Academic floor
60% in mapped B.E./B.Tech or listed PG
Indian citizen
Age as per that ad
ONGC Placement Papers 2026
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is India’s Maharatna upstream oil and gas public sector company. Freshers join as Graduate Trainees in Class-I executive roles after GATE-linked or company-specific selection. ONGC offers engineering careers in exploration, production, and refinery operations across India.
Explore: Online Assessment · Download PDF · Placement Process · Interview Experience · Preparation Guide · Certifications & Career
ONGC eligibility & CGPA (2026)
ONGC does not run one “placement CGPA” for all colleges. You apply to a specific advertisement. The usual engineering GT/AEE floor is 60% in the qualifying degree. Everything else (GATE year, CBT vs GATE, age) is in that PDF.
Who this hub is for
- For: B.E./B.Tech (and listed M.Sc. geology/geophysics/chemistry) candidates targeting E1 AEE / GT / geoscientist / programming officer posts.
- Not the same track: Diploma/ITI/non-executive ads, contractor jobs, or assuming ONGC = Infosys campus.
- CS students: only if the ad lists Programming Officer (or similar) with your GATE paper. Most seats are core oil & gas disciplines.
Degree, 60%, and gate paper
60% in the essential qualification is the standard line. Some posts add extra certificates (e.g. Electrical Supervisor competency for AEE Electrical).
Degree-to-post mapping is strict. AEE (Drilling)-Mechanical wants Mechanical + GATE ME. AEE (Petroleum) wants petroleum/applied petroleum + the mapped GATE code. Do not apply “nearby” branches hoping HR will understand.
AMIE / part-time: many technical GT ads exclude AMIE. Distance/part-time language varies - read the footnote.
Age: typically late-20s for UR with OBC/SC/ST/PwBD relaxations and a cutoff date in the ad. Do not copy last year’s date.
Final year: only if the ad allows and you can produce the degree by the stated date.
| Item | Typical notification | Reality check |
|---|---|---|
| Marks | 60% in qualifying degree | Not a 6.5 product-campus rumour |
| GATE route | Valid GATE in mapped paper | Shortlist + 60% of merit |
| CBT route | ONGC’s own 2-hour paper | Used in some 2025/2026 E1 ads |
| Citizenship | Indian | Standard |
| Medical | Post-merit, strict | Failed medical = no joining |
Who usually fits and who struggles
Good fit: You are already inside GATE for your branch, you can live on an asset (shifts, heat, offshore talk), and you want a PSU engineering career more than a Bengaluru SDE.
Harder path: You prepared only coding. Or you want Mumbai-only posting. Interviewers have heard “I will go anywhere” from people who freeze when they hear Assam / Rajahmundry / offshore.
CGPA: 60% is eligibility. Selection is GATE/CBT + interview + medical. An 8.9 who fails the interview qualifying mark is out.
Final-year / backlog reality: many ads allow final-year students only if the degree is produced by a stated date. An active backlog at joining is a paperwork kill even after a great GATE. If your university prints CGPA only, convert using the ordinance the form asks for - do not invent a 9.5 = 95% rule. Keep every portal field identical to the marksheet.
Category and age: OBC-NCL / EWS / SC / ST / PwBD relaxations are advertisement-specific. Use the cutoff date in this PDF. A missing or expired caste/EWS certificate is a self-own at DV, not a “HR will understand.”
ONGC placement papers - last few years
Download 2026 ONGC placement papers
2026 in detail
2025 placement papers
2024 placement papers
Previous year question papers
Comments & Suggestions
What ONGC previous year papers actually train
ONGC does not sell an official forever paper pack. this site sets are simulators: GATE-technical MCQs, CBT four-section timing, and interview orals.
| Stage | What practice trains |
|---|---|
| GATE route | Your GATE paper is the written exam |
| CBT route | 2-hour mixed objective paper |
| Interview | Core + energy domain + posting |
| Medical/docs | Not a paper - still a filter |
Themes that keep repeating (2024-2026)
- GATE GT cycles: shortlist on GATE score; merit 60 GATE + 25 qualification + 15 interview in recent GATE recruitment explainers. Qualification marks include extra for higher in-line degrees (up to 5 of the 25).
- CBT E1 ads (e.g. 1/2025 R&P style): 2 hours, four sections; shortlist 1:5; some ads add GD; merit 85 CBT + 15 interview; separate qualifying % in CBT and interview.
- Interview: project, core numericals, “why oil & gas,” HSE awareness, willingness for field.
