TCS NQT November 2026: Last Date, Who Can Sit It, and Is It TCS Hiring?

The short answer: The next TCS iON NQT test is on 24 November 2026, and you must apply before 12 November 2026 (TCS iON, NQT, checked 1 and 2 Nov 2026). It is a paid scorecard test run by TCS iON. It is not TCS's own NQT hiring drive. That drive's page, for the 2024 to 2026 batches, shows registration as Closed (TCS, All India NQT Hiring, checked 2 Nov 2026). Apply only on tcsion.com.

Many "TCS NQT November" pages mix the two tests together. Below, we keep them apart, show where each fact comes from, and help you decide whether this test is worth your time.

What is the TCS NQT on 24 November?

The test on 24 November is TCS iON NQT, short for National Qualifier Test. TCS iON is the testing and learning arm of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

TCS iON calls it "an Ability Test that assesses a candidate's competencies and skills" (TCS iON, NQT). Here is how it works, in TCS iON's words:

• You sit the test and get a TCS iON NQT Score.
• You can then use that score when you apply to companies that accept it.
• The test is "planned to be conducted every 2-4 weeks".
• It "can only be taken at TCS iON Authorised Exam Centres". There is no online, at-home version.

So the November test is one cycle of a test that runs all year. If you miss it, another cycle will follow, but its dates are not posted yet.

TCS iON NQT vs TCS NQT hiring: one name, two tests

Both tests are called "TCS NQT", and both happen at TCS iON centres. That is why people mix them up. But they are not the same thing.

(Sources: TCS iON, NQT; TCS, All India NQT Hiring.)

The key line from TCS iON's own FAQ: candidates who want a job at a company "need to apply separately on the corresponding company/corporate's job portal" (TCS iON, NQT). TCS iON also says it "will not arrange for any job interviews."

That does not mean the iON score has no link to TCS. The FAQ says the IT variant gives "access to jobs from top corporates, including TCS" (TCS iON, NQT). The fair way to put it: the iON score is something some companies, including TCS, may look at. You still apply to each company yourself.

Key dates for the November test

(Source for all rows: TCS iON, NQT. We read the date box on 1 Nov, 2 Nov and 3 Nov 2026. Each time it said "Apply before: 12th November, 2026 (For November Exam)" and "Test Date: 24th November, 2026 (For November Exam)".)

Two things to know.

First, the page gives no closing time. It says "before 12th November". Read that as "by 11 November" and don't leave it to the last evening.

Second, your exact time comes on the hall ticket. TCS iON says the "exam date and time will be communicated through the Hall Ticket, 2 days prior to the exam" (TCS iON, NQT). If it has not reached you by 22 November, TCS iON says to contact its Live Chat or Help Desk.

Who can sit the TCS iON NQT?

The TCS iON page lists three groups who can apply (TCS iON, NQT):

• pre-final or final-year students "of any stream or degree",
• students passing out between 2022 and 2028 who are looking for a job, and
• working professionals with up to 2 years of experience.

The FAQ on the same page adds more detail. It covers UG, PG and Diploma students in their pre-final and final year. It says candidates should pass out in 2022–2028 "with a degree and specialisation". It also gives an age limit of 17 to 30 years.

Now compare that with TCS's own hiring drive. That page asks for a B.E., B.Tech, M.E., M.Tech, MCA or M.Sc from the 2024, 2025 or 2026 batch, a 60% aggregate in every level of study, no pending backlogs, and an age of 18 to 28 (TCS, All India NQT Hiring).

Those hiring rules do not apply to the iON test. If a page tells you that you need 60% to sit the 24 November test, it is mixing the two up.

Does it cost money, and is it right for you?

Yes, it is a paid test. TCS iON's own FAQ on how to apply says that after you submit the form, "you need to proceed to make the payment", and that "the Hall Ticket will be issued only on the successful purchase of the exam" (TCS iON, NQT, read 1 and 2 Nov 2026). There are several variants, and TCS iON shows the current cost of each one on that page. Some colleges and companies get licence codes for their students. If you have one, TCS iON says you "need not make any payment" (TCS iON, NQT).

TCS iON is also clear about what the score does not do: "No, the TCS iON NQT Score will only increase your chances of landing a job. The final selection depends on the recruiter" (TCS iON, NQT).

So here is a simple way to decide.

It may help if:

• you are in your pre-final or final year, or graduated recently, and your college gets few company visits,
• you want a scored, timed aptitude test in a real exam centre before your placement season, or
• the companies you are aiming at list the TCS iON NQT score in their job posts.

You may skip it if:

• you are in the 2024–2026 batches and only want a job at TCS. Watch TCS's own hiring page for its next drive instead,
• your college already runs placement tests with the companies you want,
• you can't get to a TCS iON centre on 24 November, since there is no online option, or
• the cost would strain your budget. TCS iON says a missed test gets "no refund" and "no retest".

Either choice is fine. The test is one tool, not a requirement.

What's in the test?

TCS iON lists several variants on its page, including Cognitive, IT, Non Tech and BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) (TCS iON, NQT).

The Cognitive test has three parts, according to the TCS iON FAQ:

• Verbal Ability: English grammar, usage and reading comprehension.
• Reasoning Ability: word and number patterns, problem-solving, figural and factual analysis, decision-making, and visual-spatial reasoning.
• Numerical Ability: number system, arithmetic, basic statistics and data interpretation.

The IT variant adds advanced IT programming to the cognitive sections.

