The Indian Armed Forces offer an opportunity for those who do well on the National Defence Academy (NDA) entrance exam. Discipline, dedication and using the most reliable NDA books are important for your success in the NDA exam 2025. Proper study materials allow learning the broad syllabus, understanding the topics and feeling more confident for the exam.
To make sure you use the right resources, following is a recommended guide to the top books for NDA preparation in 2025.
Know NDA Exam Pattern First Before Best NDA books
Before choosing books, it’s important to understand the exam structure:
Subject | Marks | Duration |
Mathematics | 300 | 2.5 Hours |
General Ability Test (GAT) | 600 | 2.5 Hours |
- Negative Marking: Yes (1/3rd marks deducted for each wrong answer)
- Mode: Offline (OMR-based)
- GAT Sections: English, GK, Science, Current Affairs
Best NDA Books for Mathematics
- NCERT Class 11 & 12 Mathematics
- Foundation books covering all key concepts.
- Ideal for conceptual clarity and solving standard problems.
- Foundation books covering all key concepts.
- Pathfinder for NDA & NA by Arihant
- Most recommended NDA book with detailed theory, MCQs, and solved papers.
- Most recommended NDA book with detailed theory, MCQs, and solved papers.
- Mathematics for NDA and NA by R.S. Aggarwal
- Great for extra practice and topic-wise concept understanding.
Best NDA Coaching || NDA Exam pattern
Top NDA Books for General Ability Test (GAT)
English Section
- Wren & Martin – High School English Grammar & Composition
- Master grammar rules and improve sentence structure and writing.
- Master grammar rules and improve sentence structure and writing.
- Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi (Arihant)
- Covers vocabulary, error spotting, comprehension, and MCQs tailored for competitive exams.
- Covers vocabulary, error spotting, comprehension, and MCQs tailored for competitive exams.
General Knowledge Section
- Lucent’s General Knowledge
- A compact GK book covering History, Polity, Science, Geography, and Current Affairs.
- Available in both English and Hindi versions.
- A compact GK book covering History, Polity, Science, Geography, and Current Affairs.
- NCERT History, Geography, and Polity (Classes 9 to 12)
- Excellent for building core knowledge and factual accuracy.
- Excellent for building core knowledge and factual accuracy.
NDA Books for Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)
Best NDA Books for Physics
- NCERT Class 11 & 12 Physics: Core concepts like Motion, Thermodynamics, Optics, and Electricity.
- Objective Physics by D.C. Pandey: MCQs, formulas, and previous year questions for NDA-level prep.
Best NDA Books for Chemistry
- NCERT Class 11 & 12 Chemistry: Focus on key chapters like Atomic Structure, Organic Chemistry, and Environmental Chemistry.
- Objective Chemistry by R.K. Gupta: Practice-based book with MCQs and topic-wise explanations.
NDA Books for General Science
- NCERT Class 9 & 10 Science: Covers Physics, Chemistry, and Biology basics.
- Objective General Science – Arihant: Useful for short quizzes and MCQ revision.
NDA Books in Hindi (For Hindi Medium Students)
For Hindi medium study, these books are perfect practice materials for NDA.
- This publication (Hindi Edition) is known as Pathfinder NDA/NA – Arihant
- Who is familiar with Hindi and its culture?
- If you find RS Aggarwal Mathematics in Hindi Medium (if possible), use that.
Thanks to these editions, you can understand the courses without needing to learn a new language.
Avoid Low-Quality Books
Avoid books that:
- outdated
- Do not follow the NDA syllabus
- Have unclear explanations or incorrect solutions
Stick with trusted publishers like Arihant, NCERT, RS Aggarwal, and Lucent for authentic preparation.
Best NDA Mock Test & Previous Year Paper Books
- Arihant’s NDA 10 Practice Sets: Simulates real NDA exam conditions.
- NDA Previous Year Solved Papers (Universal or Arihant): Helps you understand the question pattern, difficulty level, and repeated topics.
Regular practice with mock tests is key to improving speed and accuracy.
Online NDA Material vs Books – What’s Better?
While books form the backbone of preparation, combining them with online resources gives you a significant edge.
At Sukhoi Academy, we offer:
- NDA video lectures
- Online and offline test series
- Weekly doubt-clearing sessions
- Performance tracking and mentoring
Join Sukhoi Academy NDA Coaching + Scholarship Program and get free access to premium NDA study material.
How to Choose the Right NDA Books?
- Adapt your learning content to the latest guidelines in the NDA syllabus.
- Look for books that have sections with practice questions and solved tests.
- Select toppers’ & faculty’s recommended editions.
- Get the 2025 editions from established publishing companies.
Final Words
Reading some of the finest NDA books for 2025 can help you begin your journey to join the Indian Armed Forces. Whatever your topic, using NCERT, some objective questions and practice mock tests will help you prepare well for NDA.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most popular choice for everything on NDA & NA is the Pathfinder for NDA & NA from Arihant.
The course addresses topics from Mathematics up to Class 12 and covers the English, General Knowledge, Science, History, Political Science, Geography and Current Affairs tests in the GAT.
Focus on what NCERT covers, practice mock tests and start preparing for SSB all at the same time.
One should read English newspapers daily, use apps such as Word Power Made Easy and work on the English parts from NDA practice tests.
Yes. Training, meals and living arrangements are paid for by the government during your service.
Yes, if you want to refresh your knowledge, Class 9–10 History books will help you do that.
Of the 4–5 lakh students who apply, only about 6,000–7,000 get through the written exam, with fewer than 450 eventually selected.
You can try visiting Google Books, Amazon Kindle or Telegram groups that are allowed for your book (but follow the law).
Partially. You study English, GK and Maths in both the NDA and CDS, but NDA comes under 10+2 and CDS requires graduation.