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The OMR sheet in TNPSC exams
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An OMR (optical mark recognition) sheet is the answer sheet on which you shade one bubble per question, and a machine reads it. TNPSC's Group 4, Group 2 and Group 1 preliminary exams are objective papers answered on OMR sheets. The rules below come from Annexure IV of the Group 4 2026 notification, and a few of them cost marks if you get them wrong.
What the Group 4 sheet looks like
Every question has five bubbles: A, B, C, D and [E] "answer not known". Group 4 has 200 questions, so you shade 200 answers and nothing is meant to be left blank. The sheet also asks you to record the number of questions you left unshaded.
Deductions to know
| Mistake | Penalty (Group 4 2026 notification) |
|---|---|
| A question left completely blank | 0.5 mark deducted from the total |
| Left-hand thumb impression missing | 0.5 mark deducted |
| Register number written wrongly on a non-personalised OMR sheet | 2 marks deducted |
| A wrong answer | No deduction |
Wrong answers carry no penalty in this notification, so the only avoidable losses are the blank questions and the sheet-filling errors. The detail of the shading rules is in the marking scheme guide.
A scoring example
Group 4 carries 300 marks for 200 questions, so each question is worth 1.5 marks. Say you get 150 right, 30 wrong, shade [E] on 10 and leave 10 blank.
- Marks for correct answers: 150 x 1.5 = 225
- Deduction for blanks: 10 x 0.5 = 5
- Score: 225 - 5 = 220
Shading [E] on those ten instead of leaving them blank would have saved the 5 marks. Shading a guess might have earned some.
Habits that protect your marks
- Read the instructions printed on the sheet before you write your register number, and check the number twice.
- Check that every question number has one bubble filled before you hand the sheet over.
- Do the same during mocks. Marks lost on the sheet are as real as marks lost on the paper.
The rules for other exams are in their own notifications, so check the instructions annexure of the notification you are applying to. For how marks, qualifying scores and the Tamil gate fit together, see the Group 4 exam pattern.
Frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in TNPSC Group 4?
Not for wrong answers. But a question left totally blank costs 0.5 mark, which is why option [E] exists.
Does shading [E] count as answering the question?
It counts as a shaded answer, so the blank-answer deduction does not apply, but it earns no marks. The entry on option E, "answer not known" covers when to use it.
Is the Group 2 Main Paper II also on OMR?
For Group IIA, Main Paper II is computer based. Group II's Main Paper II is descriptive. See computer-based test.
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- Option E (answer not known)Option E on the TNPSC OMR sheet means "answer not known". Learn what it scores, why leaving a question blank costs 0.5 mark, and when guessing beats shading E.
- Minimum qualifying marksMinimum qualifying marks are the floor at each TNPSC stage: 90 of 300 in Group 4, 90 or 120 in Group 1 prelims, 40 in Tamil. They are not a cut-off.
- TNPSC answer keyA TNPSC answer key lists the correct options for an objective exam. Learn the tentative and final keys, where to find them and how to work out your score.
- TNPSC negative markingTNPSC has no penalty for wrong answers, but a fully blank question costs 0.5 mark. See option E, OMR rules, qualifying marks and the attempt strategy.
More in TNPSC
- One Time Registration (OTR)OTR is the permanent TNPSC candidate profile on tnpscexams.in. See the ₹150 fee, 5-year validity, the Aadhaar rule and why registering is not applying.
- Pay matrix and pay levelTNPSC notifications give the Tamil Nadu pay matrix level, not rupees, for each post. See the levels for Group 1, 2, 2A and 4 posts and how to read them.
- No maximum age limit"No maximum age limit" in a TNPSC notification means you must not have completed 60 years. See where it applies in Groups 2 and 4 and what it keeps.
- 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.
- PSTMPSTM means Persons Studied in Tamil Medium, a Tamil Nadu recruitment provision. See how it differs from the Tamil knowledge rule and the Tamil papers.
- PwBD (differently-abled)What PwBD means in TNPSC notifications: the 4% reservation, higher age limits, free exam fee in Group 4 and Tamil paper options for disabled candidates.
- Qualifying paperA qualifying paper must be passed but its marks are not added to your rank. See which TNPSC papers are qualifying (Group 1, 2, 2A Tamil) and which count.
- Second Class Language TestThe Second Class Language Test (Full Test) in Tamil is how TNPSC candidates prove Tamil knowledge without a Tamil school record. See who needs it.