Territorial Army Syllabus 2026: Topic-wise CBT Guide

The Territorial Army syllabus for 2026 covers three subjects tested in one computer-based test (CBT): Reasoning, General Knowledge and English. The Territorial Army Directorate sets the paper for the Territorial Army Commission 2026 (TAC-2026), the officer entry for gainfully employed graduates, and the standard is roughly that expected of a graduate of an Indian university.

The official notification names the subjects and describes each one in a sentence or two, but it does not publish a topic-wise syllabus. The topic lists below are built from that official description and from the question types common in reasoning, general knowledge and English papers at graduate level. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list. The main change this year is that Elementary Mathematics is no longer part of the paper.

Table of Contents

• Territorial Army Syllabus 2026 at a Glance

• Key Changes to Know

• CBT Syllabus by Section

• Reasoning Syllabus

• General Knowledge Syllabus

• English Syllabus

• Overlap Between the CBT and the SSB

• Is There a Syllabus for the SSB Interview?

• How to Cover the Syllabus

Territorial Army Syllabus 2026 at a Glance

Key Changes to Know

• Elementary Mathematics removed: The 2025 CBT had a matriculation-level maths part covering 25 marks. The 2026 notification lists only Reasoning, General Knowledge and English.

• Reasoning now carries 40 marks: In 2025 each of the four parts carried 25 marks. Reasoning is now the largest section.

• General Knowledge and English carry 30 marks each: Both are larger than their 25-mark share in 2025.

• Same standard: The paper is still pitched at the level of a graduate of an Indian university.

Older pages may still show a maths syllabus or a four-part paper, so follow the 2026 notification.

CBT Syllabus by Section

Reasoning is where most marks sit and where practice improves speed quickly. General Knowledge is the least predictable section, so spread effort over current affairs and static topics rather than chasing one area.

Reasoning Syllabus

The notification says the reasoning part tests your ability to complete sequences and draw logical conclusions from simple patterns of numbers, statements, figures and letters, as expected of a rational person without special study. In practice, this covers both verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

Verbal reasoning

• Series: Number series, letter series and mixed alphanumeric series, including missing terms and wrong terms.

• Coding-decoding: Letter shifting, number coding and coded sentences.

• Analogy and classification: Word, number and letter pairs, and finding the odd one out.

• Logical deduction: Statements and conclusions, statements and assumptions, and syllogisms.

• Arrangement puzzles: Blood relations, direction sense, ranking and simple seating or order problems.

Non-verbal reasoning

• Figure series: Identify the next figure in a sequence of shapes.

• Pattern completion and embedded figures: Find the missing part or a hidden figure.

• Mirror and water images: Recognise how a figure looks when reflected.

Even without a maths section, number series and coding questions need quick mental arithmetic: tables up to 20, squares and cubes, and prime numbers. Timed sectional sets, such as the reasoning practice in Testkart's Territorial Army tests, show quickly which question types slow you down.

General Knowledge Syllabus

According to the notification, this part covers general knowledge and current affairs with equal weightage. It includes questions on current events and on matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects, as expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. It also includes the history of India and geography, which candidates should be able to answer without special study.

Because current affairs carries half the weight, a daily newspaper habit and monthly revision notes matter more than memorising a large static GK book.

English Syllabus

The notification says the English part tests your understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. That points to comprehension and practical usage rather than literature or advanced grammar terminology.

• Reading comprehension: Short passages with questions on the main idea, inference and word meaning.

• Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms and phrases, and spelling.

• Grammar in use: Error spotting, sentence improvement and fill in the blanks covering tenses, articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement and modifiers.

• Sentence structure: Rearranging jumbled sentences into a logical order and active and passive voice.

Overlap Between the CBT and the SSB

Some preparation pays off twice, because the SSB tests many of the same abilities in a different form.

Is There a Syllabus for the SSB Interview?

No. The SSB has no written syllabus. The notification says candidates who clear the CBT are detailed for intelligence and personality tests at a Service Selection Board, using a two-stage procedure, and only those who clear stage one go on to the remaining tests. Preparation here is about self-awareness, communication, current affairs and physical fitness rather than topics.

How to Cover the Syllabus

Most applicants are working full time, so the plan below assumes about 90 minutes on weekdays and longer sessions at weekends over 12 weeks.

1. Weeks 1 to 4: Build reasoning basics (series, coding, analogy, classification) and start a daily newspaper habit. Begin a vocabulary log for English.

2. Weeks 3 to 8: Add 30 to 40 minutes of current affairs a day with monthly notes, and cover static GK: history, geography and everyday science.

3. Weeks 5 to 9: Move to logical deduction, puzzles and non-verbal reasoning. Practise comprehension and error spotting three times a week.

4. Weeks 8 to 12: Take topic tests and sectional tests, then full-length tests in the 100-question format. Analyse each one the same day and revise from an error log.

The subject descriptions above come from the TAC-2026 notification published on the official Indian Army website. If a new notification changes the parts or marks, this checklist will change with it.