TNPSC Cut Off: Qualifying Marks and Previous Trends

The TNPSC cut-off is the mark of the last candidate shortlisted or selected in a given exam, post group and community. It is not the same as the minimum qualifying mark, which TNPSC fixes in each notification. The actual cut-off is always higher and changes every cycle with vacancies, paper difficulty and the number of candidates.

TNPSC does not publish a single category-wise cut-off table. It releases marks, ranks and the lists of candidates admitted to the next stage, so the figures you see online are worked out from those lists or estimated. Treat them as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass.

Table of Contents

Minimum Qualifying Marks

Previous Cut-offs (Indicative)

The figures below are the 2019 cycle cut-offs for male candidates as reported on exam-preparation websites, out of 300. They are not official TNPSC figures, and the pattern of some exams has changed since, so use them only to judge the scoring range.

Official marks and selection lists are published on the official TNPSC website.

What Affects the Cut-off

• Vacancies: More posts usually lower the cut-off. Group 4 2026 has 6,574 tentative vacancies, while Group 1 has 46.

• Paper difficulty: A tougher Tamil or General Studies section pulls scores down for everyone.

• Number of candidates: Group 4 draws lakhs of applicants, so marks are tightly packed.

• Reservation and post mix: Each community and post group has its own list, and so its own cut-off.

How to Set Your Target Score

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

Set your target from the last cycle's range for your exam and community, then add a safety margin of 10 to 15 marks. Track your score across several full-length tests rather than one good day; a short series of full-length tests on Testkart works well for this.