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NDA Past Questions and Answers Updated | Nigerian Defence Academy Past Questions
50 Essential NDA Past Questions: Boost Your Preparation for the Nigerian Defence Academy Entrance Exam
50 Essential NDA Past Questions
Are you gearing up for the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) entrance exam? As one of Nigeria’s most prestigious military institutions, the NDA attracts thousands of aspiring cadets each year. The exam tests your knowledge across key subjects like Use of English, Mathematics, Sciences, and Social Sciences, with a focus on critical thinking and quick decision-making—skills vital for a future in the armed forces.
To help you prepare, we’ve compiled 50 real past questions from previous NDA exams. These are drawn from authentic sources, including official compilations and verified educational platforms. Practicing these will familiarize you with the exam format: multiple-choice questions with four options (A-D). The NDA exam typically includes 50 questions in Use of English and 150 in your chosen subjects, so time management is key.
We’ve selected a mix focusing on Use of English (Questions 1-26) and Chemistry (Questions 27-50), as these are core for all candidates. Answers aren’t provided here to encourage active practice grab a notebook, time yourself (1 minute per question), and check against reliable compendiums afterward.
Use of English Past Questions (2021 NDA Exam)
- Why did the Writer take a box of matches into the cave with him?
A. because he was thoughtful
B. because he needed it in exploring the cave
C. in order to relight his candle, should it go out
D. because he envisaged the wind - Which of the alternatives has the same meaning as the following word or phrase as they appear in the passage? “Gone Astray”
A. got lost
B. been misplaced
C. gotten missing
D. been thrown away - “The only thing for it means
A. the alternative
B. the only alternative
C. the last option
D. the one choice - In what condition did the writer return?
A. he returned stumbling out into the light
B. he returned feeling foolish and thoughtless
C. he returned bruised and tired
D. he returned longing for a cigarette - Why did the writer realize that he had been a fool?
A. because he had lost his box of matches
B. because he had allowed his candle to go out
C. because he had bruised himself from the constant collisions with the projecting rocks
D. because he had foolishly thought he had nothing with which to relight the candle when he had his lighter all the while - Which of the alternatives is opposite in meaning to these words or phrases in the passage? “Flicker”
A. glow steadily
B. burn steadily
C. burn out
D. blow out - ”Instinctively”
A. thoughtfully
B. thoughtlessly
C. carefully
D. at once - “Stumbled’
A. staggered
B. walked uprightly
C. steadily
D. dazedly - Which of the following alternatives is the same as: “A short puff of wind”
A. A gentle wind
B. A small breeze
C. A breath of wind
D. A hiss of breeze - “To grope”
A. to walk slowly
B. to find the way by feeling it with your hand
C. carefully
D. to search - The Accountant falsified records in order to feather his own nest. This means that the Accountant tried to _.
A. Deceive his Boss
B. Put a feather in his cap
C. Make himself rich
D. Avenge a wrong done to him by his Boss. - The Cashier wanted to pull the wool over my eyes by making me sign for the money I did not receive. This means that the cashier wanted to
A. deceive me
B. blindfold
C. rub my eyes with cotton wool
D. have my support - The man’s decision to withdraw his daughter from school because of her misbehaviour really amount to cutting off his own nose to spite his face. This means that
A. the decision does not affect the daughter
B. it will cause the man pain to his nose and face
C. The decision does the man no good at all
D. The decision will make the daughter sober - The officer urged the soldiers to gird their loins for the task ahead. This means that the soldiers should
A. wake up early the next morning
B. guard heir hungry lions
C. wear a new battle uniform
D. be on full alert - From the alternatives A-D, choose the word nearest in meaning to the underlined word. The journalist refused to divulge the source or his information
A. confirm
B. inform
C. disclose
D. Affirm - Asabe was sceptical about the story Ladidi told her
A. ignorant
B. doubtful
C. confused
D. convinced - The lawyer remarked that the fact that the accused did nothing when the innocent boy was being lynched made him culpable.
A. liable
B. untrustworthy
C. guilty
D. Blameworthy - Spain was once a very powerful nation but her influence has waned over the years
A. disappeared
B. repealed
C. diminished
D. re-appeared - The politician made a very scurrilous remark about his opponent
A. mild
B. intolerable
C. false
D. sharp - In each of the following questions, there is a word or group of words underlined. Choose from the word or group of words almost opposite in meaning to the underlined word. The birth of the disabled girl beautified the family.
