Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission Group 4

TNPSC Group 4 is the Combined Civil Services Examination-IV conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission to fill entry-level posts such as Village Administrative Officer, Junior Assistant, Typist, Steno-Typist, Bill Collector and Forest Watcher across state departments, boards and corporations. It is one of the largest state recruitment exams in India, and most posts need only an SSLC (Class 10) pass.

The TNPSC Group 4 2026 notification (Notification No. 11/2026) was released on 6 October 2026 with 6,574 tentative vacancies across 46 post entries, and the written exam is scheduled for 10 January 2027. This page covers the dates, vacancies, eligibility, fee, exam pattern, syllabus, selection process and salary, along with a practical plan to prepare for the single objective paper.

Table of Contents

TNPSC Group 4 2026 at a Glance

TNPSC Group 4 Notification 2026

TNPSC published the Group IV notification on 6 October 2026, and the online application window opened the same day. The 2026 cycle has 6,574 tentative vacancies, with Junior Assistant and Typist posts making up more than three-quarters of the total. TNPSC states that vacancy figures can change before counselling, so treat the post-wise numbers as indicative until the final allotment.

The exam structure is unchanged from recent cycles: one OMR paper with a Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test, General Studies, and Aptitude and Mental Ability. You can read the full notification on the official TNPSC website.

Important Dates

The hall ticket timing is an estimate based on previous cycles. Dates can change, so track announcements on tnpsc.gov.in and the email and mobile number registered in your One Time Registration.

TNPSC Group 4 Vacancy 2026

The notification lists 46 post entries because the same post (for example, Junior Assistant or Typist) is recruited separately for different services, boards and corporations. The table below groups them by post family so you can see where the bulk of the vacancies sit.

The single largest entry is Junior Assistant (Non-Security) in the Tamil Nadu Ministerial Service with 2,610 posts, followed by Typist in the Ministerial, Legislative Assembly and Secretariat services with 856. Some posts carry special conditions; for example, the Junior Assistant post with the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society can involve posting anywhere in India. Check the post-wise table in the notification before choosing your posts.

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Qualifications must be held on the date of the notification. The broad requirement by post type is:

Every candidate also needs adequate knowledge of Tamil. This can be shown through Tamil studied at SSLC, HSC or degree level, or by passing the Second Class Language Test in Tamil within the period allowed after appointment.

Age Limit

Age is calculated as on 1 July 2026. The minimum age is:

• 18 years: Most posts, including Junior Assistant, Typist, Steno-Typist and Bill Collector.

• 21 years: VAO, Forest Watcher and Forest Guard with Driving Licence.

• 25 years: Executive Officer (Grade IV).

The upper age limit depends on both the post and your community. For most posts, candidates from SC, SC(A), ST, MBC/DC, BC(OBCM) and BCM communities and destitute widows who hold a qualification higher than the minimum required have no maximum age limit, provided they have not completed 60 years. VAO, forest posts and a few others keep a fixed upper limit for everyone. Third-party pages report different upper limits for the general category, so take your exact limit from the post-wise age table in the notification.

Physical Standards for Forest Posts

Forest Watcher and Forest Guard with Driving Licence candidates must meet minimum height and chest measurements and clear a walking endurance test. As notified, the minimum height is 163 cm for men (152 cm for ST) and 150 cm for women and third gender candidates (145 cm for ST).

Application Fee and How to Apply

If you already have a valid OTR, you pay only the exam fee. Fee concessions apply to some categories under TNPSC rules: for example, ex-servicemen get two free chances, and each application claiming a concession uses one chance. The full list of exempted categories is in the fee annexure of the notification.

Steps to Apply Online

1. Visit tnpscexams.in and complete One Time Registration if you do not have an active OTR.

2. Log in and select the Group IV (CCSE-IV) notification.

3. Choose the posts you want to be considered for and fill in your personal, community and educational details.

4. Upload your photograph, signature and the certificates the form asks for.

5. Choose two exam centres (candidates with benchmark disabilities choose one).

6. Pay the exam fee online, preview the form carefully and submit it before 5 November 2026.

Keep your SSLC, HSC and degree certificates, typewriting, shorthand or COA certificates, community certificate and any concession proof ready before you start. Mismatched names, wrong community details and missing technical certificates are the most common reasons for trouble at certificate verification, so use the correction window only as a backup, not a plan.

TNPSC Group 4 Exam Pattern

The written exam is a single OMR paper of three hours, set at SSLC standard.

Part A is both a qualifying test and a scoring test. You must score at least 40 percent (60 out of 150) in Part A; only then are your General Studies and Aptitude answers evaluated. Marks from all parts count towards your rank. Candidates with benchmark disabilities who are exempted from Tamil may take a General English paper of the same standard instead.

What This Means for You

• Every question is worth 1.5 marks: 200 questions share 300 marks, so a Tamil grammar question counts as much as a polity question.

• Tamil decides half your score: Part A carries 150 marks and is the easiest part to push towards full marks with steady practice.

• No penalty for wrong answers: TNPSC does not deduct marks for incorrect answers, but its OMR instructions require you to shade option E for questions you skip. Read the deduction rules in the instructions on your hall ticket.

• Time is tight: 200 questions in 180 minutes leaves under a minute per question, so speed in Tamil and aptitude buys time for General Studies.

See the TNPSC Group 4 exam pattern page for the marking rules and a time plan.

Syllabus Summary

Tamil Nadu-specific units carry heavy weight in General Studies, and current affairs are tested inside each unit rather than as a separate section. The full unit-wise breakdown with question weightage is on the TNPSC Group 4 syllabus page.

Selection Process

1. Written examination: The single OMR paper decides your rank. There is no interview for any Group 4 post.

2. Certificate verification: Shortlisted candidates upload or produce their original certificates for checking.

3. Physical tests (forest posts only): Forest Watcher and Forest Guard with Driving Licence candidates take physical measurements and an endurance test.

4. Counselling and allotment: Posts are allotted by rank, community reservation, your post preferences and vacancy availability.

Because one exam feeds many posts, your rank and community decide which post you get, not just whether you are selected. Ranking well above the last cut-off gives you a real choice of department.

Salary and Pay Levels

Group 4 posts follow the Tamil Nadu pay matrix. The basic pay ranges below are for the main posts as reported for this cycle; corporations and boards may follow their own scales.

Dearness allowance, house rent allowance and other allowances are paid on top of basic pay, so in-hand salary is higher and varies with the posting location. With experience and departmental tests, Junior Assistants can move up to Assistant and Superintendent, and VAOs can progress within the Revenue Department.

How to Prepare for TNPSC Group 4

The paper rewards breadth at SSLC level more than depth, so the Tamil Nadu State Board textbooks from Class 6 to 10 are the core reading for both Tamil and General Studies.

• Secure Tamil first: Spend daily time on grammar rules, vocabulary and the prescribed Thirukkural chapters. A strong Part A score protects you from the qualifying cut and lifts your rank.

• Prioritise Tamil Nadu units: Tamil Nadu history, culture, social reform movements, the state economy and welfare schemes make up a large share of General Studies.

• Keep aptitude simple and fast: The 25 questions use SSLC arithmetic. Practise short timed sets so they take 20 to 25 minutes, not 40.

• Follow current affairs monthly: Keep notes on state schemes, appointments, awards and government initiatives from the last 12 months.

• Solve previous year papers: They show the exact difficulty level and the question styles TNPSC repeats.

Use Full-Length Mock Tests

With 200 questions in three hours, timing is the skill most candidates underestimate. From the second month of preparation, take a full-length test every week and analyse it the same day: note wrong answers, slow questions and skipped questions you could have solved.