# NICL AO Automobile Engineer Exam Pattern 2026: Marks > NICL AO Automobile Engineer exam pattern 2026: Phase I has 100 marks in 60 minutes. Phase II has 250 objective marks and a 30-mark descriptive test. Source: https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/exam-pattern/ Category: [NICL](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/) Guide: [NICL AO Automobile Engineer 2026](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/) ## In short - Phase I has 100 marks in 60 minutes with three timed sections. - The Phase II specialist test has 250 marks in 3 hours, plus a 30-mark descriptive test. - Each wrong answer costs one-fourth of the marks for that question. The NICL AO Automobile Engineer exam pattern 2026 has an online Phase I of **100 marks in 60 minutes**. Phase II has an objective test of **250 marks in 3 hours** and a descriptive test of **30 marks**. Each wrong answer costs **one-fourth** of the marks for that question. See the [NICL AO Automobile Engineer 2026 guide](/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/) for all stages. ## NICL AO Automobile Engineer exam pattern 2026: Phase I Phase I applies to all disciplines. It is an online objective test with multiple choice questions. | Section | Questions | Marks | Time | Medium | | --------------------- | --------- | ----- | ---------- | ----------------- | | English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes | English | | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes | English and Hindi | | Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes | English and Hindi | | Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes | | Each section has its own timer. The sections do not follow a fixed order. A candidate must secure passing marks in each section. The company decides these marks. The company shortlists about 15 times the vacancies for Phase II. See the [selection process page](/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/selection-process/) for details. ## What is the Phase II objective test for Specialists? An Automobile Engineer takes the Specialist test. It has six sections and **250 marks**. The technical and professional knowledge test checks knowledge in the candidate's discipline. | Section | Questions | Marks | Time | Medium | | ------------------------------------ | --------- | ----- | ----------- | ----------------- | | Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes | English and Hindi | | General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes | English and Hindi | | Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | 35 minutes | English and Hindi | | English Language | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes | English | | Computer Knowledge | 40 | 40 | 25 minutes | English and Hindi | | Technical and professional knowledge | 50 | 50 | 35 minutes | English and Hindi | | Total | 250 | 250 | 180 minutes | | Each section has its own timer. The test runs for 3 hours in all. ## What is the descriptive test? The descriptive test starts right after the objective test. It is a test of English language and has **30 marks**. It lasts **30 minutes**. | Part | Marks | | ------------- | ----- | | Essay | 10 | | Précis | 10 | | Comprehension | 10 | | Total | 30 | The candidate types the answers on a computer. Check all keys of the keyboard before you start to type. The descriptive test is qualifying in nature. Its marks do not count for the interview shortlist or the final selection. ## How does negative marking work in NICL AO? NICL deducts **one-fourth** of the marks assigned to a question for each wrong answer. This rule applies to the Phase I and the Phase II objective tests. A blank answer carries no penalty. For a question of 1 mark, a wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. A candidate with 30 right answers and 8 wrong answers in a 1-mark section scores 28 marks. That is 30 minus 2. ## How does NICL calculate the score? NICL counts the right answers in each objective test and applies the penalty. This gives the corrected score. If the exam runs in more than one session, the company equates the scores to adjust for small differences in difficulty. The company reports test scores and the total with up to two decimal places. It applies cut offs on each test and on the total score. See the [previous year cut off page](/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/previous-year-cutoff/) for past values. ## What do Phase I and Phase II time limits mean for you? Phase I allows 60 minutes for 100 questions. Each section has its own timer of 20 minutes. Phase II lists 210 minutes in all. This covers the 3-hour objective test and the 30-minute descriptive test. Read the [exam date page](/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/exam-date/) for the schedule and the [exam day checklist](/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/before-exam-checklist/) for the venue rules. **Next step:** read the [NICL AO Automobile Engineer cut off](/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/previous-year-cutoff/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the NICL AO Phase I exam pattern? Phase I has three sections: English Language with 30 questions, Reasoning Ability with 35, and Quantitative Aptitude with 35. The test has 100 marks and lasts 60 minutes. Each section has its own 20 minute timer. ### Is there negative marking in NICL AO? Yes. NICL deducts one-fourth of the marks for each wrong answer in the Phase I and Phase II objective tests. A question that you leave blank carries no penalty. The penalty reduces your corrected score. ### How many questions are in the NICL AO Phase II specialist test? The specialist objective test has 250 questions for 250 marks in 3 hours. Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English, and Computer Knowledge have 40 questions each. The professional knowledge test has 50 questions. ### How many marks is the NICL AO descriptive test? The descriptive test has 30 marks and lasts 30 minutes. It has an essay, a précis, and a comprehension, with 10 marks each. Candidates type the answers in English. The test is qualifying in nature. ### In which language is the NICL AO exam? The English Language test is in English only. The Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude tests are in English and Hindi. The Phase II General Awareness and Computer Knowledge tests are also in English and Hindi. ### How long is the NICL AO Phase II exam? The Phase II objective test lasts 3 hours. The descriptive test of 30 minutes follows at once. The company lists 210 minutes for Phase II. Candidates may stay longer at the venue for identity checks and instructions. ## More in this guide - [NICL AO Automobile Engineer 2026](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/): NICL AO Automobile Engineer 2026 has 20 posts. Phase I is on 17 November 2026. See eligibility, pattern, salary, cut off, and dates. - [Notification](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/notification/): NICL AO Automobile Engineer notification 2026 lists 20 posts, category-wise vacancies, and key dates. Phase I is on 17 November 2026. - [Eligibility](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/eligibility/): NICL AO Automobile Engineer eligibility 2026: automobile degree, 60% marks, and age 21 to 30 years on 1 October 2026, with relaxation rules. - [How to apply](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/how-to-apply/): NICL AO 2026 how to apply: registration steps, fee of ₹1,000 or ₹250, photo and signature sizes, and rules that can cancel your form. - [Selection process](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/selection-process/): NICL AO Automobile Engineer selection process: Phase I, Phase II, descriptive test, and interview. The final merit list uses an 80:20 weight. - [Previous year cut off](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/previous-year-cutoff/): NICL AO Automobile Engineer cut off: Phase I was 20.00 out of 100 in 2025 and 21.00 for UR in 2024. See sectional and Phase II marks. - [Salary and service](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/salary-and-service-conditions/): NICL AO Automobile Engineer salary 2026: basic pay ₹82,485, about ₹1,14,000 total in metro centres, plus benefits, probation, and bond rules. - [Exam date](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/exam-date/): NICL AO Prelims exam date 2026 is 17 November 2026. Phase II follows on 22 December 2026. See the schedule, duration, and rules for date changes. - [Exam centres](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/exam-centres/): NICL AO exam centres 2026: see the provisional Phase I and Phase II cities by zone and state, and the rules for centre changes. - [Admit card](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/admit-card/): NICL AO admit card 2026 for Phase I on 17 November 2026: download steps, login details, accepted photo IDs, and name match rules. - [Exam day checklist](https://bunkpoint.com/article/nicl/nicl-ao-automobile-engineer-specialist-phase-i-prelims-2026/before-exam-checklist/): NICL AO exam day checklist for Phase I on 17 November 2026: documents, banned items, reporting rules, and the Phase II biometric check.