NICL AO Prelims Shift Timings and Exam Centre List 2026 provides candidates with the reporting schedule, examination timings and city-wise venue information for the Administrative Officer Preliminary Examination. The NICL AO Prelims 2026 examination is scheduled for 17 November 2026. Candidates can check their allotted shift, reporting time, gate-closing time and exact examination venue through their admit card.
The Preliminary Examination is conducted online for 100 marks over 60 minutes. This article covers the exam schedule, available examination cities, steps to check the allotted centre and important exam-day instructions to help candidates avoid last-minute confusion.
Important Note: Different online summaries currently report different numbers of examination shifts. Candidates should treat the timings printed on their individual NICL AO call letter as final rather than relying on an unverified general shift schedule.
The NICL AO Prelims 2026 examination will take place on 17 November 2026 (Tuesday) in online mode. NICL has announced 321 Administrative Officer vacancies for Generalist and Specialist posts under its 2026–27 recruitment drive.
Candidates should keep the following examination details in mind:
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam name | NICL AO Preliminary Examination |
| Conducting body | National Insurance Company Limited |
| Exam date | 17 November 2026 |
| Exam mode | Online |
| Total questions | 100 |
| Maximum marks | 100 |
| Exam duration | 60 minutes |
| Total sections | 3 |
| Mains exam date | 22 December 2026 |
The Preliminary Examination is the first stage of the NICL AO selection process. Candidates who meet the prescribed sectional and overall qualifying requirements will be shortlisted for the Mains Examination.
For complete recruitment details, candidates can read NICL AO Notification 2026.
The NICL AO Prelims shift timings 2026 are important for candidates to plan their travel and reach the examination venue on time. The examination authority mentions the individual candidate’s reporting time, examination time and venue details on the Phase-I call letter.
The official recruitment notification does not prescribe a common shift-wise timetable for all candidates. An online schedule circulating among exam-preparation websites suggests the following four shifts, but these timings should be treated as indicative rather than confirmed official timings.
| Shift | Indicative Reporting Time | Indicative Exam Timing |
| Shift 1 | 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
| Shift 2 | 10:30 AM | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM |
| Shift 3 | 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM |
| Shift 4 | 3:30 PM | 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM |
Important: Do not assume that these timings apply to your examination. Follow the exact reporting time and gate-closing instructions printed on your NICL AO Prelims admit card.
The NICL AO Preliminary Examination carries 100 marks and has a total duration of 60 minutes. NICL has divided the examination into three separately timed sections, giving candidates 20 minutes for each section.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Candidates cannot transfer unused time from one section to another. They should practise solving questions within the prescribed sectional limits to manage their time effectively.
Candidates can also review the complete NICL AO Syllabus 2026 to ensure all topic-wise concepts align with the official exam pattern.
The NICL AO Prelims exam centre list 2026 includes examination cities across different states and Union Territories. Candidates selected their preferred examination city while submitting the application form. However, NICL reserves the right to allot a different centre depending on availability and administrative requirements.
The official notification provides a provisional list of Phase-I examination cities. The following table covers the state-wise centres mentioned in the notification.
| State/Union Territory | NICL AO Prelims Exam Centres |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Vijayawada, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nellore, Ongole, Rajahmundry, Tirupati, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Kadapa, Eluru |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Naharlagun |
| Assam | Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur |
| Bihar | Arrah, Aurangabad, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnea |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh/Mohali |
| Chhattisgarh | Bhilai, Bilaspur, Raipur |
| Delhi NCR | Delhi/NCR |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Anand, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Bardoli |
| Haryana | Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Karnal, Kurukshetra |
| Himachal Pradesh | Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Una |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Jammu, Samba, Srinagar |
| Ladakh | Kargil, Leh |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Belagavi, Bengaluru, Hubballi/Dharwad, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Udupi |
| Kerala | Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kannur, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna, Ujjain |
| Maharashtra | Amravati, Chandrapur, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Pune, Ratnagiri, Solapur |
| Manipur | Imphal, Churachandpur |
| Meghalaya | Shillong, Tura |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| Odisha | Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Rourkela, Sambalpur |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
| Punjab | Amritsar, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Patiala, Phagwara |
| Rajasthan | Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur |
| Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Salem, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Villupuram, Virudhunagar |
| Telangana | Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal |
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Faizabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Noida |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee |
| West Bengal | Asansol, Burdwan, Durgapur, Hooghly, Kalyani, Kolkata, Siliguri |
Note: The above list is based on the Phase-I centres in the official recruitment advertisement. NICL may modify the centres depending on administrative requirements. The exact venue will appear on the candidate’s call letter.
