What is TNPSC One Time Registration (OTR)?
OTR is TNPSC's mandatory candidate profile. You register once, pay the registration fee, and it stays valid for 5 years, after which each exam application only needs the per-exam fee.
Keep your OTR details accurate: name, community and education entered there are checked against your certificates during verification, and mismatches can cost you the selection.
Related questions
No. TNPSC does not apply negative marking in Group 1, Group 2/2A or Group 4 exams. An unanswered question scores the same as a wrong one, so attempt all questions.
Yes. Since 2022, TNPSC combined exams include a Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test of 100 questions for 150 marks. You must score at least 40% (60 marks) for your paper to be evaluated further.
90 marks out of 300 for all categories, plus at least 40% (60 of 150) in the Tamil Eligibility-cum-Scoring Test for it to be counted.
Group 2 covers interview posts and Group 2A covers non-interview posts. Both are recruited through the same CCSE-II examination; 2A selection is decided purely on written marks.
CCSE stands for Combined Civil Services Examination. TNPSC groups its recruitments into CCSE-I (Group 1), CCSE-II (Group 2/2A) and CCSE-IV (Group 4 and VAO).
TNPSC exams are set at SSLC-to-degree standard with a Tamil Nadu-focused syllabus, while UPSC is broader and more analytical. TNPSC is more predictable, but competition per seat is still intense.
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This answer is verified against official TNPSC notifications and scheme documents. Sources: TNPSC official notifications. Figures are indicative and may change with each official notification. Data last reviewed: July 2026.
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