The candidates opting for NDA (National Defence Academy) get their first 3-year training at NDA, Khadakwasla, Pune, and then one-year training at their respective service academies AFA/IMA/INA.
In NDA, students from all streams can appear, but in TES, the student’s background required is Maths, Physics, and Chemistry.
If you want to appear for the NDA SSB, then a candidate needs to clear the UPSC written exam, but for the TES SSB, the interview comes up based on your 12th-grade percentage.
After three years of study, if someone is going through NDA entry, he will be provided with a Baccalaureate degree. Whereas in TES, after the successful completion of training, candidates are awarded the Engineering Degree.
NDA entry has a higher and faster chance of promotions as compared to TES entry. It is evident from the fact that NDA has produced 27 service Chiefs of Staff to date.
If we talk about the salary of cadets, then definitely TES entry Cadets get more pay allowances as compared to NDA entry. TES Cadets get an extra technical allowance for them.
To go through NDA entry as there only you will be able to join the fighting arms like Infantry, Artillery, Para, Army Aviation, etc. The TES Entry Cadets hardly gets a chance to join the fighting arm.
In OTA Gaya, platoon-level tactics are taught in the two terms( 1 year ) of training, whereas in NDA, section-level tactics will be taught that too after 2 1/2 years of training.