The Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. is an Indian general insurance company headquartered in New Delhi. OICL is a public sector undertaking (PSU) providing financial services in India since 12th September 1947. Currently, the OICL has merged with National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) and United India Insurance Company. The recruitment is done for Agents, Assistants, and Administrative Officers (AO), and the notification is released through the official website: https://orientalinsurance.org.in. In this article, we shall see all details about OICL recruitment such as Notification, Salary, Job profile, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, results.
OICL Recruitment Exam 2021 Exam Highlights
| Name of organization | The Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL) |
| Type of the company | Public Sector General insurance company |
| Owned by | The Government of India (GOI) |
| Exam name | OICL Exam |
| Exam conducting Mode | Online Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Location of the posting | India |
| Name of the posts | Accounts, Actuaries, Generalists, Legal Officers, Engineers (Automobile), Medical Officer |
| Number of Vacancies | to be notified |
| Last OICL Exam date | February 2021 |
| Online Application Start | To Be Announced |
| Selection Mode | Written tests (Prelims and Mains), Personal Interview (PI) |
| Official Website | https://orientalinsurance.org.in |
OICL 2021 Important Dates
The candidates aspiring to sit for the exam must keep the following dates in their minds:
| OICL Event | OICL Important Dates |
| OICL Prelims exam (tentative) | February 2021 |
| OICL Prelims Result (tentative) | March 2021 |
| OICL Main exam (tentative) | April 2021 |
| OICL Main result (tentative) | May 2021 |
| OICL Interview (tentative) | June 2021 |
| OICL final result | June 2021 |
OICL Application Fee
The fees for the application for the posts in OICL have to be submitted online only. The amount of the fees differs according to the category you belong to. The OICL Application fee amount is as follows:
- Application Fee is Rs 600 – For unreserved or general category + Other backward classes (OBC)
- Application Fee is Rs 100 – For Scheduled castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Persons with Disability (PwD)
OICL Exam Eligibility Criteria
Age criteria
The age limit assigned for the application for OICL 2021 is given below. The applicant must have been born not earlier than 1st August 1990 and not later than 31st July 1999 (including both the dates. In case this age of the candidate doesn’t fit in this limit, he is not eligible for the application for OICL 2021.
- Minimum Age of 21 years, as on 31st July 2020
- Maximum Age of 30 years, as on 31st July 2020
Education Qualifications
The educational qualifications necessary for the OICL exam differ for every post. The higher the post, the higher is the required minimum qualification.
| Post name | Minimum Educational Qualification |
| Generalist | Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university. (with 60% for unreserved category, and 55% for SC/ST) |
| Automobile Engineers | Graduation or Post-graduation in Automobile Engineering (with 60% for unreserved category, and 55% for SC/ST) |
| Medical Officer | Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) |
| Legal Officer | Bachelors of Legislative Law (LLB degree) |
| Actuary Professional | Graduation with 60% marks, plus cleared 4 Actuarial tests from IAI/IFOA |
| Accounts | Masters in Commerce, or MBA in Finance, or ICWAI Exam, Cost and Management Accountant |
OICL Exam Pattern
The applicants of the OICL will have to go through three stages of the examination. The competition is tough because the exam is conducted at the national level. As the candidates are from all over the country, the students need to prepare very well for all three exams. The three-tier exam structure helps the OICL examination body to assess the candidates in every way possible. Given below are the three stages for the OICL 2021 Exam:
- Prelims or Preliminary OICL 2020 Exam – MCQ Paper
- Mains OICL 2020 Exam – MCQ + Subjective
- Interview OICL 2020 Exam
You need to get qualifying marks in Prelims Exam in order to sit for the Mains Exam. Likewise, to appear for the final exam, the candidate has to go through all the above-mentioned exams. The candidates need to have a thorough understanding of the exam pattern in order to be able to prepare smartly for the exam.
