NICL stands for National Insurance Corporation Limited and it is one of the most prestigious insurance companies in India. It conducts examinations every year to recruit candidates for the post of Administrative Officer (AO). The selection to this post is done in three stages, prelims, mains, and interview. The prelims exam is objective type and the main exam has both objective and subjective type questions. You must keep checking the official website of NICL regarding any updates related to the exam. It is one of the most in-demand upcoming government exams. Here, we discuss the various information related to the NICL AO exam. 


NICL exam pattern

  • Prelims

The different sections in the prelims exam and the marks allotted to each section are summarised in the table below:

Section 

Maximum marks

Quantitative aptitude

35

Reasoning

35

English 

30

Total marks

100

The total time allotted for the prelims exam is 1 hour. The syllabus for the prelims exam is discussed below based on the previous notifications. It is still advisable to check the syllabus downloaded from the official website.

  1. Quantitative Aptitude: Number system, quadratic equations, data interpretation, probability, mathematical inequalities, profit, loss, discount, simple and compound interest, time and work, pipes and cisterns, boats and streams, time, speed, distance, mixtures and allegations, ratio and proportion, averages, mensuration, data sufficiency, permutation and combinations, problem on ages, series simplification and approximation. 
  2. Reasoning: Cubes and dices, input-output, direction based problem, alphanumeric series, verbal reasoning, arithmetic reasoning, embedded figures, coding-decoding, decision making, alphabet series, seating arrangement, syllogism, inequality, puzzles, number series, non-verbal series, mirror images, number ranking, clocks and calendar, data sufficiency, blood relations, order and ranking, analogy.
  3. English: Grammar, theme detection, sentence completion, fill in the blanks, antonyms, unseen passage, verb passage completion, conclusions, word formation, synonyms, idioms and phrases, error correction, vocabulary, articles, agreement, subject-verb, adverb, and comprehension.

 

  • Mains: The mains exam has both objective and descriptive types of questions. The total time allotted for this exam is 2 hours (120 minutes). The different sections and their respective cutoffs are summarised in the table below:

Sections 

Number of questions

Maximum marks

English

40

40

Reasoning

40

40

Quantitative aptitude

40

40

Computer knowledge

40

40

General awareness

40

40

Total

200

200

Syllabus: The syllabus for the Quantitative aptitude, Reasoning, and English sections are the same as prelims. The topics included in other sections are as follows:

  1. Computer Knowledge: Microsoft Office (Excel, Office, Word, Access, Powerpoint), internet, history of the computer, fundamentals of computer, history of the computer, shortcut keys, abbreviations, networking, hardware, memory. 
  2. General Awareness: Current affairs, budget, environment, abbreviations, Indian economy, awards, geography, history, general knowledge, books, general science. 

The descriptive action consists of two questions and the time allotted for these questions is 30 minutes. 

  • Interview: Candidates who qualify for the prelims and mains are called for an interview. The interview mainly focuses on judging the candidate’s personality. Questions related to current affairs, general awareness, etc. are also asked. 

Vacancies

The total number of vacancies will be released on the official website of NICL. The number of vacancies varies every year. NICL released a notification for hiring 205 NICL AO in the year 2017. You can expect an approximate number of vacancies this year too. However, you must keep checking the website. 


Application fees

The candidates can use any one of the different modes of payment like debit card, credit card, online banking, UPI, mobile wallets, etc. to pay the application fees while applying for the NICL AP exam. Based on the previous notification, the following application fees were charged:

  • SC/ST/PWD/Ex-serviceman: Rs 100
  • Other categories: Rs 600

Eligibility

The expected eligibility criteria based on the notification released in the previous year are as follows:

  • Age limit: The age of the candidate should be in the range of 18 to 28 years. The age relaxation for different categories is as follows:
  1. Scheduled caste/ Scheduled tribes: 5 years
  2. Other backward class: 3 years
  3. A person with a disability: 10 years
  4. Ex-serviceman: 5 years
  5. Defense personnel disabled during service: 3 years
  6. Existing confirmed employees of Public sector general insurance companies: 8 years

Salary

The basic pay of NICL AO is Rs 32,795 per month and the total pay is Rs 51,000. The perks and allowances of the NICL AO include house rent allowance, medical allowance, pension, group personal accident insurance, LTS, gratuity, city compensatory allowance, transportation allowance, reimbursements like newspaper, furniture, mobile phone, etc. 


Job profile

The roles and responsibilities of NICL AO are given as follows:

  • Filling official returns
  • Managing records and receipts of customers and other agencies
  • Compiling statutory and regulatory requirements
  • Management and supervision of assistant works
  • Managing contracts and agreements
  • Claim settlement
  • Authorizing insurance claims

Career growth

There are great opportunities for career growth within NICL. Written exams and interviews are taken for promotion to higher posts. You must work for a minimum of 5 years to be eligible for promotion, but in some cases, three years of work experience is also sufficient.


Preparation tips

  • Prepare for prelims and mains simultaneously. Many candidates only prepare for prelims and depend on the gap between prelims and mains to prepare for the mains exam. This is not the right strategy to follow since the time in the gap period is not sufficient. You might end up in panic and frustration. It is good to reserve that time for revision purposes. 
  • Read newspapers and stay updated with current affairs. The current affairs section can affect your marks significantly. You can prepare short notes while reading newspapers. This will come in handy during revision.
  • Practice as many mock tests as possible. It will boost your confidence and will help you to identify your weak and strong points. You can work on your weak points and enhance your preparation. Mock tests prepare you to focus in a time-bound environment. Your mind gets adapted to the exam-like environment. Mock tests are also an opportunity to explore a variety of questions.
  • You must practice reasoning and quantitative aptitude questions every day. The more you practice, the more you improve in terms of speed and accuracy.
  • Do not ignore the English section. Take out time to practice descriptive-type questions. Though it seems like a scoring section, it can cause a great difference in your marks.