NDA Age Limit 2027: Date of Birth Range for NDA 1 and NDA 2
The NDA age limit for 2027, the exact date of birth windows for NDA 1 and NDA 2, and the one rule that decides whether you are eligible.
Short answer: you must be 16.5 to 19.5 years old on the day the NDA course starts. For NDA I 2027 that means a date of birth from 2 July 2008 to 1 July 2011. For NDA II 2027 it means 2 January 2009 to 1 January 2012. Both dates are inclusive.
What is the NDA age limit?
UPSC does not state the NDA age limit as a plain number of years. In each notification it prints an exact date of birth window. That window is simply the 16.5 to 19.5 year rule converted into dates, based on the day the course commences: 1 January for NDA I and 1 July for NDA II, in the year after the exam.
NDA date of birth windows
| Exam | Course starts | Date of birth window |
|---|---|---|
| NDA II 2026 | 1 July 2027 | 2 January 2008 to 1 January 2011 |
| NDA I 2027 | 1 January 2028 | 2 July 2008 to 1 July 2011 |
| NDA II 2027 | 1 July 2028 | 2 January 2009 to 1 January 2012 |
| NDA I 2028 | 1 January 2029 | 2 July 2009 to 1 July 2012 |
The window for NDA I 2027 matches the range widely reported from the UPSC Annual Calendar 2027, and the later rows follow the same rule. UPSC confirms the final range in the notification, so treat anything not yet notified as expected.
Is the age counted on the exam date?
No. Your age on the day you apply or on the day you sit the paper does not decide eligibility. Only your date of birth, compared with the window, matters. Read how NDA age is calculated for worked examples.
Does the age limit change for any category?
No. The window is the same for men and women and for every category. There is no age relaxation.
Which date of birth counts?
The date of birth on your Matriculation or equivalent (Class 10) certificate. If your certificate and other documents differ, the certificate is what UPSC uses.
How many attempts can I take?
There is no fixed limit. You can appear in every NDA I and NDA II exam while your date of birth stays inside that exam’s window. Because the windows move forward by six months each time, most candidates have roughly three chances.
Check your own date of birth
Skip the arithmetic: the NDA age calculator shows your age on the course start date and every exam you can still take.