TNPSC Group 4

Every topic matched to the official PDF Official notice, tnpsc.gov.in

70 topics, each explained 8 units

TNPSC Group 4 (Combined Civil Services Examination-IV) is a single paper of 200 questions — 75 in Part A general studies, 25 in Part B aptitude, and 100 in the Part C language paper. The official syllabus gives a question count for every individual unit, so each unit below carries its real number. That is what tells you where your time should go.

Exam Pattern

Part	What it tests	Questions
Part A	General Studies (SSLC standard)	75
Part B	Aptitude and Mental Ability (SSLC standard)	25
Part C	Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test (SSLC standard)	100
Total	One single paper	200

One line that is easy to miss: the official document marks the English Part C paper "For Differently Abled Candidates only". For every other candidate, Part C is the Tamil paper. Both carry 100 questions, but they split those questions differently between units (Writing 15 vs 10, Reading comprehension 15 vs 20) — both tables are given separately below.

Start PractisingPlay a free quiz in Meri Taiyari

TNPSC Group 4 — related updates

No new TNPSC Group 4 vacancy is open right now. It'll show up here the moment a notification lands.

Get Free Alerts

Full Syllabus

1 General Science 5 Q

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
Nature of Universe; Measurement of physical quantities	The nature of the universe and the measurement of physical quantities — units and measuring instruments.
General scientific laws in motion — force, pressure, and energy	The laws of motion, force, pressure and energy — Newton's three laws sit here and are asked most years.
Everyday application of mechanics, electricity, magnetism, light, sound, heat and nuclear physics	Physics in daily life — levers, electricity, magnets, rainbows, echoes. Asked as 'why does this happen', not as formulae.
Elements and compounds, acids, bases, salts, petroleum products, fertilizers, pesticides, metallurgy, food adulterants	Everyday chemistry — acids and bases, salts, petroleum products, fertilizers, pesticides, metallurgy, and spotting food adulteration.
Main concepts of life science, classification of living organisms, evolution, genetics, physiology, nutrition, health and hygiene, human diseases	The basics of life science — classification, evolution, genetics, physiology, nutrition, hygiene and human disease.
Environmental science	Environmental science — pollution, ecosystems, conservation. Study it together with Unit II geography, not separately.
Latest inventions in science and technology	The latest inventions in science and technology — for this the daily newspaper is the real textbook.
Current affairs	Science-related current affairs — ISRO missions, health programmes, new technology.

2 Geography 5 Q

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
Earth location; Physical features	The earth's location and physical features — latitude and longitude, mountains, plateaus, plains.
Monsoon, rainfall, weather, and climate	Monsoon, rainfall, weather and climate — weather is days, climate is decades; that distinction is what gets asked.
Water resources - Rivers	Water resources and rivers — study Tamil Nadu's Cauvery, Vaigai and Thamirabarani in particular.
Soil, Minerals, and Natural resources; Forest and Wildlife	Soil, minerals, natural resources, forest and wildlife — which resource is in which district sticks best from a map.
Agriculture pattern	The agricultural pattern — which crop grows in which season and soil.
Transport - Communication	Transport and communication — roads, rail, ports, airports and the communication network.
Population density and distribution in Tamil Nadu and India	Population density and distribution in Tamil Nadu and India — the key census figures.
Calamities - Disaster management	Calamities and disaster management — cyclones, floods, drought; cyclones are routine on the Tamil Nadu coast, so this matters.
Environment - Climate change; Geographical landmarks	Environment, climate change and geographical landmarks — passes, straits, famous peaks.
Current affairs	Geography-related current affairs — new projects, disasters, environmental decisions.

