TCS Smart Hiring 2026: the complete preparation guide
Everything below reflects the real exam that BCA, B.Sc and B.Voc candidates face on the TCS iON platform, and the five mock tests here mirror it section by section: 92 questions, 120 minutes, four one-way sections of 30 minutes each, on-screen calculator, no negative marking.
Sections, questions and timing
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
Numerical Ability Percentages, ratios, time and work, time speed distance, averages, profit and loss, number series, ages, permutations and combinations, probability, data interpretation Bank the direct formula questions first, then return to data interpretation with the calculator. | 41 | 30 min |
Verbal Ability Vocabulary in context, sentence completion, error spotting, para jumbles, reading comprehension Read the RC questions before the passage; answer strictly from the text. | 21 | 30 min |
Reasoning Ability Coding and decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogisms, seating arrangement, letter series Always draw: the alphabet strip, the family tree, the seating diagram. Never solve reasoning in your head. | 18 | 30 min |
Programming Basics C output prediction, pseudocode tracing, data structures, SQL, operator precedence Trace code with a variables table on rough paper. Most questions test exactly one language rule. | 12 | 30 min |
| Total | 92 | 120 min |
Tips and tricks that actually move marks
- 1The paper has NO negative marking: never leave a question blank inside a section.
- 2Sections are one way with hard 30-minute locks. Unattempted questions in a closed section are gone forever, so watch the section clock, not just the total.
- 3Use only the on-screen calculator in practice. Exam-day speed comes from the tool you rehearsed with.
- 4Learn fraction equivalents of percentages (12.5% is 1/8, 16.66% is 1/6): they turn 90-second questions into 20-second ones.
- 5In series questions, write the differences below the terms; second-level differences crack most TCS patterns.
- 6For C output questions, respect operator precedence and integer division; they are the two most planted traps.
- 7Attempt mocks at the same time of day as your real slot, in fullscreen, camera on, exactly like the real thing.
- 8After every mock, rework each wrong answer WITHOUT the solution first, then compare methods. That gap is where your marks are.
Your five-mock ladder
Mock Test 1
Baseline: find where you stand
Mock Test 2
Progress check on a fresh paper
Mock Test 3
The step up: harder band
Mock Test 4
Speed pressure: clock management
Mock Test 5
Exam eve rehearsal: real difficulty curve
Guides and mocks are built from the official TCS sample paper and verified research; every answer key is machine checked. Good luck, and attempt like it is the real thing.