NDA & CDS Medical Standards 2025 — Complete Official Guide

No. For NDA (10+2 entry), kerato-refractive surgery — LASIK, PRK, SMILE, Femto-LASIK — is not permitted under any circumstances. If you have had any such surgery before applying for NDA, you will be declared unfit at the medical board. There is no appeal pathway for this.

However, this restriction applies only to 10+2 entries. For graduate entries (CDS — IMA, OTA, SSC), LASIK is permitted provided you meet all conditions: age >20 at surgery, ≥12 months post-op, corneal thickness ≥450 microns, axial length ≤26 mm, residual refraction ≤±1.0 D, and a normal retina.

For NDA (10+2 Army entry), your uncorrected vision must not be worse than 6/36 in either eye. Your corrected vision (BCVA) must be 6/6 in both eyes. The maximum allowed refractive error is:

• Myopia: ≤ −2.5 D (sphere), including astigmatism ≤ ±2.0 D cylinder
• Hypermetropia: ≤ +2.5 D (sphere), including astigmatism ≤ ±2.0 D cylinder
• Colour Perception: CP-II minimum

You can wear glasses or contact lenses to correct your vision to 6/6. The restriction is that your uncorrected (naked eye) vision must still be 6/36 or better, and your total refractive error must fall within the limits above.

Note: If you have myopia of, say, −3.0 D, you are ineligible for NDA but may be eligible for CDS graduate entries (which allow up to −3.5 D).

The IAF Flying Branch (A1G1 standard) has the strictest vision requirement of all services:

• Manifest myopia: Nil — not even −0.25 D is allowed
• Retinoscopic myopia: Nil — detected on objective testing
• Hypermetropia: ≤ +1.5 D Sph
• Astigmatism: ≤ +0.75 D Cyl (within the +1.5 D Sph maximum)
• BCVA: 6/6 in one eye and 6/9 in the other — correctable to 6/6 only for hypermetropia
• Colour Perception: Class I (most stringent)

LASIK for IAF Flying is permitted if all standard conditions are met. Importantly, for Pilot/Observer entries, residual refraction post-LASIK must be nil — not just ≤±1.0 D.

If you have any degree of myopia, you will not be eligible for the Flying Branch — even with correction. This is stricter than Army or Navy.

No. You must wait until at least 12 months have elapsed after uncomplicated, stable LASIK surgery before you can be assessed as fit. An 8-month post-LASIK candidate will be declared unfit at the medical board.

In addition, you must also ensure: corneal thickness ≥450 microns, axial length ≤26 mm, residual refraction ≤±1.0 D, normal retina. You must carry a certificate from your surgery centre specifying the date, type of surgery, and your pre-operative refractive error. Without this certificate, the examining Ophthalmologist will reject you with the endorsement "Unfit due to undocumented Visual Acuity corrective procedure."

Wait for the 12-month mark. Do not appear before that — it wastes an attempt and cannot be reversed.

Colour Perception is assessed during the medical examination using standard tests (typically Ishihara plates or a Lantern test).

• CP-I (most stringent): Required for IAF Flying Branch and Navy. Normal colour vision — no colour deficiency at all.
• CP-II: Acceptable for Army officer entries and most Navy ground roles. Allows for mild forms of colour deficiency that do not affect practical tasks.

Colour blindness is hereditary and cannot be corrected by surgery, glasses, or training. If you have a colour perception deficiency that does not meet the required grade, you will be permanently ineligible for that category. There is no workaround.

Test yourself early with an Ishihara colour plate book (widely available) — if you cannot identify plates that most people can, consult an ophthalmologist before appearing for SSB.

Minimum height requirements by service and category:

• Army (NDA/CDS) — General male: 157 cm. Gorkha/NE Hills/Garhwal/Kumaon: 152 cm. General female: 152 cm.
• Navy — General: 157 cm. Gorkha/NE/Garhwali/Kumaoni: 152 cm. Tribals (Ladakh), A&N Islands: 155 cm. Bhutan/Sikkim/NE: 152 cm.
• IAF Flying Branch: 162.5 cm (minimum). There is also a maximum constraint — sitting height ≤96 cm, thigh length ≤64 cm. A person who is very tall (long thighs/sitting height) can also be disqualified.
• IAF Ground Duty: 157.5 cm general. Gorkha/NE Hills: 152.5 cm. Lakshadweep: 155.5 cm.

Height is measured at the medical board. If you are borderline, ensure you have not been measuring yourself incorrectly (common errors: wrong posture, compressed hair, time of day — height is slightly lower in the evening).

If your weight exceeds the maximum specified for your age band, you will generally be declared unfit. However, there is a documented exception:

If you are a documented national-level athlete in bodybuilding, wrestling, or boxing — you may be accepted above the maximum weight limit, but only if:

• BMI is below 25 (Army) or not more than 25 (Navy)
• Waist circumference is <90 cm for males (Army) / Waist-Hip Ratio <0.9 (Navy) / <94 cm (IAF males)
• All biochemical parameters (blood sugar, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, HbA1c) are within normal limits
• You produce documented evidence of national-level achievement

This exception does NOT apply to candidates who are simply heavy or overweight due to lifestyle. The standard weight-for-height chart applies to everyone else. If you are overweight, work on weight loss through diet and exercise well before your medical date.