3 History, Culture of India, and Indian National Movement 10 Q

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
Indus Valley Civilization	The Indus Valley Civilization — town planning, seals, and the reasons for its decline.
Guptas, Delhi Sultans, Mughals, and Marathas	Guptas, Delhi Sultanate, Mughals and Marathas — rulers, administration and achievements.
South Indian History	South Indian history — Cholas, Pallavas, Pandyas. As important here as north Indian history, often more so.
National Renaissance; Early uprising against British Rule	The national renaissance and the early uprisings against British rule — including the movements before 1857.
Indian National Congress; Emergence of Leaders	The Indian National Congress and the emergence of its leaders — moderates, extremists and the key sessions.
B.R. Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, Bharathiar, V.O. Chidambaranar, Thanthai Periyar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Kamarajar, Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Rajaji, Subhash Chandra Bose, Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar, Muvalur Ramamirtham and other national leaders	The syllabus names these leaders individually — Bharathiar, V.O. Chidambaranar, Periyar, Kamarajar, Muthulakshmi Ammaiyar and Muvalur Ramamirtham are from Tamil Nadu. Learn each one's contribution by name; the questions come by name.
Different modes of agitation of Tamil Nadu and movements	Tamil Nadu's movements and its modes of agitation — a state-specific portion you will not find in national textbooks.
Characteristics of Indian Culture, Unity in Diversity - Race, Language, Custom; India as a secular state	The characteristics of Indian culture, unity in diversity, and India as a secular state.

4 Indian Polity 15 Q

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
Constitution of India - Preamble to the Constitution	The Constitution and its Preamble — memorise the Preamble's words (sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic).
Salient features of the Constitution	The salient features of the Constitution — a written constitution, federal structure, parliamentary government.
Union, State, and Union Territory	Union, State and Union Territory — the powers of each and how they differ.
Citizenship, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties, Directive Principles of State Policy	Citizenship, fundamental rights, fundamental duties and directive principles — rights are enforceable in court, directive principles are not; that is the most-asked distinction.
Union Executive, Union Legislature	The union executive and legislature — President, Prime Minister, and both houses of Parliament.
State Executive, State Legislature	The state executive and legislature — Governor, Chief Minister, Legislative Assembly.
Local Governments, Panchayat Raj	Local government and Panchayati Raj — the three-tier structure and the 73rd and 74th amendments.
Spirit of federalism: Centre - State relationships	The spirit of federalism and centre-state relations — the three lists (union, state, concurrent).
Election; Judiciary in India - Rule of Law	Elections, the judiciary and the rule of law — the Election Commission, Supreme Court and High Courts.
Corruption in public life - Anti-Corruption measures - Lokpal and Lokayukta - Right to Information	Corruption in public life and the measures against it — Lokpal, Lokayukta and the Right to Information.
Empowerment of Women; Consumer Protection Forums; Human Rights Charter	Women's empowerment, consumer protection forums and the human rights charter.
Political parties and political system in Tamil Nadu and India; Current affairs	The political system and parties of Tamil Nadu and India, and current affairs.

5 Indian Economy and Development Administration in Tamil Nadu 20 Q

This is the largest unit in Part A — 20 questions, tied with Unit VI. Do not leave it for last.

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
Nature of Indian economy	The nature of the Indian economy — a mixed economy, and the shift from agriculture to services.
Five-year plan models - an assessment; Planning Commission and Niti Aayog	The five-year plans and their assessment, and the change from the Planning Commission to NITI Aayog (2015).
Sources of revenue; Reserve Bank of India; Finance Commission	Government revenue sources, the Reserve Bank of India and the Finance Commission — taxes, monetary policy and how money is shared.
Resource sharing between Union and State Governments; Goods and Services Tax	Resource sharing between the centre and states, and the Goods and Services Tax — its rates and the GST Council's role.
Economic trends - Employment generation	Economic trends and employment generation — the kinds of unemployment and the government's employment schemes.
Land reforms and Agriculture; Application of Science and Technology in Agriculture	Land reform, agriculture, and the use of science and technology in farming — from the Green Revolution to modern methods.
Industrial growth; Rural Welfare oriented programmes	Industrial growth and rural welfare programmes — learn schemes like MGNREGA by name and purpose.
Social problems - Population, Education, Health, Employment, Poverty	Social problems — population, education, health, employment and poverty; the questions turn on how these interlock.
Social Justice and Social Harmony as the cornerstones of socio-economic development	Social justice and social harmony — the syllabus calls these the cornerstones of development, so treat them as a topic, not a slogan.
Education and Health systems in Tamil Nadu	Tamil Nadu's education and health systems — the state's schemes and their names.
Geography of Tamil Nadu and its impact on economic growth	Tamil Nadu's geography and its effect on economic growth — the coast, the rivers, and where industry sits.
Welfare schemes of Government; Current socio-economic issues; Current affairs	Government welfare schemes and current socio-economic issues — take new scheme names from the daily paper.