- Medical: colour vision and other standards knock people after they celebrate the merit list.
How to read a 2025 vs 2026 PDF without mixing them: if the title contains GATE year and AEE/GT, your written exam is already over - the “paper” you should practise is GATE PYQs plus interview orals. If the title contains Computer Based Test / Advt. No. with CBT in the body, your live exam is ONGC’s 2-hour mix and GATE may be irrelevant. Print page 1 of the ad and highlight the weightage table before you open Telegram.
Qualification marks (GATE route): the 25-mark block is mostly automatic from your essential degree (often 20) plus a small bump for an in-line higher degree (M.Tech etc.). You cannot “study” it the week before PI, but you can lose it with a form error. Fill % as the university converts CGPA. Keep the same number on every document.
Why interview is small but deadly: 15 marks cannot overtake a huge GATE gap, but a fail on the qualifying cutoff (for example 9/15 UR in comparable ads) deletes you regardless of GATE. That is the opposite of BARC (where interview is 100%). Do not copy BARC oral volume if your GATE is weak - you still needed the 60-mark block first.
How to use a practice set
- If GATE cycle: treat a full previous GATE as the mock; then 30 minutes oral on misses.
- If CBT cycle: 120-minute four-section mock; log which section ate time.
- Map misses to GATE topics.
- Add 10 GA/energy current-affairs items only if you are on CBT.
- Write a 90-second posting-willingness answer and record it.
Related problems to practice
| Written theme | Interview follow-up |
|---|---|
| Strength / machines | Failure on a rig component |
| Electrical machines | Hazardous-area basics |
| Heat transfer | Process heaters / exchangers |
| Reservoir/petroleum MCQ | What an AEE actually does year one |
| Programming (if PO post) | DBMS + ONGC IT reality, not LeetCode hard |
| Aptitude (CBT) | Will not save a hollow core interview |
From application to offer at ONGC
You apply on ongcindia.com during the live advertisement window. Campus cells may remind you; they do not replace the form.
Application methods
Gate-based gt/aee
After GATE results, apply with registration number and score. Shortlist → PI → medical.
ONGC cbt executive
Apply → download admit card → 2-hour CBT → 1:5 interview list → PI (GD if stated) → medical.
Not walk-in SDE
Referrals do not skip GATE/CBT. This is public recruitment.
Gate route - weightage students must memorise
| Component | Marks (recent GATE GT pattern) |
|---|---|
| GATE score | 60 |
| Qualification | 25 (20 essential + up to 5 higher in-line) |
| Interview | 15 |
| Total | 100 |
You must qualify the interview separately. A 60 GATE block cannot hide a 5/15 when 9/15 is the UR line (numbers as in comparable ads - confirm yours).
Cbt route - pattern students must memorise
| Item | Recent CBT E1 ads |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Sections | Concerned subject, GA, English, aptitude |
| Shortlist | About 1:5 (ties may all go through) |
| Merit | 85 CBT + 15 interview |
| CBT qualify | Often 45% UR/EWS/OBC; 40% SC/ST/PwBD |
| Interview qualify | Often 9/15 UR; 6/15 SC/ST/PwBD |
| GD | Present in some ads before/alongside PI |
Personal interview
Board of executives. Typical stack:
- Walk through academics and project
- 2-4 core questions (numerical or conceptual)
- Why ONGC / why this discipline (drilling vs production vs electrical)
- Safety / environment awareness at fresher level
- Posting and field - shifts, northeast, offshore, bachelor accommodation
Worked mini-outline - “Are you willing to work in the field?”
- Yes, with one concrete reason (you chose petroleum/mechanical knowing assets are the workplace).
- Ask a real question about first-year training/asset rotation.
- Do not add “but only if Mumbai.” That sentence is the interview.
Medical and joining
Colour vision, standards for offshore/fire-side posts, and document parity with the form. Budget weeks after the merit list. Training/probation follows E1 rules in the ad.
What “Graduate Trainee / AEE” actually means in year one: you are a Class-I executive in training/probation, not a Bengaluru SDE intern. Expect classroom/safety induction, then an asset or plant where seniors own the permit-to-work culture. Your GATE rank got you in; your willingness to learn site discipline keeps you there. People who joined for “PSU 9-to-5 in a metro” feel the mismatch by month two - interviewers filter for that.
Campus vs public notification: a few colleges host awareness sessions; they do not replace ongcindia.com. If your TPO forwards a WhatsApp PDF, still download the signed advertisement. Cutoffs and post-wise vacancy tables change every cycle and by category. Programming Officer seats, when they exist, are few - do not skip GATE CS prep on a rumour of “lots of IT posts.”
