Life Insurance Corporation of India Assistant Administrative Officer or LIC AAO exam is one of the best entry-level jobs in the insurance sector. LIC issued a notice calling for applications for LIC AAO on 25th February 2020. The preliminary exam was to be conducted on the 4th of April, 2020 but the date got postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The new date for the LIC AAO 2021 examination will be notified by LIC as and when it is scheduled. The LIC AAO exam isdivided into three phases, namely, preliminary, mains and interview. Thus, to crack the prelims cut off, below we have shared the best section-wise LIC AAO preparations tips.
LIC AAO PRELIMS EXAM PATTERN
The preliminary exam of LIC AAO is conducted in online computer-based test mode at various centres across India. It is divided into three sections, which include Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, and English Language. It consists of multiple-choice questions carrying one mark each and there is a negative marking of 0.25 mark for each wrong answer. The total time allotted for the exam is one hour and the medium of examination is Hindi and English. The number of questions and the marks denoted for each section is given below:
| Sections | Questions | Maximum Marks |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 |
| English Language | 30 | 30* |
| Total | 100 | 70 |
*The English language section is only a qualifyingexam and it is not included in determining the total marks for the preparation of the merit list.
LIC AAO CUT OFF
Candidates have to score the minimum qualifying marks to pass the LIC AAO preliminary exam. The LIC AAO cutoff for the prelims exam in the year 2019 was 58 for the Unreserved category.
Accordingly, candidates need to set the overall attempts of the questions with accuracy level in order to crack the LIC AAO Prelims cut off and qualify for the next phase of selection.
Core LIC AAO Preparation Strategy
The LIC AAO prelims exam is only a qualifying exam and therefore you just need to clear the LIC AAO cut off to progress for the Mains exam. We suggest, considering 2019 cut off, to at least attempt 78-83 questions correct. As the merit list is prepared on the basis of marks scored in Mains and Interview, you must not fret about getting all questions correct. Further, there is no negative marking so make sure you attempt all questions.
LIC AAO PREPARATION STRATEGY- QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE
The quantitative aptitude section consists of 35 questions out of which 18 to 24 questions are considered to be good attempts. The LIC preparation strategy for this section includes:
- Major Topics: Profit & Loss, Percentages, Simple & Compound Interest,Number System Time & Work,Simplification Average, Ratio & Proportion, Functions, Linear Equations, Quadratic Equations, Case Study Analysis, Probability, Graphs, Speed & Distance, Time & Work, Partnership, Data Interpretation, Permutation & Combination, etc.
- Questions Breakdown: The difficulty level of the section was moderate. The paper comprised 2 sets of DI with 6 questions each, 5 questions each from Series and Approximation and 13 questions in total on Arithmetic.
- The Data Interpretation section is a major hurdle for a lot of candidates in the LIC AAO Prelims exam. You will be presented with a Bar graph/pie chart/histogram/mixed graph/table, etc. and you will be asked to calculate certain ratios and combinations. Typically, only one or two out of all are off high difficulty, rest are pretty straightforward. The thumb rule is the longer the DI, the tougher it is.
- Divide your preparation into two phases. In the first phase, practice the fundamental portion that is percentages, linear equations, number system, ratio & proportion, averages, etc. This will come into use in the Reasoning section as well. After that, move onto advanced topics such as quadratic equations, probability, etc.
- Topics such as BODMAS, averages, percentages, divisibility, unitary method, linear equations, etc. are basic areas and they come into use not only in Quant but also in Reasoning. Solidify your understanding in these areas first and then move onto other sections. Candidates should revise their basic concepts and they can refer to NCERT books of Class 6-10 for a better understanding of this section.
LIC AAO PREPARATION STRATEGY- REASONING ABILITY
This section also consists of 35 marks out of which the number of good questions ranges between 25 to 30.The preparation strategy for reasoning ability includes:
- Major Topics:[Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Dates & Calendars, Cause & Effects, Orders & Rankings, Statements & Conclusion, Assertion & Reason,Input-Output, Inferences Coding-Decoding, Word Formation, Directions, Syllogism, Alphabet Test, Blood Relation, Inequalities, etc.]
- Questions Breakdown: Puzzle and Seating Arrangement was the most important on the exam last time with 20 questions at easy-moderate level, Syllogism accounted for 5 questions and 3 questions each from Inequalities, Directions and Orders & Rankings. The rest were miscellaneous.
- Try to visualize the given information in the questions and consider the possible scenarios and options in a practical way. Counted as one of the crucial LIC AAO preparation tips, this will help you to isolate basic information from the question, analyse the missing link and assess the given options more clearly.
- Refer to basic reasoning books as these books offer various shortcuts to solve the questions and solve 4-5 puzzlesdaily to improve their critical thinking skills and to be able to solve the puzzles quickly. Furthermore, try to solve at least one practice test daily to identify their weak areas and to sharpen their skills.
LIC AAO PREPARATION STRATEGY- ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Candidates must remember that the English Language section is only a qualifying examination and marks obtained will not count towards the merit list. There are 30 questions in this section out of which 20-25 are considered to be good attempts. The preparation strategy for the English language includes:
- Major Topics: [Reading Comprehension, Sentence/Paragraph Correction, Error Detection, Jumbled Sentences, Active & Passive Voice, Cloze Test, Odd One Out, Fill in the Blanks, Sentence Connectors, Vocabulary [Synonyms, Antonyms, One-word Substitution], etc.]
- Reading Comprehension carried 8 questions in the previous year exam paper, the highest. The topic on RC was “Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Society”. Further, the rest of the paper contained 6 questions each from Error detection and Para Jumbles and 5 each from Sentence Correction and Single Word Fillers. The difficulty level of the paper was easy-moderate.
- Reading Comprehension: Reading comprehension passages are generally taken from topics of economics, social issues and environment, literature or arts, amongst others. Try to highlight the different elements in a passage, namely, it’s Main Theme/Idea, Author’s Point of View & Counter Arguments and Further, a passage may also contain visual imagery, facts and figurative language. To get the best out of it, follow either of two reading approaches: the traditional top-down approach [read the entire passage and then attempt the questions] and the more dynamicbottom-up approach [look at the question first and reference it with the information in the passage]. Both are tested methods, but the former is well-suited for longer passages and the latter for shorter ones.
- The framing of questions in this section on the LIC AAO Prelims exam is also important. Look out for trigger words such as ‘neither…nor, either…or, however, etc.’. Further, try to differentiate between phrases like ‘strongly agrees with’, ‘strongly disagrees with’ and ‘most likely doesn’t agree with’, amongst others.
LIC AAO preparation tips: Key Takeaways
- Time Management: One of the most important LIC AAO preparation tips is that the candidates need to take care of the time limit which is 20 minutes for each section and divide their time according to the number of questions in that section. You get around 30 seconds to answer each question.
- Starting Approach: Begin your paper with the section you are most comfortable with.
- Revision: Leave 2-3 minutes at the end of each section for revision.