Other rules from the FAQ (TCS iON, NQT):

• All tests are in English only.
• There is no negative marking.
• There is no pass or fail. You get a score that shows your current level.
• Your score is valid for 2 years from the result date.
• You can retake it as many times as you like. Your best score counts.
• Scores from before the March 2024 cycle are not compared with new ones, because the format changed.

We could not find the number of questions or the time per section for the iON variants on TCS iON's page, so we don't list them here. You may see "190 minutes, Foundation and Advanced" on other pages. That pattern belongs to TCS's hiring NQT (TCS, All India NQT Hiring), not the iON test.

How to register, step by step

TCS iON's FAQ lists the steps (TCS iON, NQT). In plain words:

1. On the TCS iON NQT page, pick the variant you want.
2. Log in to TCS iON, or sign up as a new user.
3. Fill in the form: name, email, phone and other details.
4. Complete the payment, or enter a licence code if your college or employer gave you one.
5. Look for a confirmation message on your email or phone.
6. Wait for your hall ticket by email, 2 days before the test.
7. Go to your TCS iON centre on the day.

You can edit your form until the application closing date. Use your own email and phone number, since everything about the test goes there.

I'm in the 2027 or 2028 batch. Is there a TCS hiring drive for me yet?

You can sit the TCS iON NQT now. Its rules cover students passing out up to 2028 (TCS iON, NQT).

But a TCS hiring drive for your batch is a different question. As of 1 Nov 2026, we did not find a TCS page for a 2027-batch All India NQT Hiring drive. We checked again on 2 Nov and still found none. TCS's current hiring page covers only the 2024, 2025 and 2026 batches (TCS, All India NQT Hiring). TCS's Launchpad FAQ says the community helps students prepare for "TCS NQT Entry-level Hiring (details will be shared in due course)" (TCS Launchpad). Some sites guess a month for the next drive. We won't, because TCS hasn't said.

If you want a TCS-run event that is open to you right now, look at TCS CodeVita Season 14, the coding contest for students finishing in 2027 to 2030. If you graduated in 2024 to 2026, another off-campus option for 2024–26 graduates is the Infosys SP and DSE drive.

A 3-week plan to 24 November

Week 1 (now to 9 Nov): Apply, then numbers. Decide by 9 November whether you'll sit it, and apply before the 12th if you will. Then work on percentages, ratios, averages and simple data-interpretation tables. If you want a scored check, a quantitative aptitude practice test can show which topics are weak.

Week 2 (10–16 Nov): Reasoning and verbal. Do number and letter series, seating puzzles and short logic sets. Read one long English passage a day and answer questions on it. Revise grammar rules you keep missing.

Week 3 (17–23 Nov): Timed mixed sets. TCS iON's page has a "Take a Sample Test" option for the variants (TCS iON, NQT). Do two sample or mock sets under a timer. Since there is no negative marking, practise answering every question. Rest the day before.

For campus interviews after the test, see our placement preparation plan.

How to stay safe

Edufusion is not connected to TCS or TCS iON and does not take NQT registrations. Apply only on tcsion.com.

TCS says it "does not ask for any sort of payment or security deposit from candidates at any stage of the recruitment process." It also says it never sends job offers from public email services like Gmail or Yahoo (TCS fraud alert).

Paying TCS iON for a test on tcsion.com is not the same as paying for a job. No one can sell you a TCS "slot", "interview" or "offer letter". If someone tries, walk away. Report it to careers@tcs.com or call 1800-209-3111 (TCS fraud alert).

What we could not verify

• The closing time on 12 November. The page says "Apply before" and gives no time.
• The number of questions and minutes for each iON variant. TCS iON's page doesn't state them.
• Which companies will accept your score for which roles. TCS iON lists companies on its page, but each company sets its own rules.
• Any TCS hiring drive for the 2027 batch. We found none on TCS's pages as of 1 Nov 2026.
• The date box on TCS iON's page loads after the page opens and can change. We will update this page if the November dates move.

Questions

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

TCS iON's NQT page says "Apply before 12th November, 2026" for the November exam. It gives no closing time, so apply by 11 November to be safe.

When is the TCS NQT November 2026 test?

TCS iON's NQT page lists 24 November 2026. Your exact time and centre come on your hall ticket, which TCS iON emails 2 days before the test.

Is TCS iON NQT the same as TCS's NQT hiring drive?

No. TCS iON NQT is a scorecard test run by TCS iON. TCS's All India NQT Hiring drive is TCS's own fresher hiring process, and its page for the 2024 to 2026 batches showed registration as Closed when we checked on 2 November 2026.

Do I have to pay for the TCS iON NQT?

Yes. TCS iON's FAQ says you make the payment after submitting the form, and the hall ticket is issued only after the purchase. If your college or employer gives you a licence code, TCS iON says you need not pay.

Can 2027 and 2028 batch students take TCS iON NQT?

Yes. TCS iON's eligibility covers students passing out from 2022 to 2028 who are in their pre-final or final year. That is not the same as a TCS hiring drive for those batches, which we did not find as of 1 November 2026.

Will a good NQT score get me a job at TCS?

Not on its own. TCS iON says the score "will only increase your chances of landing a job" and that "the final selection depends on the recruiter." You still apply to each company yourself.

Is there negative marking in TCS iON NQT?

No. TCS iON's FAQ says all tests are in English only and there is no negative marking.

How long is the TCS iON NQT scorecard valid?

Two years from the date the result is published, according to TCS iON. You can retake the test, and your best score counts.