TCS NQT October 2026: Last Date 7 Oct, Fee, Is It Worth It?

TCS NQT October 2026 applications close on 7 October 2026, and the test is on 19 October 2026. It’s open to final and pre-final year students and to freshers who passed between 2022 and 2028. The cheapest version costs ₹599.

Before you pay, know one thing. TCS NQT is a paid test, not a job application. The score helps you apply to companies, but it doesn’t give you a job or even an interview by itself. Read the “Is it worth it?” section before you register.

Detail	Information
Test	TCS iON National Qualifier Test (NQT)
Conducted by	TCS iON (a TCS business unit)
Last date to apply	7 October 2026
Test date	19 October 2026
Hall ticket	By email, 2 days before the test
Fee	₹599 (Cognitive, Non Tech) / ₹999 (IT, BFSI)
Mode	Only at TCS iON exam centres (no home test)
Negative marking	None
Score valid for	2 years
Official page	tcsion.com/hub/national-qualifier-test

Registration is online, but the test itself is only at TCS iON centres. Photo: Rawpixel, CC0

TCS NQT October 2026 last date and test date

The official TCS iON page lists 7 October 2026 as the last date and 19 October 2026 as the test date for the October cycle.

TCS iON says applications close 10 to 15 days before each cycle’s exam date, so there’s no late window after 7 October. If you miss it, you’ll have to wait for the next cycle. TCS iON says it runs NQT every 2 to 4 weeks, so the next one won’t be far away.

Who can apply (eligibility)

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

• A UG, PG or diploma student in your pre-final or final year, or
• A graduate who passed out between 2022 and 2028, with a degree and specialisation, and
• A fresher with less than 2 years of work experience, and
• Between 17 and 30 years old.

Any stream is allowed. You don’t need to be from CSE or IT for the Cognitive or Non Tech versions.

Fee: which TCS NQT variant to choose

There isn’t just one NQT. TCS iON sells several versions, and many students pay for more than they need. Current prices from the official page, including taxes:

Variant	What it tests	Price now (listed price)
NQT – Cognitive	Numerical, reasoning and verbal ability	₹599 (₹800)
NQT – Non Tech	General quantitative, verbal and mental ability	₹599 (₹800)
NQT – IT	Aptitude + advanced coding + psychometric test	₹999 (₹1,598)
NQT – BFSI	Financial markets and services + basic aptitude	₹999 (₹1,598)
Cognitive with Prep Pack	Cognitive test + 60+ hours of prep content	₹999 (₹1,447)
IT with Prep Pack	IT test + cognitive and IT Foundation courses	₹2,298 (₹3,694)

These are offer prices. The page says “offer ends soon”, so check the price on the day you pay.

My suggestion:

• CSE, IT or anyone aiming for a software job: take NQT – IT (₹999). TCS iON describes it as the test for jobs “from top corporates, including TCS”.
• Non-IT graduates (B.Com, BA, BSc, mechanical, civil and so on): Cognitive (₹599) is enough.
• Banking or finance roles: BFSI.
• Skip the prep packs unless you really need structured content. There’s plenty of free aptitude material online.

What the test covers

The Cognitive test has 3 areas, according to TCS iON:

• Verbal ability: English grammar, usage and reading comprehension.
• Reasoning ability: word and number patterns, problem solving, figure and fact analysis, and visual-spatial reasoning.
• Numerical ability: number system, arithmetic, basic statistics and data interpretation.

The IT version adds advanced coding and a psychometric assessment on top of aptitude.

There’s no negative marking, so attempt every question. All tests are in English only. The official page doesn’t list section-wise time limits, so check your hall ticket for the exact pattern.

Two weeks is enough to brush up aptitude basics if you practise daily. Photo: Philip Mallis / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0

How to apply for TCS NQT October 2026

1. Go to the official TCS iON NQT page.
2. Pick your variant and click Buy Now.
3. Log in to the TCS iON Digital Learning Hub, or sign up as a new user.
4. Fill in your name, email, phone number and other details.
5. Click Click to Pay/Activate Code and pay online. If your college gave you a licence code, use Activate Now instead and enter the code. You don’t pay in that case.
6. You’ll get a confirmation on your email and phone. The hall ticket comes by email 2 days before the test.

Ask your placement cell first. Many colleges buy NQT licence codes in bulk at a lower price. If yours has, you may not need to pay at all.

What the score really gets you (the honest part)

This is what the official FAQ says, in plain words:

• No job guarantee. TCS iON says the score “will only increase your chances”. The final decision is the recruiter’s.
• No interviews arranged. TCS iON says it “will not arrange for any job interviews”. You apply to companies yourself.
• Apply separately, even to TCS. You must apply on each company’s own job portal and mention your NQT registration number and score.
• No pass or fail. There’s no cut-off. You just get a score, and each company decides what score it accepts.
• No refund if you miss the test. If you don’t appear on your date, you lose the fee and get no retest.
• Retakes are allowed. There’s no limit on attempts. Only your best score shows on the scorecard.

What you do get: a scorecard valid for 2 years, and access to the TCS iON job listing portal, which is only open to NQT takers. TCS iON says over 4,000 companies accept the score. Many of them are small or mid-sized firms, so don’t expect only big MNCs.

Is TCS NQT worth it?

Apply if:

• You’re a fresher with no campus placement and want one score you can use across many companies.
• You want a TCS job and are taking the IT version seriously.
• Your college is giving you a free licence code. Then there’s nothing to lose.

Skip it (for now) if:

• You already have a placement offer and aren’t looking.
• You haven’t practised aptitude at all. A weak score stays on your scorecard until you beat it, so prepare first and take the next cycle.
• You’re spending on the ₹2,298 prep pack just because it looks “complete”. You don’t need it.

Honestly, for most freshers without a job, ₹599 to ₹999 is a fair price for a score that many companies recognise. Just go in knowing it’s a ticket to apply, not a job offer.

How to use the next 2 weeks

• Days 1–5: Numerical ability. Percentages, ratios, time and work, averages, and data interpretation tables.
• Days 6–9: Reasoning. Series, coding-decoding, puzzles and seating arrangements.
• Days 10–12: Verbal. Grammar, sentence correction and reading passages.
• Days 13–14: Take the free practice test that comes with your variant, under a timer.

If you’re taking the IT version, solve 2 coding problems a day in C, C++, Java or Python, whichever you’re fastest in.

Also looking at government jobs? The SSC CHSL 2026 last date is also 7 October, for 12th-pass candidates.