TCS NQT Exam Pattern and Syllabus (2026)

Last updated: 8 October 2026 · By the Asuraa Team

Quick answer: TCS's fresher hiring NQT is one 190-minute test. Part A (Foundation, 75 minutes) gives 25 minutes each to numerical, verbal and reasoning ability. Part B (Advanced, 115 minutes) has 25 minutes of advanced quant and reasoning plus 90 minutes of coding, according to TCS's careers page (checked October 2026). Your result decides whether you are considered for Ninja, Digital or Prime.

Key takeaways

• TCS's fresher hiring NQT is one integrated 190-minute test made up of a 75-minute Foundation part and a 115-minute Advanced part.
• The Advanced Coding section alone runs 90 minutes, nearly half the total test time.
• TCS's All India NQT hiring page lists UG offer CTCs (up to one year of experience) from Rs 3.4 lakh for Ninja, Rs 7.09-7.30 lakh for Digital and Rs 9.09-9.30 lakh for Prime.
• A TCS iON NQT score stays valid for two years from the result date, with no negative marking and no limit on attempts.
• You can buy the same TCS iON NQT variant again only 90 days after your last purchase, and your highest score is the one that counts.

"TCS NQT" can mean two different tests. One is the hiring test TCS uses to pick freshers for its Ninja, Digital and Prime tracks. The other is the TCS iON NQT, a paid assessment whose score many companies accept. The two have different patterns, syllabi and rules, so this guide covers each separately.

What is the TCS NQT exam pattern for fresher hiring?

TCS's fresher hiring NQT is a single 190-minute test with two parts: Foundation (75 minutes) and Advanced (115 minutes), according to TCS's fresher hiring page. Every candidate takes the same test, and your performance decides which interview track you are considered for.

Two points stand out. Coding takes 90 of the 190 minutes, which is close to half the test. And each Foundation section runs on its own 25-minute clock, so time you save on verbal cannot be spent on numerical. Practise each section as a separate timed block.

TCS lists section timings on that page but not the number of questions or the cut-offs. Treat any exact question count you see elsewhere as unofficial, and check the pattern again on the TCS careers site when registration for your cycle opens.

How do Foundation and Advanced sections decide Ninja, Digital or Prime?

Your combined score across both parts decides which track's interview you are shortlisted for. TCS says one integrated test assesses candidates for all three tracks (TCS). The offer CTC TCS lists for each track:

These figures, for candidates with up to one year of experience, appear on TCS's All India NQT hiring page for the 2024-2026 batches, checked in October 2026. Packages can change between cycles, so confirm them on your own cycle's page. In practice, a strong Foundation score on its own is unlikely to get you past Ninja. The Advanced Coding block counts most for Digital and Prime, and the pay gap between Ninja and Digital is large. To compare these numbers with other employers, see software engineer salaries for freshers in India.

What is the TCS NQT syllabus section by section?

Part A tests standard aptitude, and Part B tests harder aptitude plus programming. TCS iON's NQT page lists these topics for the cognitive sections:

• Numerical Ability: number system, arithmetic, elementary statistics, data interpretation.
• Verbal Ability: English grammar, correct usage, reading comprehension.
• Reasoning Ability: word and number patterns, problem solving, figural and factual analysis, decision making, propositional reasoning, visual and spatial reasoning.

For Part B, the official pages name the two sections, Advanced Quantitative and Reasoning Ability and Advanced Coding, but give no topic list. In practice, prepare for:

• harder versions of the Part A topics, such as multi-step arithmetic, data sufficiency and puzzles;
• coding problems that need correct logic. At a minimum, cover arrays, strings, sorting, searching, hashing and basic recursion, and do enough data structures and algorithms practice to solve medium-level problems within the time limit.

For the aptitude half, our guide to aptitude test preparation for placements has a topic-wise plan.

What is the TCS iON NQT and how is it different?

The TCS iON NQT is a paid, standalone assessment, and its score can be shared with many employers, not just TCS. TCS iON currently offers four variants (TCS iON):

The main rules TCS iON lists are:

• Who can take it: pre-final and final-year UG, PG or diploma students, graduates passing out from 2021 to 2027, and freshers with less than two years of experience. Candidates must be between 17 and 30 years old.
• Where: only at TCS iON authorised exam centres, and only in English. The hall ticket arrives by email two days before the test.
• Negative marking: none.
• Validity: two years from the date the result is published.
• Retakes: no limit on attempts, but you can buy the same variant again only 90 days after your last purchase. Your highest score is treated as your current score.
• Sharing: your score goes only to companies you apply to, and only when they ask for it.

The fee is shown at checkout, so check it on the TCS iON site before planning how many attempts you can afford.

How do you register for the TCS iON NQT?

You register and pay on the TCS iON Digital Learning Hub, then take the test at an exam centre. TCS iON lists these steps:

1. Open the NQT page on TCS iON and pick a variant: Cognitive, IT, Non Tech or BFSI.
2. Click Buy Now, or Activate Now if you have a licence code.
3. Log in to the TCS iON Digital Learning Hub, or sign up.
4. Enter your details and preferred assessment mode, then pay. The hall ticket is issued only after payment succeeds.
5. Look out for the registration confirmation by email or SMS, and for the hall ticket two days before the test.
6. Reach the authorised centre on time. TCS iON does not offer refunds or retests if you miss the test.

