The NICL Assistant Prelims Exam 2026 is scheduled to be conducted on 27th August 2026 in multiple shifts. The 1st and 2nd shifts of the exam have been conducted, and the NICL Assistant Prelims Exam Analysis has been updated based on candidate feedback and expert analysis. The analysis covers the shift-wise difficulty level, good attempts, and section-wise distribution of questions.
NICL Assistant Exam Analysis 2026
The NICL Assistant Prelims Exam Analysis 2026 has been released after the 1st and 2nd shifts of the exam scheduled for 27th August 2026 were conducted. The analysis covers the section-wise difficulty level, good attempts, and questions asked, based on candidate feedback and expert analysis. Candidates can use the analysis to evaluate their performance and understand the overall difficulty level of the exam.
NICL Assistant Prelims Exam Analysis 2026: Shift-wise Difficulty and Good Attempts
The NICL Assistant Prelims Exam 2026 Shift 1 and Shift 2 were held on 27th August 2026. The shift-wise difficulty level and good attempts are provided below based on candidate feedback and expert analysis. Check NICL Assistant Shift Timings.
| Section | Shift 1: Difficulty | Shift 1: Good Attempts | Shift 2: Difficulty | Shift 2: Good Attempts |
| English Language | 24 – 28 | Easy | 25 – 28 | Easy |
| Reasoning Ability | 31 – 33 | Easy | 30 – 32 | Easy |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 – 30 | Easy | 24 – 27 | Easy but Calculative |
| Overall | 85 – 89 | Easy | 82 – 87 | Easy |
Note: Good attempts have been updated based on the reviews received from candidates who appeared for the exam. These figures are indicative and should not be considered official cut-offs.
NICL Assistant Prelims Shift-wise Sectional Analysis 2026
The NICL Assistant Prelims Exam Analysis 2026 includes a detailed section-wise analysis of the exam. It covers the topics asked, number of questions, difficulty level, and overall review of each section based on candidate feedback.
NICL Assistant Prelims Reasoning Ability Analysis 2026
The detailed topic-wise analysis, including questions asked from puzzles, seating arrangements, inequalities, blood relations, directions, alphanumeric series, order and ranking, and other reasoning topics in Shifts 1 and 2, is as follows:
| Topics | Shift 1 | Shift 2 |
| Alpha-Numeric Series | 5 | 5 |
| Syllogism | 3 | 4 |
| Direction and Distance | 3 | 1 |
| Blood Relation | 3 | — |
| Inequality | 3 | 4 |
| Odd One Out | 1 | — |
| Meaningful Word | 1 | — |
| Number-Based Question | 1 | — |
| Floor-Based Puzzle | 5 | — |
| Sequence-Based Puzzle | 5 | — |
| Square-Based Seating Arrangement | 5 | — |
| Two Row Puzzle | — | 5 |
| Linear Puzzle | — | 5 |
| Box Based Puzzle | — | 5 |
| Weight | — | 3 |
| Pair Formation | — | 3 |
| Total | 35 | 35 |
NICL Assistant Prelims English Language Analysis 2026
The detailed analysis of Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Error Detection, Fillers, Misspelt Words, Cloze Test, and other topics in Shifts 1 and 2 is as follows:
| Topics | Shift 1 | Shift 2 |
| Cloze Test | 6 | 6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 9 | 9 |
| Spotting Errors | 5 | 3 |
| Misspelt Words | 3 | 3 |
| Word/Phrase Replacement | 3 | — |
| Rearrangement | 3 | — |
| Match the Column | 1 | — |
| Sentence Formation | — | 4 |
| Total | 30 | 30 |
NICL Assistant Prelims Quantitative Aptitude Analysis 2026
The topic-wise analysis covering Data Interpretation, Arithmetic, Missing Number Series, Approximation, Simplification, and other Quantitative Aptitude topics in Shifts 1 and 2 is as follows:
| Topics | Shift 1 | Shift 2 |
| Arithmetic | 13 | 10 |
| Data Interpretation (Bar Graph) | 5 | — |
| Missing Number Series | 6 | — |
| Simplification | 11 | 10 |
| Table DI | — | 5 |
| DI | — | 3 |
| Wrong Number Series | — | 5 |
| Total | 35 | 35 |
NICL Assistant Previous Year Prelims Trends
The NICL Assistant Prelims exam pattern has remained consistent, with English Language, Reasoning Ability, and Quantitative Aptitude forming the three sections. Each section has a fixed number of questions, with 30 questions in English and 35 questions each in Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. Analysing previous-year trends helps candidates understand the commonly asked topics and prepare according to their weightage.
