TCS NQT Written Test Questions and pattern based practice problems are available here. Test Pattern has been changed for the TCS NQT Test as some sections have been replaced with new sections. TCS NQT will use TCS iON platform for their both Rounds.
TCS NQT consists of two rounds ā Foundation Section (for Ninja aspirants) and Advanced Section (mandatory for Digital aspirants). Below is the complete pattern.
| TCS NQT | Round 1 (Foundation) | Round 2 (Advance) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Questions | 65 MCQ and Non-MCQ Type | 14-16 MCQ and Non-MCQ and 2 Coding Questions |
| Allotted Time | 75 mins | 115 mins |
| Total Sections | 3 sections | 2 sub-sections |
1. There will be no negative marking.
2. TCS NQT is non-adaptive this year.
3. A calculator and rough paper will be available on your desktop screen.
4. You are not allowed to move your eyes down while giving the examination.
5. Browser tab shifting not allowed ā exam will end immediately.
6. Video and Audio will be monitored by AI (for people giving test from home).
| TCS NQT Section | Total Time | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Part A: Foundation Section (Mandatory for Ninja Aspirants) | ||
| Numerical Ability | 25 mins | 20 |
| Verbal Ability | 25 mins | 25 |
| Reasoning Ability | 25 mins | 20 |
| Part B: Advanced Section (Mandatory for Digital and Prime Aspirants) | ||
| Advanced Quantitative Ability | 25 mins (shared) | 14-16 (shared) |
| Advanced Reasoning Ability | 25 mins (shared) | 14-16 (shared) |
| Advanced Coding | 90 mins | 2 |
| Total Duration | 190 mins | 82 |
The TCS NQT Curriculum has seen modification this year. TCS is going to conduct the TCS NQT Test using TCS iON platform. In this test, the email writing section is not there. There will be two rounds:
1. Foundation Section (For Ninja aspirants)
2. Advance Section (mandatory for Digital Aspirants)
This round is divided into 3 sections. The difficulty level of this round is Moderate.
| Round 1 | Important Information |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 65 MCQ and Non-MCQ |
| Allotted Time | 75 mins |
| Sections | 3 sections ā all mandatory |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Cut-Off | 75% |
Advanced section is mandatory for Digital candidates. If you have cleared the Foundation Section, only then you will sit for Advance section. Advanced Round 1 is divided into 2 sections of high difficulty.
| Round 2 | Important Information |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 14-16 MCQs and Non-MCQ and 2 Coding Questions |
| Allotted Time | 115 mins |
| Section Property | 2 sections ā all mandatory |
| Marking Scheme | No Negative Marking |
| Difficulty | High |
| Cut-Off | 75% |
TCS NQT Part A (Foundation Section) covers Numerical Ability, Verbal Ability, and Reasoning Ability. Part B (Advanced Section) covers Advanced Quantitative, Advanced Logical, and Advanced Coding.
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| Numerical Ability | Number System, LCM & HCF, Divisibility, Geometry, Percentages, Allegations & Mixtures, Probability, Ratio & Proportion, Time & Work, Time Speed & Distance, Profit & Loss, Ages, Calendar & Clocks, Progressions, Equations, Averages, Decimal Fractions |
| Verbal Ability | Word Completion, Sentence Completion, Error Identification, Arrangement, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar |
| Reasoning Ability | Word Pattern, Letter Series, Number Series, Seating Arrangements, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Syllogism, Directions |
| Advanced Quantitative | HCF & LCM, Number System, Geometry, Allegations & Mixtures, and more advanced topics |
| Advanced Coding | 2 Coding Questions. Languages allowed: C, C#, C++, Java, Python, Perl, Go |
Candidates who wish to appear for TCS NQT must fulfill the following eligibility criteria as per the official notification.
| Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Eligible Degrees |
|
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum Percentage | 60% or 6.0 CGPA in 10th, 12th and Graduation |
| Backlogs | No active backlogs at the time of appearing for the test |
| Gap Year | Gap of not more than 2 years during education |
| Passing Year | Students passing out in 2024, 2025 or 2026 are eligible |
TCS NQT follows the below hiring process for selecting candidates:
| Round | Details |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | TCS NQT Online Test (Foundation + Advanced Sections) |
| Round 2 | Technical Interview |
| Round 3 | Managerial Interview (for Digital / Prime profiles) |
| Round 4 | HR Interview |
Before you start your preparation for the exam, it is extremely important to take note of the TCS NQT syllabus. The exam is divided into Foundation and Advanced sections, each testing different skill sets.
Foundation Section of TCS NQT will consist of three sub-sections ā Numerical Ability, Verbal Ability, and Reasoning Ability. The detailed syllabus is as follows.
