Most TNPSC candidates don't run short of books. They run short of time, because they read every unit with the same care. TNPSC publishes how many questions each unit carries, and the gaps are large: in Group 4, the two Tamil Nadu units carry 40 of the 75 General Studies questions, while General Science carries 5. A TNPSC study plan that follows those numbers gets you more marks from the same hours.
Everything below comes from TNPSC's official syllabus and notifications, so you can plan by the real weights instead of guesswork.
TNPSC Group 4: the paper, and two rules that shape your plan
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test | 100 | 150 |
| General Studies and Aptitude and Mental Ability | 75 + 25 | 150 |
| Total — one 3-hour objective paper, SSLC standard | 200 | 300 |
- Tamil is checked first. If you score below 40% (60 of 150) in the Tamil test, the rest of your paper is not evaluated. Your rank then uses the total of all sections.
- The qualifying mark is 90 out of 300 for every community, and there is no negative marking.
Tamil is both the gate and half the marks, so it gets a daily slot from day one. Tamil questions are set in Tamil only; General Studies and aptitude questions are set in Tamil and English.
Where to study for TNPSC Group 4, unit by unit
The unit names and question counts are from TNPSC's current Group 4 syllabus (dated 12 December 2024). The sources are the Samacheer Kalvi school textbooks, which are available in Tamil and English medium.
| Unit (official syllabus) | Questions | Where to study |
|---|---|---|
| General Science | 5 | Science, Classes 6–10 |
| Geography | 5 | Social Science (Geography), Classes 6–10; maps of Tamil Nadu and India |
| History, Culture of India and Indian National Movement | 10 | Social Science (History), Classes 6–10 |
| Indian Polity | 15 | Social Science (Civics), Classes 6–10 |
| Indian Economy and Development Administration in Tamil Nadu | 20 | Social Science (Economics), Classes 6–10; Tamil Nadu welfare schemes |
| History, Culture, Heritage and Socio-Political Movements of Tamil Nadu | 20 | Tamil and Social Science (History) textbooks, Classes 6–10; Thirukkural |
| Aptitude | 15 | Mathematics, Classes 6–10: simplification, percentage, HCF and LCM, ratio, interest, area, volume, time and work |
| Reasoning | 10 | Previous-year papers: puzzles, dice, visual and alphanumeric reasoning, number series |
| Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test | 100 | Tamil textbooks up to Class 10: grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and the 20 Thirukkural chapters named in the syllabus |
Classes 6–10 match the SSLC standard of the paper. Read them once, unit by unit, turning each chapter into short notes, and add Class 11–12 books for depth only after that first pass. Every General Studies unit also includes current affairs, so keep a daily slot for Tamil Nadu and national news.
A 16-week TNPSC Group 4 study plan
This plan follows the question weights: Tamil and the heavy Tamil Nadu units first, the 5-question units later, and the last month for full papers.
| Weeks | Focus | How to split a 6-hour day |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Tamil grammar and vocabulary; Tamil Nadu history, culture and Thirukkural; Indian Polity | Tamil 2h · General Studies 3h · Aptitude 1h |
| 5–8 | Indian economy and development administration in Tamil Nadu; History of India; Geography | Tamil 1.5h · General Studies 3h · Aptitude 1h · Revision 30 min |
| 9–12 | General Science; Tamil literature; current affairs of the last 12 months | Tamil 1.5h · General Studies 2.5h · Aptitude 1h · Revision 1h |
| 13–16 | Previous-year papers and full-length mock tests under 3-hour timing; weak units | Mock test or previous-year paper 3h · Review 1.5h · Weak units 1.5h |
TNPSC Group 1: pattern and where to study
Group 1 has three stages. Prelims is one objective paper of 200 questions and 300 marks over three hours: 175 General Studies questions at degree standard and 25 aptitude questions at SSLC standard. It is a screening test with no negative marking. Mains has a qualifying Tamil eligibility paper at SSLC standard and three descriptive General Studies papers of 250 marks each. The interview carries 100 marks, so 850 marks decide your rank.