OICL Prelims Exam Pattern
The OICL Prelims will be a total objective paper with only Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ’s) asked in the exam. This test is primarily to filter the candidates for the Mains exam. The basic knowledge and the aptitude level will be checked and the students will be passed to the next level. The marks scored in the OICL Prelims will not be taken into consideration for the final result as the Prelims exam is just qualifying in nature.
| Name of the Section | Marks Allotted |
| English language | 30 |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 |
| Total Marks | 100 marks |
- Exam duration: 1 hour
- Exam type: Objective/ MCQs
- Exam Mode: Online Computer Based Test (CBT)
- Maximum Marks: 100
- Sections of Prelims: English Language, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude
- Sectional Cut-off: Yes Applicable. The candidate has to get qualifying marks in every section
- Negative Marking: Yes, for every wrong answer 1/4th of the marks assigned will be deducted. If any question is left unanswered then no marks will be deducted for that.
OICL Mains Exam Pattern
The candidates who qualify for the Prelims round are then allowed to give the OICL Mains exam. The competition is very high here because the Prelims-filtered candidate’s count is more than 20 times the actual vacancies available. The candidates who clear this Mains exam get an opportunity to compete for the OICL posts. There are two sections of the Mains exam- Objective and Descriptive. The objective and the descriptive part will be based on various topics as mentioned below.
OICL Exam Descriptive Test
This section is also part of the OICL Mains Examination. This subjective part will require the candidate to write answers in essay form i.e. lengthy questions, this will help the authorities check the language application ability of the candidates. This unit is of 30 marks and is very important as it is a qualifying section. The descriptive portion of the exam will be checked only if the student obtains the qualifying marks in the Objective Section. In addition to this, it is mandatory for the student to get passing marks in this individual section else, they would not be able to clarify the overall Mains paper without this.
Tip- The aspiring students are advised to do reading and writing practice in the English language so that they are able to write long answers in the exam. The candidates are also advised to do typing practice on the computer so that they don’t waste their precious time typing slowly on the exam day. Become computer-friendly before the big day and you are good to go!
- Exam duration : 2 hours for objective + 30 minutes for subjective/ descriptive
- Exam type : Objective + Descriptive
- Exam Mode: Online Computer Based Test (CBT)
- Maximum Marks: 200 marks
- Sections of Mains: English Language, Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness, Professional Knowledge.
- Sectional Cut-off: Yes Applicable. The candidate has to qualify for every section
- Negative Marking: Yes, for every wrong answer 1/4th of the marks assigned will be deducted. If any question is left unanswered then no marks will be deducted for that.
The pattern of the OICL Mains exam is different for Generalists and for Specialist:
| Section | Generalists (Marks Allotted) | Specialists (Marks Allotted) |
| Reasoning Ability Test | 50 | 40 |
| English Language Test | 50 | 40 |
| General Awareness Test | 50 | 40 |
| Quantitative Aptitude Test | 50 | 40 |
| Professional Knowledge Test | – | 40 |
| Total | 200 Marks | 200 Marks |
The syllabus for the sections like English Language, Reasoning Ability, and Quantitative Aptitude is the same as it was for the OICL Prelims exam.
OICL AO Personal Interview
The candidates who clear the Mains exam will be called upon for the Personal Interview. Here the candidates will be approximately three times more than the actual positions required to be filled. The selected candidates have to reach the assigned Exam Centre at the reporting time. The interview will be given a weightage of 20% of the total final marks.
OICL Exam Syllabus
There are some sections in both Prelims and Mains Exam which are the same. The syllabus of those particular sections is the same and are as follows:
OICL Exam English Language or Verbal Ability Syllabus
This section of the paper will test the candidate’s basic knowledge about the English language, grammar, and comprehension skills. This will include familiarity with elementary English grammar and other simple topics related to the language.
