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Backlog vacancy in TNPSC recruitment
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A backlog vacancy is a post that was reserved for a community in an earlier recruitment but could not be filled, and is carried forward into a new recruitment. TNPSC includes such posts in the total for the post, so a vacancy count can be "including backlog". Group 4 2026 states this for Typist and Steno-Typist Grade III.
Where it shows in the 2026 table
| Post | Code | Vacancies | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typist | 2200 | 856 | Including backlog |
| Steno-Typist Grade III | 2300 | 209 | Including backlog |
The Group 1 2025 notification, for its part, gives 70 vacancies "including shortfall". Notifications use words such as backlog and shortfall for vacancies carried over from an earlier recruitment. The notification's vacancy table is where you find which of these applies.
Why a vacancy goes unfilled
Under the usual backlog rule, a post reserved for a community is filled only by an eligible candidate of that community. If a recruitment does not find enough such candidates, the post can remain unfilled and is carried into a later notification as a backlog vacancy for the same community. Check the note against the post in your notification for how it treats this. This is why the community-wise split of a post's vacancies is not simply a percentage of the total. See communal rotation.
What it means for you
- Your category. A backlog vacancy is earmarked for a specific community, so it matters to candidates of that community most.
- Bigger counts. A post with backlog can show a larger vacancy number than the fresh requirement alone.
- Tentative numbers. Group 4 2026 vacancies are "liable for modification before counselling", so backlog posts can move as well.
- Look at your category's turns, not only the headline number, when you read the vacancy table.
An example
Typist has 856 vacancies including backlog. If part of that is backlog earmarked for your community, there are more seats for your community than the fresh requirement alone would give. Whether they fill depends on how many candidates of that community meet the typewriting and other requirements, since unfilled posts can roll over again. See Typist.
For how vacancy tables and changes are reported, see TNPSC vacancies and, for allotment, counselling.
Frequently asked questions
Are backlog vacancies extra to the total?
No. In the Group 4 2026 table, the total for Typist and Steno-Typist already includes backlog.
Does backlog mean old candidates get priority?
No. It refers to posts carried over, not to candidates from earlier years.
What is the difference between backlog and shortfall?
The notifications use both words for carried-over vacancies. Read the note against the post in the vacancy table.
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- Communal rotationCommunal rotation is the roster that decides which community each TNPSC vacancy goes to. See how it works and why the percentage alone misleads.
- TNPSC counsellingTNPSC counselling is the stage where shortlisted candidates are called by rank to be allotted a post and department. Learn how it differs from NEET counselling.
- Post codeA post code is the number TNPSC gives each post in a notification. See the 2026 Group 4 codes for VAO, Junior Assistant, Typist, Steno-Typist and EO Grade IV.
- TNPSC vacanciesTNPSC vacancy 2026 by exam: Group 4's 6,574 vacancies post by post, Group 2/2A and Group 1 counts, where TNPSC announces them and how they change.
More in TNPSC
- Application correction windowThe TNPSC application correction window is a 3-day period after the last date to apply. See the Group 4, Group 2 and Group 1 windows and how to use them.
- BC, MBC, SC, ST categoriesWhat BC(OBCM), BCM, MBC/DC, SC, SC(A) and ST mean in TNPSC notifications, with Tamil Nadu's reservation percentages, age limits and fee rules for each.
- Age reckoning dateTNPSC counts your age on a fixed date, 1 July of the notification year in Groups 1, 2 and 4. See how to calculate it, with worked examples.
- CCSECCSE is TNPSC's Combined Civil Services Examination series. See which group each number covers, CCSE-I, II and IV, with notification numbers and posts.
- Certificate verificationCertificate verification is the TNPSC stage where your age, community and fee-concession claims are checked against documents. See when it happens.
- Community certificateA community certificate proves the category you claim in a TNPSC application. See where it matters, the categories involved and how to avoid mismatches.
- Computer-based test (CBT)A computer-based test (CBT) is answered on a screen, not an OMR sheet. See which TNPSC exams use it: Group 2A Main Paper II and CTSE Interview Posts.
- CTSECTSE is TNPSC's Combined Technical Services Exam for engineering, agriculture and other technical posts. See its three streams and the 2026 planner dates.