TNPSC Group 4 Cut Off: Qualifying Marks and Target Score

The TNPSC Group 4 cut-off is the score of the last candidate called for certificate verification and counselling in a given post group and community. It is not a fixed pass mark. It moves every cycle with the number of vacancies, the difficulty of the paper and how lakhs of candidates perform. Treat past figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass.

Qualifying Marks vs Actual Cut-off

Two official thresholds apply before any cut-off comes into play.

How TNPSC Publishes the Cut-off

TNPSC does not release a single category-wise cut-off table. After the result, it publishes the marks and rank of each candidate, followed by lists of register numbers admitted to onscreen certificate verification and then to counselling in phases. These lists are drawn separately for post groups such as Junior Assistant (including VAO and Bill Collector), Typist and Steno Typist, and by community. The cut-off is effectively the mark of the last candidate in each list. "Cut-off tables" on other websites are usually estimates, so check them against the official lists on the TNPSC website.

Recent Cycles

Vacancies are often revised before counselling, and more vacancies generally push the cut-off down.

What Affects the Cut-off

• Vacancies per post and community: Each post is filled under the rule of reservation, so each group has its own cut-off.

• Paper difficulty: An easier Tamil or General Studies section raises scores across the board.

• Number of applicants: Lakhs write Group 4, so ranks are tightly packed.

• Technical qualification: Typist and Steno lists also depend on typewriting and shorthand grades.

How to Set Your Target

Each question carries 1.5 marks, so it helps to think in correct answers:

Set your target from the official lists of the last cycle for your post group and community, then add a safety margin.