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Communal rotation in TNPSC recruitment
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Communal rotation is the reservation roster that decides, vacancy by vacancy, which community a post is meant for, so that Tamil Nadu's community percentages are met across a recruitment. Some turns fall to the General Turn, which is the open share, and the rest are earmarked for a community such as BC, MBC, SC or ST.
Why a roster is needed
The notification states the shares: BC (other than Muslims) 26.5%, MBC/DC 20%, SC 15%, SC(A) 3%, BC Muslims 3.5% and ST 1%. You cannot apply those directly to a small number of vacancies, because 20% of 4 posts is 0.8 of a post. A roster fixes this by laying out a set order of turns. Where a vacancy sits in that order tells you whom it is for, so no one has to round the percentages.
What it means for your preparation
- Your chance depends on how many vacancies fall to your community for the post you want, not on the headline percentage alone. A post with only a handful of vacancies may have no turn for a particular community in that recruitment.
- Vacancy numbers in a notification are tentative. The Group 4 2026 notification calls its 6,574 vacancies across 46 post codes "liable for modification before counselling", so the community-wise split can move as well.
- For a reserved turn, merit order among the eligible candidates of that community decides who gets it. Your rank matters, and so does your category. Both are checked at certificate verification.
A worked illustration
Take a post with 4 vacancies. MBC/DC's 20% comes to 0.8 of a post. Whether one of the four is earmarked for MBC/DC is not decided by rounding 0.8 up or down. It is decided by where those four vacancies fall in the roster. The same percentage can give a post an MBC/DC turn in one recruitment and none in the next.
Where to read the actual numbers
The reservation annexure of each notification lists the community shares and the other reservations, such as women, persons with benchmark disabilities and destitute widows. For how ranks turn into postings, see the TNPSC counselling guide, and for the age and qualification side of each community see TNPSC eligibility.
Frequently asked questions
Is communal rotation the same as the reservation percentage?
No. The percentage is the target share. The rotation is the roster that turns those shares into an order of vacancies.
Does a high rank guarantee a post in my community's turn?
Rank decides your place among candidates of your community, but the posts, departments and number of turns available to you are fixed by the vacancy list at counselling.
Where can I see the roster for my exam?
TNPSC's notification gives the vacancies post by post and the reservation rules. Read the vacancy table and the reservation annexure of your notification.
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- General Turn (GT)General Turn (GT) is the unreserved share of TNPSC vacancies. Learn what GT means, how it differs from Others in age tables, and where its 31% comes from.
- 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.
- Certificate verificationCertificate verification is the TNPSC stage where your age, community and fee-concession claims are checked against documents. See when it happens.
- TNPSC counsellingHow TNPSC counselling works after Group 4: the 1:3, 1:2 and 1:1.5 shortlist ratios, certificate verification, documents to keep ready and choosing posts.
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