State Civil Services · Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC)
TNPSC Group I — Combined Civil Services Examination I — Group I Services (Tamil Nadu)
The complete TNPSC Group I blueprint: tier-wise pattern, topic weightage from previous-year analyses, and free chapter-by-chapter study material.
3 stages: Prelims, Mains (Tamil qualifying plus three General Studies papers) and Interview850 merit marks: 750 in Mains General Studies plus a 100-mark interview; Prelims and the Tamil paper do not count46 vacancies in the 2026 notification after an addendum, notified 23 June 2026 Free · tutor-verified
TNPSC Group I at a glance
Conducted byTamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC)
CycleThe 2026 notification was released on 23 June 2026 for 46 posts after an addendum, with the Prelims held on 27 September 2026 after a postponement from 6 September. Confirm the live calendar on the Commission's site.
ModePrelims: one objective OMR paper. Mains: pen-and-paper descriptive papers, in Tamil or English. Interview: in-person personality test.
EligibilityA bachelor's degree from a recognised university. As reported for the 2026 notification, the age limit is 21 to 34 years for general-category candidates, with higher limits for reserved categories, counted as of 1 July 2026. Confirm on the current notification.
LanguagesTamil and English. The Tamil Eligibility Test is written in Tamil; General Studies may be answered in Tamil or English.
Selection intoGroup I posts are reported at a basic pay of about 56,100 rupees at the entry level, with allowances. Confirm the pay level on the notification.
Where TNPSC Group I leads
Deputy Collector (Tamil Nadu Civil Service)Deputy Superintendent of Police (Category 1)Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes)District Registrar, Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies and Assistant Director of Rural DevelopmentDistrict Officer (Fire and Rescue Services)
⚡ What changed recently
- The 2026 notification (23 June 2026) reported 46 vacancies after an addendum, with the Prelims held on 27 September 2026.
- The Tamil Eligibility Test is qualifying: its marks do not add to merit, but missing the minimum blocks the ranking.
- The Rajamannar Committee, the Cauvery dispute and the Dravidian movement are named syllabus heads and are covered in the state chapters.
- Office-holders change, so this hub teaches Tamil Nadu's institutions, laws and dated programmes and names no sitting Governor or Chief Minister. Confirm current names independently before the exam.
How TNPSC Group I selection works
Know what each stage is for before you spend a single hour preparing.
SCREENING GATE
Prelims: one objective paper, 300 marks
175 General Studies questions and 25 Aptitude and Mental Ability questions, 1.5 marks each, with no negative marking reported. Marks are used only to shortlist for the Mains and do not count towards final merit.
THE SCORING STAGE
Mains: four descriptive papers
The Tamil Eligibility Test (100, qualifying) and General Studies I, II and III (250 each, 750 merit marks).
FINAL STAGE
Personality Test (Interview)
A 100-mark board interview. Final merit is Mains General Studies marks plus the interview, out of 850.
The exam pattern, tier by tier
Marks, timing and negative marking exactly as per the official notification.
Prelims: General Studies and Aptitude
Screening, marks not counted towards final merit300 marks · 200 Q
3 hours · None reported. Confirm on the notification.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Science | 10 | 15 | Prelims (200 Qs · 300 marks · 3 h) |
| Geography of India | 10 | 15 | Prelims (200 Qs · 300 marks · 3 h) |
| History, Culture and National Movement | 25 | 37.5 | Prelims (200 Qs · 300 marks · 3 h) |
| Indian Polity | 40 | 60 | Prelims (200 Qs · 300 marks · 3 h) |
| Indian Economy and Tamil Nadu Administration | 50 | 75 | Prelims (200 Qs · 300 marks · 3 h) |
| Tamil Nadu History, Culture and Movements | 40 | 60 | Prelims (200 Qs · 300 marks · 3 h) |
| Aptitude (SSLC standard) | 15 | 22.5 | Prelims (200 Qs · 300 marks · 3 h) |
| Mental Ability (SSLC standard) | 10 | 15 | Prelims (200 Qs · 300 marks · 3 h) |
💡 Unit I General Science (10 questions), II Geography of India (10), III History, Culture and Indian National Movement (25), IV Indian Polity (40), V Indian Economy and Tamil Nadu Administration (50), VI Tamil Nadu History, Culture, Heritage and Socio-Political Movements (40), then Aptitude (15) and Mental Ability (10).
Mains Paper I: Tamil Eligibility Test
Qualifying, 100 marks; a minimum of 40 is reported100 marks
3 hours
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil Eligibility Test | Descriptive | 100 | 3 hours |
💡 Translation, précis, comprehension, essay (including one linked to the Thirukkural), official letters and correction of errors, at SSLC standard.
Mains Paper II: General Studies I
Merit, 250 marks250 marks
3 hours
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern History and Indian Culture | Descriptive | 100 | GS I (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Social Issues in India and Tamil Nadu | Descriptive | 100 | GS I (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Ethics and Integrity | Descriptive | 50 | GS I (250 marks · 3 h) |
💡 Unit I Modern History of India and Indian Culture (100), Unit II Social Issues in India and Tamil Nadu (100), Unit III Ethics and Integrity (50), as reported.
