Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission Exam Pattern

What is TNPSC? What are the TNPSC exams? TNPSC full form is Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. The commission recruits for Group 1,2,3,4 services of the state government. TNPSC Group 1, Group 2, and other exams are called TNPSC exams. 

This article aims to provide pertinent details regarding the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission as an organization as well as an exam conducting body which is responsible to undertake the Provincial Civil Services exams, the TNPSC exams. 

To know about various other State Public Service Commission Exams. 

About Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission

1. Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission is a government department in Tamil Nadu, which is responsible for the recruitment of eligible personnel into the State’s Public Service. 
2. The State Service Commission of Tamil Nadu conducts Provincial Civil Services Exams on an annual basis. 
3. Articles 316 to 319 of the Constitution of India deal with the structure of state public service commissions.
4. The Commission consists of 15 Members including 1 Chairman. The current TNPSC chairman is Dr. C. Munianathan, a retired IAS officer. 
5. Functions of TNPSC includes: 
   1. Advise the Government on all matters relating to framing of recruitment rules. Making appointments and promotions and transfers from one service to another service, in respect of disciplinary matters affecting government servantsConduct examinations for the
   selection of candidates under direct recruitment to the State, Subordinate,
   1. and Ministerial Services. 
   1. Conduct departmental examinations for government servants and examinations on behalf of the national Ministry of Defence.

TNPSC conducts a wide range of examinations throughout the year for the recruitment of various posts under the state government. It provides candidates with the gateway to start their career in the state government as Group A & B officers and Subordinate staff as well. Let’s find out more on these TNPSC exams.

TNPSC Exams 

Various recruitment exams for posts ranging from Group I to IV conducted by the  Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission throughout the year are listed below – 

• Combined Civil Services Examination – I (Group 1 Services)
• Combined Civil Services Examination – II (Group-II And Group-II A Services)
• Combined Civil Services Examination-III (Group-III Services)
• Combined Civil Services Examination-IV (Group-IV Services & VAO)
• Combined Engineering Subordinate Services Examination
• TNPSC Assistant Engineer Examination
• TNPSC Assistant System Engineer Examination
• TNPSC District Education Officer Examination
• Combined Library and Information Services Examination
• Combined Geology Service Examination
• Combined Statistics Service Examination

TNPSC Eligibility

The TNPSC Eligibility to recruit eligible candidates for different posts are determined by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. Aspiring candidates are required to satisfy the TNPSC eligibility criteria in order to be eligible and appear for the exam. 

Exams for various posts in TNPSC Group 1, TNPSC Group 2, TNPSC Group 3, TNPSC Group 4, etc. have their unique TNPSC eligibility conditions. 

Candidates are advised to read the TNPSC notification properly for different eligibility conditions such as TNPSC Age limit, TNPSC Educational Qualification, etc before filling up the TNPSC Application form.

The basic requirement of TNPSC exam eligibility condition is that the applicants must be well versed with the Tamil language and must be an Indian Citizen. 

The table below highlights the TNPSC eligibility for various exams centering two general requirements – 

1. TNPSC Age Limit 
2. TNPSC Educational Qualification

TNPSC Eligibility
TNPSC Group 1 Exam Eligibility Criteria	TNPSC Group 1 Age Limit – General category 32 years, age relaxation of 5 years to SC, ST, OBC category TNPSC Group 1 Qualification – Graduation from a Government recognized universitySpecial physical qualifications are needed for the posts of Deputy Superintendent of Police and the District Officer (Fire and Rescue Operations).
TNPSC Group 2 Eligibility	TNPSC Group 2 Age Limit – Minimum – 18 years (20, 22, and 26 years respectively for the Sub-registrar Grade-II, the Probation officer in the Prison Department, and Probation Officer in the Social Defence department) Maximum – 30 years for general category while no age limit for Reserved Candidates.TNPSC Group 2 Educational Qualification – varies according to the post specialization but minimum qualification is Graduation
TNPSC Group 3 Eligibility	TNPSC Group 3 Age Limit –Minimum – 18 years for general candidates Maximum – 42 yearsTNPSC Group 3 Minimum Education Qualification – Graduate
TNPSC Group 4 Eligibility	TNPSC Group 4 Age Limit –Minimum – 18 years Maximum – 30 years General candidates, 32 Years for MBC / Denotified Communities / BC and 35 years for SC / ST / Destitute Widows TNPSC Group 4 Minimum Education Qualification – must have passed the S.S.L.C. Public examinations
TNPSC Combined Engineering Services Exam Eligibility	TNPSC CES Age Limit – Minimum – 18 years Maximum – 30 years for general category while no age limit for Reserved Candidates. TNPSC CES Qualification – must have a B.E. degree or equivalent degree in the specialization relevant to the post
TNPSC Assistant System Engineer Eligibility	TNPSC Assistant System Engineer Age Limit –Minimum – 18 years Maximum – 30 years General candidates, 32 Years Destitute Widows, Most Backward Classes, Backward Classes (Muslims) and other Denotified Communities and 35 years for SC / STTNPSC Assistant System Engineer Minimum Education Qualification – a B.E. or B. Tech degree in the relevant specialization or a diploma degree in the relevant specialization
TNPSC Assistant Engineer Eligibility	TNPSC Assistant Engineer Age Limit –Minimum – 18 years Maximum – 30 years General candidates, 32 Years Destitute Widows, Most Backward Classes, Backward Classes (Muslims) and other Denotified Communities and 35 years for SC / STTNPSC Assistant Engineer Minimum Education Qualification – a B.E. or B. Tech degree in the relevant specialization or a diploma degree in the relevant specialization
TNPSC District Education Officer Eligibility	TNPSC District Education Officer Age Limit – Maximum – 40 years for general category for teaching posts and 30 years for open market posts, 48 years for ex-servicemen while no age limit for Reserved Candidates. 10 years of age relaxation for differently-abled candidates TNPSC District Education Officer Qualification –a Master’s degree, a B.T., or a B.Ed. Degreemust have studied Tamil under part 1 or 2 of the Pre-university course or the Higher Secondary Course

