TNPSC Notification 2026 will be released by Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), covering groups like Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4, and various other exams. Once TNPSC Calendar 2026 is released, candidates must check the eligibility criteria, such as age limit, educational qualification, certain post-specific requirements, etc, and then apply for TNPSC exam before the last date through the official website tnpsc.gov.in. The selection process differs with each TNPSC exam, like Group 1 has 3 stages, but Group 2 relies on the written exam only.
TNPSC is a Tamil Nadu state recruitment authority responsible for conducting various competitive exams to fill administrative, technical, and clerical posts in Tamil Nadu’s government departments. It conducts major exams like Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4, Combined Engineering Services, and Departmental Exams for positions like Deputy Collector, DSP, Assistant Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner, Junior Assistant, Typist, Village Administrative Officer (VAO), etc.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | TNPSC |
| Conducting Body | Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission |
| Exam Level | Statelevel |
| Exam Mode | Written exam |
| TNPSC 2026 Language | English & Tamil |
| TNPSC Vacancies 2026 | TBA |
| TNPSC 2026 Selection Process |
|
| Official Website to Apply for TNPSC 2026 | tnpsc.gov.in |
The table given below shows TNPSC exam and other important dates:
| Name of the Examination | Notification Date | Prelims Exam Date |
|---|---|---|
| TNPSC Group 1 2026 Combined Civil Services Exam | TBA | TBA |
| TNPSC Group 2 2026 Combined Civil Services Exam | TBA | TBA |
| TNPSC Group 3 2026 Combined Civil Services Exam | TBA | TBA |
| TNPSC Group 4 2026 Combined Civil Services Exam | TBA | TBA |
| TNPSC Combined Engineering Services Exam 2026 (ITI/Diploma) | TBA | TBA |
| TNPSC Combined Civil Services Exam (Interview Posts) | TBA | TBA |
| TNPSC Combined Civil Services Exam (Non-Interview Posts) | TBA | TBA |
TNPSC notification 2026 for various exams will be released throughout the year. Each notification will contain exam information that is in line with the posts being recruited, such as eligibility criteria, application procedures, exam patterns, syllabus, important dates, etc.
TNPSC Eligibility Criteria 2026 states the essential requirements that candidates must meet to apply for various state government exams. It covers age limits, educational qualifications, nationality, and language proficiency for exams like Group 1, 2, 3, 4, and technical services. The points given below shows TNPSC eligibility criteria for different groups:
TNPSC Group 1 Combined Civil Services Exam:
| Category | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|
| General | 21 | 34 |
| SC/ST/OBC | 21 | 39 |
| Differently Abled | 21 | 44 |
Note: For Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes) with a B.L. degree, the maximum age is 40 for General and 45 for Reserved categories.
TNPSC Group 2 Combined Civil Services Exam:
| Post | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|
| All posts (except specific ones) | 18 | 32 |
| Sub-Registrar Grade 2 | 20 | 32 |
| Probation Officer (Prison Dept) | 22 | 32 |
| Probation Officer (Social Defence Dept) | 26 | 42 |
Note: No upper age limit for SC, ST, MBC, BC, and Destitute Widows.
TNPSC Group 3 Combined Civil Services Exam:
| Posts | Category | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Inspector | General | 18 years | 42 years |
| Reserved (SC/ST/DC/OBC/OBCM) | 18 years | 47 years | |
| Storekeeper | General | 18 years | 32 years |
| Reserved (SC/ST/DC/OBC/OBCM) | 18 years | No maximum limit |
TNPSC Group 4 Combined Civil Services Exam:
| Category | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|
| SC/ST/OBC, Destitute Widows | 18 | 37 |
| MBC/DC/BC/BCM | 18 | 34 |
| Others | 18 | 32 |
Note: For ITI-trained candidates in Survey posts, the maximum age is 37.
