Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
TNPSC is a recruitment exam conducted by Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, relevant to candidates preparing for state government department recruitment.
TNPSC Study Material
Mock Tests
View all
The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) recruits staff for Tamil Nadu government departments, boards and corporations through a set of competitive exams. When students say "the TNPSC exam", they usually mean one of its Combined Civil Services Examinations: Group 1 for senior administrative posts, Group 2 and 2A for graduate-level executive and office posts, and Group 4 for SSLC-level posts such as Junior Assistant and Village Administrative Officer.
The 2026 cycle is well under way. Group 1 prelims was held on 27 September 2026, the Group 2 and 2A prelims is scheduled for 1 November 2026, and the Group 4 notification for 6,574 tentative vacancies came out on 6 October 2026. This page explains how the TNPSC exams compare, who can apply for each, the exam pattern and common syllabus, fees, pay and a practical way to prepare.
Table of Contents
TNPSC
Particular | Details |
|---|---|
Full name | Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission |
Main exams | Combined Civil Services Examinations I, II and IV (Group 1, Group 2 and 2A, Group 4), Combined Technical Services Examinations, and other post-specific exams |
Qualification range | SSLC (Class 10) for most Group 4 posts up to a degree or postgraduate degree for Group 1, Group 2 and technical posts |
Exam mode | Mostly offline OMR papers; some mains and subject papers are computer-based tests |
Language | Tamil is compulsory: a Tamil eligibility or eligibility-cum-scoring paper in every major exam |
Negative marking | None for wrong answers in objective papers |
Official website | tnpsc.gov.in |
About the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
TNPSC is the state's constitutional recruiting body. It began as the Madras Service Commission in 1929 and today notifies vacancies, conducts exams and interviews, verifies certificates and allots posts through counselling.
Each year TNPSC publishes an annual planner that lists the exams it expects to notify, with tentative notification and exam dates. The planner for 2026 was released in December 2025. Vacancy counts are not part of the planner; they come with each notification and are often revised later through addenda.
For you, the exam to write depends on your qualification and the level of post you want. Since the exams share the same building blocks, preparation for one carries over to the others.
TNPSC Exams List: Groups and Posts
TNPSC groups its general recruitment into "services" by level. The table below compares the exams most students prepare for.
Exam | Typical posts | Minimum qualification | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 (Combined Civil Services Examination-I) | Deputy Collector, Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes), Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies, District Registrar, Assistant Commissioner of Labour | Any degree (some posts list preferred subjects) | Prelims, mains, interview |
Group 2 (Combined Civil Services Examination-II, Group II) | Sub Registrar, Deputy Commercial Tax Officer, Probation Officer, Jailor, Assistant Section Officer | Any degree (some posts need a specific degree) | Common prelims, descriptive mains, certificate verification, counselling |
Group 2A (Combined Civil Services Examination-II, Group IIA) | Assistant, Accountant, Senior Revenue Inspector and similar office posts | Any degree (some posts need a commerce or other specific degree) | Common prelims, objective computer-based mains, certificate verification, counselling |
Group 4 (Combined Civil Services Examination-IV) | Village Administrative Officer, Junior Assistant, Typist, Steno-Typist, Bill Collector, Forest Watcher | SSLC for most posts; HSC, degree or technical qualifications for some | One written exam, certificate verification, counselling (physical tests for forest posts) |
Combined Technical Services | Assistant Engineer, Agricultural Officer, Drug Inspector, Draughtsman, Surveyor and other technical posts | Diploma, ITI, degree or postgraduate degree in the relevant subject | Written exam (with an interview for some posts), certificate verification |
For post-wise details of the two largest recruitments, see the dedicated TNPSC Group 2 exam guide and the TNPSC Group 4 exam guide.
Other TNPSC Recruitments
Group 1B and 1C: Separate Group 1-level exams for Assistant Commissioner in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (Group 1B, needs a law degree) and District Educational Officer in the School Education Department (Group 1C, needs a master's degree). The last joint notification, No. 5/2024, covered 29 posts. They are not listed in the 2026 annual planner.
Group 5A: Recruitment of Assistant Section Officers and Assistants in the Secretariat from serving Junior Assistants and Assistants with the required service. The 2025 notification (No. 16/2025) had 32 posts and a written exam of two descriptive papers in General Tamil and General English.
