The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission is a department of the government of Tamil Nadu that is responsible for governing the recruitment of personnel into the state’s public service.
- Is TNPSC- an independent body? Who are the constituents of the Commission?
Yes. TNPSC is an independent Constitutional body.
The Governor of the State appoints the Chairman and Members of the Service Commission. The Constituents of the Commission are the Chairman and Members. The policy matters and the duties referred below are performed by the Commission as a whole. The Commission has a Controller of Examination and a Secretary to assist in the discharge of its duties. The Controller of Examinations is in charge of the conduct of examinations, evaluations etc. The Secretary is incharge of the administration conduct of oral test, counselling etc. and also assists the Chairman and the Commission.
- What are the duties / functions of TNPSC?
The functions / duties of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission are:
- i) To conduct examinations for appointment to State/Subordinate services within its purview.
- ii) The Government should consult the Commission on all matters relating to the recruitments to the Civil Services in the state and on the principles to be followed in making appointments to civil services and posts, and while making promotions and transfers from one services to another, the suitability of candidates in the aforesaid promotions and transfers and on disciplinary matters affecting the employees serving in the State.
Government in non-judicial capacity including memorials petitions relating to such matters.
- How to apply for recruitments made by Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission?
Applications are invited through online mode by issuing notification mentioning the name of the post, the number of vacancies and qualification prescribed. The steps involved in submitting online application is furnished in every notification.
- What are the stages involved in making recruitments?
The stages involved in respect of recruitments made by the Commission are as follows:
- i) Selections to lower level posts:
1) Only by written examination:-
The written examination is conducted in OMR method which is objective in nature (with multiple choice type questions). The answer papers are evaluated through computers and the marks of all candidates are published in TNPSC website. The details regarding their overall rank and rank in their respective communal category are also provided for that particular recruitment in respect of each candidate. The details of distribution of vacancies are also hosted by the Commission. The candidate, by correlating the ranking given as above, with the no. of vacancies in his/ her communal category, may know the status of his/her selection. After this process, Counselling is being conducted in the Commission’s Office for the posts included in VAO, Group IV & Group II A.
- ii) Selections to Middle level posts:
1) By written examination and oral test.
For the recruitment of middle level posts, there will be a written examination and an
Oral Test. The written examination will be followed by the oral test. (Combined Engineering Services and Assistant Public Prosecutor etc.,). In these examinations, the candidates are admitted to written examination purely on the basis of claims given in their online application. The selections are made by the above method in respect of technical posts also. The maximum marks prescribed for written examination and oral test are being mentioned in the notification. The examination shall be of objective or descriptive type as the case may be. Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission goes by the candidates claims made in their online applications and admits them to written examination. But when the documents in support of their claims in the online applications are being called for, lot of variations, misinformation’s etc., have been found out by the Commission.
After due verification, the proper ranking is arrived by deleting the ineligible candidates and candidates are admitted provisionally to the oral test based on the number of vacancies in each category at the ratio of 1:2 / 1:3 in each communal category. This is finalized / done purely on basis of merit.
iii) For Selections to Higher Posts.
The selection which carries higher scale of pay and duties and responsibilities are made with three stages of selection. It is done in cases of selections / recruitments for Group I, Group IC & Group II Services.
1) Preliminary Examination:
In respect of preliminary examination, all the eligible candidates are admitted purely on the basis of the particulars given by them in their online applications. This examination consists of Objective type comprising of multiple choice type Questions, which are to be answered in OMR sheets. After the evaluation of the preliminary examination answer sheets, the candidates are admitted to appear for the Main Examination at the ratio 1:50 i.e., for one post in each reserved category, 50 candidates are admitted to
the Main Written Examination on the basis of marks obtained by them in the preliminary examination or at the ratio as fixed by the Commission. However, in each reservation group, all the candidates who secure the same marks as that of the cut off marks of their reservation group shall also be admitted to the Main Written Examination and hence at times it may exceed 1:50 ratio. The marks obtained in Preliminary Examination will not be taken into account for further process of selection.
2) Main Written Examination:
The Main Written Examination comprises of Objective and/or Descriptive Type. It comprises of more than one paper depending on the nature of the job. Appearance in all the papers is compulsory. The main examinations are mostly in descriptive nature and the evaluation of Answer Sheets takes place more than once to eliminate the scope of errors.
3) Oral Test:
Based on the marks obtained in the Main written Examination, the candidates are selected for admission to oral test at the ratio of 1:3 where the vacancy in a particular communal category is 4 and below, & 1:2 when the vacancy is 5 and above.
- After the conduct of Examination how is the merit list prepared?