Offer letter vs CTC tweet: the joining letter will show basic, DA formula, and posting. Field location can raise or lower HRA vs camp facilities. Compare two offers (ONGC vs IOCL) on posting + scale + discipline, not on a single LPA screenshot. This hub’s ₹20-26 LPA band is for expectation-setting against outdated ₹12-16 pages.
Timeline (not a 3-week startup loop)
| Phase | GATE route | CBT route |
|---|---|---|
| Apply | After GATE result, short window | As per ad (e.g. July window in a 2026 CBT-style notice) |
| Exam | Already done (GATE) | CBT day |
| Shortlist | Weeks | After CBT |
| Interview | Scheduled batches | After 1:5 list |
| Medical / offer | Further weeks | Same |
| End to end | Many months | Months |
Where to practise for ONGC
Online assessment
OA format, timing, and question types.
Coding questions
DSA patterns for OA and technical rounds.
Aptitude / mock quiz
Quant, logic, and timed mock quiz.
Interview experiences
Candidate stories and round notes.
HR interview questions
Common HR questions, sample answers, STAR tips.
Week-by-week prep
Study plan and round-by-round strategy.
A practical ONGC prep plan
If a ONGC invite is 3-8 weeks out, treat this hub as the map and the linked practice pages as the drills. Do not reread eligibility ten times. Check the JD once, then spend hours on the filter that actually rejects people.
Typical fresher CTC chatter for ONGC sits around ₹12-16 LPA (candidate-reported - confirm the letter). Languages students mention most often: Java, C, Go, SQL. Pick one and stay with it in OA and interviews.
Eligibility reminder (from student reports): For AEE / Graduate Trainee (E1) posts, notifications typically require a relevant full-time engineering or listed PG geoscience degree with at least 60% marks, Indian citizenship, and age limits as per that advertisement (with category relaxations). GATE-based posts need a valid GATE score in the mapped paper. AMIE is often not accepted for technical GT posts. Always read the current ongcindia.com advertisement.
What you are training for: ONGC uses two fresher-executive routes. GATE route: apply with GATE score → shortlist for interview → personal interview → medical; final merit often 60% GATE + 25% qualification + 15% interview. CBT route (some 2025/2026 ads): 2-hour objective CBT (subject + GA + English + aptitude) → shortlist ~1:5 → sometimes GD → interview; merit often 85% CBT + 15% interview. Confirm which advertisement you are under.
Short version of the prep split: If your ad is GATE-based: your GATE rank is 60% of merit - treat GATE as the main exam, then prepare a 15-mark interview (core + oil/gas awareness + posting willingness). If CBT-based: practise 2-hour mixed papers (concerned subject + GA + English + aptitude), hit the qualifying % (often 45% UR), then interview. Field posting honesty matters.
A four-week plan that actually gets used
Week 1 - pattern, not vibes. Oa pattern first: sit one untimed paper, then redo it under the real clock. Open the ONGC previous-year sets on this site and mark which sections ate your time. Write the timing on a sticky note. That number is more useful than a 200-problem LeetCode streak you never timed.
Week 2 - the steep filter. Most ONGC drives fail people on the first timed paper or OA. Do three timed sits this week. After each one, log every miss in a two-column note: topic and why (slow, wrong formula, bad edge case, panic). The next sit should only add problems from that log.
Week 3 - talk tracks. Technical interviews at ONGC usually want a clean project story, one or two CS fundamentals, and (if the process has it) a behavioral or values round. Write STAR stories on paper, not in your head. Practise “Why ONGC?” with one concrete product, lab, or business line - not a slogan.
Week 4 - mocks and logistics. Star stories + one project walkthrough recorded on your phone. If you still have energy, redo only the questions you failed in week 2.
Where the hours should go
| Slice | Share of weekly hours | What “done” looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Timed papers / OA | ~40% | You finish a ONGC-style sit without guessing the clock |
| Coding / role technical | ~30% | You can explain a solution out loud in your chosen language |
| Fundamentals / domain | ~20% | You can teach one OS/DBMS/networks (or domain) topic to a friend |
| Stories + HR | ~10% | Two STAR stories and a specific Why-this-company answer |
If you only have 10 days, keep the same ratios and cut volume, not the timed sits.