6 History, Culture, Heritage, and Socio-Political Movements of Tamil Nadu 20 Q

20 questions — the heaviest slice of Part A, and entirely about Tamil Nadu. A national general-knowledge book will not cover it.

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
History of Tamil Society, related archaeological discoveries	The history of Tamil society and its archaeological discoveries — excavations such as Keeladi belong here.
Tamil Literature from Sangam age till contemporary times	Tamil literature from the Sangam age to the present — build a timeline, or the names and eras come apart.
Thirukkural - Significance as a Secular Literature; Relevance to everyday life; Impact of Thirukkural on Humanity	Thirukkural — its significance as secular literature, its relevance to daily life and its impact on humanity. The syllabus itemises it separately and at length, so treat it as a subject in its own right.
Thirukkural and Universal Values; Relevance to Socio-politico-economic affairs; Philosophical content	Thirukkural's universal values, its socio-political-economic relevance and its philosophical content.
Role of Tamil Nadu in freedom struggle; Early agitations against British Rule	Tamil Nadu's role in the freedom struggle and the early agitations against British rule.
Role of women in freedom struggle	The role of women in the freedom struggle — learn the names and each one's particular contribution.
Various Social reformers, Social reform movements and Social transformation of Tamil Nadu	Tamil Nadu's social reformers, reform movements and social transformation — the Self-Respect Movement and its kind belong here.

7 Aptitude 15 Q

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
Simplification	Simplification — reducing a long calculation using BODMAS order; this is where speed is built.
Percentage	Percentage — increase, decrease and comparison; the root of nearly every later topic.
Highest Common Factor (HCF); Lowest Common Multiple (LCM)	HCF and LCM — used in practical questions about bells ringing together, tiling a floor, and the like.
Ratio and Proportion	Ratio and proportion — the basis of sharing and mixture questions.
Simple interest; Compound interest	Simple and compound interest — both formulae and the gap between them; the two-year difference is worth memorising.
Area; Volume	Area and volume — with the formulae for square, rectangle, circle, cube and cylinder memorised, these are the fastest marks on the paper.
Time and Work	Time and work — who finishes how much in how long; solve by the unit-work method rather than by memorised formulae.

8 Reasoning 10 Q

What the syllabus lists	What it means and how to prepare
Logical reasoning	Logical reasoning — statement-conclusion and ordering questions; these come only with practice.
Puzzles	Puzzles — seating arrangement and classification; drawing a grid is the fastest way through.
Dice	Dice — identifying opposite faces; remember that opposite faces of a standard die add to 7.
Visual reasoning	Visual reasoning — figure series, mirror and water images.
Alpha numeric reasoning	Alphanumeric reasoning — knowing the letter positions (A=1…Z=26) does half the work.
Number series	Number series — finding the next term; check differences first, then multiples, then squares and cubes.

Part C — Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test 100 Q

Unit	Questions	What it means
இலக்கணம் (Grammar)	25	Grammar — spelling, joining and splitting words, word classes and sentence formation. The largest unit in Part C.
சொல்லகராதி (Vocabulary)	15	Vocabulary — synonyms, antonyms and correct usage.
எழுதும் திறன் (Writing skill)	15	Writing skill — correct ordering, condensing and sentence construction.
கலைச் சொற்கள் (Technical terms)	10	Technical terms — administrative and departmental Tamil vocabulary.
வாசித்தல் – புரிந்து கொள்ளும் திறன் (Reading comprehension)	15	Reading comprehension — drawing the answer from the passage itself.
எளிய மொழிபெயர்ப்பு (Simple translation)	5	Simple translation — of words and of sentences.
இலக்கியம், தமிழ் அறிஞர்கள், தமிழ்த்தொண்டு (Literature, Tamil scholars and service to Tamil)	15	Literature, Tamil scholars and service to Tamil — the official note states this unit's syllabus is based on school textbooks up to SSLC standard.

