Inside the NDA 77 Regular Course Screening: What Awaits Candidates in 2025
If you’re aiming for a spot in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), circle May 24, 2025, on your calendar. That's when the screening test for the much-anticipated NDA 77 Regular Course will take place. The competition is always fierce, but this year’s process is leaving nothing to chance—right down to the type of photographs you bring.
Candidates looking to secure a place in the Regular Course are facing a two-phase admission process. The screening on May 24 marks Phase 1, and only those who clear this hurdle will be invited to the next round—the Armed Forces Selection Board (AFSB) interviews. Success here opens the door to a five-year experience that mixes military discipline with an academic journey, ending in an honours degree.
The documentation rules sound strict, but they’re designed to keep everything transparent and organized. Prospective cadets must come with four key things: an Acknowledgement Form (the proof you started your application online), a Screening Test Admission Card (which is basically your exam ticket), the original JAMB result slip (no, a photocopy won’t do), and two postcard-sized photographs (3.5 by 5 inches). Here’s the catch with the photos—they need to show you from the chest upward, and there’s a list of details that must go on the back: your name, examination number, state, exam centre, the course you want to study, and your signature. Miss a step, and you could end up sidelined before you even answer the first question.
After Phase 1, only those who pass the test will be called back for Phase 2, which is the AFSB interview process. This stage isn’t just about how well you did academically. The board is searching for candidates who fit the complete profile: academic strength, physical ability, and a clean bill of health. Every hopeful must pass medical and physical tests based on pre-set standards published by the academy. NDA has a reputation for being tough—and if you fall short, there are no do-overs.
The Pressure and the Promise: What’s at Stake?
The stakes are about more than just earning a place: those who get through both phases commit to a serious five-year program. It’s a blend of military training—from early-morning drills to leadership lessons—and studies in core academic fields like science, engineering, and the humanities. At the end, successful cadets don’t just walk away with an honours degree. They can look forward to careers in the armed forces, ready to serve with qualifications that carry real weight in Nigeria and beyond.
The NDA always emphasizes that the screening and selection process is fair but uncompromising. If you’re looking to apply, it’s time to triple-check your paperwork, start your physical training, and be ready for anything the process throws at you. This isn’t just an exam—it’s the first step in a transformation that could shape your future.
Yogita Bhat May 16, 2025
Okay but let’s be real - if you can’t get your photo right, you probably shouldn’t be in the NDA. I’ve seen people stress over the perfect selfie for Instagram but freeze when it’s time to write their name on a 3.5x5 inch picture. 😅 The real test starts before the exam room.
Tanya Srivastava May 17, 2025
LMAO they want a signature on the back of the photo?? Who even signs photos anymore?? 😂 I bet half these kids will get rejected because they used a pen that smudged or signed in cursive like a vampire wrote it. #NDA2025 #PhotoFail
Ankur Mittal May 17, 2025
Just double-check the JAMB slip and photo specs. Done. 💯
Diksha Sharma May 17, 2025
This is all a setup. The NDA doesn’t want cadets - they want obedient robots. That photo requirement? It’s to make sure you don’t look too individual. They’ll reject you if your eyebrows are too thick or your smile is too wide. The real test is losing your identity before you even walk in.
Akshat goyal May 18, 2025
Good luck to everyone. Stay focused.
anand verma May 18, 2025
The Nigerian Defence Academy continues to uphold a rigorous and principled standard of selection, ensuring that only those who demonstrate both intellectual acumen and unwavering discipline ascend to the ranks of its cadet corps. Such institutional integrity is commendable and worthy of global recognition.
Amrit Moghariya May 19, 2025
You think the photo thing is harsh? Wait till you get to the physical test and they make you do push-ups while reciting the Nigerian constitution. I’ve heard some candidates pass the written part but cry during the 5km run. 🥲 But hey - if you survive this, you’ll be tougher than your ex’s new boyfriend.
shubham gupta May 20, 2025
Make sure your Acknowledgement Form matches your JAMB registration number exactly. One mismatch and you’re out. No appeals. No second chances. Been there. Don’t risk it.
