TCS NQT 2026: Syllabus, Negative Marking & Plan

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.

Foundation negative marking is 0.25 per wrong answer. Random guessing across the paper can drop you below the cut-off even if you knew half the topics well.

Rule of thumb: attempt a question only if you can eliminate at least two options or are reasonably sure. Skip and return later if a quant problem burns more than ~90 seconds.

Advanced section does not carry the same Foundation penalty — but coding accuracy still decides Digital/Prime shortlists. Do not rush wrong submissions.

After each timed mock, review wrong attempts vs skipped questions. Improving skip discipline often raises scores faster than learning one new advanced topic.

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/tcs (or set company to TCS in /dashboard/mock-interview) 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 free AI mock interviews — all free to start. Browse TCS coding questions at /pyqs, read /prepare/tcs-interview-questions-2026, and practice at /mock-interview/tcs.