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Tamil Nadu recruits its Sub-Inspectors and Constables through the Uniformed Services Recruitment Board, and both recruitments share a shape no other state uses: a Tamil language test that must be passed before the main paper is even evaluated, a main written paper worth 70 of the final 100, a physical efficiency test that is scored rather than merely passed, and a handful of special marks for NCC, NSS and sport. Nothing about the physical stage is a formality — for a Constable it is nearly a quarter of the result.
The 2025 Sub-Inspector cycle was rewritten while it ran. A Supreme Court judgment in May 2025 required one common examination for open and departmental candidates, and the board issued an addendum in October that merged the two streams, deleted the separate departmental paper and put every candidate on the same 100-mark total. The figures on this page are the amended ones, and they are the shape the next cycle will most likely keep.
Tamil Nadu Police · checked 19 September 2026
The dates, vacancies and rules below are read on the conducting body’s own site and rewritten as each notice appears. The guide beneath carries the full pattern, syllabus, cut-offs and free mock tests.
Checked 19 September 2026
Both 2025 cycles closed and awaiting selection; no window open at 11 September 2026
Women SI (Taluk) in December 2026; the next common Constable recruitment in February 2027
Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board
Degree; Tamil test, then main paper 70, PET 15, viva 10, special marks 5
Notification
Checked 11 September 2026. Both 2025 recruitments are past their written examinations and neither has reached a selection list. The Sub-Inspector cycle is held at the written-result stage: the board published a 1:5 shortlist in January 2026, then withdrew it after finding a software error in how candidates who had switched from the open to the departmental quota were listed, and its home page still says the revised result will be released shortly. The Constable cycle shortlisted 18,689 candidates for verification and physical tests in December 2025 and has posted nothing since.
| Stage | Sub-Inspector (No. 01/2025) | Constable, Jail Warder, Fireman (No. 02/2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | 4 April 2025 | 21 August 2025 |
| Applications | 7 April to 10 May 2025, extended from 3 May after a High Court interim order | 22 August to 21 September 2025 |
| Scheme amended | Addendum No. 1A/2025 of 31 October 2025 — one common examination for open and departmental candidates | — |
| Written examination | 21 December 2025 — main paper in the morning, Tamil test in the afternoon | 9 November 2025 |
| Written result | 1:5 shortlist published 27 January 2026, then withdrawn for correction; revised list pending | 26 December 2025 — 18,689 called to verification and physical tests |
| Physical tests and beyond | Not yet scheduled on the board’s site | No result posted on the board’s site |
In May 2025 the Supreme Court struck down the rule that placed departmental-quota Sub-Inspectors above open recruits in seniority, and directed one common examination for all direct recruitment with seniority by marks. The state gave effect to it by government orders in August and October, and the board issued an addendum putting every candidate on the same written, endurance and efficiency tests and the same 100-mark total. The separate 85-mark departmental law paper was deleted, and the written examination was held back until the change was in place.
The board’s tentative annual planner for 2026–27 lists a Sub-Inspector recruitment for women in the Taluk cadre in December 2026, a technical Sub-Inspector recruitment in February 2027, the next common Constable recruitment in February 2027 and a Sub-Inspector recruitment in June 2027. A planner date is not a notification; the board’s site is the only source that is.
TNUSRB home — notifications and press releases Annual planner 2026–27
Overview
The board runs the Sub-Inspector recruitment for Taluk and Armed Reserve posts, and a common recruitment for Grade-II Police Constable, Grade-II Jail Warder and Fireman that lets a candidate rank the three posts by preference. Both begin with the same idea: a Tamil language eligibility test, set at tenth-standard Tamil Nadu board level, that a candidate must pass at 40 per cent before the main answer sheet is looked at. The Tamil marks then count for nothing; the paper exists only to gate.
What follows is a main written paper worth 70 marks, a certificate verification and physical measurement stage that is pass-or-fail, an endurance run that is pass-or-fail, and then a three-event physical efficiency test that is scored — two stars per event at the higher standard, one at the lower — into the final total. Sub-Inspector candidates add a viva-voce worth 10. Special marks for NCC, NSS and sport are awarded on certificates and complete the 100.
It is not a language paper at the end of the process, as in the neighbouring states, but the first thing marked. A candidate who has prepared general knowledge and psychology to a high standard and treated Tamil as a formality can have a strong main paper left unopened. The syllabus is tenth-standard state board Tamil, which is finite and learnable, and the threshold is 40 per cent — but only if it is prepared.
