In this guide
"LIC AAO" is often spoken of as one exam. In recent cycles, it has been a family of recruitments that share a notification date and some sections, but differ in eligibility, papers, marking and postings. Choosing the wrong post can mean preparing for a paper you are not suited to. You may also miss one where your qualification gives you a real advantage. This guide sets them side by side.
The 2025 posts and vacancies
| Post | Vacancies (2025) | Upper age limit |
|---|---|---|
| AAO (Generalist) | 350 | 30 |
| AAO (Insurance Specialist) | 310 | 30 |
| AAO (Chartered Accountant) | 30 | 32 |
| AAO (Actuarial) | 30 | 30 |
| AAO (Legal) | 30 | 32 |
| AAO (Company Secretary) | 10 | 30 |
| Assistant Engineer (Civil) | 50 | 30 |
| Assistant Engineer (Electrical) | 31 | 30 |
| Total | 841 |
The minimum age was 21 for all posts, and the usual relaxations applied, as covered in LIC AAO eligibility. All posts carried the same starting basic pay of ₹88,635.
Eligibility by post
| Post | Qualification and experience (2025) |
|---|---|
| Generalist | A bachelor's degree in any discipline |
| Chartered Accountant | A bachelor's degree; CA Final passed with articleship completed; associate membership of ICAI |
| Company Secretary | A bachelor's degree and qualified membership of ICSI |
| Actuarial | A bachelor's degree in any discipline; at least 6 papers passed with the Institute of Actuaries of India or the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, UK |
| Insurance Specialist | A bachelor's degree; Fellowship of the Insurance Institute of India (Life); at least 5 years' experience in life insurance companies regulated by IRDAI |
| Legal | A law degree with at least 50 per cent (45 per cent for SC, ST and PwBD); enrolled with the Bar Council; at least 2 years' experience after enrolment as an advocate or law officer |
| Assistant Engineer (Civil or Electrical) | B.E. or B.Tech in the branch from an AICTE-recognised institution; at least 3 years' experience in planning and executing multi-storeyed building projects |
Several specialist posts need professional membership or years of experience, not just a degree. They are designed for working professionals, not fresh graduates.
How the exams differ
Prelims
| Post | Sections | Negative marking (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Generalist | Reasoning 35, Quant 35, English 30 (qualifying) | None |
| CA, CS, Actuarial, Insurance Specialist, Engineering | Reasoning 35, Quant 35, English 30 (qualifying) | 1/4 mark per wrong answer |
| Legal | Reasoning 35, English 35, General Awareness 30 (qualifying) | 1/4 mark per wrong answer |
Each section had 20 minutes, and about 20 times the vacancies in each category were shortlisted for the mains.
Mains
The Generalist mains has four 30-question sections worth 300 marks, plus a qualifying English descriptive test (see the LIC AAO exam pattern explained). The specialist and engineering mains looked quite different in 2025:
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 | 20 min |
| General Awareness, with special reference to Insurance and Financial Market Awareness | 20 | 20 | 10 min |
| Professional Knowledge (objective) | 50 | 100 | 30 min |
| Professional Knowledge (descriptive, 4 of 6 questions) | — | 50, converted to 150 | 60 min |
| English descriptive (qualifying) | 2 | 25 | 30 min |
The objective part totals 150 marks and the professional descriptive paper another 150 after conversion, giving 300 marks for ranking. There was no negative marking in the specialist mains.
The minimum marks for the objective sections were:
- Reasoning: 15 (13 for SC, ST and PwBD)
- General Awareness: 10 (9 for SC, ST and PwBD)
- Professional Knowledge: 50 (45 for SC, ST and PwBD)
The professional descriptive paper needed 50 per cent (45 per cent for SC, ST and PwBD).
The big difference: For specialists, more than four-fifths of the ranking marks come from professional knowledge: 100 objective plus 150 descriptive out of 300. Aptitude is a filter; your professional subject decides your rank. For Generalists, it is the reverse. Aptitude and awareness decide everything.
Worked example: the descriptive conversion
Suppose a specialist candidate scores 32 out of 50 in the professional descriptive paper. Converted to 150, that is 32 × 3 = 96. The 50 per cent minimum is 25 out of 50, or 75 after conversion, so the candidate clears it. A candidate with 23 out of 50 (69 after conversion) would fall short. An SC, ST or PwBD candidate needs 45 per cent, which is 22.5 out of 50 or 67.5 after conversion, so 23 would clear that bar.
Postings differ too
The 2025 notifications set different posting rules:
| Post | Posting (2025) |
|---|---|
| Generalist | At least five years in mofussil branches outside the home zone |
| Company Secretary | Offices in Mumbai only |
| CA and Actuarial | Mainly Mumbai or any of the 8 zonal offices |
| Insurance Specialist | Initially at least five years in a mofussil branch |
| Legal | Up to one year in a branch anywhere in India, then legal cells |
For some candidates, this matters as much as the exam. Specialists usually stay close to their field, whether accounts, actuarial work, company law or litigation. Generalists rotate across functions.
How to choose
- If you hold a relevant professional qualification, a specialist post lets your expertise carry most of the marks. It may also have fewer applicants per post. The professional papers will be demanding, though, and the descriptive section is heavily weighted.
- If you are a fresh graduate, Generalist is the realistic route. Most specialist posts need membership or years of experience that you will not yet have.
- If you are an experienced life-insurance professional with a III Fellowship, note that Insurance Specialist had the largest number of specialist vacancies in 2025.
- Check the one-application rule. In 2025, candidates could apply for only one post across the Generalist, Specialist and Engineer posts. If more than one application was submitted, only the latest valid one was kept. Choose carefully, because you cannot hedge.
Quick check
- In 2025, which prelims had negative marking: Generalist or specialist? Specialist. It deducted 1/4 mark per wrong answer. The Generalist prelims had none.
- What replaces Quant in the AAO (Legal) prelims? English (35) becomes a scored section, and General Awareness (30) is qualifying.
- What share of a specialist's 300 ranking marks comes from professional knowledge? 250 of 300, that is 100 objective plus 150 descriptive. That is about 83 per cent.
- A specialist scores 30 of 50 in the professional descriptive paper. What is the converted mark? 90.
What to do next
- List the posts in the current notification and tick the ones whose eligibility you meet on the cut-off date.
- If a specialist post fits, download its professional-knowledge syllabus and try a sample paper before deciding.
- If you choose Generalist, start with the LIC AAO exam pattern explained and the insurance plan.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Life Insurance Corporation of India website .
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