VAO and TNPSC Group 4: is it the same exam, and what is different?

TNPSC Guide is not the official TNPSC website. Apply only through the official website.

Checked on: 22.10.2026. On that day tnpsc.gov.in listed no addendum or corrigendum to this notification.

Many people search for "the VAO exam". There is no exam by that name. Village Administrative Officer (VAO) posts are filled through the TNPSC Group 4 exam. This guide explains how the two are linked, and which rules apply only to this post.

Unless another source is named, every fact here is from TNPSC Notification No. 11/2026. Page numbers are from the English PDF; the Tamil PDF numbers its pages differently. In case of doubt, the English version is final (para 6.5, page 21). A short summary is on the Group 4 exam page.

Is there a separate VAO exam?

No. The notification says the exam for the Group IV Services is a single stage Written Examination (para 5.1, page 17). It is the same exam for every post, Village Administrative Officer included. There is no separate preliminary and main stage.

Every post has the same paper: 200 questions, 300 marks, 3 hours (para 6, page 20).

• Part A: Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test. 100 questions, 150 marks.
• Part B: General Studies. 75 questions.
• Part C: Aptitude and Mental Ability. 25 questions.
• Parts B and C together carry 150 marks.

You need at least 60 of 150 in Part A. Only then are Part B and Part C of your answer sheet evaluated (para 6.1, page 20). The ranking list is prepared on the total marks secured in the written exam (para 5.2.1, page 17). For the full detail, read the exam pattern and the 60/150 rule.

So "preparing for the VAO exam" means preparing for the Group 4 exam.

How many VAO vacancies are there in 2026?

Notification 11/2026 has 6,574 vacancies in total across 46 posts (pages 3-4). Village Administrative Officer is post code 2025, with 291 vacancies (page 3).

Note two things:

• The count is tentative and can change before counselling starts (para 3.1, page 5).
• The department-wise and unit-wise distribution of the vacancies will be announced later (para 3.3, page 5).

Other figures circulate online. The number in the notification is the official one. To read the posts table, use the key pages of the notification.

The posts table also has a Level of pay column. In the Village Administrative Officer row it reads Level 8 (page 3). That row gives no rupee figure, so we give no salary figure here either.

Who can apply for VAO?

The exam is one, but the eligibility rules differ from post to post. Each post has its own age rows (pages 5-8) and qualification rows (pages 9-15). That is the main difference between Village Administrative Officer and the other Group 4 posts. The rules for this post are below.

"Others" means candidates who do not belong to SCs, SC(A)s, STs, MBCs/DCs, BC(OBCM)s and BCMs (para 4.1.1, page 5).

Para 5A is part of the Instructions to Applicants. Para 4.1.3 says its maximum-age instructions do not apply to Village Administrative Officer. For age concessions, see the tables on pages 5-8 and Annexure II.

One more point on qualification: a pass in the 10th Standard examination of the Board of Open School, Tamil Nadu is deemed an SSLC pass (para 4.2.3, page 14). Every post also needs adequate knowledge of Tamil; the accepted proofs are in para 4.4 (pages 15-16).

Different age limits for this post are shown online. Do not rely on them. Only the rows on pages 5-6 of the notification are final. We explain how to work out your age, with examples, in Group 4 eligibility: age limit and qualification. Only TNPSC decides who is eligible.

How do I prepare for VAO?

The Group 4 exam has one syllabus. There is no separate syllabus for Village Administrative Officer. The notification prints the syllabus in Annexure III (pages 62-65). The TNPSC syllabus PDF (code 496) has 15 units: 7 for Tamil, 6 for General Studies and 2 for Aptitude. That PDF letters the parts differently: General Studies is "Part A", Aptitude "Part B" and Tamil "Part C". This guide follows the notification: Part A Tamil, Part B General Studies, Part C Aptitude (para 6, page 20).

What follows is our advice only; it is not in the notification. Parts B and C are evaluated only if you score at least 60 in Part A Tamil, so give Tamil time first, every day. Then take the other units one by one. These three guides help:

• To plan from the start: 7 steps for beginners
• To see what each unit covers: the syllabus, unit by unit
• For the Tamil part: how to study Part A Tamil

Before you apply

• Applications are accepted online only (para 1.3.1, page 1). The notification prints the address as www.tnpscexams.in; when we checked on 22.10.2026, the application pages were at apply.tnpscexams.in. Do not enter your details on any other site.
• You are admitted to the exam on the basis of the claims in your online application (para 5.1, page 17), so make only claims that are true and that you can prove.
• Every step from One Time Registration (OTR) to the fee is in how to apply, step by step.
• We list the errors many applicants make in 10 mistakes to avoid.

Practical steps

1. Download the English PDF of the notification. On page 3, find the row with post code 2025.
2. Work out your age on 01.07.2026. Compare it with the row for your community on page 5 or page 6.
3. Keep your SSLC mark sheet and your proof of Tamil knowledge ready.
4. Read the age and qualification rows of the other Group 4 posts as well (pages 5-15). You may be eligible for them too.
5. If you are unsure, call the TNPSC toll-free number 1800 419 0958, on working days between 10.00 AM and 5.45 PM (para 9.1, page 21).
6. Submit your application before 05.11.2026, 11.59 PM. Do not wait for the last day.
7. Start studying, with time for Part A Tamil every day.

Read next

• Group 4 eligibility: age limit and qualification
• How to apply, step by step
• 7 steps for beginners

You do not need any app to use this guide. If you would like a daily lesson to follow, read about our 30-day programme; in the TNPSC Guide app's free 3-day period the plan's Day 1–3 lessons, the full question bank and one sectional test are open. After that, the free parts stay open.