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Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test (Group 4 Part A)
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The Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test is Part A of the TNPSC Group 4 paper. It has 100 questions for 150 marks and is set in Tamil only. You must score at least 40%, which is 60 out of 150, or your Parts B and C are not even evaluated. If you clear that gate, Part A marks still count towards your rank.
Why it has a double name
"Eligibility" is the gate: below 60 marks you are out, whatever your General Studies score. "Scoring" is the other half: unlike the Tamil papers in Group 1 and Group 2/2A mains, these marks are added to your total. Part A was earlier called General Tamil, so older articles use that name.
Group 4 2026 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Part A | Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test, 100 questions, 150 marks, Tamil only |
| Part B | General Studies, 75 questions |
| Part C | Aptitude and Mental Ability, 25 questions |
| Parts B and C together | 150 marks |
| Gate | 40% (60 of 150) in Part A, otherwise Parts B and C are not evaluated |
| Minimum for the whole paper | 90 out of 300 for all communities |
| Standard | SSLC |
Parts B and C are bilingual in Tamil and English. Part A is not.
The English alternative
Only differently-abled candidates who studied only in English may take General English (SSLC standard) instead of Part A, with the same 40% requirement. Everyone else writes the Tamil test.
An example
Suppose you score 58 in Part A and 120 in Parts B and C combined. Your Parts B and C are not evaluated, so the 120 never counts. If you score 60 in Part A, Parts B and C are evaluated and the 60 is added to your total. Remember that a fully blank question also costs 0.5 mark, so shade every bubble.
How the Group 1 and Group 2 version differs
In the Group 1 and Group 2/2A mains, Paper I is a Tamil Eligibility Test of 100 marks with a pass mark of 40, and its marks are not counted for rank. That is a qualifying paper. The Group 2 preliminary exam still offers General Tamil or General English in its Part A. For everything about those papers and how to prepare, see the TNPSC Tamil Eligibility Test guide and General Tamil.
Frequently asked questions
Do Part A marks count for rank in Group 4?
Yes, once you clear the 40% gate, the marks count towards your total of 300.
Can I write Part A in English?
No, unless you are an eligible differently-abled candidate who studied only in English. They may take General English instead.
What happens if I score below 60 in Part A?
Your Parts B and C are not evaluated and you cannot qualify, even with a high General Studies score.
Source: TNPSC Group 4 notification No. 11/2026, paragraphs 6.1 and 6.2.
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- 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.
- 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.
- SSLC and degree standardWhat "SSLC standard" and "degree standard" mean in TNPSC notifications, and which Group 1, 2, 2A and 4 papers use which level, so you know how deep to study.
- TNPSC Tamil eligibility testHow the TNPSC Tamil eligibility test works in Group 4, Group 2/2A and Group 1: the 40% gate, whether marks count for rank, syllabus standard and how to prepare.
- General TamilTNPSC General Tamil (பொதுத்தமிழ்): Group 4 Part A's 100 questions, the official topic list, the 40% gate, and how to study grammar, literature and scholars.
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