TNPSC 2026 Latest Updates
The table below shows where the three main 2026 recruitments stand as of mid-October 2026. Combined Technical Services exams run on separate notifications through the year.
Exam | Notification | Vacancies | Exam date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | No. 05/2026, 23 June 2026 | 46 (after an addendum added 20 posts) | Prelims held on 27 September 2026 | Tentative answer key released in early October; prelims result and mains date awaited |
Group 2 and 2A | No. 07/2026, 11 August 2026 | 846 (Group II: 43, Group IIA: 803) after Addendum 7A/2026 | Prelims on 1 November 2026, 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM | Applications closed; hall ticket due before the exam |
Group 4 | No. 11/2026, 6 October 2026 | 6,574 (tentative) | 10 January 2027 | Applications open until 5 November 2026; correction window 9 to 11 November 2026 |
The Group 1 prelims was originally planned for 6 September 2026 and moved to 27 September by an addendum, and the Group 4 exam moved from the planner date of 20 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. Dates and vacancies can change again, so track the announcements on the official TNPSC website and your registered email and mobile number.
TNPSC Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility is set post by post in each notification, but the broad rules are similar across exams. Age is counted as on 1 July of the recruitment year, and qualifications must usually be held on the date of the notification.
Exam (2026 cycle) | Qualification | Minimum age | Maximum age (Others) | Maximum age (reserved communities) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | Degree | 21 | 34 for most posts | 39 for most posts |
Group 2 and 2A | Degree | 18 for most posts (higher for a few) | 32 for most posts | No maximum for most posts (must not have completed 60) |
Group 4 | SSLC for most posts | 18 (21 for VAO and forest posts) | 30 for most posts | 32 (BC, BCM, MBC/DC) and 35 (SC, SC(A), ST) for most posts; no maximum for those with a higher qualification, except VAO and forest posts |
"Reserved communities" here means SC, SC (Arunthathiyars), ST, MBC/DC, BC (other than Muslim) and BC (Muslim) as recognised in Tamil Nadu. Candidates from other states are treated as "Others" even if they belong to a reserved category at home. Persons with benchmark disability, ex-servicemen and destitute widows get further age concessions, which differ by exam.
Knowledge of Tamil: Candidates need adequate knowledge of Tamil, shown through Tamil studied at school or college level, or by passing the Second Class Language Test in Tamil within the period allowed after appointment.
Nationality: Candidates must be citizens of India. Tamil Nadu domicile is not required to apply, but it affects community reservation.
The figures above are summaries.
Application Fee and How to Apply
Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
One Time Registration (valid for five years) | Rs. 150 |
Preliminary or written examination fee | Rs. 100 |
Main examination fee, Group 1 | Rs. 200 |
Main examination fee, Group 2 or 2A | Rs. 150 (Rs. 300 if shortlisted for both mains) |
SC, SC (Arunthathiyars), ST, persons with benchmark disability and destitute widows are fully exempt from the exam fee. MBC/DC, BC (OBCM) and BCM candidates usually get three free chances, and ex-servicemen two; check the notification for each exam.
Register once: Complete One Time Registration on the TNPSC online application portal, linked to your Aadhaar.
Apply for the exam: Log in, select the notification, fill in your educational and community details and choose exam centres.
Upload documents: Upload your photograph, signature and certificates as specified in the notification.
Pay and save: Pay the fee online, submit the form and keep a copy of the application.
Fill in every detail exactly as it appears on your certificates; mismatches are a common problem at certificate verification.
TNPSC Exam Pattern
All three Combined Civil Services exams start with a 200-question, 300-mark objective paper of three hours, so each question carries 1.5 marks. What changes is the mix of sections and what happens after that paper.
Exam | First paper | Later stages | Interview |
|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | Prelims: General Studies (175 questions) and Aptitude and Mental Ability (25) | Mains: Tamil Eligibility Test (100 marks, qualifying) and three General Studies papers (250 marks each) | Yes, 100 marks |
Group 2 and 2A | Prelims: General Tamil or General English (100), General Studies (75), Aptitude (25) | Mains: Tamil Eligibility Test (100 marks, qualifying) plus a 300-mark Paper II, descriptive for Group II and objective CBT for Group IIA | No |
Group 4 | Single exam: Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test (100), General Studies (75), Aptitude (25) | None; the written exam decides rank | No |
What This Means for You
Tamil is a gate in every exam: In Group 4 you need at least 60 of 150 in Part A before the rest is evaluated; in Group 1 and Group 2 you need 40 of 100 in the mains Tamil paper.
