The NIACL AO Mains exam is scheduled to be conducted on 29th October 2025. So, hardly a month is left for the preparation. The level of mains exam is quite tough as compared to prelims, and it requires a lot more focused and strategic preparation. Another important factor of having a study plan is that many other banking and insurance exams are also going to be conducted during this time frame. So it’s better to strategise as their preparation is prelims-oriented, and NIACL preparation is of the mains level. Very little time is left, so speed up your preparation. To help you, we have come up with a month-long NIACL AO mains study plan 2025. But before heading towards the strategy part, let’s get a quick glance at the NIACL AO exam pattern to understand which section needs to be done on a priority basis.
NIACL AO Mains Exam Pattern 2025
The main examination will consist of objective tests for 200 marks and descriptive tests for 30 marks. Both the objective and descriptive tests will be online. Candidates will have to answer the descriptive test by typing on the computer. Immediately after completion of the Objective Test, a Descriptive Test will be administered.
For Generalists
Candidates should check the NIACL AO Mains Exam Pattern for Generalist Posts. There is a set of 200 objective-based questions from sections Reasoning, English Language, General Awareness, and Quantitative Aptitude sections. The time provided for the main paper is 150 minutes. A separate duration is for each section in the mains.
| NIACL AO Mains Exam Pattern 2025 For Generalist | |||
| Name of Test | Type of test | Maximum Marks | Duration for each test |
| Test of Reasoning | Objective | 50 | 40 min |
| Test of English Language | Objective | 50 | 40 min |
| Test of General Awareness | Objective | 50 | 30 min |
| Test of Quantitative Aptitude | Objective | 50 | 40 min |
| Total (Aggregate) | 200 | 150 mins | |
For Specialists Post
Candidates get objective-based questions for the NIACL AO Specialist Posts in the mains paper. A common set of questions is asked from Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, English, and General Awareness sections of 200 marks value.
| NIACL AO 2025 Exam Pattern for Specialists Post | |||
| Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Test of Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Test of English Language | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Test of General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 25 minutes |
| Test of Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| In the Specialist stream, an additional test to assess technical& professional knowledge in the relevant discipline | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 150 minutes |
Descriptive Test
The Descriptive Test of 30 minutes duration with 30 marks will be a Test of the English Language (Letter Writing-10 marks & Essay-20 marks). The descriptive test will be in English and will be conducted online.
| NIACL AO 2025 Descriptive Test | ||
| Name of Exam | Marks | Duration |
| Letter Writing | 10 marks | 30 minutes |
| Essay Writing | 20 marks | |
NOTE: Each candidate will be required to obtain a minimum score for each section of the objective test separately to get shortlisted for the Descriptive test evaluation/Interview. The descriptive answer script would be evaluated only with respect to those candidates who qualify for the objective test.
Important topics for NIACL AO Mains
In this section, we are providing the list of important topics for NIACL AO 2025 Exam, the topics are suggested from previous years’ paper analysis done by experts.
| Reasoning Ability | Quantitative Aptitude | General Awareness | English Language | Descriptive Writing |
| Puzzles (Floor, Box, Scheduling) | Data Interpretation | Current Affairs (3–4 months) | Reading Comprehension | Essay: Role of Insurance |
| Seating Arrangement | Simplification & Approximation | Banking Awareness | Cloze Test | Essay: Financial Inclusion |
| Syllogism | Number Series | Insurance Awareness | Error Spotting | Essay: Digital Banking |
| Inequality | Quadratic Equations | Static GK | Sentence Improvement | Essay: Climate & Economy |
| Coding-Decoding | Profit & Loss | Financial Terms | Para Jumbles | Essay: Cybersecurity |
| Blood Relations | Time & Work | Fill in the Blanks | Letter: Complaint | |
| Direction Sense | Time, Speed & Distance | Phrase Replacement | Letter: Inquiry | |
| Input-Output | Simple & Compound Interest | Vocabulary (Synonyms, Idioms) | Letter: Appreciation/Loan | |
| Data Sufficiency | Ratio & Proportion | |||
| Logical Reasoning | Mixture & Allegation | |||
| Averages | ||||
| Partnership | ||||
| Probability & Permutation |
NIACL AO Mains 2025 Study Plan
NIACL AO Mains 2025 study plan is divided into four weeks, as only one month is left. We have made the strategy in such a way that it is quite feasible for you to follow, as other exams are also approaching. One more thing, the topics that we are suggesting in the first two weeks are similar for mains as well as prelims level. So it will help you in LIC AAO and IBPS Clerk prelims as well.
