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TNPSC groups explained: Group 1, 2, 2A, 4 and the rest
On this page
- The TNPSC groups at a glance
- Group 1: the top of the state services
- Group 2 and Group 2A: one exam, two merit lists
- Group 4: the SSLC-level exam
- CTSE: technical posts
- Group 3, 3A, 7B and 8: what happened to the old names
- How to choose your group
- Choosing where to start with PrepMatic
- Frequently asked questions
- Official sources
The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) recruits through "groups", and today four of them matter to most aspirants. Group 1 (Deputy Collector, DSP) and Group 2 / 2A (Sub Registrar, Assistant, Executive Officer Grade III) need a degree. Group 4 (Village Administrative Officer, Junior Assistant, Typist) needs only an SSLC pass. Technical posts are filled through the Combined Technical Services Exam (CTSE). Among the main groups, only Group 1 has an interview (the CTSE interview-posts stream has one too). Older names such as Group 3, 7B and 8 are mostly gone as separate exams, and the details are below.
The TNPSC groups at a glance
| Group | Exam name | Minimum qualification | Stages | Interview | Example posts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | CCSE-I | Degree | Prelims, mains (descriptive), interview | Yes, 100 marks | Deputy Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Category-1), Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes), Assistant Director of Rural Development |
| Group 2 | CCSE-II | Degree | Prelims, mains (descriptive) | No, in the 2025 scheme | Sub Registrar Grade II, Probation Officer, Assistant Inspector of Labour, Assistant Section Officer, Forester |
| Group 2A | CCSE-II | Degree | Prelims, mains (Paper II is computer-based) | No | Assistant in many departments, Senior Revenue Inspector, Executive Officer Grade III (HR&CE), Audit Inspector |
| Group 4 | CCSE-IV | SSLC (some posts need more) | One written paper | No | Village Administrative Officer, Junior Assistant, Bill Collector, Typist, Steno-Typist Grade III |
| CTSE | Combined Technical Services Exam | Degree, PG, diploma or ITI, depending on the post | Separate streams: interview posts, non-interview posts, diploma/ITI level | Interview-posts stream only | Engineering, agriculture and other technical posts |
Posts and numbers above come from the latest notifications we reviewed: Group 1 and Group 2/2A from the 2025 cycle, Group 4 from Notification No. 11/2026 dated 6 October 2026. Each cycle lists its own posts, so confirm in the current notification. For pay levels of these posts see TNPSC salary by group.
Group 1: the top of the state services
Group 1 (CCSE-I) is the most senior route. The 2025 notification (No. 04/2025) advertised 70 vacancies, all at pay Level 22: Deputy Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Category-1), Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes), Assistant Director of Rural Development, District Employment Officer and Assistant Commissioner of Labour.
There are three stages. The preliminary exam (200 questions, 300 marks) is a screening test, and its marks are not counted for rank. The mains has a qualifying Tamil paper plus three General Studies papers of 250 marks each. The interview carries 100 marks, so the final rank is out of 850. The full breakdown is on the Group 1 exam pattern page.
Group 2 and Group 2A: one exam, two merit lists
Both are filled through the same combined notification (CCSE-II). The 2025 notification (No. 11/2025) advertised 645 vacancies: 50 in Group 2 and 595 in Group 2A.
- Group 2 posts include Assistant Inspector (Labour), Probation Officer, Sub Registrar Grade II, Special Branch Assistant, Assistant Section Officer and Forester, at pay Levels 16 to 18.
- Group 2A posts include Assistants in departments such as Commercial Taxes, Revenue and School Education, Senior Revenue Inspector, Executive Officer Grade III, Senior Inspector (Dairy) and Lower Division (Counter) Clerk, at Levels 9 to 12.
Everyone writes the same preliminary paper. Those who clear it write a separate mains for Group 2 or Group 2A. There is no interview in the 2025 scheme: ranking is by marks in Main Paper II alone, and the Tamil Eligibility Test in Paper I is only a pass-or-fail gate. Group 2A's Paper II is computer-based and objective, while Group 2's is descriptive. Older guides that mention a Group 2 interview describe the previous scheme. The differences in posts and papers are worked through in Group 2 vs Group 2A, and the marks are in the Group 2 exam pattern.
Group 4: the SSLC-level exam
Group 4 (CCSE-IV) is the largest recruitment by volume. Notification No. 11/2026 lists 6,574 vacancies across 46 post codes. Posts include Village Administrative Officer (291 vacancies), Junior Assistant (Non Security), Bill Collector, Typist, Steno-Typist Grade III, Executive Officer Grade IV (HR&CE), Junior Inspector of Co-operative Societies, Forest Guard with Driving Licence and Forest Watcher. The exam is a single 200-question paper of 300 marks with no interview, and Part A is now a Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test with a 40% gate. Details are in the Group 4 exam pattern, and the VAO page covers that post separately.
Some posts add conditions. Typist and Steno-Typist need typewriting certificates, and Forest Guard and Forest Watcher add physical standards and an endurance test.