No penalty for wrong answers: Objective papers have no negative marking, but the OMR sheet has an option E for questions you choose not to answer, so read the instructions on your hall ticket.
TNPSC Syllabus: Common Areas
Area | Where it appears | Important topics |
|---|---|---|
General Studies | All exams (SSLC standard in Group 4, degree standard in Group 1 and 2) | General Science, Geography, Indian History and National Movement, Indian Polity, Indian Economy, current events |
Tamil Nadu units | All exams, with heavy weight | History, culture, heritage and socio-political movements of Tamil Nadu; development administration in Tamil Nadu |
Aptitude and Mental Ability | Group 1, 2 and 4 objective papers (25 questions) | Percentage, ratio, interest, HCF and LCM, time and work, area and volume, reasoning and number series |
Tamil language | Group 4 Part A, Group 2 prelims (optional), Group 1 and 2 mains | Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, translation, Thirukkural, Tamil literature and scholars, essay and letter writing |
Selection Process
Group 1: Prelims screens candidates; the final rank uses mains General Studies marks plus the interview. The Tamil Eligibility Test must be cleared but does not add to the rank.
Group 2 and 2A: The common prelims shortlists candidates for the mains. Rank depends only on mains Paper II, followed by certificate verification and counselling. There is no interview in the 2026 scheme.
Group 4: The single written exam decides rank. Shortlisted candidates go through certificate verification and counselling; forest post candidates also take physical tests.
Posts are allotted by rank, community reservation and your preferences, so a higher rank gives you a real choice of department.
Salary and Pay Levels
TNPSC posts follow the Tamil Nadu pay matrix. The figures below are basic pay ranges for the main posts as listed for recent cycles; corporations and boards may follow their own scales.
Exam | Pay level | Basic pay range |
|---|---|---|
Group 1 (for example, Deputy Collector) | Level 22 | Rs. 56,100 to Rs. 2,05,700 |
Group 2 and 2A | Level 9 to Level 18, depending on the post | As per the post table in the notification |
Group 4 (Junior Assistant, Typist, VAO in most departments) | Level 8 | Rs. 19,500 to Rs. 71,900 |
Allowances are added to basic pay, so in-hand salary is higher and varies with posting; treat in-hand figures online as estimates.
Qualifying Marks and Cut-off
Each exam has an official minimum qualifying mark, but the actual cut-off is set community-wise and post-wise by the number of vacancies and how candidates perform. In Group 2 prelims and the Group 4 written exam, the minimum is 90 of 300 for all communities; for Group 1 prelims, it is reported as 90 for reserved communities and 120 for Others. Real cut-offs have been much higher. Treat past figures as a benchmark only and aim for a clear margin above them.
How to Prepare for TNPSC Exams
Build your base from Tamil Nadu State Board textbooks for Class 6 to 12, because TNPSC questions often follow their content and wording. A simple plan works for every group:
Weeks 1 to 8, foundation: Read the State Board social science and science textbooks, start daily Tamil grammar practice and cover one aptitude topic every two days.
From week 3, current affairs: Spend 30 to 40 minutes a day on state and national news, and keep monthly notes on Tamil Nadu schemes, budgets and appointments.
From week 6, topic tests: Take unit-wise tests as you finish each unit and solve one previous year paper a week.
Final phase, full mocks: Take two full-length tests a week at the real exam time, analyse each the same day and revise from an error log.
Group 1 and Group 2 candidates should start answer writing early for the descriptive mains, while Group 4 candidates should aim for near-full marks in the Tamil part.
Mock Tests and Practice
TNPSC's instructions for computer-based tests state that a mock test of the CBT interface is available on the Commission's website, and candidates can practise it as many times as they like. It shows how the on-screen exam works; it is not a full practice paper for the OMR exams. You can read these official CBT instructions before your exam.