Week 1: This week is all about revising the basics that you’ve learnt during the prelims phase. Along with this, you need to practice advanced mains-level questions. We are listing the topics that you should complete during this week. Try to practice advanced-level questions. Also, we suggest you write 2 essays and two letters in a week under the descriptive writing session.
| Day | Reasoning Ability | Quantitative Aptitude | English Language | General Awareness | Descriptive Writing |
| 1 | Linear & Circular Seating (2 sets) | Simplification (20 Qs), Tabular DI (1 set) | RC (1 passage), Cloze Test (1 set) | CA: July Week 1–2 | Essay |
| 2 | Floor Puzzle (1 set), Inequality (20 Qs) | Approximation (20 Qs), Bar Graph DI (1 set) | RC (1 passage), Para Jumbles (1 set) | CA: July Week 3–4 | — |
| 3 | Tabular Puzzle (1 set), Syllogism (20 Qs) | Number Series (20 Qs), Line Graph DI (1 set) | Cloze Test (1 set), Error Detection (20 Qs) | CA: August Week 1 | Letter |
| 4 | Circular Puzzle (1 set), Blood Relation (15 Qs) | Simplification (20 Qs), Arithmetic: Ratio & profit & loss | RC (1 passage), Fillers (20 Qs) | Banking Awareness: Basics | — |
| 5 | Direction Sense (15 Qs), Linear Puzzle (1 set) | Approximation (20 Qs), Arithmetic: Percentages | Para Jumbles (1 set), Error Detection (20 Qs) | CA: August Week 2 | Essay |
| 6 | Mixed Puzzle (1 set), Syllogism (20 Qs) | Number Series (20 Qs), Arithmetic: Profit & Loss | RC (1 passage), Cloze Test (1 set) | Insurance Awareness: Intro | — |
| 7 | Revision of all topics | Mixed DI (2 sets), Simplification (20 Qs) | RC (2 passages), Match-the-Following (1 set) | CA: August Week 3–4 | Letter |
Week 2: This week, in terms of reasoning, we are focusing on topics such as machine input and data sufficiency. In quants, focus on topics such as Advanced DI (Caselet, Pie Chart, Mixed Graph), Quadratic Equations, Arithmetic (Time & Work, SI & CI, Averages, Mixture & Alligation). In the table below, we have divided the topics day-wise. The time that you will give to each section is purely based on your personal choice. How much time you think you should devote to preparing a particular section might differ from another person, and hence it is completely your own choice.
| Day | Reasoning Ability | Quantitative Aptitude | English Language | General Awareness | Descriptive Writing |
| 8 | Advanced Puzzle (2 sets), Input-Output (10 Qs) | Caselet DI (1 set), Quadratic Eq. (20 Qs) | RC (1 passage), Sentence Improvement (20 Qs) | CA: September Week 1 | Essay |
| 9 | Input-Output (10 Qs), Coding-Decoding (15 Qs) | Pie Chart DI (1 set), Arithmetic: Time & Work | RC (1 passage), Match-the-Following (20 Qs) | CA: September Week 2 | — |
| 10 | Data Sufficiency (10 Qs), Advanced Puzzle (1 set) | Mixed Graph DI (1 set), SI & CI | Para Jumbles (1 set), Cloze Test (1 set) | Static Banking Topics 1–2 | Letter |
| 11 | Coding-Decoding (15 Qs), Floor Puzzle (1 set) | Caselet DI (1 set), Averages | RC (2 passages), Error Detection (20 Qs) | CA: September Week 3 | — |
| 12 | Advanced Puzzle (2 sets), Machine Input (10 Qs) | Bar Graph DI (1 set), Mixture & Alligation | Cloze Test (1 set), Sentence Improvement (20 Qs) | CA: September Week 4 | Essay |
| 13 | Tabular Puzzle (1 set), Input-Output (10 Qs) | Tabular DI (1 set), Quadratic Eq. (20 Qs) | RC (2 passages), Fillers (20 Qs) | Static Insurance Topics 1–2 | — |
| 14 | Revision of all topics | Mixed DI (2 sets), Arithmetic Revision | RC (2 passages), Para Jumbles (1 set) | Banking Awareness Revision | Letter |
Week 3: From this week onwards, you just need to focus on taking sectional mock tests and full-length mock tests along with the topic test as well. But remember, along with taking mock tests, you need to do a detailed analysis of the given mock test so that you’ll not repeat the same mistakes again while attempting the next mock test. In the table below, we have mentioned when you should take full-length mocks and when you should take sectional tests. The topics that are mentioned take the topic test of the same.
| Day | Mock Tests / Practice | Reasoning & Quant | English Language | General Awareness | Descriptive Writing |
| 15 | Sectional Test: Reasoning | High-Level Puzzle (2 sets), Advanced DI (2 sets) | RC (2 passages), Cloze Test (1 set) | CA: June Week 1–2 | Essay |
| 16 | Sectional Test: Quantitative Aptitude | Arithmetic (SI & CI, Time & Work) | Para Jumbles (1 set), Error Detection | CA: June Week 3–4 | — |
| 17 | Sectional Test: English | Puzzle (2 sets), Mixed DI (2 sets) | RC (2 passages), Sentence Improvement | Banking Awareness (latest) | Letter |
| 18 | Sectional Test: Reasoning + Quant | High-Level Puzzle (2 sets), Caselet DI (2 sets) | Cloze Test (1 set), Match-the-Following | CA: July Week 1–2 | — |
| 19 | Mock Test 1 (Full-Length Mains) | Analyze Weak Areas | Analyse Weak Areas | CA: July Week 3–4 | Essay |
| 20 | Sectional Test: English + GA | Mixed DI (2 sets), Arithmetic Revision | RC (2 passages), Error Detection (20 Qs) | CA: August Week 1–2 | — |
| 21 | Mock Test 2 (Full-Length Mains) | Revision of all Shortcuts | RC (1 passage), Cloze Test (1 set) | CA: August Week 3–4 | Letter |
Week 4: This is the final week before the actual exam. It is a very important time to analyse the mocks, see how much time you take in solving a particular type of question. Also, check which questions you’ve skipped and why? Is it because of a lack of time, or you don’t know the concept behind it? Note down how many questions you’ve solved in the given sectional timing. This way, you get an idea regarding your strengths and weaknesses.
