LIC AAO Exam Pattern 2026: Prelims, Mains and Interview

The LIC AAO exam pattern has three stages: an online prelims that only qualifies you, an online mains with an objective test and a descriptive paper, and an interview. This page explains each stage, the marks and timing, the qualifying rules and how final merit is calculated, using the latest cycle we could verify (the 2025 recruitment). We could not confirm a new notification for the next cycle, so check licindia.in before relying on any figure for a future exam.

Some figures below are marked as reported. The detailed pattern was taken from the 2025 notification as described in multiple reports, and a few rules, such as sectional minimums, differ slightly between sources. Where that happens, the page says so and asks you to confirm in the official notification.

Table of Contents

• LIC AAO exam pattern at a glance

• Prelims pattern

• Mains pattern (Generalist)

• Marking scheme and negative marking

• What the pattern means for you

• Specialist and AE posts

• Interview and final merit

• Time management and exam-day strategy

LIC AAO Exam Pattern at a Glance

Prelims Pattern

The prelims is a 60-minute online test with 100 questions. Each section has its own timer, so you cannot move time from one section to another.

Reasoning and quantitative aptitude were reported to be available in English and Hindi, and English Language in English only. Some pages show a total of 70 marks for the prelims because English is qualifying and not counted for ranking. The three sections add up to 100 marks.

Prelims sectional minimums

These are the sectional minimums reported for the 2025 cycle. Candidates are then shortlisted for the mains in order of merit, reported at about 20 times the vacancies in each category, subject to availability. Prelims marks are not added to the final merit.

Mains Pattern (Generalist)

The mains has an objective part of 120 questions for 300 marks in 120 minutes, followed by a descriptive English paper.

The descriptive paper is typed on the computer and includes letter, email, report, situation analysis or precis writing. Candidates have been warned that the actual paper can include harder or extra question types beyond the sample.

Mains sectional minimums (reported)

These mains figures come from secondary reports and are tentative, so confirm them in the official notification.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

No negative marking was reported for the prelims or the mains in the 2025 cycle. A blank answer costs nothing, and a wrong answer was reported not to cost marks either. Because the rule can change between notifications, read the marking scheme again when the next notification is released.

Marks per question differ by section in the mains:

• Reasoning and DI: $\frac{90}{30} = 3$ marks per question.

• General awareness and insurance awareness: $\frac{60}{30} = 2$ marks per question.

• Prelims: 1 mark per question in every section.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Prelims needs safe sectional scores: Marks do not count in the final merit, but missing a sectional minimum ends your attempt.

• Mains rewards reasoning and DI: These two sections carry 180 of the 300 marks, and each question is worth 3 marks.

• Guessing is cheap: With no negative marking reported, attempt every question, but spend time on questions you can solve first.

• Sectional minimums need balance: A high score in one section cannot cover a low score in another.

• Awareness sections are time-efficient: 60 questions carry 120 marks and take about 40 minutes, so accurate reading pays well.

Older pages may still show previous patterns, so follow the official notification.

Specialist and AE Posts

The Specialist and AE mains is different from the Generalist one. One report describes an objective test with reasoning, general awareness and professional knowledge for 150 marks in 60 minutes, a descriptive professional knowledge paper for 50 marks, and the English descriptive paper for 25 marks. This is from a single source and is tentative. Specialist and AE candidates should read the notification for their specific post.

Interview and Final Merit

Candidates who clear the mains are shortlisted for the interview. Reports suggest about three times the number of vacancies are called, depending on category and merit. The interview was reported as 60 marks with a qualifying minimum of 30 (27 for SC, ST and PwBD). After the interview, document verification and a medical examination follow.

Final merit is based on the mains objective marks plus the interview marks. The prelims and the English descriptive paper do not count. For the Generalist post, the maximum score is therefore:

$300 + 60 = 360$

Here is a worked example. A candidate scores 210 in the mains objective test and 42 in the interview:

$210 + 42 = 252$

That candidate has 252 out of 360, which the candidate compares with the final category cut-off. If marks are tied, reports say a higher educational qualification and then age are used to break the tie. The LIC AAO cut-off page shows the final cut-offs for the latest cycle.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

• Respect the section timer: Each section is timed separately, so use the full time and do not leave a section early.

• Skip long puzzles at first: Take the easier sets first and return to the heavy ones.

• Practise on screen: Take mocks on a computer, because the descriptive paper has to be typed.

• Keep 5 minutes for review: Check calculations in DI, where small errors cost 3 marks each.

Confirm the pattern for the next cycle on licindia.in.