The minimum recommended chest circumference is 77 cm for all candidates across all services. The chest must also expand by at least 5 cm on full inspiration.

Beyond the measurements, the shape of the chest matters equally. Deformity of the chest — whether congenital (pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum) or acquired — is a cause for rejection if it interferes with physical exertion, impacts military bearing, or is associated with cardiopulmonary or musculoskeletal anomaly.

For IAF specifically, the document states: "The chest should be well proportioned and well developed." — subjective evaluation is part of the process.

All grades of current varicocele are unfit across all three services. If you have a varicocele, you have two options:

• Get operated well in advance: Post-operative cases may be declared fit after 8 weeks of sub-inguinal varicocoelectomy (this is the preferred procedure), provided there is no residual varicocele, no post-operative complications, and no testicular atrophy.
• Time your surgery: If your SSB is in, say, 5 months — get operated immediately. Eight weeks is the minimum wait, so you need at least 8–10 weeks between surgery date and medical examination date.

Do not attempt to hide a varicocele — it is detectable on physical examination and USG (which is a mandatory investigation). Carry your operation notes and post-operative reports to the medical board.

No. Renal calculi are a permanent disqualifier across all three services — Army, Navy, and Air Force. The official rule is: "Irrespective of size, numbers, obstructive or non-obstructive, history of renal calculi — whether clinical or radiological — will render a candidate Unfit."

This means even if the stone passed naturally, even if you had lithotripsy or surgery, even if subsequent ultrasounds show no stone — the fact that you had a stone in your history makes you permanently ineligible. There is no appeal pathway for this condition.

This is one of the more strict disqualifiers in the medical standards. If you have been diagnosed with renal calculi at any point, consult an AFMS-experienced doctor for an honest assessment before investing further in SSB preparation.

Not necessarily. The official position is nuanced:

• Acceptable: Simple nasal deformity not causing disfigurement. Minor septal deviation not interfering with nasal airway. Small traumatic septal perforation that is asymptomatic.
• Unfit: Any septal perforation greater than 1 cm in the greatest dimension. A perforation associated with nasal deformity, nasal crusting, epistaxis, or granulation regardless of size.

If your DNS is causing significant airway obstruction — you will likely be rejected. If it is minor with no functional impairment — the ENT specialist may clear you.

For IAF, specifically: "Obstruction to free breathing as a result of a marked septal deviation" = rejection. Post-corrective surgery (septoplasty) with residual mild deviation with adequate airway patency is acceptable for IAF. If you have a significant DNS, consider getting it operated before SSB — after 4–8 weeks of healing, you may be cleared.

No, flat feet are not automatically a disqualifier. The assessment depends on whether the flat foot is flexible or rigid:

• Acceptable (flexible flat foot): Arches reappear on standing on tiptoes. Can skip and run on toes. Feet are supple, mobile, and painless.
• Unfit (rigid/fixed flat foot): Cannot balance on tiptoes. Cannot skip on forefoot. Painful tarsal joints. Prominent talus head. Eversion of heel. Planovalgus.

The test is functional. If you have flat feet, practice standing on your tiptoes and skipping on your forefoot. If you can do these comfortably without pain — you are likely acceptable. Rigid flat feet that restrict function will lead to rejection.

For IAF: "Rigidity of the foot, whatever may be the shape of the foot, is a cause for rejection." The shape (flatness) is less important than the function.

It depends on the location and extent. The official rule distinguishes:

• Acceptable: Minor degree of leukoderma affecting only covered parts of the body may be accepted. Vitiligo limited only to glans penis and prepuce may be considered fit.
• Unfit: Extensive skin involvement. Vitiligo on exposed parts (face, hands, forearms, neck) — even to a minor degree — should be declared unfit.

A small patch on, say, your thigh or lower back may be acceptable. A patch on your forearm or face will likely result in rejection. The Medical Board has discretion in borderline cases — it is not a rigid numerical threshold.

Preparing medically takes the same discipline as academic preparation. Here is what to do at least 3–4 months before your SSB:

• Ears: Get ears cleaned by an ENT doctor — ear wax (impacted cerumen) is a common temporary rejection that a 10-minute procedure can fix
• Weight: Check the official height-weight chart. If you are underweight or overweight, start a calibrated diet/exercise program immediately
• Dental: Visit a dentist — treat cavities, remove calculus/tartar, treat gum disease. Ensure you have ≥14 dental points. Remove orthodontic braces or retainers in advance.
• Vision: Get a full eye examination — know your exact refraction. Know whether your numbers fall within the limits for your target entry.
• Varicocele / Hydrocele: If detected, operate well in advance (8-week wait post-op)
• Tonsils: If you have chronic tonsillitis requiring removal, get it done — 2-week wait post-op
• Gynaecomastia: If present and significant, operate — 12-week wait post-op
• Blood pressure: If consistently high, visit a cardiologist. White-coat hypertension (anxiety-induced) can be managed
• Pre-medical check-up: Visit a private doctor or AFMS-trained clinician for a complete pre-SSB medical check-up simulating the actual board examination

The medical board is not a surprise test — it has published standards. Prepare for it as methodically as you prepare for the written exam.