| Day | Mock Tests / Revision | Reasoning & Quant | English Language | General Awareness | Descriptive Writing |
| 22 | Mock Test 3 (Full-Length Mains) | Analyze Weak Sections | RC (2 passages), Cloze Test (1 set) | Revise June–July CA | Essay |
| 23 | Weak Area Practice | High-Level Puzzle (2 sets), Advanced DI (2 sets) | Para Jumbles (1 set), Fillers (20 Qs) | Revise August CA | — |
| 24 | Mock Test 4 (Full-Length Mains) | Analyze Mistakes | RC (2 passages), Sentence Improvement | Revise September CA | Letter |
| 25 | Formula & Shortcut Revision | Arithmetic Formula revision, Syllogism & Inequality | Cloze Test (1 set), Error Detection | Banking & Insurance Glossary | — |
| 26 | Practice Weak Topics + CA | Mixed DI (2 sets), Caselet DI (1 set) | RC (1 passage), Match-the-Following | Revise Static GK & Insurance Topics | Essay |
| 27 | Mock Test 5 (Full-Length Mains) | Final High-Level Puzzle Practice | RC (1 passage), Cloze Test (1 set) | Revise Highlighted CA Notes | — |
| 28 | Light Revision + Rest Day | Quick Practice of Short Tricks | Vocabulary & RC Review | Final CA & Banking Awareness Brush-Up | Letter |
Tips to follow during the One Month Preparation
With just one month left for the NIACL AO exam, every minute matters. This is the time to shift your focus completely towards the examination and eliminate any distractions, and to move into execution mode. Below are some practical tips to help you stay focused and make the most of your final month:
Stick to one study plan
If you’ve already chosen a study plan, then it is not the time to switch between strategies, as very few days are left. As adapting to a new strategy takes time, this is the period where you’ve to consistently do the preparation along with attempting the mock tests. Whether it’s a day-wise plan or a subject-wise approach, just do it religiously.
Prioritise Solving PYQs and Mock Analysis
Start your day by solving Previous Year Questions (PYQs), especially in the third and fourth weeks. This helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses. After attempting mocks, spend an equal amount of time analysing them. Understand which sections take more time, where you made calculation mistakes, and which areas need conceptual improvement. This is the only way to improve your accuracy and speed simultaneously. If you take the PracticeMock mock test, then you can also get to compare your performance with the toppers and the AIR to get an idea of where you stand in the competition.
Devote 8-10 hours to study for the Exam
Divide your day into focused slots of 1.5 hours to 2 hours, allot one slot for each subject, one for mock tests, and one for revision. In this way, you’ve to devote 8-10 hours to your studies. Don’t stretch any subject beyond its allotted time. Use timers while solving questions to simulate exam pressure and build stamina to handle real exam situations with ease.
Avoid Distractions and stay committed to your study plan
This is not the time to binge-watch random YouTube videos, marathons conducted by coaching centres or scroll endlessly through social media. Instead, use your own content or current affairs PDFs. These are some key habits that can help you save your time and keep you exam-ready.
Revise as many times as you can
Revision is the key to strong preparation of the concepts. If you learn something today and do not revise it later in the day, you’ll forget 30% of what you learned. As it is the revision that improves your recall ability.
Read Daily Editorials for English, Current affairs and Descriptive test
Make The Hindu editorial reading a non-negotiable habit. It improves vocabulary, comprehension, and grammar. Try reading between the lines and summarising paragraphs up to 100 words to improve your RC skills. It will also help in current affairs and descriptive tests, as the vocabulary you will read in the articles will help you in writing essays and letters that are asked in the examination.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed the detailed study plan for the NIACL AO Mains exam. The list of important topics and tips to follow during preparation. To practice questions, you can take our NIACL AO mock test. To learn any concept, you can take a subscription to our banking courses.
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FAQs
You should dedicate at least 8-10 hours daily. In a way where you’ll devote 2 hours each for Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude, 1.5 hours for English, 1 hour for General Awareness, and 30 minutes for Descriptive Writing.
You should aim to attempt at least 5-6 full-length Mains mock tests in the last two weeks of your preparation and analyse them thoroughly to identify and improve weak areas.
Practice writing 1 essay and 1 letter every alternate day. Focus on current affairs–related topics, insurance and banking themes, and improve your grammar and vocabulary. Review sample essays and letters to understand proper structure and tone.
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