CTSE: technical posts
The Combined Technical Services Exam recruits for technical posts and runs as separate streams. The 2026 annual planner lists three: Non-Interview Posts, Diploma/ITI Level, and Interview Posts. The 2025 Interview Posts exam, for 415 vacancies, was computer-based and held on 20 to 22 July 2025. Paper structure differs by stream and post, so read the Combined Technical Services page and the current notification before you commit.
Group 3, 3A, 7B and 8: what happened to the old names
If you have seen these names in older articles, here is what we can say with confidence.
- Group 8 (Executive Officer Grade IV): no longer a separate exam in current cycles. Executive Officer Grade IV (HR&CE Subordinate Service) is recruited through Group 4, with 46 vacancies in the 2026 notification, pay Level 8, a minimum age of 25, and an SSLC or "Tamil Pulavar" qualification. HR&CE posts are open to Hindu candidates only.
- Executive Officer Grade III: now part of Group 2A (post in the 2025 notification, pay Level 10).
- Group 3 and 3A: we found no Group 3 or 3A notification among the 2024 to 2026 notifications we reviewed. Junior Inspector of Co-operative Societies, a post older guides list under Group 3A, now appears in the Group 4 notification (pay Level 10, 8 vacancies in 2026). Don't plan around a separate Group 3 exam unless the Commission notifies one.
- Group 7B (Executive Officer Grade I): we could not confirm a current official notification or scheme, so we don't describe its pattern here. The Executive Officer exams page lists what is confirmed.
Notices headed Group I-B and I-C have also appeared on the Commission's notifications page. Treat each as its own notification and read it directly.
How to choose your group
| Your situation | Start by looking at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| SSLC pass, no degree | Group 4 | The only main group open at SSLC. Diploma or ITI holders can also check the CTSE Diploma/ITI stream. |
| Graduate who wants a state-department job soon | Group 2A, with Group 4 as a second target | No interview, and Assistant posts in many departments. |
| Graduate happy with a descriptive mains | Group 2 | Higher pay levels than 2A, ranked on one General Studies paper. |
| Graduate prepared for a long, three-stage exam | Group 1 | Senior posts at Level 22, with a mains and an interview. |
| Engineering, agriculture or other technical qualification | CTSE | Posts are tied to your discipline. |
Two practical points. First, eligibility is set post by post, so check age limits and qualifications before you pick. Second, the syllabuses overlap: the Group 2 preliminary paper uses the same six General Studies units and the same Aptitude and Mental Ability section as Group 4, only at degree standard for General Studies. Preparation for one carries over to the other, which is why many aspirants target more than one group. The notifications we reviewed set no limit on the number of attempts, and each application is separate.
When you are ready to plan, the beginner roadmap and the TNPSC annual planner guide show how to work backwards from the exam date. The full set of guides is on the TNPSC exam hub.
Choosing where to start with PrepMatic
If you cannot decide where to focus, PrepMatic's free assessment is a short diagnostic of about 15 multiple-choice questions with no timer. It shows your weakest and strongest subjects across Tamil, General Studies and Aptitude, which tells you how much ground a degree-level group would ask you to cover. PrepMatic covers Group 1 (prelims), Group 2/2A, Group 4 including VAO, and Combined Technical Services, and you can choose Tamil as your exam language. Its practice is objective (MCQ), so it prepares you for the multiple-choice papers, not for descriptive mains writing.
Frequently asked questions
How many groups are there in TNPSC?
The groups you can apply to in current cycles are Group 1, Group 2, Group 2A and Group 4, plus the Combined Technical Services Exam for technical posts. Group 3, 3A, 7B and 8 appear in older articles, but their posts have moved or we found no current notification.
Is there an interview in TNPSC Group 2?
Not in the 2025 scheme. Notification No. 11/2025 ranks Group 2 and Group 2A candidates on their Main Paper II marks alone. Group 1 still has a 100-mark interview.
Is VAO part of Group 4?
Yes. Village Administrative Officer is recruited through the Group 4 exam, with 291 vacancies in the 2026 notification. The minimum age for VAO is 21, higher than for most Group 4 posts.
Which TNPSC group is best for a graduate?
It depends on how long you can prepare and how much risk you accept. Group 2A is a common first target because it has no interview and many Assistant posts, Group 2 pays at higher levels, and Group 1 offers the senior posts through a three-stage exam. A graduate can also write Group 4, since the minimum qualification is SSLC.
What happened to Group 8 and Executive Officer Grade IV?
Executive Officer Grade IV is now recruited through the Group 4 exam, as in the 2024 and 2026 notifications. Executive Officer Grade III is in Group 2A. Articles describing a separate Group 8 exam are out of date.
Official sources
- TNPSC official website: notifications, press releases and results.
- TNPSC annual planner: the tentative programme of examinations.
- Group 4 Notification No. 11/2026: posts, vacancies and scheme.
- Group 2 and 2A Notification No. 11/2025
- Group 1 Notification No. 04/2025
Posts, vacancies and rules change with every notification. Confirm the details in the latest one on tnpsc.gov.in before you apply.
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