Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission Village Administrative Officer Exam Syllabus
The TNPSC Village Administrative Officer (VAO) exam is conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission to recruit candidates for the post of Village Administrative Officer in the Tamil Nadu Ministerial Service. This role involves managing the day-to-day administrative tasks in rural areas.
TNPSC VAO Exam Structure:
- Written Exam (Objective Type)
1. Written Exam:
The written exam is designed to assess the candidate’s general knowledge, aptitude, and basic skills necessary for the role of a VAO.
- Total Marks: 300
- Duration: 3 hours
- Number of Questions: 200
- Question Type: Objective (Multiple Choice Questions)
- Minimum Qualifying Marks: 90
Exam Sections:
- General Studies (75 Questions)
- Aptitude and Mental Ability Test (25 Questions)
- General Tamil/General English (100 Questions)
Candidates have the option to choose between General Tamil and General English for the language section.
Detailed Syllabus:
1. General Studies (75 Questions):
The General Studies section tests the candidate’s awareness of current events, general knowledge, and basics of history, geography, and politics.
Topics Covered:
General Science:
- Physics: Basic principles, everyday applications, electricity, magnetism.
- Chemistry: Elements, compounds, basic chemistry in daily life, pollution.
- Biology: Human body, plants, animals, nutrition, health and hygiene.
Current Events:
- National and International events, awards, sports, and important days.
- Political, economic, social, and cultural updates.
Geography:
- Physical geography of India and Tamil Nadu, climate, soil, rivers.
- Natural resources, industries, trade, and transport.
History and Culture of India and Tamil Nadu:
- Ancient, medieval, and modern history of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
- Freedom struggle, socio-religious reform movements, important dynasties.
Indian Polity:
- Indian Constitution, political system, governance, Panchayati Raj.
- Public administration, judiciary, rights and duties of citizens.
Indian Economy:
- Basic economic concepts, agriculture, industry, and services sectors.
- Five-year plans, rural development, poverty alleviation programs.
Indian National Movement:
- Key events in India’s freedom struggle, important leaders and their contributions.
- Role of Tamil Nadu in the national movement.
Aptitude and Mental Ability Test (25 Questions):
- This section assesses the candidate’s numerical and logical reasoning skills.
Topics Covered:
- Simplification: Basic arithmetic operations, fractions, decimals, percentages.
- Ratios and Proportions: Relationship between numbers, mixing problems.
- Time and Work: Simple problems on work efficiency, work-time relationship.
- Time and Distance: Speed, distance-time relationships, simple train problems.
- Data Interpretation: Analyzing data presented in tables, charts, graphs.
- Logical Reasoning: Simple puzzles, sequence patterns, coding-decoding.
- Problem Solving: Mathematical problems requiring basic logic and arithmetic.
- Algebra and Geometry: Basic equations, shapes, areas, volumes.
3. General Tamil/General English (100 Questions):
Candidates can choose between Tamil or English based on their preference. This section assesses language proficiency and comprehension skills.
General Tamil:
- Grammar: Parts of speech, sentence types, tenses, voice, direct-indirect speech.
- Literature: Important works of Tamil literature, authors, and poets.
- Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitutions, idioms.
- Comprehension: Reading passages, answering questions based on the passage.
- Translation: Translating sentences from Tamil to English and vice versa.
General English:
- Grammar: Tenses, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, sentence structure.
- Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, word formation, idioms, and phrases.
- Literature: Basic knowledge of important English literary works and authors.
- Comprehension: Reading and understanding of given passages.
- Error Detection: Spotting grammatical errors in sentences.
- Sentence Arrangement: Ordering sentences to form a coherent paragraph.
Preparation Tips:
Focus on Current Affairs:
- Stay updated with the latest news, especially those related to Tamil Nadu.
Practice Aptitude Questions:
- Regularly solve numerical problems and puzzles to sharpen reasoning skills.
Study Tamil Nadu Specific Content:
- Emphasize history, culture, and geography specific to Tamil Nadu.
Revise Basic Grammar and Language Skills:
- Whether opting for Tamil or English, ensure strong command over the language.
Mock Tests and Previous Papers:
- Regular practice of previous year question papers and mock tests to familiarize with the exam pattern.
