A good fit if you...
- Are a graduate interested in insurance and financial services.
- Want an officer role with strong pay and benefits.
- Are comfortable with transfers across a zone.
Insurance · Officer Entry
LIC AAO — Assistant Administrative Officer
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) AAO is the officer recruitment of the LIC, India's largest insurer. It is one of the best-paid officer entries in the public financial sector.
QualificationGraduation (any stream)
Age Limit21–30 years
Starting Basic₹53,600
StagesPrelims → Mains → Interview → Medical
Overview
What is LIC AAO?
LIC recruits Assistant Administrative Officers in the Generalist stream and in specialist streams such as Chartered Accountant, Actuarial, Legal, Information Technology (IT) and Rajbhasha. This guide focuses on the Generalist stream.
AAOs handle administration, underwriting, claims, policy servicing and marketing support in LIC branch and divisional offices.
AAO GeneralistSpecialist StreamsInsuranceInterview
Fit check
Who should choose LIC AAO
Think twice if you...
- Dislike administrative and policy work.
- Want a city-fixed job.
- Are not prepared for the insurance awareness section.
What gives you an edge
Any graduation
Eligible for the Generalist stream.
Commerce & Finance
Helps with insurance and financial market awareness.
Specialist degrees
Chartered Accountant (CA), actuarial, law or IT degrees open specialist AAO streams.
Step-by-step plan for your background
Arts / Humanities
If you're from Arts
- Start quant with simplification, number series and approximation, then move to data interpretation.
- Your reading strength helps in English — practise reading comprehension and essay/letter writing.
- Follow banking and economy news daily; keep a glossary of banking terms.
Commerce
If you're from Commerce
- Banking and financial awareness overlaps with your syllabus — revise Reserve Bank of India (RBI) functions, monetary policy and banking terms.
- Strengthen data interpretation and puzzles with daily timed sets.
- Use your economics knowledge for descriptive writing and the interview.
Science
If you're from Science
- Quant and DI are your strengths — aim for accuracy at speed.
- Puzzles and seating arrangements need daily practice regardless of background.
- Build banking awareness from scratch with monthly current-affairs compilations and RBI updates.
Eligibility
LIC AAO eligibility criteria
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian citizen |
| Qualification (Generalist) | Graduation in any discipline |
| Specialist streams | Relevant degree or qualification (e.g. CA, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), BE/MCA, actuarial papers) |
| Age limit | 21–30 years |
Upper age relaxation
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) (non-creamy layer) | 3 years |
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| PwBD (UR / OBC / SC-ST) | 10 / 13 / 15 years |
| Ex-servicemen | As per government rules (military service deducted from age, plus 3 years) |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | No age relaxation |
Step-by-step
LIC AAO selection process
Stage 1
Apply online
Through the LIC careers website.
Stage 2
Prelims
Qualifying screening test.
Stage 3
Mains
Objective test plus descriptive English.
Stage 4
Interview
For candidates who clear Mains.
Stage 5
Medical & joining
Pre-recruitment medical examination and probation.
Marks & timing
LIC AAO exam pattern
Stage 1
Prelims
Questions100Merit marks70Duration60 minutes
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| English Language (qualifying) | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 70 (for merit) | 60 minutes |
Stage 2
Mains
Questions120Marks300Duration2 hours
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 90 | 40 minutes |
| General Knowledge & Current Affairs | 30 | 60 | 20 minutes |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 30 | 90 | 40 minutes |
| Insurance & Financial Market Awareness | 30 | 60 | 20 minutes |
| Total (objective) | 120 | 300 | 2 hours |
| Descriptive English — letter & essay (qualifying) | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
Key rules at a glance
Negative marking
0.25 of the marks per wrong answer in objective tests.
English
Qualifying in Prelims and descriptive Mains.
Final merit
Mains objective marks + interview.
Probation
One year, which can be extended.
What to study
LIC AAO syllabus
Reasoning
PuzzlesSeating arrangementSyllogismCoding-decodingInequalitiesInput-output
Quant & Data Analysis
ArithmeticNumber seriesSimplificationData interpretation and caselets
Insurance & Financial Awareness
Insurance conceptsIRDAILIC productsFinancial marketsRegulatorsRecent developments
GK & Current Affairs
National and international news, economy, sports and awards.
English
Comprehension, grammar, vocabulary; letter and essay writing in Mains.
Pay, perks & work
LIC AAO salary, designation & job profile
Basic pay₹53,600/month
AAO scale (₹53,600–1,02,090).
Indicative total emolumentsAbout ₹88,000 – ₹93,000/month
At metro (A-class) cities as quoted in recent LIC notifications.
PerksMedical, LTC, group insurance
Plus housing loan, car/vehicle schemes and pension (NPS).
Job role & responsibilities
Administration
Run branch and divisional office functions.
Underwriting
Assess risk on new policies.
Claims & servicing
Settle claims and service existing policies.
Marketing support
Support and supervise agents and development officers.
Career ladder
1Entry
AAO
Entry post.
2Step 2
Administrative Officer
After probation and service.
3Step 3
Assistant Divisional Manager
Middle management.
4Step 4
Divisional Manager and above
Senior management through promotion.
Preparation strategy
How to prepare for LIC AAO
A practical, phase-by-phase plan. Adjust the timeline to when the next notification is expected.
1Weeks 1–2
Baseline
- Read the notification and syllabus.
- Attempt one Prelims mock to measure your level.
2Months 1–2
Prelims foundation
- Daily: 20 puzzles/arrangements, 30 quant questions, 1 reading comprehension.
- Learn shortcuts for simplification and number series.
3Months 2–3
Mains depth
- High-level puzzles, caselet DI and data sufficiency.
- Banking, economy and financial awareness notes.
- Weekly essay and letter writing.
4Final 6 weeks
Mocks and interview
- Prelims and Mains mocks on alternate days with analysis.
- For PO-level exams, prepare your introduction, banking basics and current issues for the interview.
Trusted resources
Where to study from
- Official notification on the recruiting body's website (ibps.in, sbi.co.in, rbi.org.in, licindia.in)
- RBI website and press releases for banking awareness
- PIB (pib.gov.in) and a daily newspaper for current affairs
- Memory-based previous papers for recent pattern trends
- A bank-exam mock test series with sectional timing
Keep exploring
Related government exams
Student doubts
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Graduation in any discipline is enough for the Generalist stream.
No attempt limit has been set in recent notifications; you can apply within the age limit.
No. Self-study with mock tests and insurance awareness notes is enough for many candidates.
No. English is qualifying in Prelims and the descriptive test in Mains.
AAO is an officer post in administration. ADO (Apprentice Development Officer) is a marketing role managing agents.
No physical test; a pre-recruitment medical exam is required.
LIC branches and divisional offices across the allotted zone; transfers are possible across India.
AAO → Administrative Officer → Assistant Divisional Manager → Divisional Manager → Senior DM and above.
*Eligibility, age limits, exam pattern and pay figures are based on recent official notifications and the 7th Central Pay Commission structure as of 2026. In-hand salary estimates are indicative and vary with city (HRA) and the current Dearness Allowance rate. Every recruitment cycle can change the details — always confirm in the latest official notification before applying.
Official source: Life Insurance Corporation of India — Careers (licindia.in)