TCS NQT Preparation Guide 2026: Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Cut-off & Tips

TCS National Qualifier Test (NQT) is the entrance exam for TCS hiring. It is conducted multiple times a year and serves as the gateway for TCS Ninja, TCS Digital, and TCS Prime roles.

The exam has two variants: Foundation NQT (for Ninja roles, ₹3.36 LPA) and Advanced NQT (for Digital roles, ₹7 LPA+). You can attempt both in the same session.

Over 3 lakh students appear for TCS NQT each year, making it one of the largest placement exams in India.

Foundation Section (mandatory for all): Verbal ability (15 questions, 10 min), Reasoning ability (15 questions, 25 min), Numerical ability (15 questions, 25 min). Total: 45 questions in 60 minutes.

Advanced Section (optional, for Digital/Prime roles): Advanced quantitative + logical (15 questions, 25 min), Advanced coding (2 problems, 45 min). Total: 17 questions in 70 minutes.

There is negative marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer in the Foundation section. No negative marking in Advanced.

Numerical ability: Time, speed, distance; percentages; profit/loss; ratio and proportion; averages; number system; probability; permutations and combinations; mensuration; data interpretation.

Reasoning ability: Syllogisms; blood relations; direction sense; coding-decoding; number series; seating arrangement; data sufficiency; statement and conclusions.

Verbal ability: Reading comprehension; sentence correction; fill in the blanks; synonyms/antonyms; para jumbles; spelling errors.

Advanced coding: Arrays, strings, trees, graphs, DP, greedy. Usually 2 problems — one medium, one hard. Check TCS coding questions on Apply PYQs.

Foundation cut-off: approximately 60% correct answers to qualify for the interview round. This means getting ~27 out of 45 questions right.

Advanced cut-off: approximately 70% to be shortlisted for TCS Digital interviews. Getting both coding problems correct almost guarantees shortlisting.

Cut-off varies by batch and hiring demand. During mass hiring drives, the cut-off can be lower. During selective hiring, it can be higher.

Days 1-10: Quantitative aptitude — practice 30 questions per day from IndiaBix. Focus on time-speed-distance, percentages, profit-loss first (highest weightage).

Days 11-15: Reasoning ability — practice syllogisms, seating arrangement, and coding-decoding. These are the most scoring sections.

Days 16-18: Verbal ability — read one RC passage daily, practice para jumbles and sentence correction. This section is often neglected but is the easiest to score.

Days 19-25: Coding — solve 2 problems daily from TCS PYQs on Apply. Focus on arrays, strings, and basic DP. TCS coding is easier than Amazon — mostly easy/medium LeetCode level.

Days 26-30: Full mock tests — take 5 timed mocks on PrepInsta or FacePrep. Analyze mistakes and revisit weak topics.

After clearing NQT, you face 2 rounds: Technical + HR. Technical covers basic programming (C/Java/Python), OOP concepts, DBMS, and your project. HR covers behavioral questions.

Prepare 2 projects thoroughly — TCS interviewers ask about your role, tech stack, and challenges faced.

Practice with Apply's AI mock interview at /mock-interview with company set to TCS for realistic preparation.

Don't attempt all questions blindly — negative marking in Foundation section means guessing can hurt your score. Skip questions you're unsure about.

Don't ignore verbal ability — many students focus only on quant and reasoning, but verbal is the fastest section to score in. 15 questions in 10 minutes is achievable.

Don't skip coding practice — even for Foundation roles, basic coding questions appear. For Advanced, coding is the deciding factor.

Don't waste time on hard quant questions — if a problem takes more than 90 seconds, skip and return later.

Apply has TCS-specific PYQs, interview prep guides, and mock interviews — all free to start. Browse TCS coding questions at /pyqs, read the TCS interview prep guide at /prepare/tcs-interview-questions-2026, and practice mock interviews at /mock-interview.