TCS NQT November 2026: dates, eligibility, test pattern and pay

The TCS NQT (National Qualifier Test) is the test Tata Consultancy Services uses to hire freshers, and one that other companies accept too. The November 2026 sitting is open now. Before you pay for it, know that two different things go by the name “TCS NQT”, and only one of them is open today.

Key takeaways

• Dates: TCS iON's November NQT takes registrations until 12 November 2026. The test is on 24 November 2026, in person at TCS iON centres.
• Two things share the name. The TCS iON NQT is a paid test (₹599 to ₹2,298) held every few weeks; its score lasts two years and TCS and other companies accept it. The TCS NQT hiring drive is TCS's own free off-campus drive on its NextStep portal, run for named batches.
• TCS's last hiring drive is closed. It was for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 batches, with tests from 10 March 2026. TCS has not announced one for the 2027 batch.
• Who can take the iON NQT: pre-final and final-year students of any degree, people passing between 2022 and 2028, and anyone with up to two years of work experience.
• The test: Foundation (numerical, verbal and reasoning ability, 75 minutes) and Advanced (advanced quant and reasoning plus coding, 115 minutes). No negative marking.
• Pay at TCS, from its last drive: Ninja from ₹3.4 LPA, Digital ₹7.09 to 7.30 LPA and Prime ₹9.09 to 9.30 LPA for undergraduates with up to a year of experience.

TCS NQT November 2026: key dates

TCS iON says it holds the NQT every 2 to 4 weeks and closes registrations 10 to 15 days before each cycle's first test date. Miss this one and another follows, but the hall ticket is tied to one date: it can't be moved to the next test.

TCS iON NQT or the TCS NQT hiring drive?

Search for “TCS NQT” and you will find pages about both, often mixed up. They are related, because TCS iON is the TCS business that runs the tests, but they work differently.

Which one should you take? If you are in the 2027 batch with an engineering, MCA or M.Sc degree and you meet TCS's marks rules, TCS's own drive is the free, direct route to an offer. Watch for it rather than paying for a test you don't need yet.

The paid iON NQT makes sense if you graduated between 2022 and 2026 and want to apply now, if your degree isn't on TCS's drive list (BCA, B.Sc, B.Com and others can take the iON test), or if you want one score to show several employers. TCS iON says its IT variant is “aligned with the TCS Integrated Test Pattern” and that, based on your performance, you can be shortlisted for TCS Ninja or TCS Digital interviews.

Two things to keep in mind. A score doesn't apply you anywhere by itself: TCS iON says you still apply to each company on its own job portal, and for TCS it links to NextStep. And it doesn't guarantee a job. In TCS iON's words, the score “will only increase your chances of landing a job. The final selection depends on the recruiter”, and each company sets its own cut-offs on top of it.

Who can take the TCS iON NQT

According to TCS iON, you can register if you are:

• a pre-final or final-year student of any stream or degree, UG, PG or diploma;
• passing out between 2022 and 2028;
• a fresher or working professional with up to two years of experience;
• between 17 and 30 years old.

The test is in English only. There is no marks cut-off to sit the iON test, but employers that use the score can apply their own. TCS's own drive, for example, asked for 60% in every exam from class 10 on.

TCS iON NQT fee and variants

There are several versions of the test. For software roles, the IT variant is the one built on TCS's hiring test, with the coding section.

These are the prices on TCS iON's page on 3 November 2026, inclusive of taxes. Each variant comes with at least one free practice test.

Check your date before you pay. If you miss the test or can't finish it for a reason on your side, TCS iON gives no refund and no retest; you buy the test again for a later date.

TCS NQT exam pattern

TCS's own drive and the iON IT variant share one structure: a Foundation part and an Advanced part, 190 minutes in all. The iON IT variant adds a 30-minute psychometric test, for 220 minutes.

The timings come from TCS's drive page and the question totals from TCS iON's IT page. Neither publishes a count per section, which is why other sites disagree on them.

• No negative marking, so answer every question.
• The Advanced part decides your track. TCS says the Advanced section “is mandatory if you aspire for a Digital or Prime offer”, and that your test performance decides whether you are called for Prime, Digital or Ninja interviews.
• Coding gets 90 of the 190 minutes, the largest single section.

Ninja, Digital and Prime: pay and work

These are the salaries TCS published for its last drive (batches of 2024 to 2026), for candidates with up to one year of experience.

With one to two years of experience, the Prime and Digital bands are slightly higher (Prime ₹9.45 to 9.66 lakh for UG). TCS says actual pay depends on relevant experience and job location, and that internships don't count towards it.

How to register for the TCS iON NQT

1. Open TCS iON's NQT page and choose a variant. For software jobs, that is usually TCS iON NQT - IT.
2. Click Buy Now, then log in to TCS iON's Digital Learning Hub or sign up as a new user.
3. Fill in your details: name, email, phone number and the rest of the form.
4. Pay online, or click Activate Now and enter a licence code if your college gave you one.
5. Wait for the confirmation by email or SMS. You can edit your details and add tests until registrations close.
6. Watch for the hall ticket, about two days before the test. It is issued only once your payment goes through.

