TCS NQT 9 August 2026 Review

I appeared for the TCS NQT on 9 August 2026 (Shift 1). Overall, I would say the paper was moderate. Some sections were quite easy, while a few required good speed and calculation practice.

Quantitative Aptitude (20 questions, 25 minutes)

This was the toughest section for me. Most questions were moderate to difficult and were mainly formula-based and calculation-oriented. Important topics included Ratio & Proportion, Simple Interest and Compound Interest, Time & Work, Profit & Loss, Discount, Average Speed, and Mensuration (especially cone and frustum). There was also an algebra question based on alpha and beta identities. Speed and accuracy were very important.

Logical Reasoning (20 questions, 25 minutes)

This section was easy to moderate, and many questions were similar to the TCS practice sheets. Topics included coding-decoding, dice, patterns, square and circular seating arrangements, and floor-based arrangements. Most questions were straightforward.

Verbal Ability

The verbal section looked easy, but time management was the biggest challenge. Sentence completion had around 10 questions with only about 25 seconds per question, so quick reading was necessary.

The sentence reading and recall task was easy. A short sentence was shown for 30 seconds, and then we had 90 seconds to write it from memory. Exact wording was not necessary as long as the key points were included.

Email writing was practical and easy. The question was about writing an email to a coworker in a furniture shop, assuring them that a large order could be completed by using machines efficiently, increasing working hours, and coordinating workers. We had 9 minutes to read and write the email.

Advanced Aptitude

This section was easier than the first quant section. Questions were mostly based on Venn diagrams/set theory and eligibility criteria. The calculations were simpler, and the section felt much more manageable.

Coding

The coding section was easier than I expected.

• Easy Coding: An array-based problem where we had to count the number of elements smaller than a given ordered value that appeared on its left side.
• Advanced Coding: A merge sort based problem that required counting inversions (or swaps) during the merge sort process.

One important thing is to be comfortable with taking input correctly, reading `n` space-separated integers, and printing the output exactly as required.

Important Observation

A few questions in different sections were type-in-answer (TITA) questions, where there were no multiple-choice options. You had to calculate and enter the answer manually, so practicing non-MCQ questions is important.

Overall

I found the paper moderate overall. Logical Reasoning and Advanced Aptitude were relatively easy, Verbal was easy but very time-bound, and Quantitative Aptitude was the most challenging section. If you practice calculations, TCS-style reasoning questions, and basic coding concepts like arrays and merge sort, the exam is definitely manageable.