Indian Navy SSR Exam Pattern 2026: INET and Stage II

The Indian Navy SSR exam pattern has two stages. Stage I is the computer-based Indian Navy Entrance Test (INET). Stage II has a Physical Fitness Test, a written examination and a recruitment medical. This is the pattern for the Agniveer (SSR) cycle covering the 01/2027 and 02/2027 batches.

The pattern matters because it decides how you spend 60 minutes. With four subjects, sectional qualifying and a small penalty for wrong answers, the way you attempt questions affects your result as much as what you know. The details of the Stage I paper below are as reported from the notification and consistent across several sources. Confirm them in the official notice at joinindiannavy.gov.in.

Table of Contents

• Exam pattern at a glance

• Stage I: INET pattern

• Marking scheme and negative marking

• What the pattern means for you

• Stage II: PFT, written exam and medical

• Final merit and selection

• Time management and exam-day strategy

Exam pattern at a glance

Stage I: INET pattern

The paper has multiple-choice questions with four options and one correct answer, in Hindi and English. The standard is school level. The Navy sets the pass marks, and candidates must qualify in each section and in the aggregate.

The test centre is allotted by the Navy from the three cities you list on your application, and the choice cannot be changed. Reaching the centre 30 minutes late can lead to exclusion, and mobile phones and other devices are banned.

Exemption: Sponsored candidates and NCC C certificate holders, verified through the designated agencies, are called directly and skip INET, as stated in the notice for the matching MR entry.

Marking scheme and negative marking

Each correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. An unattempted question carries no mark and no penalty. Your score can be written as:

$\text{Score} = C - 0.25 \times W$

Here C is the number of correct answers and W is the number of wrong answers.

The first two rows give the same score, but the second needs fewer attempts and less risk. A wrong answer therefore costs the mark you would have earned plus a quarter more, so guess only when you can eliminate at least two options.

What the pattern means for you

• Marks per question are equal: Every question is worth 1 mark, so solve the quickest ones first in every section.

• Cost of a wrong guess: Four random guesses give one expected correct answer and three wrong ones, which nets 0.25 marks. Blind guessing barely helps.

• Sectional risk: Because each section has a qualifying mark, a section you skip entirely can disqualify you. Attempt something in all four.

• Where effort goes: English and General Awareness need the least calculation per question, so they are the safest sections to build speed in.

Older pages may still show a different Navy sailor test pattern, so follow the official notification.

Stage II: PFT, written exam and medical

Physical Fitness Test

The PFT is mandatory and comes first in Stage II. The standards stated in the notice for the matching MR entry are below. Check the SSR notice for any difference.

Written examination

Only candidates who clear the PFT sit the written exam. The notice for the matching MR entry says it has the same format as INET, with sectional and aggregate qualifying. The notice does not mention negative marking for this written exam, so check the SSR notice before test day.

Recruitment medical

Medical examination follows for candidates who clear the PFT. Those found unfit can request one review at a designated military hospital within five days. A further pre-enrolment medical happens at INS Chilka.

Final merit and selection

The merit list is based on Stage II written exam marks, subject to qualifying the PFT and medical. Lists for men and women are ranked separately on an all-India basis. Selection is valid only for the batch you applied for, and non-selected candidates cannot claim the next batch.

INET marks themselves are used to shortlist candidates for Stage II, state-wise and batch-wise, with the earlier date of birth winning ties. See the Indian Navy SSR cut-off page for what is and is not published.

Time management and exam-day strategy

An hour for 100 questions gives you

$\frac{3600\ \text{seconds}}{100\ \text{questions}} = 36\ \text{seconds per question}$

The paper is one combined test, so you can move between sections.

1. First pass (about 35 minutes): Answer English and General Awareness questions you know at once, then easy Maths and Science.

2. Second pass (about 20 minutes): Return to the calculation questions you skipped.

3. Last 5 minutes: Review marked questions and guess only where two options are clearly wrong.

Practise this routine with full-length papers. For timed practice in the current pattern, you can attempt Indian Navy SSR mock tests on Testkart and check section-wise time and accuracy afterwards. Read the Indian Navy SSR syllabus for the topics each section covers, and the Indian Navy SSR overview for dates and eligibility.