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NICL Assistant Exam Analysis 2026: Shift 1 & 2 Review, Good Attempts

R
Virat
Updated: Aug 27, 2026
8 MIN READ

The National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) has successfully administered the NICL Assistant Question Paper 2026 exam cycle. For candidates targeting the 500 vacancies available under the NICL Assistant 2026 recruitment drive, evaluating performance requires a deep dive into sectional breakdowns, difficulty ratings, and candidate benchmarks.

The selection process consists of Prelims and Mains exams. The Prelims examination took place on 27th August 2026. Shift 1 was conducted from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM, followed by Shift 2 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Candidates who qualify in the Prelims will be called for the Mains exam scheduled for 30th October 2026.

NICL Assistant Exam Difficulty Level Overview

Understanding how the exam trend shifted between the morning and late morning slots gives aspirants a clear perspective. Shift 1 leaned toward an easier test format, whereas Shift 2 introduced more challenging components across quantitative and reasoning modules.

Section Shift 1 Difficulty Level Shift 2 Difficulty Level
English Language Easy Easy to Moderate
Reasoning Ability Easy Easy to Moderate
Quantitative Aptitude Easy Easy to Moderate
Total Easy Moderate

Good Attempts for Shift 1 and Shift 2

Safe attempts vary according to the shift's complexity. For Shift 1, total good attempts were recorded at 81 - 92 out of 100 questions, reflecting the favorable nature of the paper.

Section Questions Shift 1 Good Attempts Shift 2 Good Attempts
English Language 30 25 – 28 TBU
Reasoning Ability 35 30 – 33 TBU
Quantitative Aptitude 35 26 – 31 TBU
Total 100 81 – 92 TBU

Shift 1 Section-Wise Topic Distribution

Quantitative Aptitude (Shift 1)

Topics No. of Questions
Arithmetic13
Data Interpretation (Bar Graph)5
Missing Number Series6
Simplification11

Reasoning Ability (Shift 1)

Topics No. of Questions
Direction and Distance3
Alpha Numeric Series5
Number Base1
Blood Relation3
Sequence-Based Puzzle5
Meaningful word1
Syllogism3
Square-based seating arrangement (Corner- inside, and Middle – Outside) – 8 person5
Odd One out1
Inequality3
Floor-based Puzzle5

English Language (Shift 1)

Topics No. of Questions
Cloze Test (A To F)6
Match the Column1
Reading Comprehension – story based9
Misspelt words3
Spotting Errors5
Word replacement (Come late, Have been, to run beside)3
Rearrangement3

Shift 2 Section-Wise Topic Distribution

English Language (Shift 2)

Topics No. of Questions
Reading Comprehension9
Error Detection3
Cloze Test6
Sentence Formation4
Miss-spelt words3
Total30

Reasoning Section (Shift 2)

Topics No. of Questions
Parallel Row Puzzle5
Linear Puzzle5
Box Based Puzzle5
Alphanumeric Series5
Weight3
Syllogism4
Direction & Distance1
Inequalities4
Pair Formation3
Total35

Quantitative Aptitude (Shift 2)

Topics No. of Questions
Arithmetic10
Data Interpretation (Table)5
Wrong Number Series5
Simplification12
DI Table – Direct1
Caselet1
Total35

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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# NICL Assistant Exam Analysis 2026# National Insurance Company Limited# NICL Assistant Prelims# Shift 1# Shift 2# Good Attempts

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