Candidates from West Bengal can check the listed options, including Kolkata, Asansol, Burdwan, Durgapur, Hooghly, Kalyani and Siliguri. However, the final allotment depends on NICL.
Check out the NICL AO Last Minute Revision Strategy for Prelims.
Candidates can check their NICL AO exam centre and shift timing through the official Phase-I call letter. NICL provides the call letter through its recruitment portal, and candidates need their login credentials to access it.
Follow these steps to check your examination details:
After downloading the call letter, candidates should carefully verify the following information:
If candidates find any discrepancy in their personal or examination details, they should contact the recruitment authorities through the official website before the examination.
To ensure a stress-free test day experience, candidates can go through Last Minute Tips for NICL AO for final revision and exam hall strategies.
Candidates appearing for the NICL AO Prelims 2026 should follow the instructions mentioned on their call letters. Proper planning and document preparation can help avoid unnecessary problems at the examination centre.
Keep these important points in mind:
NICL states that candidates may need to remain at the examination venue longer than the actual test duration because of verification, login and other formalities. Therefore, avoid making travel plans based only on the 60-minute examination duration.
Candidates curious about post-selection benefits and pay structures can read about the NICL AO Salary 2026.
Candidates should check the NICL AO Prelims Shift Timings and Exam Centre List 2026 carefully before appearing for the examination on 17 November 2026. The exact reporting time, gate-closing time, shift and examination venue will be available on the individual call letter.
Download and print your admit card in advance, arrange the required identity documents and check the examination-centre location before exam day. Candidates should also practise sectional mock tests to improve their speed and accuracy within the prescribed 60-minute duration.
Stay connected with PracticeMock for the latest NICL AO exam updates, mock tests and preparation resources.
The NICL AO Preliminary Examination 2026 is scheduled for 17 November 2026. Candidates should download their Phase-I call letters to check their individual examination schedule and venue details.
The exact shift timings are mentioned on the individual NICL AO admit cards. Some online sources provide an indicative four-shift schedule, but candidates should not consider it officially confirmed without checking their call letters.
The reporting time varies according to the candidate’s allotted examination shift. Candidates should check their admit cards and reach the examination centre before the prescribed reporting time.
NICL has not specified a common number of shifts in its recruitment notification. The examination schedule and allotted shift should be checked through the individual Phase-I call letter.
The NICL AO Prelims examination lasts 60 minutes and carries 100 marks. It includes English Language, Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude, with 20 minutes allotted separately to each section.
Visit the official NICL website, open the Recruitment section and download your Phase-I call letter using your registration number or roll number and password or date of birth. Your allotted centre and complete address will appear on it.
No. NICL’s recruitment notification states that requests to change the examination centre, venue, date or session will not be entertained. The company also reserves the right to allot a different centre for administrative reasons.
Candidates should carry a printed copy of their admit card and an original, valid photo identity proof as specified in the examination instructions. They should also follow any additional photograph or document requirements mentioned on the call letter.
The NICL AO Mains Examination 2026 is scheduled for 22 December 2026. Candidates who qualify in the Preliminary Examination will be shortlisted for the next stage according to the prescribed selection criteria.
No. Candidates should follow the reporting and gate-closing instructions mentioned on their admit cards. Late candidates may not receive permission to enter the examination venue, even if they have a valid call letter.
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