TNPSC Group 2 / 2A Cut-off 2026 – Official Previous Cut-off Marks and What to Expect

How many marks do you need in the Group 2/2A prelims (01-11-2026) to reach the mains? This page gives the official community-wise cut-off marks published by TNPSC, explains why the 2026 cut-off will not be the same, and shows how to calculate your own score.

Our estimate for 2026

Minimum marks vs cut-off

The minimum qualifying mark is 90 out of 300 for all communities (Notification 07/2026). But crossing 90 is not enough: TNPSC admits candidates to the mains at 10 times the number of vacancies (1:10) in each reservation category. The mark of the last candidate admitted in a category is that category's cut-off.

Official cut-off: Prelims → Mains, Group 2/2A 2022 (Notification 03/2022, out of 300)

Community	General (G)	Women (W)	PSTM (G)	PSTM (W)
GT (OC)	231.00	235.50	219.00	223.50
BC	217.50	223.50	195.00	204.00
BCM	202.00	210.00	160.50	178.50
MBC / DC	216.00	222.00	201.00	207.00
SC	211.00	217.00	193.50	199.50
SCA	207.00	213.00	175.50	193.00
ST	198.00	205.50	179.50	172.50

Marks of the last candidate admitted to the main written examination, "all posts" list. G = General turn (open to all), W = turn reserved for women, PSTM = Persons Studied in Tamil Medium. The prelims pattern in 2022 (Language 100 + GS 75 + Aptitude 25 = 300 marks) is the same as in 2026.
Source: TNPSC, "Marks secured by the last selected candidates in Preliminary Examination in each category for admission to Main Written Examination" (03/2022). tnpsc.gov.in (PDF)

Why the 2026 cut-off will be different

• Vacancies: Notification 03/2022 had more than 5,000 vacancies. Notification 08/2024 had 2,327 at the time of notification (Group II 507 + Group IIA 1,820). Notification 07/2026 has 846 (Group II 43 + Group IIA 803, including Addendum 7A).
• At 1:10, about 8,460 candidates will be admitted to the 2026 mains – far fewer than in 2022. With fewer seats in the mains, the cut-off is usually higher for a paper of the same difficulty.
• The difficulty of the paper matters as much: a tough paper lowers every candidate's marks, and the cut-off falls with it.
• Cut-offs are fixed separately for each community, for the women's turn, for PSTM and for special categories – so there is no single cut-off figure.

Calculate your score

Each question carries 1.5 marks. Score = number of correct answers × 1.5. Every question left blank costs 0.5 mark; questions answered [E] are not counted as blank. Use our answer key on the evening of 01-11-2026 to count your correct answers. Answer key →

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum mark in the Group 2/2A prelims?

90 out of 300 for all communities (TNPSC Notification 07/2026). The actual cut-off for admission to the mains is usually much higher.

What was the Group 2/2A prelims cut-off in 2022?

As per the official TNPSC list for Notification 03/2022 (all posts, General turn): GT 231, BC 217.5, MBC/DC 216, SC 211, SCA 207, BCM 202 and ST 198 out of 300.

How many candidates will be admitted to the 2026 mains?

Ten times the vacancies in each category (1:10). With 846 vacancies, that is about 8,460 candidates, plus anyone tied at the cut-off mark.

Are the prelims marks counted for the final rank?

No. The prelims is only a screening test. The final rank is based on the Mains Paper II marks; there is no interview in 2026.