The TCS National Qualifier Test (NQT) is one of the most common entry points for freshers into IT services jobs in India. It is also widely misunderstood, because the name is used for two related but different things.
Two things called “NQT”
- TCS All India NQT Hiring — TCS’s own recruitment drive for specific graduating batches. TCS’s official page describes it as an integrated test with Foundation and Advanced sections, conducted at TCS iON centres. Performance determines whether candidates are invited to Ninja, Digital or Prime interviews.
- TCS iON NQT — a separate, paid assessment offered by TCS iON (TCS’s assessment business). It gives a scorecard that participating companies can use, and is not the same as applying to a TCS hiring drive.
Before you register or pay for anything, confirm which one you are signing up for on the official TCS or TCS iON website.
Foundation and Advanced
For the hiring drive, TCS states that everyone is encouraged to attempt both sections, and that the Advanced section is mandatory if you want to be considered for Digital or Prime roles. Foundation covers aptitude areas such as numerical ability, verbal ability and reasoning; Advanced is more demanding and includes coding.
Ninja, Digital and Prime
These are TCS’s entry-level hiring categories. Your test performance decides which interview you are invited to; you do not pick a category when applying. TCS publishes role details in each hiring notice — rely on the official notice rather than salary figures quoted on third-party sites.
How to prepare
- Practise timed aptitude questions — sections cannot usually be revisited once you move on.
- If you are aiming for Digital or Prime, practise coding problems in a language you know well.
- Revise your final-year project and core subjects for the technical interview.
- Keep your academic details and ID documents accurate and ready; incorrect information can lead to disqualification.
Stay safe
Register only through official TCS or TCS iON websites. TCS does not ask candidates to pay agents or middlemen for job offers. See how to spot fake job offers.
Hiring batches, dates and eligibility change with each cycle. Check the current official notice before applying.