A. discomposed
B. discredited
C. disappointed
D. disintegrated - The warder has an antipathy towards juvenile prisoners.
A. sympathy
B. affection
C. apathy
D. inclination - Mallam Khalil is covetous of his neighbour’s horse
A. indifferent
B. insensitive
C. envious
D. inconsiderate - Despite his father’s discouragement, the young man opted for a military career.
A. warning
B. exhortation
C. intervention
D. commendation - The rain turned the football match into a success.
A. spectacle
B. festival
C. fiasco
D. ceremony - The enemies subdued our soldiers without much resistance.
A. capitulated to
B. agreed with
C. conferred with
D. benefited from - The spirit of the old saint soared to empyrean heights as he gazed at the dwell.
A. hellish
B. earthly
C. mundane
D. global
Chemistry Past Questions (2021 NDA Exam)
- Which variety of glass is heat resistant?
A. Hard glass
B. Flint glass
C. Pyrex glass
D. Bottle glass - In vulcanisation, natural rubber is heated with
A. carbon
B. Silicon
C. Sulphur
D. Phosphorus - Which one of the following is correct? Butter is
A. a super cooled oil
B. an emulsion
C. a molecular solid
D. none of these - Which one of the following has the highest density?
A. Chloroform
B. Water
C. Benzene
D. Ice - Which one of the following is the softest?
A. Iron
B. Aluminium
C. Calcium
D. Lithium - Which of the following materials is suitable for water purification?
A. Silicones
B. Zeolites
C. Asbestos
D. Quartz - Which one of the following is an element which never exhibits positive oxidation state in any of its compounds?
A. Oxygen
B. Chlorine
C. Fluorine
D. Carbon - Rubies and Sapphires are known chemically as
A. Silicon dioxide
B. Aluminium oxide
C. Lead tetraoxide
D. Boron nitride - Which one of the following when dissolved in H₂O gives hissing sound?
A. Limestone
B. Slacked lime
C. Soda lime
D. Quick lime - Mixture of which one of the following pairs of gases is the cause explosion in mines?
A. Hydrogen and oxygen
B. Oxygen and acetylene
C. Methane and air
D. Carbon dioxide and methane - Etherification of propane 1,2,3, triol and unsaturated higher carboxylic acid will produce___
A. Fats
B. Soap
C. Methyl-propanoate
D. Alkanols - In solution, aminoethanol acid (glacier) can be represented as NH₃⁺CH₂COO⁻. This implies that it_____
A. Is soluble in all organic liquids
B. Can function as a week acid or weak base
C. Does not form salts with mineral acids
D. Is highly acidic - The formula (CH₃)₃CH is that of
A. Polyhydric alkanol
B. Secondary alkanol
C. Tertiary alkanol
D. Primary alkanol - What is the relationship between the compounds represented by the following structure
A. allotropes
B. dimmers
C. polymers
D. geometric isomers - The composition of gunpowder is
A. 50% KNO₃, 35% charcoal and 15% sulphur
B. 70% KNO₃, 15% charcoal and 15% sulphur
C. 75% KNO₃, 15% charcoal and 10% sulphur
D. 65% KNO₃, 25% charcoal and 10% sulphur - Carbon is often deposited in the exhaust pipe of cars because of the
A. presence of carbon in petrol
B. dehydrogenation of petrol
C. incomplete combustion of the petrol
D. presence of additives in petrol - The product of the reaction between ethanol and excess acidified K₂Cr₂O₇
A. Ethanol
B. Ethyl ethanoate
C. Ethanoic acid
D. Ethyne - Which of the following alkanols on oxidation, is most likely to yield the compound is.
A. Butanol
B. Propan-2-ol
C. 2-methylbutatan-1-ol
D. 2-methyl propan-1-ol - In which of the following processes are larger molecules broken into smaller structures?
A. Vulcanization of rubber
B. Hydrogenation of Palm oil
C. Hydrolysis of starch
D. Polymerization - What is the IUPAC name of the compound with this structure?
A. 3-methylbutane
B. 3-methylpentane
C. 2-methylbutane
D. 2-methylpropane - Which of the following statements about soapless detergents is correct? They
A. lather easily with hard water
B. increase the surface tension of water
C. cause hydrolysis of salts in water
D. form a curdy precipitate with soft water - In the reaction ²³⁴₉₂X + β → ²³⁴₉₀Y + ? + ?, x and y are:
A. 234 and 91
B. 235 and 90
C. 233 and 89
D. 230 and 86 - Cancerous growths are Cured by exposure to
A. α-rays
B. χ-rays
C. γ-rays
D. β-rays - When cathode rays are deflected onto the electrode of an electrometer, the instrument becomes
A. bipolar
B. Negatively charged
C. Positively charged
D. Neutral
Conclusion
These 50 questions represent a solid starting point for your NDA prep focusing on language precision and scientific reasoning, which are hallmarks of the exam. Remember, consistency is your best ally: solve these daily, review mistakes, and simulate full exams. For the latest admission news, follow NDA’s official X posts on screening dates and requirements.
If you’re aiming for the 78 Regular Course (applications open soon!), stay disciplined and loyal to your goals. Got questions or need more subjects like Math or Biology? Drop a comment below. Good luck, future cadet Loyalty and Valour!