| Conducting body | Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Deputy Commercial Tax Officer, Sub Registrar Grade II, Probation Officer, Jailor, Junior Employment Officer, Special Branch Assistant, Assistant Section Officer, Assistant (Group 2A, various departments), Accountant, Junior Accountant, Audit Inspector, Handloom Inspector, Executive Officer Grade III, Supervisor of Industrial Co-operatives |
| Qualification | A degree from a UGC-recognised university. Some posts add conditions, for example a B.L. degree for Assistant Section Officer in the Law Department and Higher Grade typewriting in English and Tamil for Special Assistant. |
| Age limit | 18–32 years on 1 July 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Common preliminary exam (objective, OMR), used only for shortlisting → Separate main exam for Group 2 (descriptive) and Group 2A (Paper I descriptive, Paper II computer-based) → Certificate verification → Counselling |
| Latest notification | Notification No. 07/2026: Combined Civil Services Examination II (Group II and IIA Services) · 846 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About TNPSC Group 2
TNPSC Group 2 and 2A (Combined Civil Services Examination II) recruits graduates for executive and office posts in Tamil Nadu government departments, the Secretariat and state bodies. Group 2 covers posts such as Deputy Commercial Tax Officer, Sub Registrar Grade II, Probation Officer, Jailor and Assistant Section Officer. Group 2A covers Assistant, Accountant and inspector posts across departments. Notification No. 07/2026, dated 11 August 2026, listed 821 vacancies, and addendum 7A/2026 (3 September 2026) took the total to 846: 43 in Group 2 and 803 in Group 2A.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 18–32 years, counted on 1 July 2026.
Age relaxation
- PwBD: 10 years
- Limits above are for the Others category and most posts. BC, BCM, MBC/DC, SC, SC(A) and ST candidates have no upper age limit for most posts (you must be under 60).
- Probation Officer in the Prisons department needs a minimum age of 22. The Probation Officer post in Children Welfare and Special Services, added by addendum 7A/2026, needs you to be 26, with an upper limit of 42 for Others.
- Deputy Commercial Tax Officer: up to 32 for Others (34 with a law degree) and 37 for reserved categories.
- Executive Officer Grade III (Group 2A) needs you to be 25 to 37 in the Others category.
- Jailor, Special Assistant, Special Branch Assistant and Sub Registrar have their own limits; check the post-wise table.
Qualification
A degree from a UGC-recognised university. Some posts add conditions, for example a B.L. degree for Assistant Section Officer in the Law Department and Higher Grade typewriting in English and Tamil for Special Assistant.
Other conditions
- You need adequate knowledge of Tamil, and you must pass the Tamil Eligibility Test (Paper I of the main exam) unless you are a differently abled candidate who claims the exemption.
