LIC AAO · Syllabus & exam pattern
LIC AAO Syllabus and Exam Pattern: Subject-wise Topics
LIC AAO selection: Preliminary (Phase I) (1 hour); Main (Phase II), objective test (2 hours); Main (Phase II), descriptive test (30 minutes); Interview (Phase III) (—), as per the official notice published 16 August 2025.
Subjects, number of questions, marks, duration and negative marking for every stage, as printed in the official notice.
LIC AAO exam pattern
Stages of selection
- 1Phase I: Preliminary exam, online objective test (qualifying; shortlists about 20 times the vacancies in each category for Mains)
- 2Phase II: Main exam, online objective test (300 marks) plus online descriptive English test (25 marks, qualifying)
- 3Phase III: Interview (60 marks)
- 4Pre-recruitment medical examination
Preliminary (Phase I)
1 hour (20 minutes per test)
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 |
| English Language (qualifying, not counted for ranking) | 30 | 30 |
No negative marking. You must qualify in each section separately. The total printed for ranking is 70 marks because the English test is qualifying only. Prelims marks are not added to the final merit.
Main (Phase II), objective test
2 hours (separately timed sections)
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability (40 minutes) | 30 | 90 |
| General Knowledge, Current Affairs (20 minutes) | 30 | 60 |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation (40 minutes) | 30 | 90 |
| Insurance and Financial Market Awareness (20 minutes) | 30 | 60 |
No negative marking. You must qualify in each section and in the aggregate. The notice's guidelines give the main exam duration as two hours and thirty minutes.
Main (Phase II), descriptive test
30 minutes (typed on computer)
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language Descriptive Paper: emails, reports, situation analysis, précis writing | 2 | 25 |
Qualifying only (minimum 9 for SC/ST/PwBD, 10 for others); evaluated only for those who qualify in the objective test; not counted for ranking.
Interview (Phase III)
—
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Interview | — | 60 |
Qualifying marks: 30 (UR/OBC/EWS) and 27 (SC/ST/PwBD). About 3 times the vacancies in each category are called.
Source: Recruitment of Assistant Administrative Officers (AAO) Generalist — 32nd Batch (published 16 August 2025). Confirm in the official notice before applying.
Syllabus: tests of each stage as printed
The tests of each stage as printed in the official notice (Recruitment of Assistant Administrative Officers (AAO) Generalist — 32nd Batch, 16 August 2025), with their questions and marks. Detailed topic lists are given in the notice itself; always follow the latest notice.
- Preliminary (Phase I) (1 hour (20 minutes per test)): Reasoning Ability (35 questions, 35 marks); Quantitative Aptitude (35 questions, 35 marks); English Language (qualifying, not counted for ranking) (30 questions, 30 marks). No negative marking. You must qualify in each section separately. The total printed for ranking is 70 marks because the English test is qualifying only. Prelims marks are not added to the final merit.
- Main (Phase II), objective test (2 hours (separately timed sections)): Reasoning Ability (40 minutes) (30 questions, 90 marks); General Knowledge, Current Affairs (20 minutes) (30 questions, 60 marks); Data Analysis & Interpretation (40 minutes) (30 questions, 90 marks); Insurance and Financial Market Awareness (20 minutes) (30 questions, 60 marks). No negative marking. You must qualify in each section and in the aggregate. The notice's guidelines give the main exam duration as two hours and thirty minutes.
- Main (Phase II), descriptive test (30 minutes (typed on computer)): English Language Descriptive Paper: emails, reports, situation analysis, précis writing (2 questions, 25 marks). Qualifying only (minimum 9 for SC/ST/PwBD, 10 for others); evaluated only for those who qualify in the objective test; not counted for ranking.
- Interview (Phase III) (—): Interview (60 marks). Qualifying marks: 30 (UR/OBC/EWS) and 27 (SC/ST/PwBD). About 3 times the vacancies in each category are called.