Gajanan Prabhutendolkar May 21, 2025
Let’s be honest - this entire process is designed to filter out the middle class. Who has time to print 4 photos, get them signed, and carry originals to a test center? The rich? They just send their kids to military academies abroad. The poor? They don’t even have a reliable internet connection to apply. This isn’t meritocracy. It’s class engineering.
ashi kapoor May 21, 2025
I mean… I get it. The photos are a pain. But think about it - if you can’t follow instructions on something this small, how are you gonna follow orders when you’re in the field? Like, imagine being told to move left at 0500 hours and you show up because you thought it meant 5 PM. 😭 I’m not saying it’s fair, but it’s a test of attention to detail. And honestly? That’s more important than your math score sometimes. Also, I did this last year. Got rejected because my photo had a shadow on the chin. I cried for three days. Then I cried for three more. Then I studied harder. And now I’m in. So… yeah. Don’t let a stupid photo stop you. You got this. 🙌❤️
Yash Tiwari May 21, 2025
The NDA is not merely an institution - it is a crucible of national identity. The requirement for chest-up photographs with handwritten metadata is not bureaucratic overreach; it is a symbolic act of epistemological alignment - a ritual that binds the aspirant to the collective ontology of military service. To neglect this is to reject the very episteme of discipline. The photograph becomes a palimpsest of the self - erased, rewritten, and inscribed into the corpus of the state. You are not submitting a photo. You are surrendering your autonomy to the mythos of the uniform.
Mansi Arora May 22, 2025
I know someone who got rejected because the photo was 3.6 inches wide. They said it was ‘non-compliant’. Like… what? Who measures these things with calipers? The whole thing is a joke. They just want to make people feel small. And then they wonder why people lose faith in the system.
Amit Mitra May 23, 2025
I’ve seen this process from both sides - as a candidate and later as a junior officer. The paperwork seems excessive, but it’s not about control. It’s about consistency. In the field, a single misplaced document can cost lives. The NDA is training you to be someone who doesn’t cut corners. The photo? It’s the first lesson. Pay attention to details, even when they feel silly. Because one day, when you’re standing in front of a platoon, someone will notice if your boots are laced wrong. And they’ll trust you more if you got the photo right.
sneha arora May 23, 2025
You can do this 💪 I believe in you 🥺 I know it’s scary but you’re stronger than you think 🌟 just breathe and go in there like you own it 🤝
Sagar Solanki May 24, 2025
The entire screening protocol is a neoliberal surveillance apparatus disguised as meritocracy. The photo metadata requirement is a micro-aggression embedded in institutional hegemony - a performative compliance mechanism designed to extract labor from the aspirant while reinforcing the epistemic violence of the colonial military-industrial complex. JAMB slips? They’re just the tip of the iceberg. The real gatekeeping happens in the psychometric profiling during AFSB - where your dialect, your posture, and your hesitation are weaponized against you. You’re not being tested on knowledge. You’re being tested on assimilation.
Siddharth Madan May 24, 2025
Stay calm. Do your best. That's all that matters.
Nathan Roberson May 25, 2025
Bro the photo thing is wild but honestly? I think they do it to weed out the people who think this is just another exam. If you can’t handle a simple rule like this, you’re gonna crack under the pressure of 5am PT. Just get the damn photo right and move on.
Thomas Mathew May 25, 2025
They say it’s about discipline. But really? It’s about obedience. They don’t want thinkers. They want drones who can recite the manual while marching. The photo? The signature? The JAMB slip? It’s all a ritual to break your spirit before the real test even begins. You think you’re joining an academy? You’re joining a cult. And the first sacrament is surrendering your identity to a 3.5x5 inch rectangle. Welcome to the machine.
Yogita Bhat May 26, 2025
Wait so you’re telling me the NDA doesn’t want people who think for themselves? 😂 I thought the point was to train leaders. Not robots who can’t even sign their own name without getting rejected. Guess I’ll go work at a startup.