Dear Student,

The candidate must pass their 12th class. But a candidate cannot directly join army after his/her 12th. Candidates must appear for NDA Entrance Exam. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the National Defense Academy and Naval Academy (NDA & NA) exam which is a direct gateway for Indian male candidates into the Indian Defense forces.

Depending on which branch you choose to join, the educational qualifications will change. Candidates for the army, air force and naval wings, as well as the Indian Naval Academy, will be required to pass 12th class of the 10+2 pattern.

To Join NDA After 12th :-

• Candidates who meet the minimum eligibility criteria of NDA can apply for it.
• To apply for NDA candidates will have to visit the official website of UPSC and apply online.
• Only male candidates in the age group 16.5-19.5 can join NDA after the 12th.
• Those who successfully apply for UPSC NDA will have to appear in the NDA exam and qualify for it.
• Post qualifying in the NDA candidates will have to go through a course for the initial 3 years.
• After completing the course, they will be stationed as a lieutenant in the Indian defence services.
  
  As per the eligibility criteria, only unmarried male candidates who have completed their Class 12 or equivalent examination can apply for the exam. The eligibility criteria also include nationality, age limit, educational qualification and physical standards which candidates need to fulfil in order to be eligible for the exam.

• NDA 1 & 2 age limit 2021

  Exam	Age limit	Date of Birth Criteria
  NDA (1) 2021	16.5 years - 19.5 years	July 2, 2002, to July 1, 2005
  NDA (2) 2021		January 2, 2003, to January 1, 2006

For more details, you can visit :- https://competition.careers360.com/articles/how-join-nda-after-passing-12th#How-To-Join-NDA-After-12th--NDA-Eligibility-Criteria-2021

Happy Learning!