The Prelims General Studies units are the same six as Group 4, with far more questions, and the same pattern of weight:
| Unit (official syllabus) | Prelims questions | Where to study |
|---|---|---|
| General Science | 10 | Science, Classes 6–12 |
| Geography of India | 10 | Geography, Classes 6–12 |
| History, Culture of India and Indian National Movement | 25 | History, Classes 6–12 |
| Indian Polity | 40 | Civics and Political Science, Classes 6–12, plus one standard Polity reference |
| Indian Economy and Development Administration in Tamil Nadu | 50 | Economics, Classes 6–12, plus one standard economy reference; Tamil Nadu policy notes and welfare schemes |
| History, Culture, Heritage and Socio-Political Movements in Tamil Nadu | 40 | Tamil and History textbooks, Classes 6–12; Thirukkural |
| Aptitude and Mental Ability | 25 | Mathematics up to Class 10; previous-year papers |
The three Mains General Studies papers, from the official Mains syllabus:
| Paper | Units (marks) |
|---|---|
| General Studies I (250) | Modern History of India and Indian Culture (100) · Social Issues in India and Tamil Nadu (100) · Ethics and Integrity (50) |
| General Studies II (250) | Indian Polity and Emerging Political Trends across the World affecting India (100) · Role and Impact of Science and Technology in the Development of India (100) · Tamil Society – Culture and Heritage (50) |
| General Studies III (250) | General Geography and Geography of India with special reference to Tamil Nadu (75) · Environment, Biodiversity and Disaster Management (75) · Indian Economy – Current Economic Trends and Impact of Global Economy on India (100) |
A TNPSC Group 1 study plan
| Stage | When | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Months 1–3 | Samacheer Kalvi Classes 6–12 across all six units, the two Tamil Nadu units in depth from day one; a newspaper every day |
| Degree-level depth | Months 4–6 | Standard references for Polity and the economy; Tamil Nadu policy notes and schemes; one timed Mains answer a day |
| Mains-only units | Months 7–8 | Ethics and Integrity, social issues, science and technology, environment and disaster management; two or three answers a day |
| Prelims mode | The last 2–3 months before Prelims | Revision, previous-year papers, full-length tests and aptitude speed |
| Mains mode | After Prelims | Timed answers for all three General Studies papers; practice for the Tamil eligibility paper |
Preparing for Group 2 or 2A? Both share one Prelims: 100 General Tamil or General English questions (SSLC standard), 75 General Studies questions (degree standard) and 25 aptitude questions — 200 questions, 300 marks, three hours, 90 marks to qualify, and a screening test only. The General Studies section is set at degree standard like Group 1 Prelims, so the Group 1 table above is a useful guide. Group 2 and 2A then sit separate Mains papers, so check the latest TNPSC notification before you plan beyond Prelims.
TNPSC study timetables
7 hours: full-time candidate
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 6:00–7:00 | Tamil: grammar, vocabulary or Thirukkural |
| 7:30–8:00 | Newspaper: Tamil Nadu and national news, with short notes |
| 9:00–11:30 | This week's General Studies unit: textbook chapters and short notes |
| 12:00–1:00 pm | Aptitude and reasoning practice |
| 3:00–4:00 pm | Second General Studies unit, or more Tamil |
| 4:30–5:00 pm | 25 previous-year questions on today's topics |
| 8:00–8:30 pm | Revision of topics due today |
3 hours: working candidate
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 5:30–6:30 | This week's General Studies unit |
| Lunch break | 30 minutes of Tamil grammar or the day's news |
| 8:30–9:30 pm | Tamil and aptitude on alternate days |
| 9:30–10:00 pm | Revision and ten previous-year questions |
At the weekend, sit one full mock test under 3-hour timing and review every wrong answer the same day.
How the free planner helps you follow the plan
- A plan for your exact exam. Type TNPSC Group 4 or Group 1, your exam date and your daily hours; the AI builds a routine weighted towards the topics that appear most in previous papers. Add your own sessions for anything you want to push harder.
- Study in Tamil. Set Tamil as your study language and the material, revision questions and mock-test explanations come in Tamil, with technical terms kept in English alongside.
- TNPSC mock tests. Full-length papers for Group 4, Group 2 and 2A Prelims, and Group 1 Prelims, under real exam timing. Your first test is free.
- Revision that comes back on time. Every topic returns after 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days, and the questions get harder as you master it — the fix for forgetting names, dates and schemes by exam day.
- Current affairs with a TNPSC filter. A daily brief with practice questions that you can filter for TNPSC (the full digest comes with Lighthouse Pro).
- A timer and a catch-up mode. Sessions stop at their scheduled length, and when you keep falling behind the planner offers to resize the routine to what you can really sustain, instead of letting you drop it.
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