TNPSC Exam Dates 2026: Complete Group-wise Exam Schedule & Download Annual Calendar

If you’re preparing for any Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission recruitment exam, knowing the exact TNPSC exam dates 2026 isn’t optional — it’s the foundation of your entire study plan. And this year in particular, dates have been shifting: TNPSC has already postponed one major exam and revised vacancy numbers on another. Stay updated with the TNPSC Exam Dates 2026 through this comprehensive guide. Find the latest exam schedule, notification dates, registration timelines, and important events for all upcoming TNPSC recruitment exams in one place.

TNPSC Annual Planner 2026

Important Update: TNPSC Group 1 Exam Date Revised

Before anything else — if you’re a Group 1 aspirant, note this: TNPSC postponed the Group 1 Preliminary Examination. According to the notification issued on 16 July 2026, the exam originally scheduled for 6 September 2026 has been pushed to 27 September 2026, running from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. All other details in Notification No. 05/2026 — eligibility, vacancies, exam pattern — remain unchanged. If you’ve been studying off an older blog post or PDF that still says “6th September,” update your calendar immediately.

TNPSC Exam Dates 2026 – Upcoming Group-wise Exam Schedule

This planner remains tentative overall. Dates for Group 2, Group 4, and CTS Diploma/ITI stages can still shift, as seen with Group 1.

TNPSC Group 1 Exam Date 2026 (Revised)

The Combined Civil Services Examination – I (Group I Services) is the flagship TNPSC exam, and here’s where it currently stands:

• Notification released: 23 June 2026
• Application window: 30 June – 29 July 2026
• Original Prelims date: 6 September 2026
• Revised Prelims date: 27 September 2026
• Vacancies notified: 26 posts under Group I Services
• Selection stages: Prelims → Mains → Interview

The three-week postponement gives candidates extra runway for revision — use it wisely rather than treating it as a reason to slow down. Current affairs coverage, in particular, benefits from every extra week, since TNPSC Group 1 draws heavily on recent Tamil Nadu government schemes and national events.

TNPSC Group 2 & Group 2A Exam Date 2026

• Notification date: 11 August 2026
• Exam commencement: 25 October 2026
• Exam days: 1 (Prelims)

Group 2 covers interview-based posts, while Group 2A covers non-interview posts — both fall under the same combined notification and exam date. The Mains stage for the previous Group 2/2A cycle was already conducted on 8 and 22 February 2026, filling 645 vacancies, so this October date refers to the fresh 2026-27 recruitment cycle.

TNPSC Group 4 Exam Date 2026

• Notification date: 6 October 2026
• Exam commencement: 20 December 2026
• Exam days: 1

Group 4 traditionally receives the highest volume of applications of any TNPSC exam due to its comparatively simpler syllabus and large vacancy count, so expect heavy server traffic during both the application window and hall ticket download phase closer to December.

TNPSC Combined Technical Services (CTS) Exam Dates 2026

CTS recruitment is split across three categories, and there’s a fresh update worth flagging for Non-Interview post aspirants:

Latest CTS Non-Interview update: Via Addendum 4A/2026 and Addendum 4B/2026, TNPSC increased the total vacancies for CTS Non-Interview from 461 to 508. However, two posts — Assistant Engineer (Mechanical) and Junior Chemist under Tamil Nadu Magnesite Limited (Post Codes 3611 and 3609) — have been fully withdrawn, with vacancies reduced to nil for those specific posts. If you applied under either of these post codes, check the addendum directly on tnpsc.gov.in.

Why TNPSC Exam Dates 2026 Keep Changing

TNPSC’s own Annual Planner explicitly states that all dates are tentative and subject to addition, deletion, or modification. This isn’t a flaw in the system — recruitment bodies routinely adjust exam dates based on administrative, logistical, or legal factors. The Group 1 postponement this year is a good example: a three-week shift announced barely seven weeks before the original date.

Here’s how to stay ahead of these changes instead of getting blindsided:

1. Don’t rely on saved PDFs — always cross-check the date against tnpsc.gov.in directly before finalizing travel, leave, or last-mile revision plans.
2. Follow the official “Announcements” section on the TNPSC website rather than third-party aggregators for time-critical updates.
3. Set a recurring monthly reminder to check the Annual Planner page, especially in the 4–6 weeks leading up to any exam you’re appearing for.
4. Watch for addendums — vacancy and post-code changes (like the CTS Non-Interview update) are published separately from the main notification and are easy to miss.
5. Treat a postponement as bonus prep time, not a reason to lose momentum — extra weeks matter most for current affairs and Mains answer-writing practice.

All exam dates listed above reflect the most recent official notifications and addendums available as of 23 July 2026. TNPSC exam dates remain tentative by the Commission’s own stated policy and may be revised further — always verify against tnpsc.gov.in before making final preparation or travel plans.