NDA Physical Test List | Convex classes Jaipur

Clearing the NDA written exam is only half the battle. Every year, a large number of candidates who score well on paper get rejected at the SSB or medical stage simply because they didn’t know the exact physical and medical standards in advance — or started preparing for them too late.

This guide covers every physical and medical requirement for NDA 2026-27 in one place: height and weight standards for Army, Navy, and Air Force separately, vision and dental requirements, the fitness benchmarks tested during SSB, common disqualifying conditions, and what actually happens during the Services Medical Board. Read it once at the start of your preparation, not the week before your SSB.

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How Physical Standards Fit Into NDA Selection

The NDA selection process has four stages: Written Exam → SSB Interview (5 days) → Medical Examination → Final Merit List.

Physical fitness is assessed twice — informally during the SSB interview (through group tasks, obstacle course, and physical tasks), and formally at the Services Medical Board (SMB) at a designated Military Hospital after you’re recommended by SSB. Both stages matter. A candidate can be recommended by SSB and still get rejected at the medical stage, so it’s worth preparing for physical and medical fitness from the same day you start your written exam preparation — not after.

Height Requirements (Service-Wise)

Height standards differ slightly across the three services:

• Army: Minimum 157 cm for male candidates
• Navy: Minimum 157 cm for male candidates
• Air Force: Minimum 162.5 cm for male candidates (higher due to cockpit and equipment ergonomics)
• Female candidates (all services): Minimum 152 cm; 162.5 cm specifically for the Air Force Flying Branch

Height relaxations: Candidates from the North Eastern Hill states, Garhwal, Kumaon, and Gorkhas are given a relaxation of up to 5 cm in the minimum height requirement. Candidates from Lakshadweep get a 2 cm relaxation. These relaxations generally do not apply to candidates seeking the Pilot/Observer specialisations in the Navy’s Executive Branch — those roles have stricter, non-relaxable height and limb-proportion standards.

Height is always measured without shoes, standing fully erect, first thing during the medical examination.

Weight Requirements

There’s no single fixed weight cut-off — your weight is checked against a height-for-age chart used by the Services Medical Board, and it needs to fall within a proportionate range.

As a practical target, most candidates are expected to maintain a BMI between 18.5 and 25. Falling significantly outside this range — in either direction — is one of the most common, and most avoidable, reasons for medical rejection. Being underweight is flagged just as often as being overweight, so candidates who are naturally lean shouldn’t ignore this requirement either.

Weight is measured in light clothing, and you’re advised not to drink large amounts of water right before your medical, since that can temporarily push your recorded weight up.

Chest Measurement

• Minimum chest measurement: 81 cm (unexpanded)
• Minimum expansion after full inspiration: 5 cm

A well-developed, symmetrically expanding chest is checked as part of the general physical exam. Breathing exercises, swimming, and pranayama are commonly recommended to improve chest expansion in the months before your SSB.

Vision Standards

Vision requirements differ meaningfully between the Army/Navy and the Air Force, so don’t assume the same rule applies to all three.

Army and Navy:

• Distant vision: 6/6 in one eye, 6/9 in the other
• Correctable to 6/6 only for Hypermetropia (with glasses)

Air Force:

• Distant vision: 6/6 in one eye, 6/9 in the other, correctable to 6/6 for Hypermetropia
• Myopia should not exceed -2.5D
• Hypermetropia should not exceed +3.5D, including Astigmatism
• For flying branches specifically, standards are stricter and closer to 6/6 unaided in both eyes

Colour vision: Colour blindness is tested using Ishihara plates. It disqualifies a candidate from flying and several technical branches, even if all other vision parameters are normal. It’s worth getting this checked early — many candidates discover mild colour vision deficiency for the first time during their NDA medical.

LASIK / refractive surgery: This is a common and costly mistake. Any history of LASIK, PRK, or Radial Keratotomy generally leads to permanent disqualification, regardless of how good your vision is after the surgery. Never get corrective eye surgery specifically to try and “pass” the vision test — it works against you, not for you.

Hearing Standards

Candidates must have normal hearing in both ears. The standard test requires you to hear a forced whisper at a distance of 610 cm (20 feet) in a quiet room. Any history of chronic ear infection, perforated eardrum, or significant hearing loss is checked carefully, since these can also affect balance and long-term fitness for military training.

Dental Health

A minimum of 14 dental points is required, based on a points system that accounts for the number and condition of natural, sound teeth. Cavities, missing teeth, or unresolved dental issues should be treated well in advance — dental work done just before your medical date isn’t always accepted, since some procedures need a healing period.

Physical Fitness Test — Events and Benchmarks

These are the fitness benchmarks candidates are generally expected to meet by the time they reach SSB and academy training:

Event	Minimum Standard	Suggested Training Target
Running	2.4 km in 15 minutes	Aim for 10–12 minutes for a safety margin
Push-ups	20 reps	Build up to 30+
Sit-ups	20 reps	Build up to 30+
Chin-ups	8 reps	Build up to 12+
Squats	15 reps in 1 minute	Practise for endurance, not just count
Rope Climbing	3.4 metres (hands and feet)	Practise grip strength separately

There’s no single formally notified “pass/fail” running cutoff enforced identically everywhere, but these numbers reflect the realistic standard expected during SSB physical tasks and early academy training — so treat the minimums as a floor, not a target.

