Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (in short-TNPSC) is a self-ruling civil service panel that formally came into existence in the year 1970. And since its inception, TNPSC is in charge of the recruitment exams for a plethora of civil services throughout the state of Tamil Nadu. In general, there are 8 groups of exams conducted for different types of job, for example, Deputy collector (via GROUP 1 exam) to Executive Officer, Grade-IV (via GROUP 8). Earlier in Jan 2020, TNPSC released a notification draft regarding a total of 69 posts for recruitment, belonging to the GROUP 1 exam. The April exam was canceled/postponed, because of Covid -19, and no new dates has been released by TNPSC yet. Meanwhile, let’s look at the TNPSC GROUP 1 EXAM in a better way.
Brief History on TNPSC
Before we get into all the details of the posts available let’s read up some history of this commission. The 1929 act of the Madras legislature became the reason for the establishment of the Madras public service commission after the government proposed to set up their public service commission. The Madras Presidency had the status of being the only state in India to establish the first civil service Commission, because of its super early inception. The name of the commission was officially declared TAMIL NADU PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (TNPSC) when the state was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1970. To know all about their history, read up the official website of TNPSC.
Posts Details for Group 1 Exam 2020
As mentioned earlier, there are overall 69 posts available for you to apply in the 2020 TNPSC group 1 exam. To get a more clear idea, here’s a breakdown of each post with their respective vacancies;
*Note: However, in any case, the panel has the power to modify any changes in the number of vacancies after the results of the prelims exam are declared.
Even after, all the jobs are of different posts, you can see that the pay scale of all the posts is same and is around Level 22 Rs.56100- 177500 (Revised Scale).
Eligibility Criteria for Group 1 Exam
According to the official notice by TNPSC on the group 1 exam, there are many subcategories in which you have to check your eligibility before writing the group 1 exam, but in all the given posts, knowledge of TAMIL language is necessary. Other categories involve;
- Age limit
- Education Qualification
- Physical Qualification
- certificate of physical qualification
Age limit
For group 1 exam, the minimum age limit of an applicant must be 21 years old, to be eligible for all the available pots.
However, the maximum age limit varies for different posts. As a result, for aspirants who belong to SCs, SC(A)s, STs, MBCs/DCs, BCs, BCMs, and DWs, section the maximum age limit can be 37 years old but if an aspirant is applying for Assistant Commissioner, Commercial Taxes and has a B.L. degree from a UGC recognized university, the maximum age limit can be 38 years old.
But for all the other aspirants, who do not belong to the above-specified categories, the maximum age limit, is 32 years old, again if the aspirant has a B.L. from a recognized university, the maximum age limit can be 33 years old.
Age relaxation:
i. For specially-abled persons: The relaxation in age can go up to 10 years over the maximum age limit specified above. In the case of a specially-abled person
ii. For Ex serviceman:
The maximum age limit is up to 52 years, if an Ex-serviceman belongs to SCs, SC(A)s, STs, MBCs/DCs, BCs, and BCMs. categories.
The maximum age limit is 48 years for other aspirants (i.e.) Ex-serviceman who do not belong to any of the above-said categories.
Educational Qualification
A degree from any recognized university is the most basic education qualification for any aspirant. Although having any degree is sufficient but additional preference will be given to the candidate, having a degree against the desired post. To get more detailed data on degrees and their preference order, refer to page 7 of the notification draft of the TNPSC Group 1 exam. To access the file, click here.
Physical Qualification
Because of the value of physical fitness in any civil service, candidates applying for the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (Category I) and District Officer (Fire and Rescue Services) must fulfill the following physical qualification standard.
A candidate applying for the fore posts must produce a certificate of physical qualification by a medical doctor of or above the rank of the assistant surgeon at a government medical college the certificate must be obtained on or before 20/01/2020 in the given format when called for an appointment:
Note: If a woman candidate is applying for the above-specified posts then, in that case, the weight and chest measurements are not required.
Certificate of Physical Fitness
For instance, if you get selected for the available posts of the TNPSC Group 1 exam. Then you have to submit a certificate of physical fitness in a prescribed format shown below, before your appointment;
Note: If you’re appearing for the final year degree exam, you can also appear for the TNPSC group 1 exam, but you have to show proof that you have passed the declared qualifications before the mains exam is conducted. Indeed, you must read the complete info given (pages 6-11) on the notification draft of the TNPSC Group 1 exam.
Exam Pattern of TNPSC Group 1 Exam
Equally to the exam pattern of the UPSC, the TNPSC exam has 3 stages. But, there are some changes that can be observed. As said before, the TNPSC group 1 exam has three stages these are prelims, main, oral test/interview. And thus by-passing the prerequisite phases, you qualify for the next phase. Likewise to the UPSC, the prelims stage of the TNPSC group 1 exam is a screening test to sit in the mains exam. As a rule, mentioned in the notice draft, the number of aspirants selected to write in the mains exam would be in the ratio of 1:50 (meaning 50 times more than the vacancy available). Despite the rule, the panel can exceed this 1:50 ratio. Hence, to sum up, an aspirant has to clear all the stages to get selected. Therefore, It becomes vital to not only pass the levels but to perform well.
