Previous year paper analysis · TNPSC

TNPSC Group 2 and 2A prelims 2025 paper analysis

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 4 min read

The Group 2 and 2A preliminary paper of 28 September 2025 had 200 questions in three hours: 100 on language, 75 on degree-standard General Studies and 25 on aptitude and mental ability. We read the General Studies and aptitude questions in TNPSC's tentative-key booklet. Tamil Nadu content made up 41 of the 75 General Studies questions, and about seven in ten used a statement, match or assertion-reason format.

Paper facts

The prelims is a screening test: its marks are not counted for the final rank, and the main examination shortlist is drawn at ten times the vacancies in each reservation group. See the Group 2 exam pattern for the full scheme.

Part A: language, not tallied

We did not tally Part A. The notification lists seven units for it: grammar 25, vocabulary 15, writing skills 10, technical terms 10, reading comprehension 20, translation 5 and literary works 15. For a Tamil-language model of how such a part reads, see the Part A tally in the Group 4 2025 analysis, though its unit counts differ.

Parts B and C: General Studies and aptitude

We read the General English booklet; the General Tamil booklet carries the same General Studies questions (we checked the opening questions of Part B in both).

The counts are our reading. TNPSC calls its unit-wise distribution only indicative, and this paper shows it: Tamil Nadu history ran three over, polity two under.

What stood out

• Tamil Nadu dominated. Units V and VI made 41 of 75 questions (55%). Unit VI included Pallava kings in order, the Kaverippakkam inscription, Sangam coins from Tamil Nadu sites, Palayakkarar pairs, the Justice Party's anti-Non-Cooperation stand, and Marudhu brothers' Sivagangai.
• Thirukkural again: seven questions, in two runs of three or four, on duties, possessors, translations of the Kural and Valluvar's account of sageness.
• Format mix. About 52 of 74 readable General Studies questions were match, statement, assertion-reason or chronological. Assertion-reason alone appeared about eight times.
• Recent policy and schemes: the Women's Reservation Bill of September 2023, NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24, Nammai Kaakum 48, Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai, Naan Mudhalvan and Pasumai Veedugal Thittam.
• A flagged question. The geological-time-scale question carries a stamp saying it goes to the expert committee for a final decision, so its key could differ from the tick in the booklet.
• Aptitude: HCF and LCM, ratios, compound and simple interest, work and percentages, plus reasoning on rank, colour boxes, coding and symbols.

Difficulty (our reading)

Harder than a Group 4 paper in General Studies because the standard is degree-level and answers depend on combinations such as "(1), (2) and (4) only". Aptitude was manageable but longer than a one-line formula. Because the language part is half the paper's questions, a weak Part A can drag down a strong General Studies score.

What this means for your preparation

1. Study Tamil Nadu first, India second. Revise Tamil Nadu history, culture and heritage and Development Administration in Tamil Nadu alongside the Group 2 syllabus.
2. Practise elimination on statement questions. Write the statements from each Article, Act and scheme as true/false pairs; the Indian Polity guide lists what to cover.
3. Make aptitude a daily habit, with aptitude and mental ability practice in fixed 25-question blocks.
4. Link prelims to mains. The same units carry into the descriptive paper, so notes made now serve Group 2 mains preparation. The Group 4 previous year questions guide describes a method that works for any TNPSC objective paper, and the 2024 prelims analysis shows the earlier ten-unit style.

Practising with PrepMatic

PrepMatic offers Group 2 and 2A prelims mocks of 200 questions. Its analytics show accuracy over time and speed per question, which helps with the two things this paper punishes: statement-style General Studies and slow aptitude. The free assessment (about 15 untimed questions) gives a first read on your weakest subjects. Practice questions are AI-generated, so use the official PDFs below for the real papers.

Official sources

• Group 2 and 2A 2025 prelims booklet with tentative key (General Tamil with General Studies)
• Group 2 and 2A 2025 prelims booklet with tentative key (General English with General Studies)
• Group 2 and 2A 2025 notification (No. 11/2025)
• TNPSC objective-type answer keys and previous papers

Unit counts are our reading, not an official classification. Check the current notification on tnpsc.gov.in, and see the TNPSC guide for related pages.

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