How the exams work: qualifying marks and merit
The preliminary exam is a one-hour online test of 100 questions: Reasoning Ability (35 questions, 35 marks), Quantitative Aptitude (35, 35) and English Language with emphasis on grammar, vocabulary and comprehension (30, 30), each timed at 20 minutes. English is qualifying only, so 70 marks count for ranking. About 20 times the vacancies in each category are shortlisted for the main exam, subject to availability.
The main exam objective test has 120 questions and 300 marks: Reasoning Ability (30 questions, 90 marks, 40 minutes), General Knowledge and Current Affairs (30, 60, 20 minutes), Data Analysis & Interpretation (30, 90, 40 minutes) and Insurance and Financial Market Awareness (30, 60, 20 minutes). Immediately after it comes the descriptive English paper: 2 questions, 25 marks, 30 minutes, typed on the computer, covering communication skills such as emails, reports, situation analysis and précis writing.
There is no negative marking in either exam. Scores of exams held in several sessions are normalised by equi-percentile equating, to two decimals.
About 3 times the vacancies in each category are called for the interview, on main exam marks. The final merit list uses the main exam (objective) marks and the interview marks; added up, that is a maximum of 360 (our sum: 300 + 60). You must clear the minimum in both. There is no waiting list.
On equal marks, a candidate with a higher additional postgraduate qualification is placed higher; if that is also equal, the older candidate is placed higher.
Section-wise minimum qualifying marks
| Test / section | Max marks | SC/ST/PwBD | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims: Reasoning Ability | 35 | 16 | 18 |
| Prelims: Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 16 | 18 |
| Prelims: English Language | 30 | 9 | 10 |
| Mains: Reasoning Ability | 90 | 40 | 45 |
| Mains: General Knowledge, Current Affairs | 60 | 27 | 30 |
| Mains: Data Analysis & Interpretation | 90 | 40 | 45 |
| Mains: Insurance and Financial Market Awareness | 60 | 27 | 30 |
| Mains: English descriptive | 25 | 9 | 10 |
| Interview | 60 | 27 | 30 (UR/OBC/EWS) |
These are the minimum marks printed in the notice. They are not cut-offs; LIC sets the actual section-wise and aggregate cut-offs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the LIC AAO exam pattern?
Preliminary (Phase I): Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language (qualifying, not counted for ranking) (1 hour (20 minutes per test)). No negative marking. You must qualify in each section separately. The total printed for ranking is 70 marks because the English test is qualifying only. Prelims marks are not added to the final merit. Main (Phase II), objective test: Reasoning Ability (40 minutes), General Knowledge, Current Affairs (20 minutes), Data Analysis & Interpretation (40 minutes), Insurance and Financial Market Awareness (20 minutes) (2 hours (separately timed sections)). No negative marking. You must qualify in each section and in the aggregate. The notice's guidelines give the main exam duration as two hours and thirty minutes. Main (Phase II), descriptive test: English Language Descriptive Paper: emails, reports, situation analysis, précis writing (30 minutes (typed on computer)). Qualifying only (minimum 9 for SC/ST/PwBD, 10 for others); evaluated only for those who qualify in the objective test; not counted for ranking. Interview (Phase III): Interview (—). Qualifying marks: 30 (UR/OBC/EWS) and 27 (SC/ST/PwBD). About 3 times the vacancies in each category are called.
Is there negative marking in LIC AAO?
No. The notice says there will be no negative marks in the preliminary or main exam.
What is the LIC AAO prelims pattern?
100 questions in 1 hour: Reasoning 35, Quantitative Aptitude 35 and English 30. English is qualifying only, so 70 marks count for ranking. Prelims marks are not added to the final merit.
What is the LIC AAO mains pattern?
An objective test of 120 questions and 300 marks (Reasoning 90, GK & Current Affairs 60, Data Analysis & Interpretation 90, Insurance and Financial Market Awareness 60) and a 30-minute typed English descriptive test of 25 marks, which is qualifying only.