The Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL) will conduct the OICL AO Exam 2026 on 10th January 2026, and the examination will be held in a single shift. Since the OICL AO Prelims 2026 is yet to be conducted, candidates can rely on previous year exam trends, particularly the OICL AO 2017 exam, to understand the expected difficulty level, section-wise weightage, and ideal attempt strategy. This article presents a detailed OICL AO Exam Analysis 2026, along with a comprehensive previous year analysis to help aspirants prepare effectively.
OICL AO Exam Analysis 2026, 10th January
The OICL AO Prelims exam is conducted in online mode and consists of 100 objective-type questions, to be solved within a total duration of 60 minutes. Each section has a separate sectional time limit, making time management extremely important. The prelims exam includes the following three sections:
- English Language
- Reasoning Ability
- Quantitative Aptitude
The section-wise difficulty level and good attempts for OICL AO 2026 will be updated after the exam on 10th January based on real-time candidate feedback.
OICL AO Prelims Difficulty Level, 10th January 2026
The overall difficulty level of the OICL AO Prelims exam has ranged from moderate to easy-moderate. In previous years, English Language remained relatively stable, Quantitative Aptitude tested conceptual arithmetic, and Reasoning Ability was slightly more time-consuming due to puzzles and seating arrangements. Based on these trends, the section-wise difficulty level for the OICL AO Prelims 2026 will be updated post-exam.
| Section | Difficulty Level |
| English Language | TBA |
| Reasoning Ability | TBA |
| Quantitative Aptitude | TBA |
| Overall | TBA |
OICL AO Prelims Good Attempts, 10th January 2026
Good attempts indicate the safe number of questions that candidates should aim to attempt with high accuracy in order to clear sectional and overall cutoffs. These figures depend on the difficulty level of each section and the overall paper.
Based on previous year trends, OICL AO prelims generally allow a moderate number of safe attempts, especially for well-prepared candidates. The exact good attempts for OICL AO 2026 will be updated after the exam.
| Section | Good Attempts (Expected) |
| English Language | TBA |
| Reasoning Ability | TBA |
| Quantitative Aptitude | TBA |
| Overall | TBA |
OICL AO Prelims Sectional Analysis 2026
A detailed sectional analysis helps candidates understand topic-wise question distribution, difficulty level, and scoring opportunities. The following section-wise breakdown will be updated after the completion of the OICL AO Prelims 2026 exam.
OICL AO English Language Exam Analysis
The English Language section in OICL AO prelims usually tests reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary. The difficulty level has generally been moderate, making it a scoring section for candidates with strong basics.
Questions are typically asked from topics such as reading comprehension, error detection, fillers, and phrase replacement. The exact topic-wise breakup for 2026 will be shared after the exam.
| Topics | Questions Asked |
| TBA | TBA |
OICL AO Quantitative Aptitude Exam Analysis
The Quantitative Aptitude section focuses on arithmetic concepts, data interpretation, and basic numerical skills. While the level is usually easy to moderate, questions can be time-consuming if conceptual clarity is weak.
Candidates can expect a mix of data interpretation, number series, approximation, quadratic equations, and arithmetic word problems. The topic-wise analysis for the 2026 exam will be updated post-exam.
| Topics | Questions Asked |
| TBA | TBA |
OICL AO Reasoning Ability Exam Analysis
Reasoning Ability is often considered the most time-consuming section in the OICL AO prelims. The section heavily emphasizes puzzles and seating arrangements, along with traditional logical reasoning topics.
Candidates need strong practice in linear and circular arrangements, puzzles, and scheduling-based questions to perform well. Detailed topic-wise analysis will be updated after the exam.
| Topics | Questions Asked |
| TBA | TBA |
OICL AO Previous Year Exam Analysis
Analyzing previous year papers gives aspirants a clear understanding of exam trends, difficulty progression, and topic importance. The OICL AO 2017 exam serves as a strong benchmark for understanding the structure and level of the exam.

