Combined Civil Services Examination IV — Group 4 — is the TNPSC recruitment examination for posts such as Village Administrative Officer, Junior Assistant, Bill Collector, Typist and Steno-Typist. The competition is fierce and the paper is short, so the syllabus is less about depth than about accuracy across a wide range of school-level material.
டிஎன்பிஎஸ்சி குரூப் 4 தேர்வு ஒரே தாள், 200 வினாக்கள், மூன்று மணி நேரம்.
Quick facts
| Conducted by | Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) |
|---|---|
| Exam name | Combined Civil Services Examination IV (Group 4 Services) |
| Mode | OMR — objective, offline |
| Paper | Single paper |
| Questions / marks | 200 questions, 300 marks |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Vacancies (2026) | 6,574 across all the posts notified |
The exam pattern
Group 4 is a single paper of 200 objective questions carrying 300 marks, with three hours on the clock. It is split into three parts, and the split matters more than the total.
| Part | Subject | Standard | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test | SSLC | 100 | 150 |
| B | General Studies | — | 75 | 150 |
| C | Aptitude and Mental Ability | — | 25 | |
| Total | 200 | 300 |
Part A is set in Tamil only. Parts B and C are set in both Tamil and English. Differently abled candidates who studied English as their medium throughout may opt for a General English paper of SSLC standard in place of Part A instead.
Part A is a gate, not just a section
The rule that catches candidates out is this: Parts B and C are evaluated only if Part A is cleared. A candidate must score the minimum qualifying mark of 40 per cent in the Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test — 60 marks out of 150 — before the General Studies and Aptitude answers are even looked at. Only then are all three parts added together for ranking.
The practical consequence is blunt. A candidate with an outstanding General Studies score and a weak Tamil paper is not ranked lower; they are not ranked at all. Since Part A is set at SSLC standard, the preparation for it is school Tamil, not competitive-exam Tamil.
What the General Studies paper covers
Part B is the widest section of the paper. The syllabus the Commission publishes for Group 4 runs across:
- General Science — physics, chemistry and biology at school level, including everyday applications.
- Geography — the physical and economic geography of India and Tamil Nadu.
- History and Culture of India — ancient, medieval and modern, with the Tamil Nadu heritage portion.
- Indian Polity — the Constitution, the Union and State governments, and panchayat raj.
- Indian Economy — basic concepts and current developments.
- Tamil Nadu history, culture and current events — the part of the paper that moves every year.
- Aptitude and Mental Ability — simplification, percentages, ratio and proportion, time and work, series, and reasoning.
Current affairs is where the paper separates candidates. It rewards a steady reading habit over the months before the examination far more than last-minute cramming, and the Commission itself publishes the question papers and answer keys from earlier examinations for practice.
The posts and the vacancies
Group 4 is not one job. The posts notified together in the 2026 recruitment, with roughly 6,574 vacancies in total, include:
- Village Administrative Officer — the single largest post by vacancy count and the one with the most applicants.
- Junior Assistant (Non-Security) — the largest total block, spread across several departments and services.
- Junior Assistant (Security) — for which the minimum age is 18.
- Bill Collector, Typist, Steno-Typist (Grade III), Personal Clerk, Record Clerk and similar clerical posts.
- Executive Officer (Grade IV), Junior Inspector of Co-operative Societies, Laboratory Assistant, Forest Watcher and Forest Guard with Driving Licence.
Age limits differ by post rather than being common to the examination: the Village Administrative Officer post runs from 21 to 30 years for the general category, most clerical posts from 18 to 35, and a few posts carry no maximum age limit. The Commission sets all of them as on 1 July of the recruitment year.
Applying: it starts with One Time Registration
Applications are accepted online only, through the Commission’s examination portal, and the first step is One Time Registration — a single profile holding your photograph, signature and certificates. An application cannot be submitted without it, so candidates who leave OTR until the notification is published are competing for a slot on a system everyone else is already using.
Two practical points from the Commission’s own instructions: a candidate must reach the venue an hour before the paper starts and the gates close thirty minutes before it begins; and mobile phones, smart watches, bluetooth devices and any storage media are banned inside the hall. Admission to the written examination is provisional and is subject to the eligibility conditions being met, so a certificate problem surfaces at verification, not at the exam.
What to study from
The syllabus is wide rather than deep, and the material is mostly school level.
- The Commission’s syllabus annexure. It is part of the notification and is the only scope statement that counts.
- School textbooks for General Studies. The Class 10 and Class 12 books cover the history, polity, geography and science units, and the questions are set at that level. For the science and social science units specifically, the subject hubs collect every class in one place: Science and Social Science.
- A daily newspaper. Current affairs is the section that moves every year, and it cannot be caught up in the last month.
- Practice material. TNPSC study materials collects the notes and question banks for this examination.
- The Commission’s own papers. TNPSC publishes previous question papers with official answer keys, which is the most reliable way to see the standard.
How to prepare
- Fix the Tamil paper first. It is a gate — nothing else counts until it is cleared — and it is the section most candidates treat as free marks.
- Pan the syllabus before going deep. General Studies is wide and shallow; a first pass across every unit beats mastering one.
- Drill aptitude daily. Twenty-five questions decide whether a good General Studies score becomes a good rank.
- Practise with the Commission’s own papers. Previous question papers and official answer keys are published on the TNPSC site and show the recurrent topics.
- Read current affairs in small daily doses. Six months of steady reading is worth more than a month of intensive cramming.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are there in TNPSC Group 4?
200 objective questions carrying 300 marks, answered in one three-hour paper.
Is the TNPSC Group 4 exam in Tamil only?
No. Part A, the Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test, is set in Tamil only, while Parts B and C are set in both Tamil and English.
What happens if I fail Part A?
Parts B and C are evaluated only if Part A is cleared with the minimum qualifying mark of 40 per cent. Without that, the General Studies and Aptitude answers do not count.
Which posts come under TNPSC Group 4?
Village Administrative Officer, Junior Assistant, Bill Collector, Typist, Steno-Typist, Record Clerk, Executive Officer Grade IV and several other clerical and field posts.
How many vacancies were notified?
About 6,574 across all the posts in the 2026 notification. The Commission states that the number is tentative and can change before counselling.
How long should I prepare for TNPSC Group 4?
Most successful candidates prepare for several months, keeping a daily habit for both aptitude and current affairs.
Is there negative marking in TNPSC Group 4?
No. There is no negative marking, so there is no penalty for attempting a question.
Pingback: TNPSC Group 4 Notification 2026: 6,574 Vacancies
Pingback: How to Apply for TNPSC Group 4 Online 2026: Step-by-Step Guide