NDA Physical Fitness Test: Complete Standards and Preparation Guide
NDA Physical Fitness Test covers two separate things: a medical board and a fitness assessment. Here's what each actually checks, and how to prepare.
The NDA Physical Fitness Test actually covers two separate things. A medical board checks height, weight, chest expansion, eyesight, dental health, and hearing against fixed published standards. A separate fitness assessment during SSB checks running, push-ups, sit-ups, and similar tasks, and coaching sources report different exact numbers for these. Medical standards are consistent across sources, while fitness task benchmarks should always be confirmed against your own call letter.
If you're here, you probably want to know the actual height, weight, or eyesight cutoffs, the fitness tasks to train for, or how to prepare for both before your medical and SSB dates.
This guide covers all three, and is upfront about where sources genuinely disagree.
NDA Physical Fitness Test: Medical Standards vs Fitness Tasks
Mixing these two up is the most common source of confusion for first-time aspirants.
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Medical standards: height, weight, chest expansion, vision, dental health, and hearing, assessed by a military medical board against fixed criteria published for the exam.
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Fitness tasks: running, push-ups, sit-ups, rope climbing, and similar physical activities, assessed as part of the SSB process, where exact benchmarks vary somewhat by source and training program.
Both matter for your overall candidature, but they're checked differently and prepared for differently.
NDA Height and Weight Standards
Here's how NDA height and weight requirements break down by category and service.
Being more than 10 percent over or under your ideal weight for your height and age typically results in a temporary unfitness finding rather than outright rejection, giving you a window to correct it.
NDA Chest Measurement Standards
Male candidates need a well-developed chest with a minimum expansion of 5 cm after full inhalation, and the fully expanded chest measurement should not be less than 81 cm.
This is checked as part of the same medical examination as height and weight, not as a separate appointment.
NDA Eyesight Standards by Service
Vision requirements differ meaningfully by branch, and "wearing glasses is fine everywhere" is a common misconception worth correcting early.
Spectacles are permitted for Army candidates within limits, including myopia up to minus 2.5 diopters. Colour blindness is non-negotiable for Navy and Air Force, and night blindness results in permanent rejection across services.
Other Medical Standards: Dental, Hearing, and General Health
Beyond height, weight, and vision, several other NDA medical test requirements apply.
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Dental health: at least 14 dental points from healthy tooth pairs are required.
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Hearing: candidates must be able to detect a forced whisper from about 20 feet in each ear.
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General health: candidates must be free from chronic respiratory illness, asthma, uncontrolled allergies, cardiac conditions, neurological disorders, serious dental disease, and untreated skin conditions.
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Skeletal and postural checks: knock knees, Grade 2 or 3 flat foot, severe scoliosis, and joint instability are common disqualifying conditions. Grade 1 flat foot may be accepted depending on the medical board's assessment.
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Lab tests: blood tests screen for anaemia and infections, urine tests check for diabetes or kidney issues, chest X-rays check for tuberculosis scars, and ultrasounds examine internal organs.
NDA Physical Fitness Test Disqualifications: What Can Get You Rejected
The standards covered above matter because failing some of them ends your candidature outright, while failing others only pauses it. Here's how those same standards split into the two outcomes.
A temporary finding leaves room to treat the issue and get reassessed, covered in more detail further down this guide. A permanent disqualification doesn't offer that path, which is exactly why catching a correctable issue early, months before your medical date, is worth the effort.
NDA Physical Fitness Test: What the Fitness Tasks Actually Involve
This is where sources genuinely disagree on exact numbers for NDA physical fitness standards, so treat the figures below as commonly cited training targets, not one official confirmed benchmark.
Why the Exact Fitness Numbers Differ Across Sources
Medical standards like height, weight, and eyesight are published criteria checked by a medical board, so they stay consistent across sources.
Fitness task numbers, on the other hand, come from a mix of official SSB physical assessments and coaching-platform training targets, which don't always describe the exact same benchmark.
Because of this, the safest approach is to train toward the higher end of these ranges and treat your own call letter and SSB briefing as the final word on that day's exact requirements.
