TNPSC Group 4 (incl. VAO)
Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC)Closed
Combined Civil Services Examination – IV (Group IV Services), 2025 — TNPSC's combined recruitment for Village Administrative Officer (VAO), Junior Assistant, Typist, Steno-Typist, Junior Revenue Inspector, Forest Guard/Watcher and other Group IV posts.Window closed; exam held 12 Jul 2025, results declared 22 Oct 2025.The 2026 Group 4 cycle is expected around Oct 2026 but had not been notified as of Sep 2026 — this entry covers the most recently completed cycle.
Important Dates
Check against the official notification ↗
Vacancies & Posts
Some details below are not confirmed — check the official notification ↗
Total Vacancies4,662 (revised up from an initial 3,935)Reported pay Not confirmed
Not taken from an official pay circular — treat as approximate.
| Pay Level | Pay Band | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Level 8 | ₹19,500–₹71,900 (basic; Tamil Nadu revised pay matrix) | Village Administrative Officer (VAO) |
| Level 3–5 | approx. ₹19,500–₹57,300 (basic, varies by post) | Junior Assistant, Junior Executive, Field Surveyor and similar posts |
| Level 10 (approx.) | approx. ₹21,700–₹69,100 (basic) | Steno-Typist Grade III |
| Level 3 | approx. ₹19,500–₹62,000 (basic) | Forest Watcher / Forest Guard (entry level) |
Basic pay is per the Tamil Nadu revised (2017-based) pay matrix; in-hand pay adds DA and other allowances and varies by posting department/location.
Who Can Apply
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Application fee
What You Need
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- 📷 Photo3.5 cm × 4.5 cm · 20–50 KB · JPG/JPEG — Colour, frontal, white-background passport photo (ears and part of neck visible), uploaded once to TNPSC's One-Time Registration (OTR) profile and reused across notifications.Exact pixel dimensions were not stated in the sources checked — only the cm size and KB range were confirmed.
- ✍️ Signature6 cm × 2 cm box · 10–20 KB · JPG/JPEG — Signed in black or blue ink on white paper, scanned and cropped to the signature box; uploaded once via the TNPSC OTR profile.
- 💳 Application FeeOne-time Registration Fee: Rs 150 (valid 5 years, paid once regardless of category).Examination Fee: Rs 100 for General/BC/MBC/DC candidates who have exhausted free-exemption chances.SC, SC(Arunthathiyar), ST, PwBD (persons with benchmark disability), and Destitute Widows: fully exempted from the Rs 100 exam fee (still pay the Rs 150 registration fee).MBC/DC/BC-O/BC-M categories get 3 free exam-fee exemption chances and Ex-servicemen get 2 free chances, after which they pay like General candidates.
How to Apply
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View Official Notification ↗- Complete One-Time Registration (OTR) on tnpsc.gov.in if not already registered (OTR profile, including photo/signature, is valid for 5 years)
- Log in and select "Combined Civil Services Examination – IV (Group IV Services), 2025"
- Fill in post/department preferences, educational and community details
- Pay the application fee online (₹150 OTR fee for first-time registrants + ₹100 exam fee; SC/ST and other reserved-category Tamil Nadu candidates are exempt from certain fees)
- Submit and download/print the acknowledgement
Exam Pattern
Some details below are not confirmed — check the official notification ↗
3 hours, single sitting. · Negative Marking: None — no marks deducted for wrong answers; only correct answers are awarded marks. · Passing Marks: Fixed minimum qualifying mark of 90 out of 300 (i.e., 30%) for selection, applicable uniformly to candidates of all communities/categories per two independent secondary sources. One source additionally mentions a further internal threshold of 40% (60 marks) on a specific answer-sheet part (Part A) before other parts are evaluated — this additional detail is less well corroborated and should be checked against the official TNPSC notification.
| Section | Details |
|---|---|
| Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test | 100 questions, 1.5 marks each = 150 marks |
| General Studies (Current Affairs, History, Politics, General Science, Economy) | 75 questions, 1.5 marks each = 112.5 marks |
| Aptitude and Mental Ability Test | 25 questions, 2 marks each = 50 marks |
The 90/300 fixed qualifying mark for all communities is a genuinely distinctive feature of TNPSC Group 4 (most state PSCs in this list use pure merit-based cutoffs) and is corroborated by 2 independent secondary sources; fee and pattern details are also secondary-sourced and broadly consistent, but confirm exact section-wise mark values against the official TNPSC Group 4 notification PDF.
Syllabus
A verified, topic-by-topic syllabus for this exam isn't published yet — browse other exams with a syllabus, or check the official notification above.
Browse Syllabus Directory →Selection Process
Single-stage exam — one objective/OMR-based written test (no separate Mains or Interview stage for Group 4 posts).
Source & Verification
FAQs
Is there a Mains exam or interview for TNPSC Group 4?
No — Group 4 (including Village Administrative Officer and other posts) is a single-stage exam. There's no separate Mains or Interview; your Group 4 written-test score alone (subject to document verification) decides selection.
Is there negative marking in TNPSC Group 4?
No. You get marks only for correct answers; there's no penalty for wrong or unattempted answers, so attempting every question is safe strategically.
Is there a fixed minimum passing percentage in TNPSC Group 4, or is it purely merit-based like most other state PSC exams?
Unlike most state PSCs on this list, TNPSC Group 4 does have a fixed minimum qualifying mark — 90 out of 300 (30%) — that applies to candidates of every community/category, in addition to the merit-based category-wise cutoff that determines actual selection.
Which subject carries the most weight in TNPSC Group 4 — Tamil or General Studies?
Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test carries the highest weight at 150 of 300 total marks (100 questions), more than General Studies (75 questions, ~112.5 marks) and Aptitude (25 questions, 50 marks) combined-per-section, so strong Tamil preparation matters disproportionately for this exam.
Important Links
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