| OICL 2020 English Language syllabus | |
| Synonyms | Antonyms |
| Vocabulary | Fill in the blanks |
| Comprehension Passages | Editing |
| Jumbled Paragraphs | Omitting |
| Sentence corrections | Error Spotting |
| One-word substitutions | Spelling check |
| Idioms and Phrases | Sentence Completion |
| Passage Completion | Prepositions |
| Active and Passive Voice | Sentence Arrangement |
OICL Exam Reasoning Ability or Logical Reasoning
This Critical reasoning exam is for testing the candidates’ ability to draw logical conclusions. This skill is important in everyday life also which makes it an inherent part of the Prelims exam. The subsections for the Logical Reasoning test are as follows:
| OICL 2020 Logical Reasoning | |
| Logical Problems | Number Series |
| Analytical Reasoning | Cause and Effect |
| Statement and Conclusion | Verbal Classification |
| Puzzles | Verbal Classification |
| Logical Deduction | Data Interpretation |
| Blood Relations | Clocks |
| Calendars | Alphanumeric Series |
OICL Exam Quantitative Aptitude or Mathematical Ability
This part of the paper consists of mathematics topics from the primary and secondary levels of school. This elementary level of mathematics and aptitude will test the candidate’s ability of problem-solving and basic quantity calculation sums.
| OICL 2022 Quantitative Aptitude syllabus | |
| Number sense and numeration | Profit and Loss |
| Unitary Method | Geometry |
| Mensuration | Algebra |
| Trigonometry | Data Management |
| Simple Equations | Problems on HCF and LCM |
| Elementary Number Theory | Ratio and Proportion |
| Time and Distances | Compound Interest |
OICL General Knowledge
Good knowledge of general awareness has become important for every exam point of view. This part of the paper will test the candidates’ knowledge of current affairs and basic familiarity with the social, economic, and political situation in India and the world. Keep yourself updated about current affairs through good English newspapers and regularly watch informative news channels. This will even improve your reading, writing, and understanding skills for the English paper as well.
| OICL General Knowledge syllabus | |
| Countries and Capital | Static GK |
| International Events | Science and Technology |
| Literature- Famous Books and Authors | Fiscal and Monetary Awareness |
| Constitution of India | Inventions and Discoveries |
| Indian Politics, culture, Sports | Tourism |
| Indian Geography | Famous days in History |
OICL Professional Knowledge Section
This section of the Mains exam will test knowledge and understanding of specific subjects of the study. This part is important as it can give you an edge over the other candidates if you learn the basics of the following subjects that are important from the recruitment point of view:
| OICL Professional Knowledge syllabus | |
| Database Management | Actuaries |
| Marketing Management | Human Resource/ Personnel Management |
| Legal | Operating System |
| Account and Finance | Information Technology |
OICL Final Result
It is estimated that the final result and the list of the candidates selected will be declared in the month of March 2021. The final marks for OICL 2021 will be calculated on the basis of the performance in the Mains (Objective Section) and Personal Interview (PI). The ratio of the Mains (Objective) and Interview will be 80:20.
OICL 2021 Vacancies
In 2020, there are a total of 300 vacancies in OICL for different positions. Every year, the number of vacancies is listed after the notification for the recruitment drive is released. The specific number of positions for the particular posts are given below:
| Name of the Position OICL 2020 | Number of Vacancies OICL 2020 |
| Generalist | 223 |
| Automobile Engineers | 15 |
| Medical Officer | 10 |
| Legal Officer | 30 |
| Actuary Professional | 02 |
| Accounting | 20 |
| Total Number of vacancies | 200 |
Oriental Insurance Job Profile
OICL Probation Period
All Candidates who are selected for the post of Administrative Officer in the OICL will be kept under probation for one year. This time period can be extended by the higher authorities two times for six months, according to their jurisdiction. All probationers should clear the Licentiate Examination (assessment made by the Insurance Institute of India) for them to become permanent.
OICL Guarantee Bonds
Along with the Probation period, another important thing is signing the guarantee bonds for the period of four years including the probation period. No employee should resign before the completion of the Bond period. In case one does, the person would be liable to pay one year’s gross salary to the authorities, as per the terms and conditions. According to the Guarantee bond, the employee is paid monetary compensation for the job along with the partial cost of the training.
OICL AO Salary and benefits
| Designation | Average Monthly Salary in Rupees |
| Assistant Manager | ₹ 52,500 |
| Administrative Officer | ₹ 54,000 |
| Divisional Manager | ₹ 1,11,000 |
| Manager | ₹ 40,000 |
| Branch Manager | ₹ 87,000 |