For VAO (Village Administrative Officer), the Age limit is:
| Category | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|
| General | 21 | 32 |
| SC/ST/OBC, Destitute Widows | 21 | 42 |
TNPSC Group 1 Educational Qualification:
| Post Name | Educational Qualification |
|---|---|
| Deputy Superintendent of Police | A graduate degree from a university incorporated by a Central or State Act, or an Institution established by an Act of Parliament, or a deemed University under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956. |
| Deputy Collector | |
| Assistant Commissioner | |
| Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies | |
| Assistant Director of Rural Development | |
| District Officer (Fire and Rescue Services) |
TNPSC Group 2 Educational Qualification:
| Post | TNPSC Qualification |
|---|---|
| Assistant Inspector in the Local Fund Audit Department | Any Degree |
| Assistant Inspector in the Local Fund Audit Department | Any degree in Science, Arts, or Commerce stream, or any Engineering degree |
| Assistant Section Officer Cum Programmer in TNPSC | M.C.A or Master’s degree in Science (Information Technology / Computer Science) |
| Deputy Commercial Tax Officer | Bachelor’s Degree – B.A, B.Com, B.Sc, B.Lit, etc. |
| Sub-Registrar Grade-II | Bachelor’s Degree |
| Probation Officer in the Prison Department | A degree such as B.A., B.Sc., B.Com., B.O.L., B.B.A., or equivalent |
TNPSC Group 3 Educational Qualification:
| Post | Educational Qualification |
|---|---|
| Station Fire Officer | B.A. or B.Sc. or B.Com. or B.O.L. or B.B.A. from Madurai Kamaraj University or B.Litt. from Madurai University |
| Junior Inspector of Cooperative Societies | Higher Secondary Course (HSC) or Pre-University Examination or Diploma in Rural Services |
| Store Keeper in the Employment and Training Department | Pre-University Course Examination or Higher Secondary Examination |
| Store Keeper in Employment and Training (Training Wing) Department | |
| Store Keeper, Grade-II in the Industries and Commerce Department |
TNPSC Group 4 Educational Qualification:
| Post | Educational Qualification |
|---|---|
| Village Administrative Officer | SSLC Certificate or equivalent |
| Bill Collector | |
| Junior Assistant (Non-Security) | |
| Junior Assistant (Security) | |
| Field Surveyor | |
| Draftsman | |
| Typist | SSLC Certificate or equivalent (Should know typewriting in English or Tamil) |
| Steno-Typist (Grade III) | SSLC Certificate or equivalent (Should know typewriting in English or Tamil) |
Candidates can apply online for TNPSC 2026 as given in the following steps:
TNPSC will release the admit card for its exams around 10 days before the exam date. Candidates can follow the steps given below to download it:
To recruit candidates to various administrative posts, TNPSC follows a different exam pattern for different services. TNPSC exam pattern of different groups is given below:
TNPSC Group 1 Exam Pattern
| Stage | Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims | General Studies | 3 hours | 300 |
| Aptitude & Mental Ability Tests | |||
| Mains | General Studies Paper 1 | 3 hours | 100 |
| General Studies Paper 2 | 3 hours | 250 | |
| General Studies Paper 3 | 3 hours | 250 | |
| General Studies Paper 4 | 3 hours | 250 | |
| Interview | - | - | 100 |
TNPSC Group 2 Exam Pattern
| Stage | Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims | General Tamil/English | 3 hours | 300 |
| General Studies | |||
| Aptitude & Mental Ability Tests | |||
| Mains | Paper 1 (Tamil Eligibility Tests) | 1 hour 30 minutes | 100 |
| Paper 2 (General Studies) | 3 hours | 300 | |
| Interview | - | - | 40 |
TNPSC Group 3 Exam Pattern
| Part | Subject / Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Tamil Eligibility cum Scoring Test | 100 | 150 | 3 hours (180 min) |
| General English (SSC Level) | 100 | |||
| B | Aptitude & Mental Ability Test (SSC Level) | 25 | 300 | |
| General Studies | 75 | |||
| Total | 300 |
TNPSC Group 4 Exam Pattern
| Stage | Paper/Description | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Exam | Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test | 3 hours | 300 marks |
| General Studies | |||
| Aptitude & Mental Ability |
For some exams, TNPSC syllabus is elaborated into prelims & mains and some exams have only written exam. The tables given below show TNPSC syllabus for different exams:
TNPSC Group 1 Syllabus
| Stage | Subjects | Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims | General Studies |
|
| Aptitude & Mental Ability Test |
|
|
| Mains | Tamil Language |
|
| General Studies 1 |
|
|
| General Studies 2 |
|
|
| General Studies 3 |
|
TNPSC Group 2 Syllabus
| Stage | Subjects | Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims | Tamil Language |
|
| English Language |
|
|
| General Studies |
|
|
| Aptitude & Mental Ability Tests |
|
|
| Mains | Paper 1 |
|
| Paper 2 |
|
TNPSC Group 3 Syllabus
| Section | Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| Tamil Language |
|
| General English |
|
| Aptitude & Mental Ability |
|
| General Studies |
|
TNPSC Group 4 Syllabus
| Section | Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test |
|
| General Studies |
|
| Aptitude & Mental Ability Test |
|
TNPSC vacancy 2026 will be released for various service groups, which include Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4. It will cover a wide range of posts across the state government, such as inspectors, assistants, foresters, junior clerks, revenue/registration officers and other administrative roles. It will be open to all categories of candidates who meet the eligibility criteria, including General, SC/ST, OBC and PwBD categories.
TNPSC selection process varies with the group that candidate has chosen to give exam on:
TNPSC Group 1 Selection Process
TNPSC Group 2 Selection Process
TNPSC Group 3 Selection Process
Written Examination, which is a combination of objective + descriptive, depending on the post.