Part C — General English (for differently abled candidates only) 100 Q

Unit	Questions	What it means
Grammar	25	Grammar — parts of speech, tense, voice, sentence types and transformation, degrees of comparison, punctuation.
Vocabulary	15	Vocabulary — synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, idioms, one-word substitution, British versus American English.
Writing Skills	10	Writing skills — letter writing, jumbled sentences, drawing inferences.
Technical Terms	10	Technical terms — administrative, departmental and basic official-correspondence vocabulary.
Reading Comprehension	20	Reading comprehension — unseen passages from newspapers, headlines, editorials and government news.
Translation	5	Translation — word, sentence, and tense- and voice-related translation tasks.
Literary Works	15	Literary works — figures of speech, appreciation and analysis of poetry. The official note states this unit is based on school textbooks up to SSLC standard, and the syllabus names each poem and prose piece individually.

Not covered in this pack — where to find it

Total marks	The official syllabus document does not state marks anywhere.
Exam duration	No time limit appears in this document.
Negative marking	There is no mention of marks being deducted for a wrong answer.
Qualifying marks / cut-off	The marks needed to qualify are not given in this document.
Exam date	The date is not part of a syllabus; it comes in a separate notification.

Free practice — 21 questions

Work out the answer yourself first, then tap “Show answer”. Every answer shows the method, not just the letter.

How many total questions are there in the TNPSC Group 4 exam paper?
- A 200
- B 150
- C 175
- D 225
Show answer

A — 200

The exam is a single paper: Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test (100) + General Studies (75) + Aptitude and Mental Ability (25) = 200 questions in total.

Exam Pattern — total questions
How many questions are there in the Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test of TNPSC Group 4?
- A 75
- B 100
- C 90
- D 120
Show answer

B — 100

The pattern table lists the Tamil language paper as carrying 100 of the exam's 200 questions.

Exam Pattern — Tamil paper
How many questions come from the General Studies section of TNPSC Group 4?
- A 100
- B 25
- C 75
- D 50
Show answer

C — 75

The pattern table gives General Studies 75 questions out of the paper's 200.

Exam Pattern — General Studies
How many questions come from the Aptitude and Mental Ability section of TNPSC Group 4?
- A 15
- B 40
- C 10
- D 25
Show answer

D — 25

The pattern table gives Aptitude and Mental Ability 25 questions out of the paper's 200.

Exam Pattern — Aptitude and Mental Ability
Within the General Studies section, how many questions come from Indian Polity?
- A 15
- B 20
- C 10
- D 5
Show answer

A — 15

The official syllabus assigns Indian Polity 15 of the 75 General Studies questions.

Indian Polity (weightage)
Which two units of the General Studies section carry the highest number of questions, tied at 20 each?
- A General Science and Geography
- B Indian Economy and Development Administration in TN, and History-Culture-Heritage of TN
- C Indian Polity and History-National Movement
- D Geography and Indian Polity
Show answer

B — Indian Economy and Development Administration in TN, and History-Culture-Heritage of TN

The syllabus explicitly notes these two units are tied for the largest share in General Studies, 20 questions each.

Indian Economy and Development Administration in Tamil Nadu / History, Culture, Heritage of Tamil Nadu (weightage)
How many questions come from General Science in the General Studies section?
- A 10
- B 15
- C 5
- D 20
Show answer

C — 5

The syllabus assigns General Science 5 of the 75 General Studies questions — the smallest unit in that section.

General Science (weightage)
Within the 25-question Aptitude and Mental Ability section, how many questions are on quantitative Aptitude topics (simplification, percentage, HCF-LCM, ratio, interest, area-volume, time and work), separate from Reasoning?
- A 10
- B 25
- C 20
- D 15
Show answer

D — 15

The syllabus splits this section into Aptitude (15 questions) and Reasoning (10 questions), which together make 25.

Aptitude and Reasoning (weightage split)
In the Tamil paper, Grammar is the largest single unit. How many questions does it carry?
- A 25
- B 20
- C 15
- D 10
Show answer

A — 25

Of the Tamil paper's 100 questions, Grammar alone carries 25 — more than any other unit in that paper.

