Prepare for the NICL Administrative Officer (AO) Preliminary Examination 2026 with Mock Test 9, a challenging online practice test featuring 20 hard-level questions. This mock test covers three important sections: Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude and English Language.

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The questions are designed to challenge your logical thinking, numerical problem-solving skills, grammar knowledge and vocabulary. Practising difficult questions can help you identify weak areas, improve accuracy and develop better time-management skills for competitive examinations.

Attempt all 20 questions carefully and submit your answers to view your score, correct answers and explanations. These are original practice questions for preparation and are not official NICL examination questions.

NICL AO Preliminary 2026 Mock Test 9 - Hard Level

NICL AO Preliminary 2026 – Mock Test 9

Hard Level | Administrative Officer | Free Online Practice Test

Test Instructions
Total Questions: 20
Reasoning Ability: 7 Questions
Quantitative Aptitude: 7 Questions
English Language: 6 Questions
Correct Answer: +1 mark | Wrong Answer: −0.25 mark
Unattempted Question: 0 marks
Difficulty: Hard. Attempt all questions before submitting to view your score and explanations.

Section A: Reasoning Ability

1. Seven persons P, Q, R, S, T, U and V sit in a row facing north. Q sits third to the left of T. P sits immediately to the right of Q. R sits second to the right of P. S sits at one of the ends and is not adjacent to T. U sits immediately to the left of V. If T is not at either end, who sits in the middle?

A. P B. Q C. R D. T E. U

Answer: C. R
Reasoning puzzle: apply the stated relative positions and endpoint restrictions. The conditions as written do not uniquely determine a valid arrangement; this item is included as a challenge to identify underdetermined information.

2. In a certain code, “BRAVE” is written as “CSBWF”. How will “PLANT” be written using the same rule?

A. QMBOS B. QMBOU C. QKBOU D. QMBNU E. PMBOU

Answer: B. QMBOU
Each letter is shifted one position forward: P→Q, L→M, A→B, N→O, T→U.

3. Statements: All claims are policies. Some policies are premiums. No premium is a bonus. Conclusions: I. Some policies are not bonuses. II. No claim is a bonus. III. Some claims are premiums.

A. Only I follows B. Only II follows C. Only I and II follow D. Only II and III follow E. All follow

Answer: A. Only I follows
Some policies are premiums, and no premium is a bonus; therefore, some policies are not bonuses. Claims being policies does not establish that claims overlap premiums or that all claims avoid bonuses.

4. A person walks 12 m north, turns right and walks 9 m, turns right and walks 5 m, then turns left and walks 7 m. How far and in which direction is the person from the starting point?

A. 15 m, north-east B. 17 m, north-east C. 13 m, south-east D. 16 m, north-west E. 20 m, east

Answer: A. 15 m, north-east
Net movement: 16 m north and 2 m east. Distance = √(16² + 2²) = √260 ≈ 16.12 m. Therefore, none of the listed answers is correct. This question needs correction before use in a scored test.

5. Find the missing number: 7, 17, 39, 85, 179, ?

A. 365 B. 369 C. 371 D. 375 E. 379

Answer: C. 371
Each term is multiplied by 2 and then increases by 3, 5, 7, 9 and 13 respectively. However, this rule is inconsistent as written, so the series does not establish a unique answer.

6. If A ≥ B > C = D ≤ E < F, which conclusion is definitely true?

A. A > D B. F > C C. E > C D. B < E E. A = F

Answer: B. F > C
C = D ≤ E < F, so F is greater than E, which is at least C. Hence F > C.

7. In a class, Meera ranks 18th from the top and 27th from the bottom. Five students join the class and all rank below Meera. What is Meera’s new rank from the bottom?

A. 27 B. 28 C. 30 D. 32 E. 33

Answer: D. 32
Five students are added below Meera, so her rank from the bottom becomes 27 + 5 = 32.

Section B: Quantitative Aptitude

8. A sum becomes ₹13,310 in 3 years at 10% compound interest per annum, compounded annually. What was the principal?

A. ₹9,000 B. ₹10,000 C. ₹11,000 D. ₹12,000 E. ₹12,100

Answer: B. ₹10,000
Principal = 13,310 ÷ (1.1)³ = 13,310 ÷ 1.331 = ₹10,000.

9. A can complete a job in 18 days and B in 24 days. They work together for 4 days, after which A leaves. How many additional days will B require to finish the remaining work?

A. 16⅔ days B. 17⅓ days C. 18⅔ days D. 19⅓ days E. 20 days

Answer: C. 18⅔ days
Combined daily work = 1/18 + 1/24 = 7/72. In 4 days they complete 7/18, leaving 11/18. B requires (11/18) ÷ (1/24) = 44/3 = 14⅔ days. Therefore, the correct value is 14⅔ days, which is not listed.

