LIC AAO (Assistant Administrative Officer) Exam Pattern 2026
The full LIC AAO (Assistant Administrative Officer) exam pattern for 2026 — 3 stages, with the sections, question count, marks, duration and negative marking for each, as set by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). Then take a free LIC AAO (Assistant Administrative Officer) mock in the real pattern below.
Preliminary Examination (Objective, Qualifying)
- Mode
- Online, computer-based test
- Sections
- Reasoning Ability · Quantitative Aptitude · English Language (English carries qualifying marks only and is NOT added to the merit total at Prelims stage)
- Questions
- 100 multiple-choice questions (35 Reasoning + 35 Quant + 30 English)
- Marks
- 70 marks for merit (Reasoning + Quant); English is qualifying only
- Duration
- 1 hour (60 minutes) — 20 minutes per section with sectional timing
- Negative marking
- 1/4 mark deducted per wrong answer (0.25 marks per wrong question)
Prelims is purely a screening filter. Candidates must clear separate sectional cutoffs in Reasoning, Quant and English, plus an overall cutoff in the merit-counting sections. Roughly 20 times the number of vacancies are shortlisted for the Main Examination from the Prelims merit list. English passing is mandatory — many otherwise-strong candidates fail at the English sectional floor.
Main Examination (Objective + Descriptive, Merit-Deciding)
- Mode
- Online — objective section computer-based; descriptive section typed online
- Sections
- Objective: Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude · General Knowledge, Current Affairs (with Insurance & Financial Markets reference) · English Language with Special Emphasis on Grammar, Vocabulary and Comprehension · Quantitative Aptitude. Descriptive: English Language — Letter Writing and Essay
- Questions
- Objective: 120 questions across 4 sections (30 each typical). Descriptive: 2 questions (1 letter, 1 essay) totalling 25 marks
- Marks
- 300 marks objective + 25 marks descriptive = 325 marks total
- Duration
- 2 hours objective + 30 minutes descriptive (sectional timing applies)
- Negative marking
- 1/4 mark deducted per wrong answer in the objective section; no negative marking in descriptive
Mains is the merit-deciding stage. Specialist stream candidates write an additional Specialist paper (Insurance & Financial Market Awareness with relevance to Specialist subject — Actuarial, CA, IT, Legal or Rajbhasha). Sectional cutoffs apply for each objective section AND the descriptive paper; failure in any one section disqualifies. Shortlisted Mains candidates are called for Interview in roughly 1:3 ratio against vacancies.
Interview / Personal Interaction
- Mode
- Offline, in-person at LIC regional offices
- Sections
- Personality assessment, awareness of insurance sector and current affairs, motivation for joining LIC, communication skills, situational judgement
- Questions
- Unstructured interview by a panel of LIC officers
- Marks
- Typically 60 marks (varies by notification)
- Duration
- 15 to 25 minutes typical
- Negative marking
- Not applicable
Final merit is computed as a weighted combination of Mains marks and Interview marks. Document verification (educational certificates, caste/PwBD certificates, age proof, photo ID) happens at the Interview stage. A pre-employment medical examination follows final selection. LIC AAO is a permanent Class I officer post with an initial probation period of 1 year extendable up to 2 years.
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