Tamil paper — Grammar (weightage)
Simplify: 15 + 9 ÷ 3 − 2 × 4 = ?
- A 16
- B 10
- C 4
- D 22
Show answer

B — 10

By BODMAS, do division and multiplication first: 9÷3=3 and 2×4=8. Then 15+3−8 = 10.

Simplification
What is 35% of 400?
- A 120
- B 150
- C 140
- D 160
Show answer

C — 140

35% of 400 = (35/100) × 400 = 140.

Percentage
What is the HCF of 24 and 36?
- A 6
- B 18
- C 24
- D 12
Show answer

D — 12

24 = 2³×3 and 36 = 2²×3². The common factors give HCF = 2²×3 = 12.

Highest Common Factor (HCF); Lowest Common Multiple (LCM)
₹1,200 is divided among A, B and C in the ratio 2:3:5. What is C's share?
- A ₹600
- B ₹400
- C ₹500
- D ₹300
Show answer

A — ₹600

Total parts = 2+3+5 = 10, so 1 part = ₹1,200/10 = ₹120. C's share = 5 parts = 5 × ₹120 = ₹600.

Ratio and Proportion
Find the simple interest on ₹6,000 at 5% per annum for 2 years.
- A ₹500
- B ₹600
- C ₹700
- D ₹550
Show answer

B — ₹600

Simple Interest = (P×R×T)/100 = (6000×5×2)/100 = ₹600.

Simple interest; Compound interest
Find the compound interest on ₹2,000 at 10% per annum for 2 years, compounded annually.
- A ₹400
- B ₹440
- C ₹420
- D ₹200
Show answer

C — ₹420

Amount = 2000×(1+10/100)² = 2000×1.21 = ₹2,420. Compound Interest = ₹2,420 − ₹2,000 = ₹420.

Simple interest; Compound interest
Find the area of a rectangle with length 15 cm and breadth 8 cm.
- A 100 cm²
- B 23 cm²
- C 60 cm²
- D 120 cm²
Show answer

D — 120 cm²

Area of a rectangle = length × breadth = 15 × 8 = 120 cm².

Area; Volume
Find the volume of a cube whose side is 6 cm.
- A 216 cm³
- B 196 cm³
- C 206 cm³
- D 226 cm³
Show answer

A — 216 cm³

Volume of a cube = side³ = 6³ = 6×6×6 = 216 cm³.

Area; Volume
A can complete a work in 12 days and B can complete the same work in 24 days. Working together, how many days will they take?
- A 6 days
- B 8 days
- C 10 days
- D 16 days
Show answer

B — 8 days

A's one-day work = 1/12, B's one-day work = 1/24. Together = 1/12+1/24 = 3/24 = 1/8, so they finish in 8 days.

Time and Work
Find the next number in the series: 3, 6, 12, 24, __
- A 30
- B 36
- C 48
- D 42
Show answer

C — 48

Each term is double the previous term (×2): 3, 6, 12, 24, 48.

Number series
If A=1, B=2, C=3 ... Z=26, what is the sum of the numeric values of the letters in the word "CAB"?
- A 4
- B 5
- C 7
- D 6
Show answer

D — 6

C=3, A=1, B=2. Sum = 3+1+2 = 6.

Alpha numeric reasoning
On a standard die, the numbers on opposite faces always add up to 7. If one face shows 2, what number is on the opposite face?
- A 5
- B 4
- C 6
- D 3
Show answer

A — 5

Opposite faces sum to 7, so the face opposite 2 must be 7−2 = 5.

Dice

These questions are built from the official pattern and syllabus on this page. Every answer was independently re-solved before it was published.

Every topic and every question count on this page is taken from the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission's own syllabus document, dated 12.12.2024, and explained here in our own words. The original: TNPSC official Group IV syllabus (PDF, Code 496) ↗

This exam recruits at these levels: 10th Pass

Note — Always confirm the syllabus and pattern against that year's official notification — changes are possible.

Start PractisingPlay a free quiz in Meri Taiyari

TNPSC Group 4 — related updates

No new TNPSC Group 4 vacancy is open right now. It'll show up here the moment a notification lands.

Get Free Alerts

Official source: https://tnpsc.gov.in/document/english/Grp%20IV%20English_.pdf