PrepMaticTNPSC · Group 1
TNPSC Group 1 syllabus: prelims and mains, unit by unit
On this page
- The whole syllabus at a glance
- Prelims syllabus: General Studies (175 questions)
- Mains Paper I: Tamil Eligibility Test
- Mains Paper II: General Studies I (250 marks)
- Mains Paper III: General Studies II (250 marks)
- Mains Paper IV: General Studies III (250 marks)
- How prelims and mains topics overlap
- Using the syllabus well
- Practice for the prelims stage
- Frequently asked questions
- Official sources
The TNPSC Group 1 syllabus has three parts. The preliminary paper (code 497) tests General Studies at degree standard in six units (175 questions) plus aptitude and mental ability at SSLC standard (25 questions). The main examination has a qualifying Tamil Eligibility Test and three descriptive General Studies papers of 250 marks each, split into nine units in all. The interview has no syllabus. This page lists every unit with its weight, as printed in TNPSC's Group 1 Notification 04/2025 and the syllabus PDFs on tnpsc.gov.in.
The whole syllabus at a glance
| Stage | Paper | Standard | What it covers | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims | General Studies | Degree | 6 units | 175 questions |
| Prelims | Aptitude and Mental Ability | SSLC | Aptitude, reasoning | 25 questions |
| Mains | Paper I: Tamil Eligibility Test (code 498) | SSLC | Translation, précis, essay, letter | 100 marks, qualifying only |
| Mains | Paper II: General Studies I (code 425) | Degree | Modern history and culture, social issues, ethics | 250 marks |
| Mains | Paper III: General Studies II (code 426) | Degree | Polity, science and technology, Tamil society | 250 marks |
| Mains | Paper IV: General Studies III (code 427) | Degree | Geography, environment, economy | 250 marks |
| Interview | Personality test | None | No syllabus | 100 marks |
Marks, cut-offs and the rank formula are on the Group 1 exam pattern page. Everything below is about what to study.
Prelims syllabus: General Studies (175 questions)
| Unit | Questions | Topics listed |
|---|---|---|
| I. General Science | 10 | Mechanics, heat, light, sound, electricity, nuclear physics, laser, electronics; acids, bases, fertilisers, pesticides; classification of organisms, genetics, nutrition, human diseases; ecology; recent inventions |
| II. Geography of India | 10 | Physical features, monsoon, rivers, soils, minerals, forests, agriculture, transport, population, tribes, disasters, pollution, climate change, green energy |
| III. History, Culture of India and Indian National Movement | 25 | Indus Valley to Marathas, Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, South Indian history; 1857 onwards, Congress, Satyagraha and militant movements, Partition; Indian culture; named leaders including Bharathiyar, V.O. Chidambaranar, Kamarajar, Periyar and Rajaji |
| IV. Indian Polity | 40 | Constitution, Preamble, rights, duties, DPSP, Union and State executive and legislature, local government, federalism, elections, judiciary, Lokpal and Lokayukta, RTI, consumer protection, political parties |
| V. Indian Economy and Development Administration in Tamil Nadu | 50 | Planning, NITI Aayog, RBI, fiscal and monetary policy, Finance Commission, GST, agriculture, industry, employment; then Tamil Nadu human development, social reform and welfare schemes, reservation, education and health systems, e-governance, public delivery problems |
| VI. History, Culture, Heritage and Socio-Political Movements in Tamil Nadu | 40 | Tamil society and archaeology, Tamil literature from Sangam age to today, Thirukkural, Tamil Nadu in the freedom struggle, women in the struggle, Justice Party, Self-Respect and Dravidian movements, Periyar and Anna |
Part B: Aptitude and Mental Ability (25 questions, SSLC standard). Aptitude has 15 questions: simplification, percentage, HCF, LCM, ratio and proportion, simple and compound interest, area, volume, time and work. Reasoning has 10: logical reasoning, puzzles, dice, visual and alpha-numeric reasoning, number series. See aptitude and mental ability for how to prepare it.
