TNPSC Group 3 and 3A Exam Pattern:

• • The minimum qualifying mark for all categories – 90 marks.
  • Successful candidates from the written examination will be called for Personal Interview marks.  The interview will be for 40 marks.
  • The question paper will be available in both English and Tamil languages.

TNPSC Group 3 and 3A Syllabus

The written examination syllabus for the TNPSC Group 3 and Group 3A services:

General Studies (Higher Secondary Standard)

• • Physics: Nature of Universe ‐ General Scientific laws ‐ Inventions and discoveries ‐ National
    scientific laboratories ‐ Mechanics and properties of matter ‐ Physical quantities, standards and
    units ‐ Force, motion and energy ‐ Magnetism, electricity and electronics ‐ Heat, light and sound
  • Chemistry: Elements and Compounds ‐ Acids, bases and salts ‐ Fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides
  • Botany: Main Concepts of life science ‐ Classification of a living organism ‐ Nutrition and dietetics – Respiration
  • Zoology: Blood and blood circulation ‐ Reproductive system ‐ Environment, ecology, health and hygiene ‐ Human diseases including communicable and non – communicable diseases, prevention and remedies ‐ Animals, plants and human life.
  • Current Events: 

History- Latest diary of events‐national ‐ National symbols ‐ Profile of States ‐ Eminent persons and places in the news ‐ Sports & games ‐ Books & authors ‐ Awards and honours’ ‐ India and its neighbours.

Political Science– Problems in conduct of public elections ‐ Political parties and political system in India ‐ Public awareness & General administration ‐ Welfare oriented govt. schemes, their utility

Geography- Geographical landmarks in news

Economics- Current socio‐economic problems

Science- Latest inventions on science and technology

• • Geography: Earth and Universe ‐ Solar system ‐ Monsoon, rainfall, weather and climate ‐ Water resources ‐ rivers in India ‐ Soil, minerals and natural resources ‐ Forest and wildlife ‐ Agricultural pattern – Transport including surface transport and communication ‐ Social geography – population‐density and distribution ‐ Natural calamities‐Disaster Management.
  • History and culture of India and Tamil Nadu: Indus valley civilization‐ Guptas, Delhi Sultans, Mughals and Marathas ‐ Age of Vijayanagaram and the Bahmanis ‐ South Indian history ‐ Culture and Heritage of Tamil people ‐ India since independence‐ Characteristics of Indian culture ‐ Unity in diversity –race, colour, language, custom ‐ India‐as secular state ‐ Growth of rationalist, Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu ‐ Political parties and populist schemes
  • INDIAN POLITY: Constitution of India ‐ Preamble to the constitution ‐ Salient features of the constitution ‐ Union, state and territory ‐ Citizenship‐rights amend duties ‐ Fundamental rights ‐ Fundamental duties ‐ Human rights charter ‐ Union legislature – Parliament ‐ State executive ‐ State Legislature – assembly ‐ Local government – panchayat raj – Tamil Nadu ‐Judiciary in India – Rule of law/ Due process of law – Elections ‐ Official language and Schedule VIII ‐ Corruption in public life ‐ Anti‐corruption measures –CVC, Lok‐ Adalats, Ombudsman, CAG ‐Right to information ‐ Empowerment of women ‐ Consumer protection forms.
  • INDIAN ECONOMY: Nature of Indian economy ‐ Five‐year plan models‐an assessment ‐ Land reforms and agriculture ‐ Application of science in agriculture ‐ Industrial growth ‐ Rural welfare oriented programmes ‐ Social sector problems – population, education, health, employment, poverty ‐ Economic trends in Tamil Nadu.
  • INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT: National renaissance ‐ Emergence of national
    leaders ‐ Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore ‐ Different modes of agitations ‐ Role of Tamil Nadu in freedom
    struggle Rajaji, VOC, Periyar, Bharathiar and others.
  • APTITUDE and MENTAL ABILITY TESTS: Conversion of information to data ‐ collection, compilation and presentation of data ‐ Tables, graphs, diagrams ‐ Analytical interpretation of data ‐ Simplification –Percentage ‐Highest Common Factor (HCF) ‐ Lowest Common Multiple (LCM)‐ Ratio and Proportion ‐Simple interest ‐ Compound interest ‐ Time and Work
  • Logical Reasoning: Puzzles ‐ Visual Reasoning ‐ Number Series

