TNPSC Group 5A Syllabus 2026: Exam Pattern & Official PDF Download

The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) administers the TNPSC Combined Civil Services Examination - Group VA Services to select qualified candidates for Junior Assistant and Assistant positions within the Tamil Nadu Ministerial Service and Tamil Nadu Judicial Ministerial Service. Aspiring candidates preparing for the TNPSC Group 5A exam are urged to thoroughly understand the official TNPSC Group 5A Syllabus 2026 to effectively strategize their preparation. 

TNPSC Group 5A Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates aiming for the TNPSC Group 5A 2026 Exam should meticulously review the TNPSC Group 5A Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2026. This detailed understanding of subjects, the marking scheme, and question formats is crucial for effective planning and achieving a high score in the examination.

TNPSC Group 5A Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2026- Overview
Organization	Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC)
Exam Name	TNPSC Combined Civil Services Examination - Group VA Services
Post	Assistant Section Officer and Assistant
Type of Examination	Descriptive
Number of Paper	2 (Paper I and Paper II)
Subjects	Paper I- General Tamil Paper II- General English
Total Marks	200 (100 Each)
Duration	3 Hours Each
Standard	Degree

TNPSC Group 5A Exam Pattern 2026

The TNPSC Group 5A written examination comprises two papers: Paper I and Paper II. Both papers will feature descriptive-type questions, with a dedicated 3-hour duration allocated for each. The difficulty level for questions in both Paper I and Paper II is set at the Degree level. A minimum qualifying mark of 60 is mandated for all community candidates.

Paper	Subjects	Maximum Marks	Time Duration
Paper I	General Tamil	100	03 hours
Paper II	General English	100	03 hours
Total		200	06 hours

TNPSC Group 5 A Syllabus 2026

To excel in the TNPSC Group 5A Exam, candidates must familiarize themselves with the TNPSC Group 5A Syllabus 2026. The syllabus serves as the foundational guide for exam preparation, outlining the specific topics to be covered. Below, we present the detailed syllabus for both papers, as officially released by TNPSC with the recruitment notification.

General English (Paper II) Syllabus

• Unit I: Essay Writing in 300 words (10 Marks)
  (i) Argumentative Essay
  (ii) Descriptive Essay
  (iii) Narrative Essay
  (iv) Critical Essay
  (v) Expository Essay
  (vi) Persuasive Essay
• Unit II: Letter Writing (10 Marks)
  (i) Letter expressing demands / needs
  (ii) Enquiry letter
  (iii) Order letter
  (iv) Letter responding to Enquiries
• Unit III: Precis Writing (15 Marks)
  An unseen passage in 200 words is to be given. It has to be briefed in around 70 words.
• Unit IV: Reading Comprehension (10 Marks)
  An unseen passage in 200 words is to be given. Questions are to be framed following K5 Model Barrett’s Taxonomy
  1. Understanding Question
  2. Appreciation Question
  3. Interpretative Question
  4. Analytical Question
  5. Organizing Question
  6. Inferential Question
  7. Critical Question
  8. Explanatory Question
  9. Descriptive Question
  10. Creative Question
• Unit V: Translation (15 Marks)
  (a) From Tamil to English Government Order/ circular and
  (b) From English to Tamil News articles/5 sentences of complex structure
• Unit VI: Hints Development (5 Marks)
  Developing the hints into a readable passage
• Unit VII: Notification (20 Marks)
  Drafting Announcements / Advertisements and Writing Explanations / Circulars
• Unit VIII: Grammar (15 Marks)
  1. Active to Passive.
  2. Passive to Active.
  3. Direct to Indirect Speech.
  4. Indirect to Direct Speech.
  5. Rewrite the Compound Sentence as a Simple sentence.
  6. Rewrite the Simple Sentence as a Complex sentence.
  7. Transform the statement into a strong question.
  8. Transform the statement into a weak question.
  9. Transform the assertive sentence into a negative sentence.
  10. Add a suitable question tag.
  11. Use the homophones in a meaningful sentence.
  12. Use the right adverb.
  13. Fill in the blank with the right preposition.
  14. Rewrite the sentence in comparative degree.
  15. Rewrite the sentence in the past tense.
  16. Change the underlined phrase into a clause.
  17. Change the underlined clause into a phrase.
  18. Identify the pattern of the given sentence.
  19. Fill in the blanks with a suitable Article.
  20. Rewrite the sentence, correcting the error.