TNPSC Group 4 exam pattern: 200 questions, 300 marks and the Tamil 60/150 rule

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Checked on: 25.10.2026. On that day tnpsc.gov.in listed no addendum or corrigendum to this notification.

This guide explains the Group 4 written exam in plain words. The exam facts come from TNPSC Notification 11/2026, and each one carries its page number, so you can open the PDF and check it yourself.

The pattern at a glance

Group 4 is a single paper. It is an objective, multiple-choice exam marked on an OMR sheet, and it has three parts.

The notification does not give Parts B and C separate marks. It prints one 150-mark cell for the two together. Some websites show a separate figure for each part; those figures are not official.

The Tamil PDF has the same table on page 23. For a short summary on our Group 4 page, see the Group 4 exam pattern. For the application dates and fees, read the key parts of Notification 11/2026.

Why does the Tamil 60 matter?

Part A, Tamil, is out of 150. You must score at least 40% there, which is 60 marks. Only then are Parts B and C of your answer sheet evaluated (para 6.1, page 20).

In practice this means Tamil is the first gate. You may do very well in General Studies, but if your Part A score is below 60, those marks are never counted.

If you score 60 or more in Part A, the total of all three parts is used for ranking (para 6.1, page 20). So your Tamil score helps twice: it opens the gate, and it adds to the total that decides your rank in the list.

A worked example

The numbers below are our own example. The rules are in paras 6 and 6.1 (page 20). We assume no question was left blank.

300 ÷ 200 = 1.5 is our own arithmetic. The notification does not print marks per question; it prints only the totals. On that arithmetic, 60 in Part A means 40 correct answers out of 100.

What is the 90-mark minimum?

The scheme table says "Minimum Qualifying Marks (For all Communities): 90" (page 20). You need at least 90 out of 300.

That is a floor, nothing more. It is not a cut-off, and scoring 90 does not mean you get a job. Selection depends on the ranking by total marks (para 6.1, page 20), and the rules of reservation apply post by post (para 7, page 21).

We do not print past cut-off figures here, because they are not in the notification. TNPSC publishes results on its Results page.

Which language are the questions in?

• Part A, the Tamil test, is set in Tamil only.
• Parts B and C are set in both Tamil and English.

This is in para 6.1 (page 20).

There is one exception. Differently abled candidates who studied only English at board or university level may take General English in place of the Tamil test. The conditions and the certificate they must upload are in para 6.2 (pages 20 and 21). If this applies to you, read that paragraph in full.

Blank answers and option E

Do not leave any question blank. If you do not know the answer, darken option E. Each question left blank costs 0.5 mark from your total. Both rules are in Annexure IV of the notification, among the OMR answer sheet rules:

1. Do not leave any question blank. If you do not know the answer, darken option E (para 1.6.2.5, page 68).
2. For each question left blank, 0.5 mark is deducted from your total (para 1.10.2.2, page 72).

Simple arithmetic: leave 4 questions blank and you lose 2 marks.

Is there a deduction for a wrong answer? When we read the English version of Notification 11/2026 on 19.10.2026, we found no such rule. The notification says the English version is final in case of doubt. Even so, it is wrong to say "there is no negative marking": a blank answer does cost marks. Read Annexure IV again in every new notification.

Questions per unit

The syllabus gives a number of questions for each unit. The notification says that distribution is only indicative: the Commission may marginally increase or decrease the questions in any unit (para 6.3, page 21).

So do not drop a unit because it looks small. For a plain-language walk through each unit, read the Group 4 syllabus explained unit by unit. The official syllabus PDF is on the TNPSC website.

Practical steps

1. Open the English PDF of the notification and read page 20. In the Tamil PDF it is page 23.
2. Make scoring 60 or more in Part A your first target. Give Tamil some time every day.
3. In every practice test, write down your Part A score on its own, not just the total.
4. Practise shading an OMR sheet. Never leave a question blank; if unsure, shade E.
5. Practise 200 questions in 3 hours, using official previous-year papers.
6. Before the exam, check the TNPSC website for any change to the notification.

Read next

• Notification 11/2026: how to read it and the parts that matter
• The Group 4 syllabus explained unit by unit
• Previous year question papers and answer keys: official links by year

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