Eligibility
| Requirement | Sub-Inspector | Constable, Jail Warder, Fireman |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification | A bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, obtained through a regular 10+2+3 or equivalent pattern, held on the notification date. | A pass in the tenth standard or equivalent. |
| Age — general | 20 to 30 years | 18 to 26 years |
| Age — by category | BC, BC(M), MBC and DNC to 32; SC, SC(A) and ST to 35; transgender candidates to 35; destitute widows to 37; ex-servicemen and the departmental quota to 47. | BC, BC(M), MBC and DNC to 28; SC, SC(A), ST and transgender candidates to 31; destitute widows to 37; ex-servicemen to 47. |
| Departmental quota | Serving constables and head constables with five years’ service, a clean record and a no-objection certificate. Twenty per cent of the vacancies; Tamil-medium preference does not apply within it. | None. |
| Fee | ₹500 for the open or the departmental quota; ₹1,000 to apply under both. | ₹250. |
| Tamil-medium preference | Twenty per cent at every stage for candidates educated entirely in Tamil medium from first standard to degree. | Twenty per cent, on the same basis to tenth standard. |
| Candidate | Height | Chest — men only |
|---|---|---|
| Men — OC, BC, BC(M), MBC and DNC | Not less than 170 cm | 81 cm, with 5 cm expansion |
| Men — SC, SC(A) and ST | Not less than 167 cm | 81 cm, with 5 cm expansion |
| Women — OC, BC, BC(M), MBC and DNC | Not less than 159 cm | — |
| Women — SC, SC(A) and ST | Not less than 157 cm | — |
Ex-servicemen, former central armed police personnel and serving military personnel due to retire within a year are exempt from measurement, as are departmental-quota Sub-Inspector candidates under the addendum. A pregnant candidate may defer the physical stages; the board re-conducts them in the first week of February or August with batch seniority preserved. The medical standard and the antecedents check follow the provisional list.
Selection process
Each stage in order, and what it actually tests.
| Stage | Format | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil language eligibility test | Objective, qualifying only | One hundred questions in one hundred minutes for Sub-Inspector; eighty in eighty for the Grade-II posts. Forty per cent is required before the main answer sheet is evaluated. The marks are not carried forward. |
| Main written examination | Objective, 70 marks | General knowledge plus, for Sub-Inspector, logical and numerical analysis, psychology, communication skills and information handling; for the Grade-II posts, general knowledge and psychology. Thirty-five per cent to qualify. Five candidates per vacancy proceed. |
| Certificate verification, measurement and endurance | Qualifying — no marks | Height and chest against published standards, then a 1500-metre run for men in seven minutes and a 400-metre run for women in two and a half. Departmental Sub-Inspector candidates and ex-servicemen are exempt from measurement. |
| Physical efficiency test | Scored — three events | Rope climbing, a jump and a sprint for men; a jump, a throw and a sprint for women. Each event earns zero, one or two stars, and the stars convert to marks — a maximum of 15 for Sub-Inspector and 24 for the Grade-II posts. |
| Viva-voce and special marks, then selection | Sub-Inspector viva 10; special marks 5 or 6 | Sub-Inspector candidates at two per vacancy attend a viva at the board’s office. Special marks for NCC, NSS and sport are awarded on certificates. The provisional list is the total of the main paper, the efficiency test, the viva where held, and special marks, followed by medical and antecedents checks. |
Exam pattern
| Component | Sub-Inspector | Constable, Jail Warder, Fireman |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil language eligibility test | 100 questions, 100 marks, 100 minutes — qualifying at 40 | 80 questions, 80 marks, 80 minutes — qualifying at 32 |
| Main written examination | 70 marks | 70 marks |
| Physical efficiency test | 15 marks | 24 marks |
| Viva-voce | 10 marks | — |
| Special marks | 5 — NCC 2, NSS 1, sport 2 | 6 — NCC 2, NSS 2, sport 2 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
| Post | Part A | Part B | Total | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Inspector | General knowledge — 80 questions, 40 marks | Logical analysis, numerical analysis, psychology, communication skills and information handling — 60 questions, 30 marks | 140 questions, 70 marks | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Constable, Jail Warder, Fireman | General knowledge — 45 questions, 45 marks | Psychology — 25 questions, 25 marks | 70 questions, 70 marks | 80 minutes |
Neither notification, the addendum nor either syllabus contains a deduction clause, and the board’s published question booklet instructions state that a wrong, multiple or improperly shaded answer earns no marks for that question. There is no penalty. Material that quotes a deduction for this board is describing a different one.
| Candidates | Event | One star | Two stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Rope climbing, hands only | 5.0 to under 6.0 m | 6.0 m and above |
| Men | Long jump, or high jump | 3.80 to under 4.50 m; or 1.20 to under 1.40 m | 4.50 m and above; or 1.40 m and above |
| Men | 100 metres, or 400 metres | 15.00 s down to over 13.50 s; or 80 s down to over 70 s | 13.50 s and under; or 70 s and under |
| Women | Long jump | 3.00 to under 3.75 m | 3.75 m and above |
| Women | Shot put 4 kg, or cricket ball throw | 4.25 to under 5.50 m; or 17 to under 24 m | 5.50 m and above; or 24 m and above |
| Women | 100 metres, or 200 metres | 17.50 s down to over 15.50 s; or 38 s down to over 33 s | 15.50 s and under; or 33 s and under |
TNPSC revises paper structure, marks, syllabus detail and eligibility between recruitment cycles, and has done so more than once in recent years — the Tamil eligibility component itself is a recent addition. Everything here describes the shape the recruitment has held; the notification for the cycle you are sitting is the document that decides it. Read it end to end before you plan around any figure.