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| Numerical Ability | Number System, LCM & HCF, Divisibility, Decimal Fractions, Geometry, Percentages, Allegations & Mixtures, Probability, Ratio & Proportion, Time & Work, Time Speed & Distance, Profit & Loss, Problem on Ages, Calendar & Clocks, Progressions, Equations, Averages, Shapes & Perimeter, Elementary Statistics, P&C |
| Verbal Ability | Word Completion, Sentence Completion, Error Identification, Passage Ordering / Arrangement, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Fill in the Blanks, Grammar |
| Reasoning Ability | Word Pattern, Letter Series, Number Series, Seating Arrangements, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Syllogism, Directions & Distances, Puzzles, Ordering & Ranking |
Part B of the TCS NQT exam comprises Advanced Quantitative, Advanced Logical, and Advanced Coding questions. This section is mandatory for Digital and Prime profile aspirants.
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| Advanced Quantitative | HCF & LCM, Number System, Geometry, Allegations & Mixtures, Probability, Ratio & Proportion, Time-Speed-Distance, Permutation & Combination |
| Advanced Logical | Word Pattern, Letter Series, Number Series, Complex Seating Arrangements, Puzzles, Data Sufficiency, Coding-Decoding |
| Advanced Coding | 2 Coding problems. Languages allowed: C, C#, C++, Java, Python, Perl, Go. Topics: Arrays, Strings, Dynamic Programming, Recursion, Sorting, Searching |
Preparing for TCS NQT requires a smart and structured approach. The exam tests you on Numerical Ability, Verbal Ability, Reasoning, and Advanced Coding. Here is a complete preparation guide to help you crack TCS NQT 2026.
| Section | Key Topics to Focus | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Numerical Ability | Number System, Percentages, Time & Work, Time Speed & Distance, Probability, P&C, Geometry | Practice 20 questions daily. Focus on speed and accuracy. Use shortcuts for calculation. |
| Verbal Ability | Reading Comprehension, Sentence Completion, Error Identification, Word Completion, Passage Ordering | Read English newspapers daily. Practice grammar rules. Improve vocabulary with word lists. |
| Reasoning Ability | Seating Arrangements, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Number Series, Letter Series, Puzzles | Solve previous year puzzles. Work on pattern recognition. Practice under timed conditions. |
| Advanced Coding | Arrays, Strings, Linked Lists, Trees, Sorting, Searching, Dynamic Programming, Recursion | Practice on HackerRank and LeetCode. Learn at least one language (C++, Java, or Python) very well. Solve 2-3 problems daily. |
| Month | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| Month 1 | Complete basics of Quantitative Aptitude and Verbal Ability. Start with simple topics like Percentages, Averages, and Grammar. |
| Month 2 | Focus on Logical Reasoning ā Seating Arrangements, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding. Start Data Structures basics (Arrays, Strings). |
| Month 3 | Advanced topics ā Probability, P&C, Dynamic Programming. Practice coding problems daily. Take mock tests every week. |
| Final Week | Revise all formulas and shortcuts. Take full-length mock tests. Review weak areas. Rest well before the exam. |
1. No Negative Marking ā Attempt all questions. Never leave any question blank.
2. Section Switching Not Allowed ā Complete each section fully before moving to the next.
3. Time Management ā Spend approx 1.25 min per question in Foundation section.
4. Mock Tests ā Take at least 5 full-length mock tests before the exam.
5. Coding Practice ā Practice at least 50 coding problems before the Advanced section.
6. Focus on Accuracy ā Speed matters but accuracy is more important in Aptitude sections.
7. TCS iON Platform ā Practice on the TCS iON interface beforehand so you are comfortable with the UI.
| Subject | Recommended Resource |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude | R.S. Aggarwal ā Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations |
| Logical Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal ā A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning |
| Verbal Ability | Wren & Martin ā High School English Grammar |
| Coding (DSA) | GeeksForGeeks, LeetCode, HackerRank ā Online Practice |
| Mock Tests | PrepInsta TCS NQT Mock Tests ā Full-length practice papers |
After clearing the TCS NQT Online Test, candidates move to two interview rounds ā Technical/Managerial Round and HR Round. Below are the most important interview questions with detailed answers.
| Round | Focus Areas | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Technical / MR Round | Programming, OOPs, DBMS, DSA, OS, Computer Networks, trending technologies (AI, ML, Cloud) | 30ā45 minutes |
| HR Round | Communication, confidence, background, goals, company knowledge, situational questions | 20ā30 minutes |
A process is an independent unit of execution with its own memory space. A thread is a smaller unit within a process that shares the same memory and resources. Processes are isolated and require more overhead, while threads are lightweight and faster to create. A crash in one process does not affect others, but a faulty thread can impact the whole process.
