UIIC AO 2026 Syllabus: Prelims 100 Marks in 60 Minutes, Mains 250 Marks
UIIC AO 2026 prelims is 100 marks in 60 minutes with a 20-minute limit per section. Mains for generalists is 200 questions for 250 marks plus a 30-mark descriptive test. This page covers the pattern and a plan for the next four weeks.
Start with the timing
The UIIC Administrative Officer (AO) prelims is listed for 22 October 2026, tentatively. The exam is short: 100 marks in 60 minutes. The time limit is strict, with a 20-minute cap on each section. Most of your preparation before the prelims should be about speed and accuracy, not new material.
For Mains, the timing rises to 150 minutes for the objective test and a further descriptive test. That is a different skill, so plan separately.
Prelims pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
Prelims is described as qualifying. You need the sectional cut-off in each section and the overall cut-off to move forward. Negative marking, per the notice, is one fourth of the question marks for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.
Mains pattern: generalist posts
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English | 40 | 50 |
| Reasoning | 50 | 60 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 60 |
| General Awareness (financial sector focus) | 40 | 60 |
| Computer Knowledge | 20 | 20 |
| Objective total | 200 | 250 |
The objective test runs for 150 minutes, followed by a 30-mark descriptive English test. The descriptive test is a separate exam.
Mains pattern: Hindi Officer posts
Per the notice, the Hindi Officer Mains has an objective test of 200 marks and a descriptive test of 50 marks, both online and typed on the computer. Check the notice for the paper-wise split, since it differs from the Generalist paper.
Topic list
English
- Reading comprehension: main idea, inference, tone and vocabulary in context
- Cloze tests and fill-in-the-blanks
- Error spotting and sentence improvement
- Para jumbles and sentence rearrangement
- Vocabulary: synonyms, antonyms and idioms
Reasoning
- Seating arrangements and puzzles
- Syllogisms and statement-conclusion
- Inequalities and data sufficiency
- Coding-decoding, blood relations and direction sense
- Series and analogies
Quantitative aptitude
- Simplification and approximation
- Number series
- Data interpretation: tables, bar, line and pie charts, caselets
- Arithmetic: percentage, ratio, averages, profit and loss, time and work
- Speed, distance and time; simple and compound interest
General awareness with financial-sector focus
- Current affairs from the last six months, with focus on economy and banking
- Insurance sector developments and IRDAI regulation
- Government schemes, budget highlights, and the RBI's monetary policy
- Awards, sports and important appointments
Computer knowledge
- Hardware and software basics
- Operating systems and MS Office
- Internet, email, networks and cyber safety
- Database and data concepts at a basic level
Four-week plan
Week 1: Prelims speed. Take one 100-question prelims-style paper per day in 60 minutes. Track time per section. Spend the rest of the day on the sections where you lost the most time.
Week 2: Reasoning and quant depth. Practise 30 puzzles a day. Work through data interpretation sets to build speed. Aim to finish 35 quant questions in 20 minutes.
Week 3: Mains objective and general awareness. Read a financial-news digest each morning. Take a 200-question Mains objective mock every other day, timed at 150 minutes.
Week 4: Descriptive English and final mocks. Write two descriptive answers a day, one letter and one essay, and check grammar. Take one full mock under exam conditions, then review it.
The practice set gives you a timed sample of the prelims sections.
Descriptive test
The 30-mark descriptive English test asks for writing: a letter, an essay or a report. Structure matters:
- Start with a clear opening line.
- Use two or three supporting points.
- Close with a short conclusion.
- Check spelling, tense and punctuation before you submit.
Write in full sentences. Avoid long vocabulary unless it is precise. A simple, well-structured answer scores more than a cluttered one.
Common mistakes
- Spending more than 20 minutes on any prelims section.
- Treating General Awareness as optional. It carries 60 marks in Mains.
- Ignoring Computer Knowledge. It is 20 marks, and basic revision is enough.
- Assuming the Hindi Officer pattern matches the generalist pattern.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is the prelims? It is short but timed. The strict section limits make it harder than the raw number of questions suggests.
Is the sectional cut-off separate? Yes. The notice requires a minimum in each test and the overall cut-off set by the company.
Does the descriptive test count in the final merit? Yes. Objective and descriptive Mains marks together, plus the interview, are combined in a 75:25 ratio. Prelims marks are not counted.
Sources
Pattern from the official UIIC notice, Ref HO:HRM:REC:AO:1:2026 dated 7 September 2026, read on 21 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
22 October 2026, which is tentative. Check uiic.co.in for the confirmed date and your call letter.
100 marks in 60 minutes: English 30 questions, reasoning 35, quant 35, with a 20-minute limit per section.
200 questions for 250 marks in 150 minutes, plus a 30-mark descriptive English test.
One fourth of the marks of the question is deducted for each wrong answer, in prelims and in the objective Mains. Unanswered questions carry no penalty, per the notice.
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