Selection process
- Common preliminary exam (objective, OMR), used only for shortlisting
- Separate main exam for Group 2 (descriptive) and Group 2A (Paper I descriptive, Paper II computer-based)
- Certificate verification
- Counselling
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam (common for Group 2 and 2A)
Mode: Objective, OMR · Duration: 3 hours
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS |
|---|---|
| General Studies (degree standard) | 75 |
| Aptitude and Mental Ability (SSLC standard) | 25 |
| Language: General Tamil or General English (SSLC standard) | 100 |
Group 2 main exam
Mode: Descriptive · Duration: 3 hours per paper
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Paper I: Tamil Eligibility Test (SSLC standard, qualifying) | 100 |
| Paper II: General Studies (degree standard) | 300 |
Group 2A main exam
Mode: Paper I descriptive; Paper II computer-based objective · Duration: 3 hours per paper
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I: Tamil Eligibility Test (SSLC standard, qualifying) | 100 | |
| Paper II: General Studies (degree standard) | 150 | |
| Paper II: General Intelligence and Reasoning (SSLC standard) | 50 |
TNPSC Group 2 syllabus
Prelims: General Studies
- General science (5 questions)
- Geography of India (5)
- History, culture of India and Indian national movement (10)
- Indian polity (15)
- Indian economy and development administration in Tamil Nadu (20)
- History, culture, heritage and socio-political movements in Tamil Nadu (20)
Prelims: Aptitude and Mental Ability
- Aptitude (15 questions)
- Reasoning (10 questions)
Prelims: Language paper (General Tamil or General English)
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Writing skills
- Technical terms
- Reading comprehension
- Translation
- Literary works
Group 2 mains: Paper II General Studies
- Modern history of India with reference to Tamil Nadu
- Tamil society: culture and heritage
- Social issues in India with reference to Tamil Nadu
- Science and technology in development
- Constitution, polity and governance in India with reference to Tamil Nadu
- Geography of India, environment, biodiversity and disaster management
- Indian economy with reference to Tamil Nadu
Group 2A mains: Paper II
- Modern history of Tamil Nadu, Tamil society, culture and heritage (30 questions)
- Administration of states with reference to Tamil Nadu (45)
- Science and technology in development (20)
- Tamil Nadu economy and social issues in Tamil Nadu (30)
- Geography of Tamil Nadu, environment, biodiversity and disaster management (25)
- General intelligence and reasoning (50)
What they ask
The preliminary exam is a screening test of 200 objective questions for 300 marks in three hours, and you need 90 marks to qualify. Half the questions come from the language paper in General Tamil or General English; the rest are 75 degree-level General Studies and 25 SSLC-level aptitude questions. About 10 candidates per vacancy go on to each main exam. Group 2 mains is fully descriptive, with a 300-mark General Studies paper built around Tamil Nadu history, society, polity, economy and science. Group 2A mains Paper II is a computer-based objective test of 150 General Studies and 50 reasoning questions, and in both main exams only Paper II marks decide the final rank.
How to prepare
- Prelims marks are not carried into the final ranking, but only about 10 candidates per vacancy reach the mains, so the actual cut-off can sit well above the 90-mark minimum.
- The language paper is 100 of the 200 prelims questions. Practise SSLC-level grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension in the language you choose.
- For Group 2 mains, practise writing timed answers on the Paper II units. Social issues in India with reference to Tamil Nadu alone carries 50 marks.
- For Group 2A, Paper II leans on Tamil Nadu: 45 questions on state administration and 30 on Tamil Nadu history and society. Daily topic-wise quizzes on the free Improvam app help with these units.
- Do not skip Paper I. The descriptive Tamil Eligibility Test needs 40 out of 100, and Paper II is not evaluated if you miss that mark.
TNPSC Group 2 is one of the exams in the Improvam app. Open it to start a practice quiz.
Open in the Improvam appHow to apply
- Register on the One Time Registration (OTR) platform at www.tnpscexams.in, or log in if you already have an OTR.
- Fill the Group 2 and 2A online application and pay the preliminary exam fee unless you are exempt.
- Use the three-day correction window after the last date if you need to change details.
- Download the prelims hall ticket from the TNPSC website.
Photo and signature
- Photo: Colour passport-size studio photo on a white background, taken on or after the notification date, with your name and the date printed at the bottom. Size 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm (170 x 130 pixels).
Source: official instructions ↗
Resize your photo and signature for TNPSC Group 2
Previous papers and answer keys
TNPSC Group 2 FAQs
No interview is listed in the 2026 plan of examination. Final selection is based on main exam Paper II marks with the reservation rules, followed by certificate verification and counselling.
Sources
- TNPSC Notification No. 07/2026, CCSE II (Group II and IIA Services) ↗ (official, checked )
- TNPSC Addendum 7A/2026 to Notification 07/2026 (revised vacancies and added posts) ↗ (official, checked )
- TNPSC exam dashboard: CCSE II 07/2026 ↗ (official, checked )
- TNPSC answer keys and previous question papers ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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