TNPSC Exam Pattern 

The TNPSC Recruitment notification contains all the details regarding the subject-wise topics, marking scheme, exam pattern, etc. The TNPSC exam patterns vary according to the Groups of the TNPSC Recruitment.

The TNPSC Exam Pattern for most of the exams conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission mostly are on the same line and follows the three-stage exam pattern i.e. TNPSC Preliminary Exam, TNPSC Mains Exam and TNPSC Interview or Personality Test.

The Table below provides the main highlights of the TNPSC Exam Pattern for major TNPSC Exams-

TNPSC Exam Pattern
TNPSC Group 1 Exam Pattern	Prelims – one objective paper – 300 marks – 3 hours Mains – three descriptive papers – 750 marks total – 9 hours total Interview – 100 marks
TNPSC Group 2	Prelims – one objective paper – 300 marks – 3 hours Mains – two descriptive papers – 400 marks total
TNPSC Group 3	One Objective Paper – 300 Marks Total – 3 hours
TNPSC Group 4	One Objective Paper – 300 Marks Total – 3 hours
TNPSC Combined Engineering Services Exam	Paper I – objective paper – 300 marks – 2 hours Paper II – objective Paper – 200 marks – 2 hours
TNPSC Assistant System Engineer Exam	Paper I – objective paper – 200 marks – 3 hours Paper II – objective Paper – 50 marks – 1 hours Paper III – objective Paper – 150 marks – 2 hoursPart A – 10 questions – 5 marks Part B – 10 Questions – 10 marks
TNPSC Assistant Engineer Syllabus	Paper I – objective paper – 300 marks – 3 hours Paper II – objective Paper – 200 marks – 2 hoursInterview – 70 marks
TNPSC District Education Officer Exam	Prelims – one objective paper – 300 marks – 3 hoursMains – three descriptive papers – 900 marks total – 9 hours total Interview – 120 marks

TNPSC Syllabus

The TNPSC Syllabus is released by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) on its official website. Aspirants must be well aware of the subject-wise topics covered in the TNPSC Syllabus for better results.

The TNPSC Syllabus for different examination recruitments for which are done by the Tamil Nadu PSC are tabulated below – 

TNPSC Syllabus
TNPSC Exams	Prelims Syllabus	Mains Syllabus
TNPSC Group 1 Syllabus	General Studies – 150 questions (Degree Standard)Aptitude & Mental Ability – 50 questions (SSLC Standard)	Paper 1 – Modern Indian History and Indian Culture Social Issues – India and Tamil NaduGeneral Aptitude & Mental Ability (SSLC Standard) Paper 2 – Indian Polity and Emerging Political Trends Role and Impact of Science and Technology in India Tamil Society – Culture and Heritage Paper 3 – Indian Geography – Tamil Nadu Biodiversity, Disaster ManagementIndian Economy – Current trends
TNPSC Group 2	General Awareness 175 questionsAptitude & Mental Ability – 25 questions	Part A – Translation of Tamil to English and vice versa Part B – Precis Writing Comprehension Hints Development Essay Writing Letter Writing
TNPSC Group 3	General Studies (Degree Standard) (75 questions) Aptitude and Mental Ability Test (S.S.L.C. Std.) (25 questions) General Tamil/ General English (S.S.L.C. Std.) (100 questions)
TNPSC Group 4	General Studies (Degree Standard) (75 questions) Aptitude and Mental Ability Test (S.S.L.C. Std.) (25 questions) General Tamil/ General English (S.S.L.C. Std.) (100 questions)
TNPSC Combined Engineering Services Exam	Paper 1 –  Agricultural Engineering Automobile Engineering Electronics and Communication Engineering Mechanical/ Production/ Manufacturing Engineering Textile Technology Architecture Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering	Paper 2 – General Studies and Aptitude and Mental Ability
TNPSC Assistant System Engineer Exam	Paper 1 –  Computer Science Electronics and Communication Electrical and Electronics Information Technology	Paper 2 –  Numerical Ability Data Interpretation Logical Reasoning Paper 3 – Part A 10 questions 5 marks each. Part B 10 questions 10 marks each. Computer Science Electronics and Communication Electrical and Electronics Information Technology
TNPSC Assistant Engineer Syllabus	Paper 1 –  Agricultural Engineering Automobile Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering Electronics and Communication Engineering Mechanical/Production/Manufacturing Engineering Textile Technology Architecture Engineering	Paper 2 –  General Studies Aptitude and Mental Ability
TNPSC District Education Officer Exam	General StudiesAptitude and Mental Ability	Paper 1 – General Studies Paper 2 – General Studies Paper 3 – Education