Practice pages to open this week
- OA / assessment notes
- aptitude mock quiz
- coding question bank
- interview experiences
- HR question bank
- week-by-week guide
- previous year papers
- 2026 paper page
Use this hub for the ONGC story (eligibility, rounds, salary). Use those pages for timed reps and interview notes.
Common ways students waste a month
- Collecting 12 ONGC PDFs and never sitting one under a timer.
- Switching languages every weekend because a senior used a different one.
- Memorising HR answers before they can finish the OA.
- Ignoring the company-specific quirk on this page (unique round, exam name, or role band) and preparing like a generic service-company drive.
If you do one thing after reading this: schedule three timed ONGC papers on three different days, then interview prep on the leftovers.
If you are starting from a service-company prep base
A TCS/Infosys aptitude deck still helps the quant/logic slice of many ONGC papers, but do not assume the same cutoff culture. Read the process section on this page once, then swap in ONGC-specific coding or domain drills from the nested banks. Shared prep is fine; shared assumptions about rounds are not.
10-day crash version
Days 1-3: one timed ONGC paper each day plus error log. Days 4-6: only the topics you missed, plus 4-6 coding problems in one language. Days 7-8: project + STAR + Why ONGC. Day 9: one more full mock. Day 10: light review and sleep. This is worse than four weeks, but it beats rereading notes the night before.
What to carry into the interview room
Know your project at the level of what broke and what you changed, not only the tech list on the resume. For ONGC, interviewers often poke the same hole the OA already tested - be ready to re-solve a warm question on a shared editor or whiteboard. If you used AI to draft code while practising, you still need to type it yourself on the day.
Tracking that does not become a second job
A single note with date, paper name, score/time, and three misses is enough. If you cannot name your last three ONGC mistakes, you are collecting content, not preparing.
Extra drill block (1)
Sit one more mixed ONGC set this week: 20 minutes aptitude or MCQ if the drive has it, then one coding problem you have not seen since last month. Explain the solution out loud in 90 seconds. If you cannot, the interview will feel the same way. Then stop - more volume after that usually turns into tired guessing.
What ONGC pays freshers (candidate-reported)
Official scale (E1): ₹60,000-₹1,80,000 basic with ~3% annual increment.
Recent advertisements have described total compensation around ₹20-26 lakh CTC including DA, HRA or housing, cafeteria allowance (often cited ~35% of basic), medical, PRP, PF/gratuity, and other PSU components.
| Component | What students should remember |
|---|---|
| Basic | E1 start ₹60,000 |
| DA / HRA or accommodation | City/asset dependent |
| Cafeteria / other % | As per latest ad |
| PRP / retirement | PSU structure |
| Field / offshore | Extra rules in HR manual |
Older placement-site bands of ₹12-16 LPA described older take-home chatter, not the headline CTC in 2025-26 ads. Compare your offer letter to the ad you applied under.
How to read E1 vs a product SDE CTC: ONGC’s number includes DA, housing or HRA, medical for dependents, and retirement contributions that a startup offer often splits differently. A ₹22 LPA PSU package in a field township is not the same lifestyle as ₹22 LPA in Bengaluru rent. Conversely, do not assume ONGC is “low pay” because an old blog said ₹12 LPA. Ask for the break-up: basic, DA, HRA/cafeteria, PRP eligibility in year one.
Offshore / hard-duty talk: some assets add compensatory rules you will learn in HR/induction. Do not invent them in the interview. Do say you understand upstream work is not a 5-day Hyderabad hybrid by default.
Recent ONGC placement trends
The only pattern that matters for 2026: read this year’s PDF before you copy last year’s Telegram strategy. GATE-only years and CBT years feel like different exams.
Gate is not the only e1 door
CBT advertisements returned for some engineer/geologist vacancies. Read the PDF title.
CTC communication is higher
Ads openly say ~₹25 Lakh CTC. Update your expectations vs 2018 blogs.
Field remains the job
Assets pan-India. WFO-from-Noida fantasies fail interviews.
Qualify both stages
CBT/GATE and interview cutoffs. One is not enough.
Net for 2026: decide GATE-route vs CBT-route from the PDF on day one, then spend 70% of remaining energy on that written stage and 30% on a qualifying interview plus medical/docs. Field posting honesty is not optional colour - it is the job. If you cannot say yes to assets, pick a different Maharatna or a city product role instead of hoping HR will park you in a metro office.
ONGC placement FAQs
Process & papers
What is the ONGC placement process?
Either GATE shortlist → interview → medical (merit often 60+25+15) or CBT → 1:5 interview → medical (merit often 85+15). Months, not weeks. See the live advertisement.