Study plan
Sources
Checked 11 September 2026. Vacancies, eligibility, fees, the scheme of each examination, the physical standards and the star tables are taken from the two 2025 notifications, the Sub-Inspector addendum and both syllabus documents, with the timeline from the board’s press releases and result notices. The Constable notification is published in Tamil only. The board maintains a genuine archive of previous question papers and keys — the 2019, 2022 and 2023 Sub-Inspector papers and the 2019, 2020 and 2022 Constable papers — and has so far posted only the answer keys for the 2025 cycles.
TNUSRB home Sub-Inspector notification No. 01/2025 Sub-Inspector addendum No. 1A/2025 — the amended scheme Sub-Inspector syllabus 2025 Sub-Inspector written-result correction notice Constable, Jail Warder and Fireman notification No. 02/2025 Constable recruitment syllabus 2025 Constable recruitment FAQ Constable shortlist for verification and physical tests G.O.Ms.No.410 — common examination for open and departmental SI Annual planner 2026–27 Archive of previous question papers
Exam resources
Six resource pages, each kept in step with the latest official notification.
Questions
No. As at 11 September 2026 both 2025 recruitments were closed and awaiting selection, and no new window was open. The board’s tentative planner lists a women’s Sub-Inspector recruitment for December 2026 and the next common Constable recruitment for February 2027; a planner date is not a notification.
No. Neither the 2025 Sub-Inspector notification and addendum nor the Constable notification contains a deduction clause, and the board’s question booklet instructions state that a wrong, multiple or improperly shaded answer earns no marks for that question. Coaching material quoting a deduction is not describing this board.
An objective Tamil paper at tenth-standard state board level — 100 questions in 100 minutes for Sub-Inspector, 80 in 80 for the Grade-II posts — which must be passed at 40 per cent before the main answer sheet is evaluated. Its marks do not count towards selection; failing it ends the candidacy.
Out of 100. For Sub-Inspector: main written paper 70, physical efficiency test 15, viva-voce 10, special marks 5. For Constable, Jail Warder and Fireman: main written 70, physical efficiency 24, special marks 6, with no viva. The Tamil test, certificate verification, measurement and endurance run are qualifying and carry no marks.
Men: 170 cm for OC, BC, BC(M), MBC and DNC candidates and 167 cm for SC, SC(A) and ST candidates, with a chest of 81 cm and 5 cm expansion. Women: 159 cm and 157 cm respectively, with no chest standard. Measurements are rounded to the nearest half-centimetre. Ex-servicemen and departmental-quota Sub-Inspector candidates are exempt.
Three compulsory events — rope climbing, a jump and a sprint for men; a jump, a throw and a sprint for women — each earning zero, one or two stars against published standards. For Sub-Inspector one star is 2 marks and two stars 5, for a maximum of 15; for the Grade-II posts one star is 4 and two stars 8, for a maximum of 24. Zero stars in an event does not eliminate a candidate.
After a Supreme Court judgment in May 2025 required one common examination for open and departmental candidates, the board issued Addendum No. 1A/2025 in October: every candidate now sits the same written, endurance and efficiency tests and is scored on the same 100-mark total, the separate departmental law paper was deleted, and departmental candidates are exempt only from physical measurement.
In the 2025 cycles, reckoned as on 1 July 2025: Sub-Inspector 20 to 30, with BC, BC(M), MBC and DNC to 32, SC, SC(A), ST and transgender candidates to 35, destitute widows to 37, and ex-servicemen and the departmental quota to 47. Constable 18 to 26, with BC and MBC to 28, SC, ST and transgender candidates to 31, destitute widows to 37 and ex-servicemen to 47.
₹500 for Sub-Inspector under the open or departmental quota, or ₹1,000 to apply under both; ₹250 for the Constable, Jail Warder and Fireman recruitment. Online payment only. Neither notification states a category-based exemption.
Yes. The board’s archive holds the Sub-Inspector papers for 2019, 2022 and 2023 and the Constable papers for 2019, 2020 and 2022, each with its key. For the 2025 cycles it has so far posted the preliminary and final answer keys but not the question booklets.
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