General English (S.S.L.C. Standard)

• • Match the following words and Phrases given in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
  • ‘Synonyms’
  •  ‘Antonyms’
  • Select the correct word (Prefix, Suffix)
  • Fill in the blanks with suitable Article
  • Fill in the blanks with suitable Preposition
  • Select the correct Question Tag
  • Select the correct Tense
  • Select the correct Voice
  • Fill in the blanks (Infinitive, Gerund, Participle)
  • Identify the sentence pattern of the following sentence (Subject, Verb, Object, etc)
  • Blanks with correct ‘Homophones’
  • Find out the Error (Articles, Prepositions, Noun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb)
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Select the correct sentence
  • Find out the odd words (Verb, Noun, Adjective, Adverb)
  • Select the correct Plural forms
  • Identify the sentence (Simple, Compound, Complex Sentences)
  • Identify the correct Degree.
  • Form a new word by blending the words.
  • Form compound words (Eg: Noun+ Verb, Gerund+ Noun)

TNPSC Group 3 Syllabus: English Literature

• • Figures of speech observed in the following Poems: Alliteration – Allusion – Simile – Metaphor – Personification – Oxymoron –Onomatopoeia – Anaphora – Ellipsis – Rhyme Scheme – Rhyming Words – Repetition – Apostrophe, A Psalm of Life – Women’s Rights – The Nation United – English words –
    Snake – The Man He Killed – Off to outer space tomorrow morning – Sonnet No.116 – The Solitary Reaper – Be the Best – O Captain My Captain – Laugh and Be Merry – Earth – Don’t quit – The Apology – Be Glad your Nose is on your face – A sonnet for my Incomparable Mother – The Flying Wonder – To a Millionaire – The Piano – Manliness – Going for water – The cry of the Children – Migrant Bird – Shilpi.
  • Appreciation Questions from Poetry: A Psalm of Life – Women’s Rights – The Nation United – English words – Snake – The Man He Killed – Off to outer space tomorrow morning – Sonnet No.116 – The Solitary Reaper – Be the Best – O Captain My Captain – Laugh and Be Merry – Earth – Don’t quit – The Apology – Be Glad your – Nose is on your face – A sonnet for my Incomparable Mother – The Flying Wonder – To a Millionaire – The Piano – Manliness – Going for water – The cry of the Children – Migrant Bird – Shilpi.
  • Important lines from Poems: Where the mind is without fear – The Solitary Reaper – Going for water – A Psalm of Life – Be the Best – Sonnet No.116
  • Questions on the Biography of Mahatma Gandhi – Jawaharlal Nehru – Subash Chandra Bose – Helen Keller, Kalpana Chawala – Dr.Salim Ali – Rani of Jhansi – Nelson Mandela – Abraham Lincoln
  • Questions on Shakespeare’s:  Merchant of Venice (Act IV Court Scene) – Julius Ceasar (Act III Scene 2) – Sonnet 116
  • Questions from Oscar Wilde’s:  The Model Millionaire – The Selfish Giant
  • Dr.Karl Paulnack: Music-The Hope Raiser
  • Comprehension Questions from the following Motivational Essays: Gopala Krishna Gokhale’s Speech on 25th July in Mumbai in response to The address presented to him by students- Dale Carnegie’s ‘The Road to success- Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam’s ‘Vision for the Nation’(from ‘India 2020’) – Ruskin Bond’s ‘Our Local Team’ – Hope Spencer’s ‘Keep your spirits high’ – Deepa Agarwal’s ‘After the storm’ – Brian patten’s ‘You can’t be that no you can’t be that’.
  • Comprehension Questions from the following description of Places:  Ahtushi Deshpande’s ‘To the land of snow’ – Manohar Devadoss – Yaanai Malai – Brihadeesvarar Temple
  • British English – American English
  • Authors and their Literary Works: Match the Poems with the Poets- A psalm of Life – Be the Best – The cry of the children – The Piano – Manliness Going for water – Earth -The Apology – Be Glad your Nose is on your face – The Flying Wonder -Is Life But a Dream – Be the Best – O captain My Captain – Snake – Punishment in Kindergarten -Where the Mind is Without fear – The Man He Killed – Nine Gold Medals

