Practice tests · TNPSC

TNPSC General Tamil literature (இலக்கியம்) practice questions

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

Literature (இலக்கியம்) in the General Tamil part of the Group 4 paper means works, authors, epics and the classification of Sangam and later texts. Part A is the Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test (100 of the 200 questions, 150 marks), where you need 40 per cent to have Parts B and C evaluated, and where the marks count for your rank. The notification ties the literature questions to school textbooks up to SSLC standard, so the aim is breadth with accuracy. The five questions below are in Tamil with an English gloss. The subject guide is TNPSC General Tamil.

What this topic covers

• Sangam literature (சங்க இலக்கியம்): the Eight Anthologies (எட்டுத்தொகை) and the Ten Idylls (பத்துப்பாட்டு).
• Epics (காப்பியங்கள்): the five great epics (ஐம்பெருங்காப்பியங்கள்) and the five minor epics.
• Moral and devotional literature: the Thirukkural, the works of Avvaiyar, the Thirumurai and the hymns of the Alvars.
• Modern literature: the poets of the national and Dravidian movements, and prose writers.

The five great epics are சிலப்பதிகாரம், மணிமேகலை, சீவகசிந்தாமணி, வளையாபதி and குண்டலகேசி. The Eight Anthologies are நற்றிணை, குறுந்தொகை, ஐங்குறுநூறு, பதிற்றுப்பத்து, பரிபாடல், கலித்தொகை, அகநானூறு and புறநானூறு.

Sample questions

Question 1

சிலப்பதிகாரத்தை இயற்றியவர் யார்? (Who composed the Silappathikaram?)

• A. சீத்தலைச் சாத்தனார்
• B. இளங்கோவடிகள்
• C. கம்பர்
• D. சேக்கிழார்

Question 2

பாஞ்சாலி சபதம் என்ற நூலின் ஆசிரியர் யார்? (Who is the author of Panchali Sabatham?)

• A. பாரதியார்
• B. பாரதிதாசன்
• C. கண்ணதாசன்
• D. நாமக்கல் கவிஞர்

Question 3

ஐம்பெருங்காப்பியங்களுள் ஒன்று அல்லாதது எது? (Which of the following is NOT one of the five great epics?)

• A. சிலப்பதிகாரம்
• B. மணிமேகலை
• C. சீவகசிந்தாமணி
• D. பெரியபுராணம்

Question 4

பின்வருவனவற்றுள் எட்டுத்தொகை நூல் அல்லாதது எது? (Which of the following is NOT an Ettuthokai work?)

• A. அகநானூறு
• B. புறநானூறு
• C. முல்லைப்பாட்டு
• D. நற்றிணை

Question 5

ஆத்திசூடியை இயற்றியவர் யார்? (Who composed the Aathichoodi?)

• A. திருமூலர்
• B. ஔவையார்
• C. புகழேந்தி
• D. உமறுப்புலவர்

Answers and explanations

1. B. The Silappathikaram, the story of Kovalan, Kannagi and Madhavi, was composed by இளங்கோவடிகள் (Ilango Adigal). The Manimekalai is by சீத்தலைச் சாத்தனார், the Ramayana in Tamil by கம்பர் and the Periya Puranam by சேக்கிழார்.
2. A. Panchali Sabatham, a narrative poem based on an episode of the Mahabharata, was written by Subramania Bharati (பாரதியார்). Bharathidasan is known for works such as Kudumba Vilakku.
3. D. The Periya Puranam is a devotional work on the lives of the 63 Nayanmars, not one of the five great epics. The five are Silappathikaram, Manimekalai, Seevakasinthamani, Valaiyapathi and Kundalakesi.
4. C. Mullaippattu belongs to the Pattuppattu (Ten Idylls), not the Ettuthokai. Akananuru, Purananuru and Natrinai are all among the Eight Anthologies.
5. B. The Aathichoodi, a set of short moral sayings in alphabetical order, is attributed to ஔவையார் (Avvaiyar). Thirumoolar wrote the Thirumanthiram, and Umaru Pulavar wrote the Seerapuranam.

How to prepare General Tamil literature

The core of this chapter is a work-and-author list, so build one and keep adding to it. Aim for about 100 pairs by the exam date, drawn from the school Tamil textbooks. Use the table above as your first page and add pairs as you meet them in the lessons.

Group works by type, because the questions often ask for the odd one out: Sangam works (Ettuthokai and Pattuppattu), the Eighteen Minor Works (Pathinenkilkanakku, which include the Thirukkural and Naladiyar), the epics, devotional works, and modern works. When an option list contains works from different groups, the group is your clue. The pairing of famous lines and the works they come from is another common form, so read one passage from each textbook lesson.

Spend time on people as well as works: poets of the national movement such as Bharathiyar, the Dravidian-movement poet Bharathidasan, and the early prose writers. The history behind many of these works is in TNPSC Sangam age practice, and the grammar side of Part A is in TNPSC General Tamil grammar practice. For the one work the syllabus names directly, see TNPSC Thirukkural practice.

Take the full topic test on PrepMatic

PrepMatic lets TNPSC aspirants choose Tamil as their exam language, so literature topic tests (about 15 questions in 30 minutes) appear in Tamil, just as they will in the exam. Take one once you have covered the list and repeat after a week. A full mock that matches the 200-question Group 4 paper then shows how Part A affects your total.

← All practice tests