The Telangana Public Service Commission recruits to the state's Group-I Services through two stages: a Preliminary Test and a Main examination of written papers. The figures in this guide are from the commission's Notification No. 02/2024 (Annexure-II, pages 26–35).
The two stages at a glance
| Stage | Papers | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary Test | General Studies & Mental Ability | 150 | 150 minutes |
| Main examination | General English (qualifying) | 150 | 3 hours |
| Main examination | Papers I–VI | 150 each | 3 hours each |
Stage 1: the Preliminary Test
The Preliminary Test is one objective paper — General Studies & Mental Ability — of 150 questions and 150 marks, in 150 minutes (page 26). A question a minute is the pace to plan for, with nothing to spare: a candidate who spends three minutes on a hard question has taken two from somewhere else.
Because it is a single paper, the Preliminary Test mixes general studies and mental ability in one sitting. Practising them together — rather than general studies one week and reasoning the next — is closer to what the exam actually asks.
Read the notification for the cycle you are applying in for its rules on marking; check the instructions to candidates as well as the scheme of examination.
Stage 2: the Main examination
Every Main paper is written, three hours long and worth 150 marks.
The qualifying paper
General English is a qualifying paper of Secondary School Certificate standard. The minimum qualifying marks are 40% for OC, sportsmen and EWS candidates, 35% for BC candidates and 30% for SC, ST and PH candidates, and the marks obtained in it are not counted for ranking (page 16, para 12.1 (D)). It decides nothing about rank and everything about whether the other six papers are counted.
The six ranking papers
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General Essay | 150 |
| Paper II | History, Culture and Geography | 150 |
| Paper III | Indian Society, Constitution and Governance | 150 |
| Paper IV | Economy and Development | 150 |
| Paper V | Science & Technology and Data Interpretation | 150 |
| Paper VI | Telangana Movement and State Formation | 150 |
Six papers of 150 marks make 900 marks of written answers. Three features shape preparation:
- The essay paper is three essays. Candidates write three essays, one from each section; each section offers three questions and each essay carries 50 marks (pages 26–27).
- Paper V includes data interpretation. Science and technology share a paper with reading and analysing data, which is a skill to practise with numbers in front of you, not a topic to read about.
- Paper VI is unique to Telangana. A full 150-mark paper on the Telangana movement and the formation of the state has no counterpart in UPSC or APPSC.
Why Paper VI deserves its own plan
The movement for Telangana spans decades, and the paper asks for it as history with causes, phases and consequences — not as a list of dates. Two things help:
- Read the history in order first. The Telangana History timeline runs from the Satavahanas to the political awakening of the twentieth century, era by era, which is the background Paper VI assumes.
- Then read the movement chapters closely. PrepShark's Telangana Movement notes are organised for this paper.
Our study order for Telangana history goes era by era, with the chapters and practice questions for each.
What this means for preparation
- One objective paper, then six written ones. The skills are different: speed and breadth for the Preliminary Test, structured answers under time for the Main examination. Most candidates under-practise the second.
- The state is in the titles. History and culture (Paper II), development (Paper IV) and Paper VI as a whole make Telangana a large share of the written examination.
- Do not leave English to the end. It is qualifying, but failing it is final.
PrepShark's page for TGPSC Group 1 sets out the pattern beside the chapters that cover it.
Always check the current notification
This guide follows Notification No. 02/2024. Patterns change between notifications, so check the annexure of the notification you are applying under before you rely on any figure here.