OICL AO Prelims Exam Analysis 2017 – Overall Review
The OICL AO Prelims 2017 exam was conducted in online mode and consisted of 100 questions to be attempted in 60 minutes. The overall difficulty level of the exam was reported as moderate.
| Section | Duration (Minutes) | Good Attempts | Total Questions |
| English Language | 15 | 14–16 | 30 |
| Reasoning Ability | 20 | 21–24 | 35 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 20–23 | 35 |
| Total | 60 | 66–71 | 100 |
OICL AO 2017 Prelims English Language Analysis
The English Language section in 2017 was moderate in difficulty and largely scored. Reading comprehension and error detection formed the core of the section.
| Topic | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Reading Comprehension | 10 | Moderate |
| Error Detection | 10 | Moderate |
| Phrase Replacement | 5 | Moderate |
| Single Filler | 5 | Easy–Moderate |
| Total | 30 | Moderate |
OICL AO 2017 Prelims Quantitative Aptitude Analysis
Quantitative Aptitude was rated easy to moderate, with a strong presence of data interpretation and arithmetic-based questions.
| Topic | Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Data Interpretation | 10 | Easy–Moderate |
| Missing Number Series | 5 | Moderate |
| Approximation | 5 | Moderate |
| Quadratic Equations | 5 | Easy |
| Arithmetic (P&L, CI, Ages, etc.) | 10 | Moderate |
| Total | 35 | Easy–Moderate |
OICL AO 2017 Prelims Reasoning Ability Analysis
Reasoning Ability included multiple puzzle-based sets, making it the lengthiest section. Candidates who managed puzzles efficiently scored well.
| Topic | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level |
| Puzzles & Seating Arrangement | 20 | Moderate–Difficult |
| Coding-Decoding | 4 | Easy |
| Inequalities | 3 | Easy |
| Blood Relations | 2 | Moderate |
| Syllogism | 2 | Easy |
| Miscellaneous | 4 | Easy |
| Total | 35 | Easy–Moderate |
OICL AO Mains Exam Analysis 2017
The OICL AO Mains exam was moderate to tough and tested candidates across reasoning ability, quantitative aptitude, English language, and general awareness.
| Section | Max Marks | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
| Reasoning Ability | 50 | Difficult | 15–18 |
| English Language | 50 | Moderate to Tough | 14–16 |
| General Awareness | 50 | Moderate | 27–32 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | Moderate | 21–25 |
| Total | 200 | Moderate to Tough | 120–130 |
OICL AO Descriptive Paper Analysis
The Descriptive Test in OICL AO focuses on letter writing and essay writing, primarily revolving around insurance awareness and financial literacy.
Letter-writing topics included:
- Importance of insurance in life
- Request to bank manager for name change after marriage
Essay topics included:
- Art Insurance
- Factors to consider while choosing an insurance policy
- Mutual Funds vs Life Insurance—A Comparative Analysis
FAQs
Q1: When will the OICL AO Exam 2026 be conducted?
A1: The OICL AO Exam 2026 is scheduled to be conducted on 10th January 2026 in a single shift.
Q2: What is the exam pattern of the OICL AO Prelims exam?
A2: The OICL AO Prelims exam consists of 100 objective-type questions from English Language, Reasoning Ability, and Quantitative Aptitude, to be attempted within 60 minutes, with sectional time limits.
Q3: Is the OICL AO Prelims exam qualifying in nature?
A3: Yes, the OICL AO Prelims exam is qualifying in nature, and marks obtained in prelims are not counted for the final merit list.
Q4: What is the overall difficulty level of the OICL AO exam?
A4: Based on previous year trends, the OICL AO exam is generally moderate to moderately difficult, with Reasoning Ability being the most time-consuming section.
Q5: Which section is the most important in OICL AO Prelims?
A5: All sections have sectional cutoffs, but Reasoning Ability is often considered the most crucial due to lengthy puzzles and seating arrangement questions.
Q6: What type of questions are asked in the OICL AO Quantitative Aptitude section?
A6: The Quantitative Aptitude section includes Data Interpretation, Number Series, Approximation, Quadratic Equations, and Arithmetic word problems such as Profit & Loss, Time & Work, and Ages.
Q7: What topics are usually asked in the OICL AO English Language section?
A7: The English section typically includes Reading Comprehension, Error Detection, Fillers, Phrase Replacement, and vocabulary-based questions.
Q8: What is the role of previous year analysis in OICL AO preparation?
A8: Previous year exam analysis helps candidates understand exam trends, difficulty level, topic-wise weightage, and safe attempt strategies, making preparation more structured and effective.
Q9: What is the level of the OICL AO Mains exam?
A9: The OICL AO Mains exam is generally moderate to tough, with significant emphasis on Reasoning Ability, General Awareness, and Descriptive Writing.
Q10: What topics are asked in the OICL AO Descriptive Paper?
A10: The Descriptive Paper includes Letter Writing and Essay Writing, mostly based on insurance awareness, financial literacy, and general economic topics.
Hi, I’m Tripti, a senior content writer at Oliveboard, where I manage blog content along with community engagement across platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp. With 3+ years of experience in content and SEO optimization related to banking exams, I have led content for popular exams like SSC, banking, railways, and state exams.