For TCS's own hiring drive, you register through the TCS careers site and NextStep portal when a cycle opens. Our guide to the TCS hiring process for freshers covers the stages after the test.

Who is eligible for the TCS NQT in 2026?

The answer depends on which NQT you mean. For fresher hiring, TCS's page lists B.Tech, B.E., M.Tech, M.E., MCA and M.Sc/M.S. candidates in any specialisation from AICTE- or UGC-recognised institutions (TCS). TCS says detailed criteria come out when registration opens, and it checks eligibility at several stages. If your details turn out to be inconsistent, you can be disqualified.

The iON NQT accepts a wider group: diploma, UG and PG students, plus recent graduates from any stream, as long as they are 17 to 30 years old.

Before you register for either test, check that your marks, passing year and any education gap match your documents exactly. Small mismatches like these often get freshers dropped late in the process.

What do most guides on the TCS NQT exam pattern get wrong?

Most guides confuse the two NQTs and present old patterns as current. Three corrections:

• Old patterns are still around. An earlier version of the NQT had 80 questions in 120 minutes across verbal, reasoning and numerical sections. The current hiring pattern runs 190 minutes and includes a 90-minute coding block. If a guide shows no coding section, it is out of date.
• Exact question counts are not official. TCS publishes section timings, but not question counts or cut-offs. Any guide that gives a precise cut-off percentage is guessing.
• An iON score is not a TCS job offer. A good iON NQT score helps you apply to companies that accept it. It does not place you in TCS's Ninja, Digital or Prime pipeline. Check which test the drive you are targeting asks for.

How should you prepare for the TCS NQT in 8 weeks?

Coding takes half the test, so spend roughly the first half of your prep on aptitude speed and the second half on timed coding. A workable plan:

1. Weeks 1-2: Revise the number system, percentages, ratios, time and work, and data interpretation. Do one timed 25-minute set every day.
2. Weeks 3-4: Add reasoning (patterns, puzzles, seating arrangements, syllogisms) and verbal (grammar, reading comprehension). Keep each section on its own 25-minute clock.
3. Weeks 5-6: Code every day in one language you know well. Solve array, string, hashing and sorting problems, and practise solving two problems in 90 minutes.
4. Week 7: Take full 190-minute mock tests in exam conditions, with no breaks between the two parts.
5. Week 8: Go back over your mistakes, revise formulas and practise the coding patterns you got wrong.

Get your resume ready for the interview stage while you prepare. A short fresher resume with one or two solid projects gives the interviewers something concrete to ask about. If you are weighing offers from different service companies, our TCS vs Infosys vs Wipro for freshers comparison lays out the main differences.

FAQ

How long is the TCS NQT exam?

TCS's fresher hiring NQT runs for 190 minutes. Part A (Foundation) takes 75 minutes, split equally between numerical, verbal and reasoning ability. Part B (Advanced) takes 115 minutes: 25 minutes of advanced quantitative and reasoning questions and 90 minutes of coding. TCS describes it as a single integrated test, so be ready to stay focused for over three hours.

Is there negative marking in TCS NQT?

TCS iON says the iON NQT has no negative marking, so answering every question is generally the sensible approach. TCS's fresher hiring page does not describe a marking scheme. Read the instructions shown at the start of your test, and where marking is unclear, guess only when you can rule out some options.

How long is the TCS NQT score valid?

TCS iON says an iON NQT score is valid for two years from the date the result is published. You can take the test as many times as you like, but you can buy the same variant again only 90 days after your previous purchase. When companies request your score, your highest one is used.

What score do you need for TCS Digital or Prime?

TCS does not publish cut-off scores for Ninja, Digital or Prime. It says your performance in the single integrated test decides which track you are considered for. In practice, the Advanced section, and the 90-minute coding block in particular, is what separates Digital and Prime candidates from Ninja. Strong coding matters more than a perfect aptitude score.

Who can apply for TCS NQT in 2026?

For TCS fresher hiring, the careers page lists B.Tech, B.E., M.Tech, M.E., MCA and M.Sc/M.S. candidates from AICTE- or UGC-recognised institutions, and detailed criteria are announced when registration opens. The standalone TCS iON NQT is open to more people: UG, PG and diploma students, 2021 to 2027 graduates, and freshers with under two years of experience, aged 17 to 30.

Is TCS iON NQT the same as the TCS hiring test?

No. The TCS iON NQT is a paid assessment taken at an exam centre, and its score can be shared with any company that requests it. TCS's fresher hiring NQT is the test that decides the Ninja, Digital and Prime shortlists. The two cover similar aptitude topics but differ in structure and purpose, so check which one a given drive asks for.

Final thoughts

The TCS NQT rewards steady aptitude and, above all, the ability to write working code under time pressure. Prepare for the current 190-minute pattern, check the official page when your cycle opens, and keep applying to companies beyond TCS while you wait. You can browse fresher roles on Asuraa Jobs.