Preliminary Exam
Although It is just a screening test, it is a 3-hour exam with 300 as the highest marks besides, to qualify for this exam, a candidate must score a minimum required mark which is 90 for applicants belonging to SCs, SC(A)s, STs, MBCs/DCs, BC (OBCM)s and BCMs categories, and 120 for others not belonging to these categories. But the marks acquired in this stage do not contribute to the final merit list.
Main Written Exam
In contrast, to the prelim exam, the mains is a 3 phased exam with 250 as the highest mark in each phase. Furthermore, the mains exam is descriptive in nature. Thus, the three papers ( Paper-I, Paper-II, Paper-III) with each exam having a time limit of 3 hours has the minimum marks of 220 for SCs, SC(A)s, STs, MBCs/DCs, BC (OBCM)s and BCMs, and 350 for other applicants not belonging to the afore specified groups.
Oral Test
Lastly, the interview round marks the end of the Tamil Nadu public service commission group 1 exam. Although the time limit is not specified, this is a crucial round. Just like the one in UPSC, it is a personality test and has a total of 100 marks. To sum up, the marking scheme for the final merit list of the group 1 exam will be made based on the marks obtained in the oral test and the main exam.
Fess and Refunds
TNPSC Group 1 prelims exam has a fee of rs100, and if qualified for the mains exam, then the payment for the exam will be 200 rupees. Above all, offline modes of payments are not accepted. As a result, all payments should be made through online mode only, payments made by offline mode will get rejected, and the applicant will also be disqualified. In addition to all the exam payments, you have to pay a one-time registration fee of Rs150, which will be valid for 5 years, before filling up the form.
There are terms to which a candidate can apply for a fee refund. And to get a detailed structure on fees concession. Click here, and refer to page 5 of the notification draft for TNPSC group 1 Exam.
Exam Centres
Even though the centers to write the prelims written exam of TNPSC is all over Tamil Nadu, but the mains exam has only one center, i.e., Chennai (code 0100). Also, you can select only one center to write the prelims test for the group 1 exam. To clarify any doubts on centers, here’s the complete list of exam center given in the notification draft;
Choose your exam center carefully since the TNPSC notification draft states that no changes will not be allowed after the form is submitted.
Syllabus of Group 1 Exam
Following, the lTNPSC Group 1 notification draft, the prelims screening test is an objective type exam, with only one paper of general studies (degree standard) having a total of 200 questions. But the mains exam has 3 papers of descriptive type, each of 3 hours. There is no statement on the negative marking mentioned in TNPSC Group 1 notification draft. However, one must be cautious while solving the paper.
Subjects
1. Preliminary Exam
General science
Indian Polity
Geography of INDIA
Indian National moments
Indian Economy
History and culture of India
Current Affairs
History, culture, heritage, and scio- Political movements in Tamil Nadu
Aptitude and mental ability test
Development Administration in Tamil Nadu
2. Mains Exam:
PAPER I
- Modern history of India and Indian culture
- Social issues in India and Tamil Nadu
- General Aptitude & Mental Ability (SSLC Standard)
PAPER II
- Indian Polity and emerging political trends across the world affecting India
- Role and impact of Science and Technology in the development of India
- Tamil Society ‐ Its Culture and Heritage
PAPER III
- Geography of India with special reference to Tamil Nadu
- Environment, Bio-Diversity, and Disaster Management
- Indian Economy – Current economic trends and the impact of the global economy on India
Carefully read the detailed breakdown of the syllabus from page 24 in the notification draft issued by TNPSC. Click here to open.
Bonus Tip!
Well everyone likes a little extra point or a bonus, so here’s one for you. Since it is a competitive exam and we understand just how hard it is to prepare and to get the post of your choice, be it an exam of state public commission just like TNPSC or the union public commission. But, if you have an excellent strategy, then you’re halfway ahead of the game. So, to help you here’s an article on exam strategy, improvise these steps in a way that suits you and your predatory style, (psst) these tips are well researched and have proven effective for UPSC exams too. Now you’re completely ready to ace the TNPSC Group 1 exam at the first go.
FAQ | TNPSC Group 1 Exam
No, there is no negative marking in the preliminary exam, since it is only a screening test to be eligible to write in mains exam.
Tamil Nadu public service commission or TNPSC is a state independent commission in charge of conducting recruitments exams(Group 1 to Group 8) for various sate civil service posts
In the notification draft released by TNPSC(early 2020) the exam was scheduled to occur in April, but it was postponed due to the covid-19 outbreak in India. At this time new updates from the commission are still awaited.
Editor’s Note | TNPSC Group 1 Exam
The written article contains all the details related to the TNPSC Group 1 Exam 2020. Right from exam centers to subject information, every single detail is covered and sourced from the official website of the Tamil Nadu public service commission. There are still some ambiguities related to the TNPSC 2020 exam as new notification regarding the group 1 exam is still on hold. However, one must not stop their preparation and continue to focus on their study to ace this exam. All the best for your group 1 exam.