Two patterns stand out. Economy with development administration (50), polity (40) and Tamil Nadu history (40) make 130 of the 175 General Studies questions, about three in four. And "current affairs" is listed inside almost every unit, so it is not a separate subject you can postpone. TNPSC prints the question counts per unit, but treat them as a guide to weight, not a promise, because the scheme can be revised in a later notification.
Mains Paper I: Tamil Eligibility Test
This is a descriptive paper at SSLC standard for 100 marks and three hours. You need 40 to pass, and the marks do not count toward your rank. It is also a gate: Papers II to IV are evaluated only if you clear it. The scheme lists translation from Tamil to English and English to Tamil, précis writing, comprehension, expanding a short note into a full passage, an essay on Thirukkural themes, an official letter, and Tamil language knowledge. The syllabus topics span current events, social issues, environment, economy, science, art and culture, the Dravidian and Self-Respect movements, modern Tamil (computer Tamil, court Tamil, Tamil as an official language), and Tamil Nadu's social and economic progress, welfare schemes and reservation. The Thirukkural essay themes are the same ones in the prelims: secular literature, relevance to everyday life, impact on humanity, universal values and philosophy. More in Tamil Eligibility Test and Thirukkural for TNPSC.
Mains Paper II: General Studies I (250 marks)
| Unit | Marks | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| I. Modern History of India and Indian Culture | 100 | European advent, British expansion, the South Indian rebellion of 1799 to 1801, Vellore 1806, 1857, moderates and extremists, constitutional developments from 1773 to 1950, Partition; Tamil Nadu's role in the freedom struggle; social reform; Indian culture and unity in diversity; Justice Party and the "social justice" ideology; latest historical research in Tamil Nadu, sports, books, awards |
| II. Social Issues in India and Tamil Nadu | 100 | Population, migration, poverty, illiteracy, education policy, child labour, sanitation, women's empowerment, urbanisation, communal violence, minorities, human rights, regional disparities, health, NGOs, vulnerable sections, current affairs |
| III. Ethics and Integrity | 50 | Definition and scope of ethics, Indian schools of philosophy, ethics of Thirukkural, intuitionism and existentialism, attitude, ethics in public administration, codes of conduct, citizen's charters, corruption |
Mains Paper III: General Studies II (250 marks)
| Unit | Marks | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| I. Indian Polity and Emerging Political Trends across the World affecting India | 100 | Constitution, rights and duties, Union and State government, 73rd and 74th Amendments, Union Territories, federalism and Union-State relations, civil services, parties and pressure groups, Lokpal, Lokayukta, RTI, administrative reforms, profile of Indian states, foreign policy, defence, international organisations |
| II. Role and Impact of Science and Technology in the Development of India | 100 | Everyday chemistry, energy, space, nanotechnology, IT, AI, robotics, cryptography, machine learning; agriculture biotechnology, GM crops, IPR; horticulture; life science, diseases, stem cells, forensics; DRDO, ocean research, Indian achievements |
| III. Tamil Society: Its Culture and Heritage | 50 | Origins of Tamil civilisation, palm-leaf manuscripts, excavations at Adichanallur, Arikamedu, Keeladi, Konthagai, Manalur and Sivakalai; arts and literature; Sangam, medieval and modern society; Dravidian movements; modern Tamil life, the diaspora, print, translation, film and media |
The syllabus says candidates may answer Unit III of this paper in Tamil or in English. Everywhere else, the language rules in the answer-writing guide apply.