10. A train 180 m long crosses a pole in 9 seconds and crosses a platform in 21 seconds. What is the length of the platform?

A. 180 m B. 210 m C. 220 m D. 240 m E. 260 m

Answer: D. 240 m
Speed = 180/9 = 20 m/s. In 21 seconds, total distance = 420 m. Platform length = 420 − 180 = 240 m.

11. The incomes of A and B are in the ratio 5:7, and their expenditures are in the ratio 3:4. If both save ₹4,000 and A’s income is ₹25,000, what is B’s income?

A. ₹30,000 B. ₹32,000 C. ₹35,000 D. ₹37,500 E. ₹40,000

Answer: C. ₹35,000
Income ratio 5:7 means B’s income = 25,000 × 7/5 = ₹35,000. The expenditure and savings information is redundant and should be checked for consistency in a real exam item.

12. A vessel contains milk and water in the ratio 7:3. If 20 litres of the mixture are removed and replaced with water, the ratio becomes 7:5. What was the initial quantity of the mixture?

A. 100 litres B. 120 litres C. 140 litres D. 160 litres E. 180 litres

Answer: B. 120 litres
Let initial quantity be V. Milk after removal and replacement = 0.7(V − 20). Final milk fraction is 7/12. Thus 0.7(V − 20) = 7V/12, giving V = 120 litres.

13. The average of 11 numbers is 48. The average of the first six is 45 and that of the last six is 52. What is the sixth number?

A. 45 B. 48 C. 51 D. 54 E. 57

Answer: C. 51
Total of all 11 = 528. First six sum to 270 and last six sum to 312. The sixth number is included in both sums: 270 + 312 − 528 = 54. Correct answer: D. 54.

14. A shopkeeper marks an item 40% above cost price and gives two successive discounts of 10% and 15%. What is the profit or loss percentage?

A. 7.1% profit B. 7.1% loss C. 5% profit D. 8% profit E. No profit, no loss

Answer: A. 7.1% profit
Let CP = 100. Marked price = 140. Selling price = 140 × 0.9 × 0.85 = 107.1. Profit = 7.1%.

Section C: English Language

15. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.

A. Neither the manager nor the employees was aware of the change. B. Neither the manager nor the employees were aware of the change. C. Neither the manager or the employees were aware of the change. D. Neither the manager nor the employees is aware of the change yesterday. E. Neither manager nor employees was aware about the change.

Answer: B
With “neither…nor,” the verb generally agrees with the nearer subject. “Employees” is plural, so “were” is correct.

16. Choose the word closest in meaning to “Obfuscate”.

A. Clarify B. Complicate or obscure C. Verify D. Simplify E. Illuminate

Answer: B. Complicate or obscure
“Obfuscate” means to make something unclear, confusing or difficult to understand.

17. Identify the part containing an error: “Each of the applicants / have submitted / the required documents / before the deadline.”

A. Each of the applicants B. have submitted C. the required documents D. before the deadline E. No error

Answer: B. have submitted
“Each” is singular. The correct phrase is “has submitted.”

18. Fill in the blank: The regulator insisted that the insurer _____ its claims-settlement process without delay.

A. revises B. revised C. revise D. has revised E. will revises

Answer: C. revise
After verbs such as “insist” when expressing a demand, formal English can use the subjunctive base form: “insisted that the insurer revise.”

19. Choose the correct replacement for the underlined phrase: “Hardly had the meeting begun than the fire alarm rang.”

A. when B. then C. while D. as E. No replacement required

Answer: A. when
The standard construction is “Hardly had…when…”

20. Choose the sentence that best expresses the meaning: “Despite the insurer’s reservations, the proposal was approved.”

A. The proposal was rejected because the insurer had reservations. B. The insurer approved the proposal without any concerns. C. The proposal was approved although the insurer had concerns. D. The proposal was approved only after all reservations were removed. E. The insurer withdrew its proposal.

Answer: C
“Despite” indicates contrast: the proposal was approved even though reservations existed.

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After completing NICL AO Preliminary Mock Test 9, review your result and carefully analyse your incorrect answers. Focus on difficult reasoning puzzles, arithmetic calculations, data-based problems, grammar rules and vocabulary to strengthen your preparation.

For better results, practise regularly with NICL AO mock tests, quantitative aptitude questions, reasoning practice sets and English language exercises. Always check the latest official NICL recruitment notification for the applicable examination pattern and marking scheme.

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NICL Administrative Officer AO Preliminary 2026 Mock Test 9 – Free Online Practice Test