Yes, there is a multi-tier appeal process:

• SMB (Special Medical Board): Held after SSB recommendation at AFMS hospitals. If declared unfit, you get your findings and AMB procedure from the President SMB.
• AMB (Appeal Medical Board): Held at a Command Hospital. For Navy, must be completed within 42 days of SMB. A cardiologist may be involved for borderline cardiac or BP findings. The AMB can reverse the SMB's decision.
• RMB (Review Medical Board) — Navy & IAF only: If also unfit at AMB, you can request an RMB within one day of AMB completion. This is not a right — DGAFMS grants it at their discretion. RMB is held only in Delhi and Pune.

The decision of the Medical Board is final in law. However, new medical evidence (e.g., normal 24h ABPM for blood pressure) can be presented at AMB. Do not hide any condition at SMB in hopes of being overlooked — honest disclosure and then appealing with evidence is the correct approach.

Official medical forms (AFMSF-2 / AFMSF-2A) are provided at the examination centre. However, you should also carry:

• All previous medical records, operation notes, discharge summaries for any past surgery
• LASIK surgery certificate — specifying date, type of surgery, and pre-operative refractive error
• Spectacle prescription (if applicable)
• Previous X-rays and USG reports if you have a history of any bone/joint condition or kidney/abdominal issue
• For athletes applying above the standard weight limit: documentation of national-level participation in bodybuilding, wrestling, or boxing
• For old TB cases: CT scan, bronchoscopy, and immunological test reports
• Blood sugar, HbA1c reports if there is a family history of diabetes

Transparency is always the better strategy. The Medical Board has access to investigation facilities — concealed conditions will likely be discovered, and deliberate concealment can lead to more severe consequences including potential criminal liability.

Scoliosis standards differ between services — and the IAF is strictest:

• Army: Rejected if deformity persists on full flexion with restriction of range of movement, or if due to organic defect causing structural abnormality. No specific Cobb's angle is mentioned for Army.
• Navy: Cobb's angle cut-offs: 15° at Lumbar Spine and 20° at Dorsal Spine. Rejected only if deformity exists on full flexion with restriction of movement or due to organic cause.
• IAF: Strictest. Idiopathic scoliosis acceptable only up to 10° lumbar and 15° dorsal, and only if the candidate is completely asymptomatic, no trauma history, no chest asymmetry, no shoulder imbalance, no neurological deficit, no congenital anomaly, no syndromic features, normal ECG, and no deformity on full spinal flexion.

Scoliosis is assessed by X-ray using the Cobb angle method. If you have a curvature, get an X-ray done and calculate your Cobb's angle before appearing for SSB. If you are near the limits, ensure you can demonstrate full, pain-free spinal flexion without the curvature worsening.

Not necessarily — at least not permanently. Here is the official process:

• A BP reading >140/90 mmHg consistently at the SMB is a ground for initial rejection.
• All such candidates undergo 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (24h ABPM) — this distinguishes white-coat hypertension (anxiety-caused high BP in a clinical setting) from genuine persistent hypertension.
• Candidates with a normal 24h ABPM and no target organ damage (no cardiac, kidney, or retinal changes) can be considered fit after evaluation by a cardiologist at AMB.

White-coat hypertension is common in young people appearing for high-stakes medical examinations. If your BP is borderline, practice relaxation techniques before and during the medical. If you have a documented history of white-coat hypertension from a private cardiologist, carry that report to the board.

Genuine persistent hypertension remains a disqualifier for entry into the armed forces.

Yes — with precise understanding of "inner forearm." The official rule allows tattoos on:

• Inner face of the forearm — from the inside of the elbow to the wrist (this includes the wrist area on the inner/ventral side)
• Dorsal (back) side of the hand

All other locations are explicitly not acceptable — this includes the outer forearm, upper arms, neck, chest, back, legs, face, and any other body part. Candidates with tattoos on prohibited locations are barred from further selection.

The visibility of the tattoo is irrelevant — what matters is the location. A tattoo on the inner forearm that is visible when you wear a short-sleeved uniform is still acceptable because it is in the permitted zone. A tattoo on the outer forearm — even if covered by a long-sleeved uniform — is not acceptable.

If you have a tattoo on a prohibited location, the only options are laser tattoo removal (needs to be complete and well-healed before medical) or acceptance that you are ineligible for these entries.