To be considered by TCS after the test, apply on TCS NextStep as well. TCS iON gives you the score; applying to each company, TCS included, is up to you.

How TCS's own NQT hiring drive works

TCS runs its free off-campus drive on the NextStep portal. Its last one opened on 18 February 2026 for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 batches, took registrations until 20 March and held tests from 10 March. The steps were:

1. Log in to TCS NextStep, or register under the IT category (not BPS) if you are new.
2. Click Apply For Drive. TCS says this step is mandatory; without it you are not considered.
3. Choose the skill you want to be assessed on, then the in-centre test and three preferred test centres.
4. Pick three preferred job cities.
5. Check Track Your Application: it should say “Applied for Drive”. No confirmation email follows.

Eligibility for that drive:

• B.E., B.Tech, M.E., M.Tech, MCA or M.Sc in any specialisation from an AICTE or UGC recognised institution;
• at least 60% (or the equivalent CGPA) in class 10, class 12, diploma if any, graduation and post-graduation;
• no pending backlogs, the course finished in its normal duration, and engineering cleared in first class;
• full-time courses only, with a total gap in education of no more than 24 months;
• up to two years of work experience, and age 18 to 28.

TCS sends test details through TCS iON, from [email protected]. If you are shortlisted, the interview focuses mainly on the skill you chose when you registered, and you need your original mark sheets and certificates. If you already hold a TCS offer, you can't apply to the off-campus drive.

When is TCS NQT for the 2027 batch?

TCS hasn't said. It has taken in more than 40,000 graduates a year recently; in April, chief executive K Krithivasan said it had made 25,000 fresher offers for this financial year, with more hiring depending on demand. In October, TCS said it had brought in about 10,000 graduates worldwide in July to September and was in the final stages of campus hiring for the next financial year, when the 2027 batch joins.

If you are in the 2027 batch and your college has no TCS drive, watch NextStep and TCS's careers pages for an off-campus drive. We will update this page when TCS announces one.

How to prepare in three weeks

With registrations closing on 12 November and the test on 24 November, you have about three weeks. Practise under the test's own time limits.

• Week 1, Foundation. TCS iON lists what each section covers. Numerical: number systems, arithmetic, elementary statistics and data interpretation. Verbal: grammar, usage and reading comprehension. Reasoning: word and number patterns, problem solving, propositional and visual-spatial reasoning. Do one timed 25-minute set of each a day.
• Week 2, coding. Coding is 90 minutes, nearly half the test. Pick one language and practise problems on arrays, strings, sorting and searching until you can write working code without help. Our DSA interview questions cover the patterns that come up, with Java and Python lists for the language itself.
• Week 3, full tests. Take your free practice test and TCS iON's sample test in one sitting, against the clock. With no negative marking, never leave a question blank.
• Before the interview. Be ready to explain your projects and the skill you chose at registration in depth. Our interview question lists are a place to start.

Avoid TCS NQT scams

• TCS doesn't charge for a job. In its own words, it “does not ask candidates to deposit money for any employment offer”. The only payment in this process is the TCS iON test fee, paid on tcsion.com.
• Check the sender. TCS doesn't send hiring emails or offers from Gmail, Yahoo, Rediffmail or Hotmail addresses, and it says it isn't associated with any outside agency that holds interviews or makes offers on its behalf.
• Nobody can sell you a seat or a score. A “confirmed slot”, a “guaranteed score” or a “direct joining” offer from anyone but TCS is a scam. Your score comes from your own test.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last date to apply for TCS NQT in November 2026?

12 November 2026, for TCS iON's November NQT. The test is on 24 November 2026. TCS's own NQT hiring drive is closed; its last one took registrations until 20 March 2026.

Is TCS NQT free?

TCS's own hiring drive on NextStep is free. The TCS iON NQT costs between ₹599 and ₹2,298 depending on the variant, inclusive of taxes. The IT variant, the one aligned with TCS's hiring test, costs ₹999.

Can BCA, B.Sc or B.Com students take TCS NQT?

Yes, the TCS iON NQT is open to students of any stream or degree passing between 2022 and 2028. TCS's own last drive was limited to B.E., B.Tech, M.E., M.Tech, MCA and M.Sc graduates, and each company that uses the iON score sets its own rules.

Is there negative marking in TCS NQT?

No. TCS iON says there is no negative marking, so it pays to answer every question.

Can I take TCS NQT from home?

No. Both the TCS iON NQT and TCS's own drive are held in person at TCS iON authorised centres.

How long is the TCS iON NQT score valid?

Two years from the date the result is published. You can take the test as many times as you like, and your highest score counts. Scores from before the March 2024 cycle aren't compared, because the format changed.

Does clearing the TCS iON NQT guarantee a job at TCS?

No. TCS iON says the score increases your chances, but the final selection depends on the recruiter. You still need to apply to TCS on NextStep and clear its interviews.

When is TCS NQT for the 2027 batch?

TCS hasn't announced an off-campus NQT drive for the 2027 batch as of 3 November 2026. Its last drive opened on 18 February 2026. We will update this page when the next one is announced.