AAO (Specialist)

LIC AAO Specialist Exam Overview

The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) conducts the Assistant Administrative Officer (AAO) – Specialist exam to recruit officers in specialized streams. Unlike the Generalist AAO, this exam is targeted at candidates with professional/subject-specific qualifications.

Posts under LIC AAO Specialist

Specialist recruitment is usually announced for streams such as:

• IT Officer

• Chartered Accountant (CA)

• Actuarial

• Legal

• Rajbhasha (Hindi)

Eligibility Criteria (General)

• Age Limit: 21 – 30 years (relaxations as per category).

• Educational Qualification (varies by stream):

  • IT Officer – B.Tech/BE in Computer Science, IT, or MCA/M.Sc (CS).

  • CA – Chartered Accountant (completion of ICAI exams).

  • Actuarial – Bachelor’s degree with actuarial papers passed.

  • Legal – LL.B (Law graduate) with enrollment in Bar Council.

  • Rajbhasha – Master’s degree in Hindi/English with specialization.

Exam Pattern

The recruitment has three stages:

1. Preliminary Exam (Online – Objective)

• English Language (qualifying only)

• Reasoning Ability

• Quantitative Aptitude

• Total Duration: 1 hour

2. Main Exam (Stream-Specific)

• Reasoning Ability – 30 Qs (90 Marks)

• General Knowledge, Current Affairs – 30 Qs (60 Marks)

• Professional Knowledge (Domain Specific) – 30 Qs (90 Marks)

• Insurance & Financial Market Awareness – 30 Qs (60 Marks)

• Descriptive (English Language – Essay & Letter Writing) – 2 Qs (25 Marks, qualifying only)

3. Interview

• Conducted for candidates shortlisted in mains.

Final Selection

• Based on Main Exam + Interview performance.

• Prelims is qualifying only.

• Medical test before appointment.

Salary & Benefits

• Basic Pay: ₹53,600/month (in the scale ₹53,600 – 2645(14) – 90,630 – 2865(4) – 1,02,090).

• Approx CTC: ₹9–10 Lakhs annually.

• Other benefits: HRA, DA, transport allowance, medical benefits, housing loan, gratuity, insurance.

  Hierarchy & Promotions in LIC

  1. Assistant Administrative Officer (AAO – Specialist)
     ⬇️

  2. Administrative Officer (AO)
     ⬇️

  3. Assistant Divisional Manager (ADM)
     ⬇️

  4. Divisional Manager (DM)
     ⬇️

  5. Senior Divisional Manager (SDM)
     ⬇️

  6. Zonal Manager (ZM)
     ⬇️

  7. Executive Director (ED)
     ⬇️

  8. Managing Director (MD)
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  9. Chairperson (Top-most position in LIC)

  Growth Opportunities

  • Specialist officers usually handle domain-specific work (e.g., Legal cases, IT projects, Finance/accounts, Actuarial calculations, or Hindi/Rajbhasha policies).

  • Over time, they can move into general administrative roles also, not restricted only to their specialization.

  • Promotions are generally every 5–7 years, though fast-track promotions are possible through departmental exams.

  • LIC officers may also get opportunities for foreign postings, training programs abroad, and policy-making roles at higher levels.

  Career Advantages of Specialist Role

  • You enter with an edge in your field (Law, IT, Finance, Actuarial, Language).

  • You handle challenging and technical work, which makes your profile stronger.

  • Faster recognition if you excel in your specialized area.

  • Stable government-backed career with strong retirement benefits (PF, gratuity, pension, medical).