• • Which Nationality does the story belong to?: The Selfish Giant – The Lottery Ticket – The Last Leaf – How the Camel got its Hump – Two Friends – Refugee – The Open Window
  • Identify the Author with the short story: The Selfish Giant – The Lottery Ticket – The Last Leaf – How the Camel got its Hump – Two Friends – Refugee – The Open Window – A Man who Had no Eyes – The Tears of the Desert – Sam The Piano – The face of Judas Iscariot – Swept Away – A close encounter – Caught Sneezing – The Wooden Bowl – Swami and the sum
  • Whose Auto biography / Biography is this
  • Which Nationality does Poet belong to?: Robert Frost – Archibald Lampman – D.H. Lawrence – Rudyard Kipling, Kamala Das – Elizabeth Barrett Browning – Famida Y. Basheer – Thomas Hardy – Khalil Gibran – Edgar A. Guest – Ralph Waldo Emerson – Jack Prelutsky – F. Joanna – Stephen Vincent Benet – William Shakespeare – William Wordsworth – H.W. Long Fellow – Annie Louisa Walker – Walt Whitman – V.K. Gokak
  • Characters, Quotes, Important Lines from the following works of Indian Authors: Sahitya Akademi Award winner: Thakazhi Sivasankaran Pillai – ‘Farmer’, Kamala Das – 1. Punishment in Kindergarten 2. My Grandmother’s House, R.K. Narayan – Swami and the sum – Rabindranath Tagore – Where the mind is without fear, Dhan Gopal Mukherji – Kari, The Elephant, Deepa Agarwal – After the Storm, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam – Vision for the Nation, Indra Anantha Krishna- The Neem Tree, Lakshmi Mukuntan- The Ant Eater and the Dassie, Dr Neeraja Raghavan – The Sun Beam
  • Drama Famous lines, characters, quotes from Julius Caesar – The Merchant of Venice
  • Match the Places, Poet, Dramatist, Painter with the suitable option
  • Match the Folk Arts with the Indian State / Country
  • Match the Author with the Relevant Title/ Character
  • Match the Characters with Relevant Story Title: The Selfish Giant – How the camel got its hump – The Lottery ticket – The Last Leaf – Two friends – Refugee – Open window – Reflowering – The Necklace Holiday
  • About the Poets: Rabindranath Tagore – Henry Wordsworth Longfellow – Anne Louisa Walker -V K Gokak – Walt Whitman – Douglas Malloch
  • About the Dramatists:  William Shakespeare – Thomas Hardy
  • Mention the Poem in which these lines occur: Granny, Granny, please comb My Hair – With a friend – To cook and Eat – To India – My Native Land – A tiger in the Zoo – No men are foreign – Laugh and be Merry – The Apology – The Flying Wonder
  • Authors and books: Rabindranath Tagore – Shakespeare – William Wordsworth – H.W. Longfellow – Anne Louisa Walker – Oscar Wilde – Pearl S. Buck
  • Theme observed in the Literary works: Snake – The Mark of Vishnu – Greedy Govind – Our Local TeamWhere the mind is without fear – Keep your spirits high – Be the best – Bat – The Piano – The Model Millionaire – The Cry of the Children – Migrant bird – Shilpi
  • Famous Quotes
  • Period the Poets belong: William Shakespeare – Walt Whitman – William Wordsworth – H.W. Longfellow Annie Louisa Walker – D.H. Lawrence
  • Matching the Poets and Poems: Discovery – Biking – Inclusion – Granny, Granny, please comb My Hair – With a Friend – To cook and Eat – Bat – To India – My Native Land – A tiger in the Zoo – No men are foreign – Laugh and be Merry – Earth – The Apology – The Flying Wonder – Off to outer space tomorrow morning – Be the best – Is life, but a dream – Women’s rights – The Nation united – English words – Snake – The man he killed
  • Nature centred Literary works and Global issue Environment and Conservation: Flying with the moon on their wings – Migrant bird – Will Thirst Become – Unquenchable? – Going for Water – Swept away – Gaia tells her