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TNPSC Group 1 notification: 2025 facts, the 2026 cycle and how to apply
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The latest TNPSC Group 1 (CCSE-I) notification we have read in full is Notification No. 04/2025 (Advertisement No. 706), dated 1 April 2025. It offered 70 vacancies in six posts, all at pay Level 22, with applications until 30 April 2025 and a prelims on 15 June 2025. For 2026, TNPSC's annual planner scheduled the notification for 23 June 2026, and job-news sites report about 26 vacancies and a prelims moved to 27 September 2026. We have not read the 2026 PDF, so those figures are labelled as reported.
Group 1 is TNPSC's top tier: Deputy Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police and other senior posts, filled through prelims, mains and an interview.
The two cycles compared
| Item | 2025 (official notification, read) | 2026 (reported, not confirmed in the PDF) |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | No. 04/2025, Advt No. 706 | Reported as No. 05/2026 |
| Notification date | 1 April 2025 | 23 June 2026 in TNPSC's annual planner; reports say applications ran from 30 June 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 30 April 2025 | 29 July 2026 (reported) |
| Correction window | 5 to 7 May 2025 | 2 to 4 August 2026 (reported) |
| Prelims | 15 June 2025, 9.30 AM to 12.30 PM | 27 September 2026 (reported); the planner had said 6 September 2026 |
| Mains | 1 to 4 December 2025, Chennai | Not announced |
| Vacancies | 70, including shortfall | About 26 (reported); DSP reportedly not included |
The planner is tentative by TNPSC's own wording, and its exam dates have moved. The notification is the only document that fixes a date, and you should confirm the 2026 details on the TNPSC site. Reports also say the 2026 list of posts added District Registrar and Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies; the official post list is in the notification.
Posts in the 2025 notification
All posts carried pay Level 22.
| Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Deputy Collector | 28 |
| Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes) | 19 |
| Deputy Superintendent of Police (Category-1) | 7 |
| Assistant Director of Rural Development | 7 |
| Assistant Commissioner of Labour | 6 |
| District Employment Officer | 3 |
| Total | 70 |
The notification prints pay as a level, not a rupee range. See TNPSC salary by group for context. TNPSC's notifications page also lists separate Group I-B and I-C recruitments; this page is about the Group I (CCSE-I) exam. The groups explained page shows how the groups relate.
Eligibility in the 2025 notification
The qualification is a degree, with extra conditions for specific posts. Age was reckoned as on 1 July 2025, and the minimum was 21 for all posts.
| Category | Maximum age |
|---|---|
| Others | 34 (35 for Assistant Commissioner, Commercial Taxes, with a B.L. degree) |
| BC, BCM, MBC/DC, SC, SC(A), ST | 39 (40 with a B.L. degree) |
| PwBD | 44 (Others), 49 (reserved); DSP not open to PwBD |
| Ex-servicemen | 50 (Others), 55 (reserved) |
| Destitute widows | 39 (40 with a B.L. degree) |
The destitute-widow and ex-servicemen reservations do not apply to Group 1, although the age concessions are listed. TNPSC's notifications also require adequate knowledge of Tamil. Age limits change between cycles, so use the table in the notification you are applying under. The TNPSC age limit and eligibility page compares groups.
Selection in brief
The 2025 scheme has three stages:
- Preliminary exam: one OMR paper, 200 questions for 300 marks in 3 hours (General Studies 175, Aptitude and Mental Ability 25). It is a screening test. The minimum qualifying score was 120 for Others and 90 for reserved categories.
- Mains: a qualifying Tamil Eligibility Test (100 marks, pass mark 40) and three General Studies papers of 250 marks each, all descriptive.
- Interview: 100 marks, with no minimum.
The final rank is on 850 marks: 750 from the three General Studies papers plus 100 from the interview. The Group 1 exam pattern page has the complete detail, and the Group 1 interview page covers the final stage.
Fees
- One Time Registration (OTR): ₹150, valid for five years, Aadhaar linking mandatory.
- Prelims: ₹100.
- Mains: ₹200.
Concessions are available for eligible categories as per the notification.
How to apply
- Complete or renew your OTR at www.tnpscexams.in.
- When the notification is out, read the post-wise eligibility in the PDF, since qualifications and age differ by post.
- Log in with your OTR user ID, select the Group 1 notification, fill in the application, upload the photo and signature in the stated formats and pay the prelims fee.
- Submit before the last date and use the three-day correction window afterwards if you need to fix an error.
The OTR and how to apply page lists photo and signature specifications.
If you missed the 2026 cycle
If the reported dates are right, the 2026 application window closed on 29 July 2026. The practical move is to prepare for the next notification, and a Group 1 plan is long: the Group 1 preparation strategy spreads it over 10 to 12 months. Your OTR stays valid for five years, so complete it now. TNPSC's annual planner is tentative, so watch the official site rather than predicting dates.
How PrepMatic helps
PrepMatic helps with the Group 1 prelims only: 200-question mocks matching the paper, a study plan built from your exam date, and a free assessment that shows your weakest subjects. You can take tests with Tamil as the exam language. It does not offer mains answer writing or evaluation, or interview practice. See Group 1 prelims on PrepMatic for what is and is not covered.
Frequently asked questions
Is the TNPSC Group 1 notification 2026 out?
Reports say a 2026 notification was issued with about 26 vacancies, with applications from 30 June to 29 July 2026. We have not read it in the official PDF, so confirm it on www.tnpsc.gov.in.
How many vacancies were there in the 2025 Group 1 notification?
Seventy, including shortfall vacancies: 28 Deputy Collector, 19 Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes), 7 DSP, 7 Assistant Director of Rural Development, 6 Assistant Commissioner of Labour and 3 District Employment Officer.
What is the age limit for TNPSC Group 1?
In the 2025 notification, the minimum was 21 and the maximum 34 for Others and 39 for reserved categories, with extra years for some candidates. Check the age table in the notification you apply under.
What is the qualification for Group 1?
A degree, with additional conditions for some posts. The post-wise conditions are in the notification.
Is there an interview in Group 1?
Yes. The interview carries 100 marks and counts towards the final rank of 850 marks.
Official sources
The 2026 figures on this page are from news reports and the annual planner. Confirm everything in the official notification. For other groups, see the TNPSC exam guide.
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Start free assessment →Free forever plan · No credit card · 2-minute setupRelated guides
- Group 1 exam patternTNPSC Group 1 exam pattern: a 200-question prelims, four descriptive mains papers, a 100-mark interview, qualifying marks and the 850-mark rank formula.
- Group 1 syllabusThe TNPSC Group 1 syllabus: prelims units with question counts, the Tamil eligibility paper, and every mains GS unit with its marks and topics.
- TNPSC age limit & eligibilityTNPSC age limits for Group 1, Group 2/2A and Group 4 by community, PwBD, ex-servicemen and widows, plus qualification, Tamil knowledge and attempt rules.
- TNPSC OTR and how to applyHow to complete TNPSC One Time Registration and apply: Rs.150 OTR fee, Aadhaar linking, photo and signature specs, exam fees, free chances, corrections.
- Group 1 preparation strategyHow to prepare for TNPSC Group 1: a 12-month plan joining prelims and mains, a subject-wise time split, sources, and how it differs from Group 2.
- TNPSC annual plannerWhat the TNPSC annual planner promises and doesn't, the 2026 planned dates against what happened, the notification-to-exam cycle and how to plan your year.
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