The TSPSC group 1 syllabus starts with one OMR screening test in General Studies and Mental Ability and ends in six written mains papers, 150 marks apiece, alongside an English test that merely has to be cleared. The Telangana Public Service Commission, renamed TGPSC, uses this exam to fill posts such as Deputy Collector, DSP, Commercial Tax Officer and Municipal Commissioner.
What sets Group 1 apart from the national civil services is the weight on Telangana itself. Its history, economy, society and the movement for statehood appear in the prelims and get a full mains paper of their own. The sections below take you through the pattern and every paper.
Exam at a glance
Conducted by
Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC)Level
State civil services, Group 1 postsPrelims
150 objective questions, 150 marks, 2 hours 30 minutesNegative marking
None reported for the prelimsMains
Six papers of 150 marks (900), plus General English (qualifying)Mains time
3 hours per paperQualification
Bachelor's degree; some posts need a specific degree
TSPSC group 1 syllabus at a glance
- Preliminary test: a single OMR test that filters the field. Nothing you score here carries into the rank list.
- Main examination: a qualifying General English paper and six descriptive papers. Your rank is decided by the six papers.
- Verification and medical: certificates are checked and a medical exam follows for selected candidates.
The latest scheme as reported does not include an interview, so the 900 written marks carry the whole decision. The number of candidates admitted to the mains is a multiple of the vacancies set in the notification.
Telangana Group 1 paper structure in numbers
| Test | Items | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Studies and Mental Ability | 150 | 150 | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | General English (class 10 standard) | 150 |
| I | General Essay | 150 |
| II | History, Culture and Geography | 150 |
| III | Indian Society, Constitution and Governance | 150 |
| IV | Economy and Development | 150 |
| V | Science and Technology, and Data Interpretation | 150 |
| VI | Telangana Movement and State Formation | 150 |
You get three hours for each mains paper. Passing English is compulsory, yet it adds nothing to your total. Reports of the prelims describe no negative marking, which means you should attempt every question.
Prelims syllabus: General Studies and Mental Ability
- Current events: regional, national and international
- International relations and events
- General science and India's achievements in science and technology
- Environmental issues and disaster management, including prevention and mitigation
- Economic and social development of India and Telangana
- Physical and human geography at three levels: world, country and state
- Indian history and cultural heritage
- Society, culture, heritage, arts and literature of Telangana
- Policies of the Telangana state
- Social exclusion, rights issues and inclusive policies (gender, caste, tribe, disability)
- Indian Constitution, polity and governance, with public policy
- Logical reasoning, analytical ability and data interpretation
Roughly half of these headings name Telangana directly. A candidate who prepared only for national exams will find the state topics the hardest gap to close.
Mains papers I to III
General English (qualifying)
Error spotting, prepositions, conjunctions and tenses, changing voice, reporting speech, vocabulary, jumbled sentences, comprehension, precis, expansion of ideas and letter writing.
Paper I: General Essay
Essays on themes such as contemporary social issues, economic growth and justice, Indian politics, India's historical and cultural heritage, developments in science and technology, and education and human resource development.
Paper II: History, Culture and Geography
Modern Indian history and culture from 1757 to 1947, the history and culture of Telangana, plus Indian and Telangana geography.
Paper III: Indian Society, Constitution and Governance
The structure of Indian society, social movements and social issues, the Indian Constitution, and governance with its institutions and policies.
Mains papers IV to VI
Paper IV: Economy and Development
The Indian economy and its development, the economy of Telangana, and issues of development and environment.
Paper V: Science and Technology, and Data Interpretation
How science and technology shape society and the economy, modern trends in applying scientific knowledge, and a part on problem solving and data interpretation that rewards quick, neat working.
Paper VI: Telangana Movement and State Formation
- The idea of Telangana, 1948 to 1970
- The mobilisation phase, 1971 to 1990
- Towards the formation of the state, 1991 to 2014
Paper VI is unique to this exam. Build a timeline of agreements, agitations and committees for each phase, because answers that place events in order score better than loose narratives.
Where to put your effort
Treat the prelims and the mains as one preparation. The Telangana topics in the prelims (history, economy, society, policies) are the same material you will later write about in Papers II, IV and VI. The Constitution and governance topics feed Paper III, and the reasoning part of the prelims prepares you for the data interpretation half of Paper V.
Srujana, a commerce graduate from Warangal, has eight months before the prelims. She gives mornings to Telangana history and economy using state government reports and the state board textbooks, and evenings to polity and current affairs. Two descriptive answers a week, started from the second month, leave her with a habit of writing long answers well before the prelims result arrives.
For the national portions, the NCERT series covering the past, the land, the Constitution and the economy lays the base, and the official syllabus copy should stay on your desk as a checklist.
Eligibility basics
For the last notification, reports gave these rules:
- Graduation in any discipline for most posts
- Specific degrees for some posts, for example engineering for Regional Transport Officer, and commerce, economics or mathematics for treasury and accounts posts
- Age 18 to 46 years for most posts; police, excise and jail posts have lower upper limits
- Relaxation on the age ceiling: 3 for BC candidates, 5 each for SC and ST, 10 for candidates with disabilities
Age limits differ post by post and the counting date moves between recruitments; read the current notice before applying.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Group 1 screening test carry a penalty for errors?
Recent reports of the pattern describe no negative marking in the 150 question prelims. Even so, read the instructions in your notification and on the question booklet, since the commission can change the rule.
Is there an interview in TSPSC Group 1?
No. As reported, the current scheme drops the interview. Ranking comes from the six descriptive mains papers worth 900 marks, so answer writing practice matters more than ever.
Does the General English paper add to my total?
No. Think of it as a gate. Clearing it lets your six main papers be counted, but its own 150 marks stay outside the ranking.
What is the TSPSC group 1 age ceiling?
For most posts in the last notification it was 46 years, with lower limits for posts such as DSP and Deputy Superintendent of Jails. Reserved categories get extra years, so read the table of limits for each post.
Is Telugu allowed as the mains medium?
Group 1 mains papers have been offered in more than one medium, and you choose your medium while applying. Confirm the available mediums in your recruitment notice.
How long should I prepare for Group 1?
Many serious candidates plan about a year for both stages together. With a strong national base from civil services preparation, six to eight months focused on Telangana topics and answer writing can be enough.