TNPSC Books

To get through the tough competition of TNPSC exam candidates require various study materials and best TNPSC books to give an edge to their preparation. TNPSC Exam has sections based on general awareness, knowledge of the language of Tamil or English, mental ability as well as a section based on the specialization of the subject.

Given below are a few TNPSC books to help you prepare well for the exam – 

TNPSC Book List
Aptitude and mental Ability	TNPSC Preliminary General Studies, Aptitude, and Mental Ability by VVK Subburaj Quantitative aptitude for competitive examinations – S Chand Publication
General Awareness	Arihant GK
Tamil Language	Tamil Nadu State Board books, TNPSC GENERAL TAMIL by ArivukadalPathipagam
English Language	General English for All Competitive Examinations – Arihant publication
General Studies	Manual for TNPSC Examinations (General Studies) – McGraw Hills publication
Current Affairs	Newspaper like The Hindu, The Indian Express

TNPSC Online Application

Whenever TNPSC Notification for different posts and groups are released aspirants are required to fill in the TNPSC application form in order to appear for the TNPSC exams.

In the respective notification of different TNPSC exams the commission gives the TNPSC apply online opening and closing dates. Aspirants have to submit their TNPSC exam application form within the stipulated time period. 

The TNPSC online application process for all the exams conducted by the Tamil Nadu public Service Commission is the same. Which is given below for candidates reference – 

Steps to fill the TNPSC application Form – 

1. Visit the official website of Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
2. Go to the Apply Online section of the site and search for the TNPSC Application form for which you wish to apply.
3. If you are a first-time applicant, register with the TNPSC by paying rupees 150 and generate your registration ID and password.
4. As the application form opens, fill all the categories and information in the given columns.
5. Review the information in case of any spelling mistakes or other errors.
6. Scan and submit the documents asked, such as signatures, photographs, mark sheets, etc. Hit on the submit button.
7. Pay the application fee and do not reload or refresh the page until the payment is in process.
8. Once the payment is done, the TNPSC Application is successfully submitted and will appear on your screen, print the form. You may need it in the future for reference.

TNPSC Admit Card

The most important document required by the candidates to be able to take the exam is the TNPSC Admit Card. The Tamil Nadu Public service Commission issued TNPSC Hall Tickets at least a week before the exam. 

It is mandatory for candidates to carry their TNPSC Admit Cards to the exam center. Candidates can download their respective hall tickets by simply logging in with their login credentials like Application ID and Date of Birth (DOB). 

Given below are the steps to download the NPSC Admit card –

1. Log on to the official TNPSc website
2. Hover to the Download TNPSC Admit card link
3. You will be redirected to a page with notifications announcing the different TNPSC hall tickets that have been released.
4. Search for the TNPSC exam that you have applied for and click on the download TNPSC hall Ticket Link
5. Key in you login credentials
6. Your TNPSc Admit Card will appear on the screen
7. Verify the details and download the TNPSC hall ticket.

TNPSC Result 

The TNPSC result is declared on the official website of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC). TNPSC releases the result for various posts for the candidates who meet the cut off. 

To check the TNPSC result candidates have to – Visit the TNPSC website > Go to the Result section > Verify their details > Enter the information such as name, Hall ticket number, DOB, and the passwords to get the TNPSC result > Download the TNPSc Result. 

Given below are the important 5 pointers that candidates must note while checking their TNPSC Result –

1. Confirm that all the details mentioned on the result about the candidates are correct, such as the name of the candidate, date of birth, roll number, and registration number. 
2. Obtained marks in the written exam. 
3. Post for which you have appeared. 
4. TNPSC Cut off marks according to the various categories (SC/ST/OBC). 
5. Rank of the candidate.

TNPSC Exam Centers

The following are the TNPSC Exam Centers recognized to conduct various Tamil Nadu State Service examinations.

TNPSC Exam Centers
Ariyalur, Dindigul, Krishnagiri, Chennai, Erode, Madurai, Chidambaram, Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Karaikudi, Nagercoil, Dharmapuri, Karur, Namakkal, Virudhunagar	Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, The Nilgiris, Thanjavur, Salem, Theni, Thiruvannamalai, Thoothukudi, Thiruvallur, Thiruvarur, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Vellore, Villupuram