OOP (Object Oriented Programming) has 4 main concepts:
| Concept | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Encapsulation | Wrapping data and methods together in a class, protecting data from direct access |
| Abstraction | Hiding complex details and showing only what is necessary (e.g., driving a car without knowing the engine) |
| Inheritance | A child class inherits properties and methods from a parent class |
| Polymorphism | Same method name works differently for different objects (e.g., dog.speak() vs cat.speak()) |
A deadlock occurs when two or more processes are waiting indefinitely for resources held by each other, and none can proceed. Prevention strategies include: resource ordering (always request resources in a fixed order), avoiding circular wait, using timeout mechanisms, and applying the Banker's Algorithm.
| Property | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Atomicity | Transaction is all or nothing ā if one step fails, the entire transaction rolls back |
| Consistency | Database moves from one valid state to another, maintaining all rules and constraints |
| Isolation | Transactions execute independently without interfering with each other |
| Durability | Once a transaction is complete, changes are permanently saved even if system crashes |
| Layer | Name | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Application | What users interact with ā browsers, email apps (HTTP, FTP, SMTP) |
| 6 | Presentation | Data formatting, encryption, compression |
| 5 | Session | Manages start, use, and end of communication sessions |
| 4 | Transport | Reliable data delivery ā TCP / UDP |
| 3 | Network | Routing and IP addressing |
| 2 | Data Link | Error checking between two directly connected devices |
| 1 | Physical | Raw bits (0s and 1s) transmitted over cables or wires |
| Feature | Stack | Queue |
|---|---|---|
| Order | LIFO (Last In, First Out) | FIFO (First In, First Out) |
| Insertion | At the top | At the rear (end) |
| Deletion | From the top | From the front |
| Example | Stack of plates, undo feature | Printer queue, people in line |
| Usage | Recursion, backtracking | Scheduling, buffering |
DELETE removes specific rows based on a condition and can be rolled back. TRUNCATE removes all rows from a table without logging individual deletions ā it is faster but irreversible in most cases. DELETE is useful for selective deletions while TRUNCATE is for quickly clearing all records.
| Phase | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Requirement Gathering | Understanding what the client needs |
| 2. System Design | Creating architecture and design specifications |
| 3. Implementation | Writing the actual code |
| 4. Testing | Verifying the software works as intended |
| 5. Deployment | Releasing the product to users |
| 6. Maintenance | Fixing bugs and updating post-deployment |
I'm a recent engineering graduate with a strong interest in software development. During my studies, I worked on projects involving web development and data structures. I'm eager to apply my technical skills in a professional environment and grow with a team like TCS.
TCS is a global leader in IT services with a reputation for innovation and excellence. Joining TCS would provide me the opportunity to work on diverse projects, learn from experienced professionals, and grow in a dynamic environment that values continuous learning.
Strength: My adaptability ā I can quickly adjust to new environments and challenges.
Weakness: I tend to overcommit sometimes, but I'm actively learning to manage my time better to ensure quality work on all tasks.
In five years, I aim to have grown into a role with greater responsibility ā contributing significantly to large-scale projects, developing expertise in my domain, and possibly mentoring newer team members.
I bring enthusiasm, a strong work ethic, and willingness to learn. I have solid fundamentals in programming and problem-solving. I am a team player and committed to contributing positively and growing with the company.
I stay calm and focused by breaking tasks into smaller manageable parts and prioritizing effectively. I also take short breaks when needed to maintain productivity and clarity of thought.
Yes, I am open to relocation. I believe working in different locations provides valuable experience and learning opportunities that help in professional growth.
Yes. I would love to know more about the learning and upskilling programs for freshers at TCS. Also, what kind of projects are freshers typically assigned to in the initial months?
| Topic | Key Concepts |
|---|---|
| Programming | Syntax, logic building, writing simple programs in C/C++/Java/Python |
| OOPs | Inheritance, Polymorphism, Encapsulation, Abstraction, Overloading vs Overriding |
| DBMS | SQL queries, Normalization (1NF/2NF/3NF), ACID properties, Foreign Key, JOIN types |
| DSA | Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Trees, Sorting algorithms, Searching, Recursion |
| OS | Processes vs Threads, Deadlock, Paging, Virtual Memory, Scheduling algorithms, Semaphore |
| Computer Networks | OSI Model, TCP vs UDP, IP Addressing, DNS, HTTP, Firewall |
| Trending Tech | Basic awareness of AI/ML, Cloud Computing (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS), Blockchain, IoT, Cybersecurity |
Watch our curated video tutorials to understand complex topics with ease.
TCS National Qualifier Test (NQT) is a standardized assessment conducted by Tata Consultancy Services to evaluate candidates for entry-level technology roles. It is conducted on the TCS iON platform.
Follow these steps to apply for the TCS NQT examination and register yourself on the TCS iON platform.
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