Mains Paper III: General Studies II
Merit, 250 marks250 marks
3 hours
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Polity and Emerging Political Trends | Descriptive | 100 | GS II (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Science and Technology in India's Development | Descriptive | 100 | GS II (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Tamil Society, Culture and Heritage | Descriptive | 50 | GS II (250 marks · 3 h) |
💡 Unit I Indian Polity and Emerging Political Trends (100), Unit II Role and Impact of Science and Technology (100), Unit III Tamil Society, Culture and Heritage (50), as reported.
Mains Paper IV: General Studies III
Merit, 250 marks250 marks
3 hours
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geography with Special Reference to Tamil Nadu | Descriptive | 75 | GS III (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Environment, Biodiversity and Disaster Management | Descriptive | 75 | GS III (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Indian Economy and Current Trends | Descriptive | 100 | GS III (250 marks · 3 h) |
💡 Unit I Geography of India with Special Reference to Tamil Nadu (75), Unit II Environment, Biodiversity and Disaster Management (75), Unit III Indian Economy and Current Economic Trends (100), as reported.
Where your TNPSC Group I score comes from
Prelims is one objective paper of 200 questions for 300 marks in three hours: 175 General Studies questions at degree standard and 25 Aptitude and Mental Ability questions at SSLC standard. Each question carries 1.5 marks, and no negative marking is reported. Prelims marks are used only to shortlist. The Mains has four papers: the Tamil Eligibility Test (100 marks, qualifying, with a minimum of 40 reported) and three General Studies papers of 250 marks each, which give 750 merit marks. The interview carries 100 marks, so the final merit total is 850. Unit marks inside each paper are those reported from the Commission's syllabus, so confirm them on the current notification. Click any block to open its chapters:
General Studies I to III750 marks · 88.2%
Nearly nine-tenths of the 850 merit marks. Each paper pairs a national frame, aliased from UPSC CSE chapters, with Tamil Nadu chapters written for this hub.
Interview100 marks · 11.8%
About one-eighth of merit. Boards from the state often ask about autonomy, language and welfare, which the state chapters prepare.
Subjects in TNPSC Group I
Chapter-by-chapter study material built to the exam's own blueprint.
Topic-wise weightage — what to study first
Question counts per topic, distilled from previous-year paper analyses. Click any topic with a link to open its full chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient and Medieval Tamilakam: From the Sangam Age to the Nayaks | ~25 | Very high |
| Colonial Tamil Nadu and the Freedom Struggle | ~25 | Very high |
🎯 Learn each dynasty as capital, ruler, date and monument, and put the uprisings and leaders on one timeline.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Party, Self-Respect and the Rise of the Dravidian Movement | ~30 | Very high |
| Reservation, Welfare and Social Justice in Tamil Nadu | ~30 | Very high |
🎯 Learn the five dates as a chain and the four shares of the 69 per cent, and end every answer with a criticism.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Sangam Literature, the Thirukkural and the Tamil Language | ~25 | Very high |
| Temples, Arts and Archaeology of Tamil Nadu | ~25 | High |
🎯 Learn the Thirukkural counts and the tinai table exactly, and give excavation dates as reported ranges.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Geography of Tamil Nadu | ~40 | Very high |
🎯 Use relief, drainage, climate and resource use, and attach a census year to every population figure.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu's Economy: Industry, Finance and the Welfare Model | ~30 | Very high |
| Agriculture, the Cauvery Delta and Water in Tamil Nadu | ~30 | Very high |
🎯 Describe the diversified structure, attach a source and year to every figure, and give the Cauvery dates in order.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| State Autonomy, Local Government and Administration in Tamil Nadu | ~40 | Very high |
🎯 Learn the three federal bodies by date, pair 73 with rural and 74 with urban, and name no sitting office-holder.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| The Ghats, the Coast, Wetlands and Disasters of Tamil Nadu | ~40 | High |
🎯 Know the three reserves with years and the state symbols, and bring one Tamil Nadu case to each answer.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear, Space, Energy and IT in Tamil Nadu | ~35 | High |
🎯 Link each technology to a Tamil Nadu place, and end every answer with a risk.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Thirukkural and Ethics in Public Service | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Use one idea per source, tie it to the case, and pair it with an institution and an action.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| The Tamil Eligibility Test: Translation, Précis, Essay and Usage | ~40 | Very high |
🎯 Practise a little every week; missing the minimum blocks your ranking.
TNPSC Group I resources
Everything you need to prepare.
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FAQs
Frequently asked questions
No negative marking is reported for the Prelims, and each question carries 1.5 marks. Confirm on the live notification.
No. It is a qualifying paper of 100 marks, with a minimum of 40 reported. Missing it means your General Studies papers are not ranked.
100, giving a final merit total of 850 with the 750 Mains General Studies marks.
46 after an addendum, as reported, with the notification released on 23 June 2026.
Office-holders change, and this content is written to stay accurate across those changes. Confirm current names from a live source close to your exam date.
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