Common Reasons for Medical Disqualification

Beyond height, weight, and vision, these conditions are frequently responsible for rejections that candidates don’t see coming:

• Flat feet or knock knees — affect gait and load-bearing stability
• Chronic illnesses — asthma, uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions
• Skin conditions — chronic eczema, psoriasis, or active dermatitis
• Colour blindness — for flying and select technical roles
• Uncorrected dental issues — falling below the 14-point requirement
• Being significantly outside the BMI 18.5–25 range
• Tattoos — small, non-offensive tattoos on the inner forearm are sometimes permitted, but tattoos elsewhere on the body, or larger ones, carry real rejection risk. Don’t assume any tattoo is automatically safe.

Many of these are correctable if identified early — which is exactly why a pre-medical check-up 2–3 months before your expected SSB date is worth doing, rather than discovering an issue on the day itself.

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What Happens at the Medical Examination (SMB)

Once you’re recommended by the SSB, you’re scheduled for a Services Medical Board (SMB) at a designated Military Hospital. This typically takes 2–3 days and includes:

• General physical examination (height, weight, chest, posture)
• Blood tests, to screen for underlying health issues
• Urine tests
• X-rays, to check for skeletal abnormalities
• Ultrasound, to examine internal organs
• ECG and other cardiac screening
• Detailed vision and hearing tests
• Dental examination

If you’re declared unfit at the SMB, you can request a review medical at a higher medical board — but there’s no guarantee of a different outcome, and it’s far better to walk in prepared than to rely on an appeal.

Physical Standards for Female Candidates

Since female candidates became eligible for all three wings of NDA, the physical and medical standards applied to them mirror the same officer-readiness benchmarks as male candidates, with adjusted height/weight baselines (152 cm minimum height, BMI range applies the same way). Female aspirants are assessed on functional strength — leg endurance, core stability, and cardiovascular fitness — not on any separate or lighter framework. A common preparation mistake is focusing only on running and ignoring basic strength training; both matter equally for SSB tasks and long-term training readiness.

Menstrual health issues on their own are not automatically disqualifying, but any significant, unresolved gynaecological condition may need medical evaluation before clearance.

Preparation Checklist Before You Reach SSB

• Get a full eye check — know your exact power and get colour vision tested with Ishihara plates
• Track your BMI monthly, not just in the final weeks before SSB
• Work on chest expansion through swimming, pranayama, and breathing exercises
• Check for flat feet with a simple wet-foot test; see a physiotherapist early if flagged
• Resolve dental issues well in advance, not last-minute
• Build a consistent running + strength routine — at least 5–6 days a week, focusing on both cardio and functional strength, not cardio alone
• Eat a protein-rich, balanced diet and stay properly hydrated (without over-hydrating right before weigh-in)
• Practise mock physical tests periodically to track real progress, not assumed progress
• Work on mental resilience — meditation, structured routines, and staying calm under evaluation are as important as raw fitness, since SSB physical tasks are also assessed for composure and teamwork

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What happens if I don’t meet the height and weight standards?

Candidates who are close to the required standard may sometimes be given a short window to correct it. However, consistent failure to meet the requirement typically results in disqualification, so it’s safer to fix this well before your medical date rather than relying on a grace period.

Q2. Can I wear glasses during the vision test?

Yes, for Army and Navy candidates — as long as your vision is correctable to 6/6 within the permitted limits for Hypermetropia and Myopia. Air Force flying branch standards are stricter and closer to unaided 6/6.

Q3. Is LASIK or any laser eye surgery allowed before NDA?

Generally no. A history of LASIK, PRK, or Radial Keratotomy typically leads to permanent disqualification for all services, regardless of your post-surgery vision. This is one of the most common and irreversible mistakes aspirants make.

Q4. Are there any relaxations in height standards?

Yes. Candidates from the North Eastern Hill states, Garhwal, Kumaon, and Gorkhas get up to 5 cm relaxation, and candidates from Lakshadweep get 2 cm relaxation — though this generally doesn’t apply to certain specialised Navy roles.

Q5. What is the ideal BMI range for NDA medical clearance?

Most candidates are expected to maintain a BMI between 18.5 and 25. Both overweight and underweight candidates are commonly flagged, so this isn’t only a concern for candidates trying to lose weight.

Q6. Can a candidate with flat feet or knock knees clear the NDA medical?

Mild cases are sometimes cleared after evaluation, but pronounced flat feet or knock knees are a frequent cause of disqualification, since they affect gait, stability, and load-bearing capacity during training.

Q7. Are tattoos completely banned for NDA?

Not entirely — small, non-offensive tattoos on the inner forearm are sometimes permitted. Tattoos elsewhere on the body, larger tattoos, or ones considered offensive carry a real risk of rejection, so it’s best not to assume any tattoo is automatically safe.

Q8. What are the most common reasons for medical disqualification besides height and weight?

Poor or uncorrectable vision, colour blindness, hearing issues, dental problems below the 14-point requirement, flat feet, chronic illnesses like asthma or epilepsy, and skin conditions are among the most frequent reasons — many of which are avoidable with early preparation.

Q9. How can I prepare for the physical fitness tests?

Build a consistent routine covering running, push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, squats, and rope climbing, alongside a protein-rich diet and adequate rest. Treat the official minimums as a starting floor and train toward a comfortable margin above them.

Q10. Do female candidates have different physical standards from male candidates?

The framework is largely the same, with an adjusted height baseline (152 cm) and the same BMI-based weight standard. Female candidates are assessed on the same functional fitness principles — strength, endurance, and stability — not a separate or reduced standard.

Final Word

The NDA physical and medical standards aren’t designed to filter out effort — they’re designed to confirm that a candidate can handle the physical demands of military training safely. Most rejections at this stage come from issues that were entirely fixable if caught early: an uncorrected BMI, an undiagnosed vision issue, or dental work left for “later.” Start treating your physical and medical readiness as a parallel track to your written preparation, not an afterthought once your exam is done.