How many rounds are there in ONGC interview?
Typically one PI after written/GATE shortlisting; some CBT ads add GD. Then medical/documents.
Can I download ONGC placement papers PDF?
Yes. Practice PDFs on this site (2026 PDF). Official full papers are limited. No registration.
What is the ONGC CBT pattern?
Recent ads: 2 hours, four sections (subject, GA, English, aptitude), qualifying %, 1:5 interview shortlist. Not used in every GATE-only year.
Eligibility & offer
What is ONGC eligibility criteria for freshers 2026?
Usually 60% in the exact mapped degree, Indian citizen, age as per ad, GATE paper if that cycle needs it. AMIE often ineligible for technical GT. Your PDF wins.
What is ONGC salary for freshers?
E1 scale ₹60,000-1,80,000 plus allowances. Recent ads ~₹20-26 LPA CTC. Confirm the letter.
Is GATE mandatory?
For many AEE/GT ads, yes. For some CBT ads, no. Read the heading.
Do I choose Mumbai or Dehradun?
You join an asset/posting ONGC allots. Preference forms exist in some cycles; they are not a metro guarantee.
Prep & ONGC-specific
How to prepare for ONGC?
GATE cycle = GATE + interview oral. CBT cycle = mixed 2-hour mocks + interview. Guide: preparation guide.
Are programming languages required?
Only for programming/IT style posts. Core AEE interviews are engineering, not Java OA.
ONGC vs IOCL vs NTPC?
Upstream vs downstream vs power. All GATE-heavy Maharatnas with different locations. See IOCL · BPCL · NTPC.
Any pro tip?
Qualify the interview. Prepare field-posting honesty. Do not mix GATE and CBT weightages. Update CTC expectations to the current ad.
How strict is medical?
Strict enough that people lose joining after merit. Read standards early if you have known vision/colour issues.
Can I prepare ONGC and BARC with the same plan?
Core GATE subjects overlap. Selection logic does not: BARC interview is 100% after screening; ONGC GATE route is 60/25/15 with a qualifying PI. CBT-ONGC adds GA/English/aptitude that BARC CBT explicitly skips. Share notes; do not share strategy blindly.
Is there a service bond?
PSU executive rules (notice period, training bond if any) are in that year’s advertisement and service rules - not a DAE-style 3-year OCES indemnity by default. Read the PDF instead of copying BARC bond advice.
What recent candidates reported
Public AEE stories keep repeating the same three filters:
- Core oral - they will leave the one topic you hoped to skip.
- Project - B.Tech project must be explainable without a slide deck.
- Field - any hesitation about assets is noted.
CBT-cycle candidates add: the 2-hour paper feels “easy-medium” until GA/English steal time from the subject section. Practise the mix, not only GATE PYQs.
Steal this: one notebook page per likely interview topic + a recorded 90-second posting answer. That beats rereading the entire GATE book the night before PI.
AEE mechanical / production / drilling flavour: expect SOM or machines plus “what does an AEE do in year one on an asset.” If your project was a CAD model with no calculation, they will notice. Bring one numerical you can do cold.
Electrical: machines + power + the competency certificate if the ad asked for it. Hazardous-area talk at cartoon depth (you will learn the real code at site).
Chemical / petroleum: balances, a unit operation, and not pretending you have run a refinery. Honesty + method beats buzzwords.
Geoscience: M.Sc. core + field camp stories if you have them. GATE GG shortlist is not the interview.
Programming Officer (when advertised): DBMS, basic programming, ONGC-IT reality (enterprise systems), not a Bengaluru SDE LLD. Still expect some coding/SQL.
How people fail after a great gate
- Interview qualifying mark missed while chatting.
- “Only Mumbai / Dehradun.”
- Medical / colour vision.
- Document % conversion mismatch.
- Wrong advertisement type (prepared CBT for a GATE ad or vice versa).
14-Day pi sprint after shortlist
| Days | Work |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | Eight core topics, one page each, spoken |
| 5-6 | Project + one numerical |
| 7-8 | HSE + upstream one-pager |
| 9-10 | Mock board (interruptions allowed) |
| 11 | Posting paragraph recorded |
| 12 | Documents + medical checklist |
| 13 | Weak topic only |
| 14 | Travel, sleep, originals |
Steal the tone of selected write-ups: calm, quantitative, willing to go to the asset. Leave the “PSU chill life” meme at home - first-year AEE life is not a Bengaluru hybrid meme.
More: ONGC interview experience.