Mains Paper IV: General Studies III (250 marks)
| Unit | Marks | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| I. General Geography and Geography of India with special reference to Tamil Nadu | 75 | Earth and universe, climate, monsoon, drainage, soils, resources, agriculture, industries, population, border disputes, Indian Ocean relief, remote sensing, GIS and GNSS, and locating places on a map |
| II. Environment, Biodiversity and Disaster Management | 75 | Ecosystems, biodiversity hotspots, CITES, IUCN, CBD, Biodiversity Act, pollution, EIA, SDGs, climate change, Paris Agreement, NDCs, NDMA, Sendai framework |
| III. Indian Economy: Current Economic Trends and Impact of Global Economy on India | 100 | National income, NITI Aayog, agriculture and MSP, PDS, industry, MSMEs, banking, RBI, public finance, GST, poverty, MGNREGA, inflation targeting, foreign trade, FDI, IMF, World Bank, BRICS, plus the Tamil Nadu economy: GSDP, organic farming policy, SHGs, regional disparities |
Add it up and five blocks carry 100 marks each (modern history, social issues, polity, science and technology, economy), which is 500 of the 750 marks. The other four (ethics, Tamil society, geography, environment) share the remaining 250.
How prelims and mains topics overlap
Most of the mains syllabus is the prelims syllabus studied deeper. Prelims polity feeds Paper III Unit I. Prelims economy and development administration feeds Paper IV Unit III and parts of Paper II Unit II. Prelims history and Tamil Nadu history feed Paper II Unit I and Paper III Unit III. Science and geography feed Paper III Unit II and Paper IV Units I and II. Ethics and Integrity is the one block with no prelims counterpart, so start it early. The preparation strategy shows how to study each topic once for both stages, and Tamil Nadu history, culture and heritage covers the state-specific units. The Group 2 syllabus is shorter, with one General Studies main paper of 300 marks, so do not mix the two lists.
Using the syllabus well
- Download the prelims syllabus (code 497) and the mains syllabus, and tick off topics as you finish them.
- Write the source next to each topic: a textbook chapter, a standard reference, a government document. Our books guide can help.
- Keep one notebook per unit for prelims facts and mains arguments together.
- Treat the named Tamil Nadu items (Keeladi, Sangam literature, social reform leaders) as certain targets, because the syllabus lists them by name.
Practice for the prelims stage
PrepMatic covers Group 1 prelims only. Its free assessment, about 15 untimed multiple-choice questions, shows your weakest subjects. The study plan is built from your exam date and daily hours, and mocks can be focused on weak subjects. It does not offer mains, descriptive or interview practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an optional subject in the TNPSC Group 1 syllabus?
No. The mains has one Tamil qualifying paper and three General Studies papers. Neither the notification nor the syllabus lists an optional subject.
How many papers are there in Group 1 mains?
Four descriptive papers: Paper I (Tamil Eligibility Test, 100 marks, qualifying only) and Papers II, III and IV (General Studies, 250 marks each). Only the three General Studies papers count toward your rank.
Can I write Group 1 mains in Tamil?
Yes. General Studies questions are set in Tamil and English, and you may answer in either. Unit III of Paper III (Tamil Society) may be answered in either language even if you write the rest in the other.
Is the Group 1 prelims syllabus different from Group 2?
Yes. Group 1 prelims is 175 General Studies questions plus 25 on aptitude. Group 2 prelims has a 100-question language part, 75 General Studies questions and 25 on aptitude. See the Group 2 syllabus for its units.
Where can I get the official Group 1 syllabus?
The prelims and mains syllabus PDFs are on tnpsc.gov.in, and the same text is in Annexure III of the Group 1 notification. Always use the PDF attached to the notification for your cycle.
Official sources
- Group 1 Notification 04/2025 (Annexure III: syllabus)
- Group 1 preliminary syllabus, code 497
- Group 1 main examination syllabus
- TNPSC official website
Syllabus and scheme can change with each notification. Confirm everything in the latest Group 1 notification before you plan around it.
Find your weak TNPSC units before the exam does
Take a free TNPSC assessment on PrepMatic. It shows where you stand across General Tamil, General Studies and Aptitude, then builds a day-by-day study plan and mock tests focused on your weak subjects.
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- TNPSC Tamil eligibility testHow the TNPSC Tamil eligibility test works in Group 4, Group 2/2A and Group 1: the 40% gate, whether marks count for rank, syllabus standard and how to prepare.
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