TNPSC Group 2 & 2A Recruitment 2026 — Combined Civil Services Examination-II, 821 Posts

The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission has released the Combined Civil Services Examination-II (Group II and Group IIA Services) notification for 821 vacancies — 41 in Group II and 780 in Group IIA — across departments and districts throughout Tamil Nadu. Most posts need a degree from a UGC-recognised university plus knowledge of Tamil, and age is reckoned as on 1 July 2026. Online applications close on 9 September 2026 at 11:59 PM, with the Preliminary Examination on 1 November 2026.

Who Should Apply

• Group II Services (41 posts) — degree holders for posts like Assistant Inspector, Deputy Commercial Tax Officer, Junior Employment Officer, Probation Officer, Sub Registrar Grade-II, Jailor (Men/Women), Special Assistant, Special Branch Assistant, and Assistant Section Officer (including a Programmer variant needing a Computer Applications postgraduate qualification).
• Group IIA Services (780 posts across 44 post/department combinations) — degree holders for posts like Senior Inspector, Audit Inspector, Handloom Inspector, Supervisor/Junior Superintendent, Senior Revenue Inspector, the large "Assistant" cadre spread across dozens of departments and districts, Accountant, Executive Officer, Junior Accountant, and Male Warden.

The "Assistant" and "Senior Revenue Inspector" posts under Group IIA carry detailed district-wise and department-wise vacancy splits — check the official notification for your specific district's count before applying.

Eligibility & Age Limit

Educational qualification varies by post — most need a degree from any UGC-recognised university, but some are more specific: Assistant Section Officer (Post Code 1073) and Assistant (Post Code 1076) need a B.L. degree; Assistant Section Officer cum Programmer (Post Code 2215) needs a Master's in Computer Applications or M.Sc. in IT/Computer Science; and Accountant posts (Post Codes 3357/3823) specifically need a B.Com. Candidates also need adequate knowledge of Tamil as on the date of notification, shown either through SSLC/HSC/Degree with Tamil as a subject, Tamil-medium study, or TNPSC's own Tamil language test.

A few posts carry additional restrictions: Audit Inspector, Executive Officer Grade III, and Assistant (HR&CE) are open only to candidates professing the Hindu religion; Jailor (Special Prison for Women) and Male Warden exclude male candidates, and Jailor (Men) excludes female candidates; colour-blind or night-blind candidates are disqualified from Assistant Inspector and Handloom Inspector; and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities are not eligible for Jailor (Men/Women), Special Assistant, or Special Branch Assistant (Post Codes 2279/3116). Candidates who aren't from SC/SC(A)/ST/MBC/DC/BC(OBCM)/BCM categories and have already completed 5+ years of government service are not eligible for this recruitment at all, regardless of age.

Age is reckoned as on 1 July 2026. Minimum age is generally 18 years (20 for Sub Registrar Grade-II, 22 for Probation Officer, 25 for Executive Officer Grade III). Maximum age for "Others" category is generally 32 years (34 for Deputy Commercial Tax Officer with a Law degree, 37 for Executive Officer Grade III, 42 for Probation Officer). For SC/SC(A)/ST/MBC/DC/BC(OBCM)/BCM candidates, there's no maximum age limit for most posts (meaning under 60 years), except 37 years for Deputy Commercial Tax Officer with a Law degree, 39 years for the same post, and 47 years for Executive Officer Grade III. Further relaxation applies for Persons with Benchmark Disability and Ex-servicemen — exact figures vary by post, so check Sections 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 of the official notification for your specific post code.

See every current opening open to Graduate candidates.

Salary & Pay Scale

The notification states pay only as a "Level of Pay" in the Tamil Nadu revised pay matrix, not exact rupee figures. Pay levels run from Level 9 (Assistant posts in Law/Finance/TNPSC/Legislative Assembly, Lower Division Counter Clerk) up to Level 18 (Assistant Inspector, Deputy Commercial Tax Officer, Junior Employment Officer, Probation Officer, Sub Registrar Grade-II, Jailor, Special Assistant, Special Branch Assistant), with several intermediate levels for other posts. Since the notification doesn't give the actual monthly rupee amount for any level, don't rely on third-party estimates for take-home pay — check the official Tamil Nadu pay matrix for the exact figures at your post's level.

Important Dates

Application Fee

• Preliminary Examination fee: ₹100 (payable at the time of online application, unless exemption is claimed)
• Main Examination fee: ₹150 if shortlisted for one service (Group II or Group IIA), or ₹300 if shortlisted for both
• Full fee exemption: SC, SC(A), ST candidates, Persons with Benchmark Disability, Destitute Widow candidates
• Two free chances: Ex-servicemen
• Three free chances: Backward Classes, Backward Class (Muslim), Most Backward Classes/Denotified Communities

Payment is online only — Net Banking, Credit Card, Debit Card, or UPI. Demand Draft and Postal Order are not accepted.

How to Apply

1. Visit the official TNPSC application portal, www.tnpscexams.in.
2. Complete One Time Registration (OTR) by paying the ₹150 registration fee, if you haven't already — OTR is valid for five years and Aadhaar linking is mandatory.
3. Log in with your OTR User ID and Password, and click "Apply" against this recruitment.
4. Verify your auto-filled OTR details and fill in the additional details required for this specific recruitment.
5. Upload your photograph (must be taken on or after 11 August 2026, the date of notification) and signature in the specified format and size.
6. Choose two examination centres for the Preliminary Examination (only one centre if you're claiming benchmark-disability accommodation).
7. Pay the ₹100 Preliminary Examination fee online, unless you qualify for a fee exemption.
8. Preview and verify every detail carefully, then click "Submit" — note your Application Number/Applicant ID for future reference.