TNPSC Group 4 Selection Process
Single Written Paper (objective) which includes Tamil eligibility/score test + General Studies + Aptitude/Mental Ability.
Once TNPSC exams (for various Groups) are held, the Commission will release a Provisional Answer Key that lists the correct responses to the objective-type questions. Candidates can follow the steps given below to get access to the answer key:
Once TNPSC publishes the result, candidates can view their roll numbers, marks, qualifying status and merit position on the official portal. To view results, candidates can follow the steps given below:
TNPSC Previous Year Papers help candidates understand the exam pattern, question difficulty, topic weightage, and frequently asked concepts across different groups (1, 2, 3, 4). By solving these papers, aspirants can evaluate their preparation level, improve time management, and identify weak areas that need revision.
TNPSC Previous Year Cutoffs represent the minimum marks or scores that candidates needed to qualify in earlier Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission exams for different groups and categories (General, OBC, SC/ST, PwBD). Understanding these cutoffs is important because it helps aspirants set realistic target scores, gauge competition, and plan their preparation strategy accordingly.
Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) offers competitive salaries across its various service groups, providing financial stability and growth opportunities for government employees. The table given below shows detailed breakdown of TNPSC salary structure for Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4 posts, based on the 7th Pay Commission:
| Group | Post Examples | Pay Scale (in Rs.) | In-Hand Salary (in Rs.) | Key Allowances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deputy Collector, DSP, Assistant Commissioner | 56,100 – 2,05,700 | 60,000 – 1,50,000+ | Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), City Compensatory Allowance (CCA), Medical Allowance |
| 2 | Probation Officer, Assistant Section Officer | 37,200 – 1,17,600 | 28,000 – 65,000 | DA, HRA, Medical Allowance, Travel Allowance |
| 3 | Junior Inspector, Assistant Supervisor | 20,600 – 75,900 | 20,000 – 50,000 | DA, HRA, Medical Allowance |
| 4 | Village Administrative Officer (VAO), Junior Assistant | 19,500 – 71,900 | 22,000 – 27,000 | DA, HRA, Medical Allowance |
TNPSC exams follows a structured recruitment across Groups 1 to 4, ensuring transparency and merit-based selection. Success in this exam demands a balanced focus on syllabus coverage, Tamil proficiency, current affairs, and consistent practice using previous papers and mock tests.
Ques: What is TNPSC 2026 exam eligibility?
Ans: Eligibility varies by group. Generally it includes age limits (21 to 40), minimum educational qualification (SSLC/degree), and Tamil language proficiency. Certain posts may have additional experience or category-specific requirements.
Ques: Which posts are available in TNPSC 2026?
Ans: Posts include Deputy Collector, DSP, Assistant Commissioner (Group 1), Probation Officer (Group 2), Junior Inspector (Group 3), and VAO/Junior Assistant (Group 4), along with departmental and clerical roles.
Ques: Is TNPSC 2026 open to all categories?
Ans: Yes. TNPSC 2026 is open to General, OBC, SC/ST, and PwBD candidates, with reservation rules applied as per Tamil Nadu government norms and category-specific relaxations.
Ques: Which books/resources are recommended for TNPSC 2026?
Ans: Candidates should refer to SSLC/Tamil Nadu State Board books, TNPSC manuals, standard reference books for History, Polity, Economy, Science, and practice mock tests & previous papers.
Ques: Is there an interview for TNPSC 2026?
Ans: Only Group 1 and selected Group 2 posts have interviews. Other groups like 3, 4 rely on written exams and verification.
Ques: How should candidates prepare for TNPSC 2026?
Ans: Focus on syllabus coverage, previous papers, give TNPSC mock tests, time management, Tamil language proficiency, revision, and category-specific strategies, while keeping updated with current affairs and government policies.
Ques: How can previous year cutoffs help TNPSC candidates?
Ans: Previous year cutoffs help candidates prioritise topics, plan study time, make proper TNPSC study notes, and gauge effort required to pass or secure merit, giving a benchmark for effective preparation and score estimation.
Ques: Is there an interview for TNPSC Group 3 posts?
Ans: For TNPSC Group 3 posts, there is no interview. Selection relies mainly on written exam performance and document verification, making written preparation crucial for success.
Ques: What is the Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test in TNPSC Group 4?
Ans: Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test is part of Group 4 exams, assessing Tamil language proficiency, and contributes to eligibility and scoring alongside the main written paper.
Ques: Is there an interview for TNPSC Group 4 posts?
Ans: No. Group 4 selection is based solely on written exam marks and document verification. There is no interview stage, making written performance and Tamil test crucial.
Download the PREPP App and attempt FREE TNPSC Mock Tests and get complete study material!
Comments