UPSC releases the cut-off in three parts:
- Written Exam Cut-off (out of 900 marks)
- SSB Interview Cut-off (out of 900 marks)
- Final Cut-off (Written + SSB combined, out of 1800 marks)
This structure helps aspirants understand how each stage contributes to the final merit.
NDA & NA (I) 2020 Official Cut-off Marks
Below is the standard format in which UPSC releases the cut-off marks. The exact numbers are provided in the official PDF on the UPSC website.
| Stage | Cut-off Marks |
|---|---|
| Written Exam | As per UPSC official PDF |
| Final Selection | According to official UPSC data |
| Minimum Marks in Each Paper | Usually stated separately in the PDF |
Candidates must check the PDF for category-wise and stage-wise marks since UPSC provides all details officially.
How to Download NDA & NA (I) 2020 Cut-off PDF
Here is a simple method to download the PDF directly from the UPSC website:
- Visit the official UPSC website
- Click on the “Examinations” tab
- Select “Cut-off Marks” from the dropdown
- Scroll down to find “NDA & NA Examination (I), 2020”
- Click on the link to open the PDF
- Save it to your device for future reference
If the PDF opens in a new tab, you can use the download button at the top right corner.


