How Are Candidates Selected

Common Preliminary Examination: A single objective-type (OMR) paper covering General Studies, Aptitude & Mental Ability, and Language (General Tamil/General English) — 200 questions, 200 marks, 3 hours. This is a screening test only; your Preliminary marks don't count toward final merit.

Main Examination: Separate Main Examinations for Group II and Group IIA Services, each with two papers. Paper I is a Tamil Eligibility Test (100 marks, qualifying only, minimum 40 to pass) — differently abled candidates may claim exemption from this paper by uploading a Disability Certificate with their application. Paper II is General Studies (Group II) or General Studies plus General Intelligence and Reasoning (Group IIA), worth 300 marks with a minimum of 90 required, and this is what actually determines your rank.

Onscreen Certificate Verification: Based on Main Examination Paper II marks, candidates are admitted at a ratio of 1:3 for General category and 1:2 for Reserved categories.

Physical Certificate Verification and Counselling: A further ratio of 1:3 for General category and 1:1.5 for Reserved categories, based on rank, leading to final post allotment.

Why This Job Matters

TNPSC is the premier recruiting body for Tamil Nadu's state civil services, and Combined Civil Services Examination-II (Group II/IIA) is one of its largest and most closely watched annual recruitment drives. With 821 posts spanning everything from Jailor and Probation Officer to Assistant roles across nearly every state department and district, this notification offers unusually broad geographic and departmental coverage within a single exam cycle — worth noting too is that TNPSC has removed the interview stage for Group II posts in this cycle, meaning your Main Examination Paper II score does more of the work than in past years.

The FreshersLike Take

Best fit: A strong fit for Tamil Nadu graduates who are proficient in Tamil and want a genuine state government career with wide departmental choice — the sheer range of posts (jailor, revenue, commercial tax, judiciary support, and general administration) means there's likely a post that matches almost any degree background.

Who should think twice: This exam has a genuinely long selection pipeline — Preliminary (screening only), then a separate Main Exam, then two rounds of certificate verification — so if you need a faster hiring timeline, this isn't it; the Main Examination date itself won't even be announced until after the November Preliminary result. A handful of posts also carry restrictions (religion, gender, medical standards) that rule out otherwise-qualified applicants outright, so check your specific post code's restrictions before you set your heart on one.

Practical tip: Your Tamil Eligibility Test (Paper I of the Main Exam) is only qualifying — pass it with the 40-mark minimum and move on — but Paper II (General Studies, worth 300 marks) is what actually ranks you, so don't over-invest study time in Tamil at the expense of General Studies once you've cleared the Preliminary screening stage.

Documents Required

• Proof of Date of Birth
• Educational qualification certificates matching your applied post code (degree certificate, or the specific qualification required — B.L., MCA/M.Sc. IT, B.Com., etc.)
• Proof of Tamil language knowledge (SSLC/HSC/Degree mark sheet showing Tamil as a subject, or Tamil-medium study certificate, or TNPSC Second Class Language Test pass certificate) if not otherwise evident from your qualification
• Community/caste certificate, if claiming SC/SC(A)/ST/MBC/DC/BC(OBCM)/BCM reservation or fee concession
• Disability Certificate, if claiming PwBD relaxation or exemption from the Tamil Eligibility Test paper
• Ex-servicemen or Destitute Widow certificate, if claiming the relevant fee concession
• Photograph (taken on or after 11 August 2026) and signature, in the prescribed format

What Happens After Selection

Selection runs through Onscreen Certificate Verification, then Physical Certificate Verification and Counselling, both based on your Main Examination Paper II rank. [VERIFY] — the notification doesn't describe a separate medical examination, training period, or specific joining/posting process beyond certificate verification and counselling; check the official notification or your eventual counselling call letter for post-selection formalities specific to your allotted post.

Important Links

Common Questions

What is the last date to apply for TNPSC Group 2 & 2A Recruitment 2026?

Online applications close on 9 September 2026 at 11:59 PM. A correction window is open afterward, from 13 to 15 September 2026.

How many vacancies are there, and are they final?

821 total — 41 in Group II and 780 in Group IIA. The Commission has clarified these numbers are tentative and may be revised up to the publication of the Preliminary Examination result.

Can a diploma holder apply?

No. Nearly every post in this notification requires at least a degree from a UGC-recognised university — some posts need a more specific qualification (B.L., a Computer Applications Master's, or B.Com.), but none accept a diploma alone as the essential qualification.

Will I get a refund if I don't clear the Preliminary Exam?

[VERIFY] — the notification states the Preliminary fee (₹100) is payable at the time of application and the Main Examination fee (₹150 or ₹300) only becomes payable if you're shortlisted, but it doesn't explicitly address refunds for candidates who pay and then don't clear a later stage.

Is the Preliminary Examination computer-based?

No. It's described as an objective-type paper using OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) sheets, not a computer-based test.

Is there a correction window if I make a mistake in my application?

Yes, from 13 September 2026 (12:01 AM) to 15 September 2026 (11:59 PM). No changes are permitted after this window closes.

Do I need to know Tamil to apply?

Yes, for every post — you need to demonstrate adequate Tamil knowledge as on the date of notification, either through your educational background or by passing TNPSC's own Tamil language test.

Is there an interview for these posts?

No interview is listed in the selection process for either Group II or Group IIA in this cycle — selection goes from Preliminary Exam to Main Exam to Certificate Verification and Counselling.

Browse every current opening in Tamil Nadu.