TNPSC · Group 4 & VAO

TNPSC Group 4 cut-off: how it is set and how to pick a safe target

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · 7 min read

There is no fixed TNPSC Group 4 cut-off for selection. The only fixed numbers in the notification are the qualifying marks: 60 out of 150 in Part A (Tamil) and 90 out of 300 overall, the same for every community. Whether you are called for counselling depends on your rank among the candidates who qualified, in your community category, for the vacancies in the post you want. This page does not quote cut-off tables, because we could not find an official one for Group 4 and unofficial figures vary from site to site. It explains how the real threshold emerges and how to set a target with a safety margin.

Qualifying marks and cut-off are not the same thing

Crossing 90 only means you are not eliminated. The Group 4 exam pattern explains the two qualifying rules and shows what happens when a candidate passes one but not the other.

How the real threshold emerges

Group 4 has no interview, so the written marks alone make the rank list. Four stages turn that list into a threshold.

1. Vacancies by category. Posts are filled under Tamil Nadu's reservation rules: SC 15%, SC(A) 3%, ST 1%, BC 26.5%, BC Muslims 3.5% and MBC/DC 20%, with 30% for women, 4% for persons with disabilities and 10% of the women's share for destitute widows on posts up to Level 10. Each category has its own number of seats.
2. Shortlisting by ratio. For onscreen certificate verification the notification calls candidates at 1:3 (general) and 1:2 (reserved) for VAO, Junior Assistant, Typist and Steno posts. For counselling it is 1:3 (general) and 1:1.5 (reserved) for VAO, Junior Assistant and Steno posts, and 1:3 and 1:2 for Typist.
3. Verification drop-outs. Shortlisted candidates who fail verification or don't appear drop out, which can take the process further down the list.
4. Counselling and allocation. Posts are allotted against the vacancies, which are tentative and may be modified before counselling.

A hypothetical post with 100 general-category vacancies shows the ratio arithmetic: a 1:3 shortlist calls the top 300, so the lowest-ranked candidate called for verification sets the effective threshold for that stage. This is an illustration of the method, not a Group 4 figure.

Why the threshold moves every cycle

• Number of vacancies. More vacancies in your category push the threshold lower. Junior Assistant (Non Security) had 2,610 tentative vacancies in the 2026 notification, VAO 291.
• Paper difficulty. A harder paper pulls everyone's marks down, and the threshold with them.
• Number and quality of candidates. More strong candidates mean a higher threshold for the same seats.
• The Tamil gate. Candidates who fail Part A, or fall below 90 overall, leave the pool before ranking.
• Your own community and post. The same score can qualify in one category and miss in another, and one post can fill sooner than another.

None of these can be known before the exam, which is why a single "expected cut-off" number is guesswork. The sensible plan is to aim well above the minimum rather than hunt for a prediction.

What is official, and where to find it

TNPSC's notification says that disclosures are made available on its website after a selection process is complete. The results section of the TNPSC website is the place to look for cut-off documents of finished recruitments. The Group 4 counselling list we checked for the previous cycle (Notification 01/2024, exam on 9 June 2024) shows register numbers only, with no cut-off marks. If you see a "Group 4 cut-off" table elsewhere, check whether it cites a TNPSC document before trusting it. For the paper itself, see previous year question papers.

Marks to questions: what a score really means

Each question is worth about 1.5 marks (150 marks for 100 questions in each half). Use this to translate any target into a question count.

This is arithmetic, not a list of expected cut-offs. Each blank answer subtracts 0.5 on top of the missed question. Ten blanks cost 5 marks, which is more than three correct answers, so see the marking scheme guide for the attempt rules.

How to set a safe target

1. Fix the floor. Part A at least 60, total at least 90. That is survival, not a target.
2. Find a reference. Look for official marks data for your community and post from the previous cycle in TNPSC's result pages and disclosures. If you can't find any, treat every figure you read as unverified and rely on steps 3 to 5.
3. Add a cushion. Our rule of thumb is 20 to 30 marks (roughly 15 to 20 questions) over whatever reference you use, because difficulty and applicants change. Without a reference, aim for a total comfortably above half the paper.
4. Split the target by part. For example, to aim for 180: about 100 from Part A (roughly 67 of 100) and 80 from Parts B and C (roughly 53 of 100). Put your Part A target well above 60, since the gate has no second chance.
5. Test it under real rules. Take full-length 200-question mocks in three hours, penalise your own blanks at 0.5 and track the average of your last five papers, not your best one. Once that average sits above your target, you are on track. See mock tests for how to analyse each paper.
6. Choose your post with eyes open. Other things equal, a post with few vacancies, such as VAO, needs a higher rank than one with thousands. The VAO guide shows its 2026 numbers.

The Group 4 study plan is built around these targets.

Tracking your gap with PrepMatic

PrepMatic's free assessment of about 15 untimed questions shows a projected score against the paper's maximum marks, a readiness percentage and, where available, how far you are from the expected cut-off. That is a planning estimate, not an official TNPSC figure. Full-length mocks for Group 4 have 200 questions in 180 minutes and show subject-wise results and the subject that cost you the most marks, with a predicted score and readiness that update as you take more tests. Use them to see whether you are consistently above your target, as in step 5.

Frequently asked questions

What are the qualifying marks for TNPSC Group 4?

90 out of 300 for all communities, plus at least 60 out of 150 (40%) in Part A, the Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test. These are minimums to be considered, not selection cut-offs.

What was the TNPSC Group 4 cut-off in 2024?

We could not find an official cut-off table for 2024, and the counselling list we checked shows register numbers only. We don't quote numbers from coaching or news sites. Check TNPSC's result disclosures page for any official release.

Is the Group 4 cut-off different for each community?

The minimum qualifying marks are the same for all communities. Selection thresholds differ because vacancies are filled under reservation, so each category has its own seats and its own effective threshold.

Will the Group 4 2027 cut-off be higher?

Nobody can know in advance. It depends on the paper's difficulty, the number of candidates, the vacancies in your category and the posts you choose. Aim for a cushion over the previous cycle's official figures, if you can find them.

How many marks are safe for VAO?

There is no official safe score. Use the six-step method above: take a reference, add a cushion, and check your mock average. Because VAO has fewer vacancies than Junior Assistant, aim higher than the bare minimum.

Official sources

• TNPSC Group 4 Notification No. 11/2026 (English PDF): scheme, qualifying marks, shortlisting ratios and reservation.
• TNPSC website: results and disclosure documents for completed selections, in the results section.
• TNPSC official website: results, counselling lists and notices.

Rules and vacancies change between notifications. Confirm them in the latest notification.

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