After the completion of oral test, the written examination marks are obtained from the Controller of Examinations and the consolidated mark list (CML) is prepared by adding the marks obtained in the written Examination and oral test. The consolidated mark list is being published in the Commission’s website and in TNPSC notice Board. The community, sex and Special Category of the candidates are also published enabling the candidate to arrive at the status of their selection.
- What is the transparency in the selection to posts made by the Commission?
After the oral test, counselling is being held in the Commission’s office for all candidates who appeared for the oral test for the posts that are included in Group I, Group II etc. Based on the option exercised by the candidates and depending on the distribution and availability of vacancies, selection is made for each post in a very transparent manner through computer and onscreen selection method.
- What are the security measures taken in the Examination process conducted by the
Commission?
The question papers are bundled in sealed covers and the bundles containing the question papers are opened before the candidates in each and every room of all centres and signature obtained from candidates to the effect that the seal is intact. After the Examination is over, the answer papers are sealed with exclusive stickers meant for that centre in a specially designed cover.
- Is there any invalidation made by the Commission at the evaluation stage?
The violation of Instructions to the Candidates / Hall Ticket Instructions / Question Paper Instruction / Answer Paper Instructions will result in invalidation of answer papers.
- What are our rights in ensuring correct-perfect scanning with regard to conduct of examination?
The scanning of OMR Answer sheets starts from the stage of capturing of the number in the sticker affixed in the sealed bundles, then opening of the bundles and then placing them in scanner are being done before video cameras in a strictly confidential room and the entire process is being video graphed.
- How can we know our performance after the conduct of Examination?
The question papers are allowed to be taken by the candidates after the examination is over. The tentative keys are published by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission within a week’s time enabling them to tentatively arrive at his marks.
- How do we know that Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission arrives at Right key after the objections are raised by us on the tentative key?
If any candidate has objections over any tentative Answer key, he/she can mail / write by post the objections with grounds and evidences for such objection within one week. Such objections to keys are placed before an Expert Committee and keys are finalized. Based on the final key the answer papers are evaluated.
- How transparently are the interview processes conducted by the Commission?
The Commission invites the head of the Department concerned to be present at the interview or to nominate a senior officer to be present at the interview. The marks are awarded in consensus with all the persons in the Board.
The entire process of interview is being video graphed and kept under sealed condition for one year in order to facilitate error free and transparent recruitment process during oral test conducted by the Commission.
- What are the rights of the candidates who appeared for Written Examination?
Candidates who write the examinations have the following right after the entire selection process is over and results are published.
- a) In objective type (OMR Sheet), the candidate on application, may get a copy of his/her OMR sheet free of cost.
- b) In Descriptive type of Examination, the candidates are allowed to peruse his/her answer paper in the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission office.
- c) The candidates are permitted to copy the marks awarded to them for each question in first and second evaluation.
- d) This will help the candidates to confirm the genuineness and correctness of
Evaluation of his/her Answer paper and ensure that all the answers are evaluated.
- How can we know the status of our application?
There is a facilitation counter functioning in TNPSC premises. Candidates may obtain information /clarification relating to examination and candidature etc., on working days between 10.00 AM to 05.45 PM in person or over telephone No’s 044-25300 300 from this counter and over Toll free No.1800-425-1002.
- How can we know that we have been admitted to the examination?
SMS is being sent to all candidates by the Commission to those whose applications have been admitted finally that their Hall ticket is available in the Commission’s website and it can be downloaded. Likewise SMS is being sent to all the candidates who have been admitted to oral test.
- How do we know that when the notification for the post we intend to apply will be notified by the Commission?
The Annual Recruitment Planner indicating the probable date of notification, examination is being released every year and is available in the Commission’s website.
- How do I know that I qualify for applying to a particular post by age and educational qualification?
In all notifications issued by the Commission the age is reckoned as on 1st July of the year in which the vacancy is notified. With regard to educational qualification, the eligibility date is the date of Notification.
- Rejection of candidates by the Commission takes place at which stage?
The application of the candidate is rejected if he does not satisfy the prescribed qualification / or if no document in support of their claims in their application is sent when called for or the document in contrary to the claim made in the online application. The selection is provisional at all stages. The selection can be cancelled by the Commission even after appointment for suppression of material facts or furnishing of false information.
- Is there any role for TNPSC after the selection / appointment of a candidate?
Yes. After the appointment, Departmental Examinations prescribed for each department which are mandatory for completion of probation are also conducted by the Commission, half yearly. The half yearly test that requisite test to be passed by Pro D.C/DSP are also held by the Commission twice a year. The Language Test for IAS/IPS/IFS officers who do not have qualification in Tamil Language is also held by the Commission, twice a year. Second class language Test is conducted twice a year for persons who do not have necessary qualification in Tamil.
