TNPSC · Group 4 & VAO

TNPSC VAO (Village Administrative Officer): eligibility, selection and pay

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

The Village Administrative Officer (VAO) post is filled through the TNPSC Group 4 exam; there is no separate VAO exam. In the 2026 notification (No. 11/2026, dated 6 October 2026) there are 291 tentative vacancies under post code 2025, the pay is Level 8 of the Tamil Nadu pay matrix, the minimum qualification is a pass in SSLC, and the age limit is 21 to 30 for the Others category and 21 to 40 for reserved categories, as on 1 July 2026. Selection is by one written paper with no interview.

VAO at a glance (2026 notification)

VAO is one of 46 post codes in a notification with 6,574 tentative vacancies, so it is about 4% of the total. Junior Assistant (Non Security) is the biggest, with 2,610 vacancies. VAO numbers change with each notification, so read the one in force.

What a VAO does

The notification lists the post, its pay and its eligibility; it does not describe daily duties. In general terms, a VAO is the village-level officer of the revenue administration, working with village land and revenue records, helping with land revenue collection, verifying details that other offices need for certificates and welfare applications, and assisting during elections and disasters. Treat that as a general description and check the Revenue Department's service rules for the formal list.

VAO eligibility in 2026

Age limit (as on 1 July 2026)

Two things about VAO are different from other Group 4 posts, and they are the ones people get wrong.

• The minimum age is 21, not 18. Most Group 4 posts, including Junior Assistant, start at 18.
• The "higher qualification" relaxation does not apply. For most Group 4 posts, reserved-category candidates with a qualification higher than SSLC have no maximum age (below 60). VAO is one of the exceptions, along with Forest Guard and Forest Watcher, so a graduate in a reserved category still faces the VAO limit of 40.

Some older articles quote 32 for Others, but the 2026 notification says 30. The full age tables across groups are in the TNPSC eligibility guide.

Qualification and other conditions

• Education: a pass in the SSLC examination of Tamil Nadu, or the 10th of the Board of Open School.
• Tamil: you must have adequate knowledge of Tamil on the date of the notification. That means SSLC, HSC or a degree with Tamil as a language, or high school in Tamil medium, or the TNPSC Second Class Language Test (Full Test) in Tamil. If you don't, you must pass that test within two years of appointment or you are discharged.
• Government service bar: Others with five or more years of central or state government service are not eligible.
• Registration and fee: you apply online with a One Time Registration (OTR), which needs Aadhaar linking, and the Group 4 exam fee is ₹100 unless a concession applies. Fee rules and photo specifications are in the OTR and application guide.

How VAOs are selected

1. Written exam. The same 200-question paper as every other Group 4 post: Part A Tamil (100 questions), Part B General Studies (75) and Part C Aptitude and Mental Ability (25). You need 40% in Part A and 90 out of 300 overall. The Group 4 exam pattern has the details and worked examples.
2. Onscreen certificate verification. Candidates are shortlisted by rank, 1:3 for the general category and 1:2 for reserved categories.
3. Counselling. Candidates are called for counselling at 1:3 (general) and 1:1.5 (reserved) for VAO.

There is no interview, so your written marks decide your rank. Reservation under the Tamil Nadu rules applies to the vacancies: SC 15%, SC(A) 3%, ST 1%, BC (other than Muslims) 26.5%, BC Muslims 3.5%, 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. For how rank, community and vacancies interact in practice, see the Group 4 cut-off guide.

Pay level

VAO is Level 8 of the Tamil Nadu pay matrix, the same level as Junior Assistant, Bill Collector and Typist in this notification. The notification prints levels, not rupee figures, for government posts, so this page doesn't quote a salary. The TNPSC salary guide explains how pay levels work and how to estimate a take-home figure. The notification doesn't cover posting and promotion; those follow the department's service rules.

What to study for VAO

There is no separate VAO syllabus. The paper is the one in the Group 4 syllabus. If you are choosing where to put extra hours, the syllabus wording points to topics close to the work, and this is our reading rather than an official VAO list:

• Land reforms and agriculture, rural welfare programmes and welfare schemes in Unit V, covered in Development Administration in Tamil Nadu and Indian Economy.
• Local government, Panchayat Raj and the Right to Information in Unit IV, covered in Indian Polity.
• Soil, agriculture, calamities and disaster management in Unit II, covered in Geography.

Treat these as tie-breakers for extra revision. The weight of the paper is unchanged: Tamil, then Tamil Nadu content, then polity and aptitude. The Group 4 study plan turns that into weeks.

Preparing for VAO with PrepMatic

PrepMatic covers Group 4, including the VAO route, with practice that is all objective questions. The free assessment of about 15 untimed questions shows your projected score, readiness and weakest subjects. Full-length mocks have 200 questions in 180 minutes, and you can build shorter mocks on the subjects you choose. You can pick Tamil as your exam language. Your plan is built from your exam date, daily study hours and study days. See the TNPSC guide for the other groups.

Frequently asked questions

What is the age limit for VAO in 2026?

For the 2026 notification, age is counted on 1 July 2026. The limit is 21 to 30 for Others and 21 to 40 for BC, MBC, SC and ST categories, with higher limits for persons with disabilities, ex-servicemen and destitute widows. Check the age table in the notification for your category.

What is the qualification for VAO?

A pass in SSLC (Class 10) of Tamil Nadu, plus adequate knowledge of Tamil as defined in the notification. A degree is not required, though candidates with higher qualifications can apply.

Is there a separate VAO exam?

No. VAO vacancies are filled through the Group 4 exam, and the VAO post code is one of 46 in the 2026 notification.

What is the VAO salary?

Level 8 of the Tamil Nadu pay matrix, according to the 2026 notification. The notification does not print the rupee range for government posts, so check the pay-matrix rules for the current figures.

Is there an interview for VAO?

No. Selection is by the written paper, followed by certificate verification and counselling.

How many VAO vacancies are there in 2026?

291, under post code 2025. TNPSC calls the total tentative and may modify it before counselling.

Official sources

• TNPSC Group 4 Notification No. 11/2026 (English PDF): post list, age limits, qualification and scheme.
• TNPSC official website: notices, hall tickets and results.
• TNPSC OTR and application portal: registration and online application.

Vacancies, age limits and fees change between notifications. Confirm them in the latest notification before you apply.

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