How to Prepare for the NDA Fitness Tasks
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Run daily, building up distance gradually. Interval training, alternating sprints with jogging, builds both speed and endurance more effectively than steady jogging alone.
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Practice push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups in increasing sets. Starting around 20 push-ups and sit-ups daily and increasing every few days builds toward the higher end of expected ranges.
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Include rope climbing and stair climbing in your routine, since these aren't muscles most daily routines otherwise train.
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Practice swimming regularly if you're targeting the Navy, since 50 metres under test conditions feels different from casual swimming.
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Add flexibility and core work, such as stretching, planks, and leg raises, since these support injury prevention during the more intense fitness tasks.
Sample Weekly Training Routine for the NDA Physical Fitness Test
Turning the tips above into an actual weekly schedule makes them easier to follow consistently, rather than training whichever task feels convenient that day.
Repeating this cycle for 8 to 10 weeks before your SSB date, while gradually increasing intensity each week, builds toward the higher end of the ranges covered earlier without risking injury from doing too much too soon.
Preparing for the NDA Medical Standards
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Track your BMI at least six months in advance, since sudden weight changes right before the exam can complicate the medical assessment.
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Get dental and ENT checkups early. Treating cavities, gum disease, or ear wax buildup well ahead of time avoids last-minute medical flags.
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Complete any needed corrective procedures well in advance. Surgical corrections generally need at least six months to heal enough to pass a scar check.
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Avoid crash diets close to your medical date, since sudden dietary changes can affect blood and urine test results.
What Happens If You're Found Temporarily Unfit
A temporarily unfit finding isn't the end of the process. Candidates typically get around 42 days to address curable conditions before being reassessed.
If you disagree with a medical finding, an Appeal Medical Board allows re-examination at a different military hospital, giving you a second, independent assessment.
Common Mistakes Candidates Make
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Assuming glasses are acceptable for every branch. Vision standards differ sharply between Army, Navy, and Air Force, especially for flying roles.
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Crash dieting right before the medical exam. This can distort blood and urine test results rather than genuinely improving fitness.
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Ignoring dental or hearing issues until the last minute. These take time to treat properly and can't be fixed overnight.
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Training only for running and skipping rope climbing or swimming. A balanced routine matters more than excelling at one task alone.
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Not checking regional height relaxations they may qualify for. Gorkha and Northeastern hill candidates can miss an eligibility advantage they're entitled to.
Bringing It Together
The NDA Physical Fitness Test isn't one single test. It's a medical board checking fixed standards for height, weight, chest, vision, dental health, and hearing, plus a separate set of fitness tasks where exact numbers vary by source.
Preparing for both means tracking your medical readiness months in advance and training fitness tasks toward the higher end of reported ranges, while always confirming exact day-of details from your own call letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the NDA Physical Fitness Test actually include? Two separate components: a medical examination covering height, weight, chest expansion, eyesight, dental health, and hearing, and a fitness assessment covering running, push-ups, sit-ups, and similar tasks during SSB.
What is the height requirement for NDA? Minimum 157 cm for male Army and Navy candidates, around 162.5 cm for Air Force, and 152 cm for female candidates, with up to 5 cm relaxation for Gorkha and Northeastern hill candidates.
What is the eyesight standard for NDA? It varies by branch. Army requires 6/6 in the better eye and 6/9 in the worse eye, correctable with spectacles. Air Force has the strictest requirement for its flying branch, needing 6/6 and 6/9 without glasses.
How much should I be able to run for the NDA fitness test? Sources report different exact benchmarks, ranging from shorter, faster runs to longer distances with more time allowed. Training toward the higher end of reported ranges and confirming your own call letter's requirements is the safest approach.
What happens if I'm found temporarily unfit during the medical test? You typically get about 42 days to address a curable condition before reassessment, and an Appeal Medical Board is available if you want to dispute a finding at a different military hospital.
Is swimming compulsory for the NDA physical fitness test? It's commonly cited as a requirement, particularly relevant for Navy candidates, alongside running, push-ups, sit-ups, and rope climbing.
