PrepMaticExam questions answered · TNPSC
What happens if I fail the Tamil paper in TNPSC Group 4?
If you score below 60 of the 150 marks in Part A, the Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test, your answers to Part B (General Studies) and Part C (Aptitude and Mental Ability) are not evaluated at all. You are out of that year's selection, however well you wrote the rest of the paper.
How the gate works
Notification No. 11/2026 (para 6.1) sets a minimum of 40 percent in Part A. The check is applied before the rest of the paper is marked, in this order:
- Your Part A score is counted. If it is 60 or more, Parts B and C are evaluated.
- If it is below 60, evaluation stops and you are not considered.
- If Parts B and C are evaluated, your total must also reach 90 out of 300.
- Part A marks then count toward your final total for the rank list.
| Part A score | Result |
|---|---|
| Below 60 | Parts B and C not evaluated |
| 60 or above | Parts B and C evaluated; Part A marks count toward your total |
Why this catches strong candidates
A candidate with a degree-level General Studies base can still fail on Tamil, because 40 percent of 150 is 60 marks, and the paper tests Tamil language and literature at SSLC standard. Candidates who have not practised Tamil since school are especially exposed. There is no English alternative, except for eligible differently-abled candidates.
What to do
- Put Tamil first in your plan and test it early. The Tamil Eligibility Test guide describes the paper.
- Use your school textbooks. The notification says the literature unit is based on school textbooks up to SSLC standard.
- Do not rely on General Studies to compensate. It cannot.
Use the General Tamil guide for the units. PrepMatic lets you choose Tamil as the exam language, so assessments and mocks are in Tamil too.
Source
Check the latest notification, since TNPSC can revise the gate.
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- Is Tamil compulsory for Group 4?Yes. Group 4 Part A is a Tamil-only test of 100 questions and 150 marks, and you need 60 marks in it for Parts B and C to be evaluated. Exceptions explained.
- Group 4 passing markThe minimum qualifying mark in TNPSC Group 4 is 90 out of 300 for all communities, plus 60 of 150 in the Tamil Part A. Passing is not the same as selection.
- 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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