LIC AAO Exam 2025: Easy or Tough? Full Difficulty Level Analysis

The LIC Assistant Administrative Officer (AAO) Exam 2025 is one of the most sought-after competitive exams in the insurance sector. Every year, thousands of aspirants dream of securing a stable and prestigious job in the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). But one question always comes to mind: “Is LIC AAO exam easy or tough?”

To answer this, let’s break down the exam into Prelims and Mains, study previous cut-off trends, and analyze the section-wise difficulty level along with expert preparation tips.

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LIC AAO Exam Pattern 2025

Before judging the difficulty, candidates must clearly understand the exam structure.

📌 LIC AAO Prelims Exam

Section	Questions	Marks	Duration	Difficulty (Expected)
Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 mins	Moderate
Quantitative Aptitude	35	35	20 mins	Moderate to Difficult
English Language*	30	30	20 mins	Easy to Moderate
Total	100	70 (English not counted)	60 mins	Easy to Moderate

*Note: English section is qualifying in nature.

📌 LIC AAO Mains Exam

Section	Questions	Marks	Duration	Difficulty (Expected)
Reasoning Ability	30	90	40 mins	Moderate
General Knowledge & Current Affairs	30	60	20 mins	Moderate
Data Analysis & Interpretation	30	90	40 mins	Moderate to Difficult
Insurance & Financial Market Awareness	30	60	20 mins	Difficult
English (Essay/Precis/Comprehension)	2	25	30 mins	Moderate

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Is LIC AAO Exam Easy or Tough?

The LIC AAO exam 2025 can be described as:

• Prelims → Easy to Moderate
• Mains → Moderate to Tough

Why? Because prelims mostly test speed and accuracy, while mains demand in-depth knowledge of insurance & financial awareness, which many aspirants find challenging.

Another factor is competition. Even if the paper is simple, lakhs of aspirants apply for only a few posts, which makes clearing cut-offs difficult.

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LIC AAO Previous Year Cut-Offs

Year	Prelims (Gen)	Prelims (OBC)	Prelims (SC)	Prelims (ST)
2016	58	54	47	43
2017	60	56	48	44
2018	61	57	49	45
2019	63	60	50	45
2021	62	59	49	44
2023	61	58	48	43

Looking at past trends helps in understanding the real challenge.

👉 Clearly, the exam is competitive. Even if the prelims feel easy, the final selection requires high accuracy in mains + interview performance.

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Section-Wise Difficulty Analysis

• Reasoning Ability – Moderate; puzzles and seating arrangements take time.
• Quantitative Aptitude – Moderate to Difficult; DI and word problems are tricky.
• English Language – Easy to Moderate; since it’s qualifying, it’s not a barrier.
• General Knowledge – Moderate; daily current affairs + banking news are must.
• Insurance & Financial Awareness – Difficult; highly specialized, often the make-or-break section.

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LIC AAO vs Other Exams – Difficulty Comparison

• LIC AAO vs SBI PO – SBI PO is harder in Quant & Reasoning, but LIC AAO is tougher in Insurance Awareness.
• LIC AAO vs IBPS PO – Almost equal difficulty, but LIC AAO needs sector-specific preparation.
• LIC AAO vs RBI Assistant – LIC AAO is tougher since RBI Assistant is clerical-level.

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How to Handle the Difficulty?

1. For Prelims

   • Focus on speed practice.
   • Solve at least 30–40 mock tests before the exam.

2. For Mains

   • Dedicate extra time to Insurance & Finance awareness.
   • Revise current affairs daily (last 6 months minimum).

3. General Strategy

   • Maintain accuracy over attempts.
   • Balance preparation for both aptitude and knowledge sections.
   • Follow a 6-month structured study plan with mock analysis.

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Final Verdict

So, is the LIC AAO Exam 2025 easy or tough?

• The Prelims exam is relatively easy, but competition makes it scoring-based.
• The Mains exam is the real challenge, especially because of the Insurance Awareness and Data Interpretation sections.
• Overall, the exam is moderate to difficult, and success depends more on preparation strategy than on paper toughness.

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FAQs on LIC AAO Difficulty Level

Q1. Is LIC AAO tougher than SBI PO?
Ans: Yes, due to Insurance Awareness in mains, but overall both are equally competitive.

Q2. Which is the hardest subject in LIC AAO exam?
Ans: Insurance & Financial Market Awareness is the toughest.

Q3. How many months of preparation are enough for LIC AAO?
Ans: Around 6 months of consistent study with daily practice.

Q4. Can I crack LIC AAO in the first attempt?
Ans: Yes, with proper planning, mock tests, and strong conceptual clarity.

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Also read:-

LIC AAO Admit Card 2025: Download Link, Release Date, and Exam Details

LIC AAO Free Mock Tests 2025 – Top Websites for Practice