NICL Assistant Prelims Good Attempts Trend
Good attempts depend on the difficulty level of the paper, question distribution, and candidates’ accuracy. In the NICL Assistant Prelims 2024, the overall good attempts were estimated at 79–85 questions, with Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude recording higher good attempts than English.
| Year | English | Reasoning Ability | Quantitative Aptitude | Overall Good Attempts |
| 2024 | 24–26 | 28–30 | 27–29 | 79–85 |
Note: Good-attempt figures are indicative and may vary across shifts depending on the difficulty level and accuracy of candidates.
NICL Assistant Prelims Overall Difficulty Trend
The NICL Assistant Prelims 2024 was reported to be Easy overall, with all three sections—English Language, Reasoning Ability, and Quantitative Aptitude rated Easy.
| Year | English Language | Reasoning Ability | Quantitative Aptitude | Overall Difficulty |
| 2024 | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy |
NICL Assistant Prelims English Language Trend
The English Language section has consistently focused on Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Error Detection, Fillers, and vocabulary-based questions. In the 2024 examination, Reading Comprehension carried the highest weightage, while Para Jumbles, Error Detection, Fillers, and Misspelt Words were also asked.
| Topic | 2024 |
| Reading Comprehension | 10 |
| Para Jumbles | 5 |
| Error Detection | 5 |
| Fillers | 4 |
| Misspelt Words | 5 |
| Miscellaneous | 1 |
| Total Questions | 30 |
Trend: Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Error Detection, and Fillers have been important areas of the English section. Candidates should also prepare vocabulary-based questions such as misspelt words and word usage.
NICL Assistant Prelims Quantitative Aptitude Trend
The Quantitative Aptitude section has included a combination of Data Interpretation, Arithmetic, Number Series, Approximation, and Simplification. In 2024, Arithmetic and Data Interpretation together formed a significant portion of the section, making calculation speed important.
| Topic | 2024 |
| Bar Graph DI | 7 |
| Tabular DI | 6 |
| Caselet DI | 4 |
| Arithmetic | 9 |
| Missing Number Series | 5 |
| Approximation | 4 |
| Total Questions | 35 |
Trend: Data Interpretation and Arithmetic have remained important areas of Quantitative Aptitude. Candidates should also practise Number Series and Approximation to improve speed and accuracy.
NICL Assistant Prelims Reasoning Ability Trend
Reasoning Ability has primarily focused on Puzzles and Seating Arrangements, along with short and scoring topics such as Inequality, Blood Relation, Direction, Alphanumeric Series, Order and Ranking, and Meaningful Word. The 2024 paper included three major puzzle sets.
| Topic | 2024 |
| Puzzles | 15 |
| Blood Relation | 3 |
| Direction | 3 |
| Inequality | 3 |
| Alphanumeric Series | 4 |
| Meaningful Word | 1 |
| Order and Ranking | 3 |
| Alphabet Test | 1 |
| Pair and Letter | 1 |
| Miscellaneous | 1 |
| Total Questions | 35 |
Trend: Puzzles and Seating Arrangements have formed a major part of the Reasoning section, while topics such as Inequality, Direction, Blood Relation, and Alphanumeric Series provide opportunities for quick and accurate attempts.
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