Group 2 General Tamil, counted

Half the paper

In Group 2/2A prelims the language part is 100 of the 200 questions, the same weight as General Studies and Aptitude together. Unlike Group 4, it does not gate the rest of the paper, but every mark in it counts towards the cut-off. These counts cover the 297 General Tamil questions of the last three prelims (2022, 2024, 2025).

Where the 100 questions come from

• Literary Knowledge: 131 questions (44%)
• Grammar: 72 questions (24%)
• Vocabulary: 53 questions (18%)
• Reading Comprehension: 19 questions (6%)
• Technical Terms: 15 questions (5%)
• Writing Skills: 5 questions (2%)
• Translation: 2 questions (1%)

Literary Knowledge alone is 44% of the Tamil questions. Grammar and vocabulary together are most of the rest.

The topics asked in all three papers

• Modern Tamil Literature and Poets: 39 questions
• Tamil Scholars and Their Contributions: 31 questions
• Vinaimutru, Vinaiyecham, Peyarecham and Vinaiyalanaiyum Peyar: 18 questions
• Sangam Literature: 18 questions
• Many Words for One Meaning: 16 questions
• Spelling and Ottru Errors: 15 questions
• Aranool Texts (Naladiyar, Nanmanikkadigai and Others): 13 questions
• Thirukkural: The Twenty-Five Prescribed Chapters: 10 questions
• Proverbs (Pazhamozhi): 8 questions
• Parts of Speech and Word Classes: 7 questions

Modern literature and Tamil scholars together (70 questions) were asked more than Sangam literature (18).

How to revise it

1. Make one table of poets and scholars: name, period, major works, title or honour. Who wrote what, and who was called what, is a question that table answers.
2. Grammar is a small, finite set of rules that repeat: drill them as questions, not as notes.
3. The Samacheer Tamil textbooks for classes 6 to 12 cover this syllabus. Read them free here.
4. Do the Tamil part first on the day, while you are fresh: it is half the marks.

If you chose General English instead

Group 2/2A lets you choose the language part. In the 288 General English questions of the same papers, the largest units were Literary Knowledge (33%), Grammar (24%), Vocabulary (19%).

The ten-day plan for the rest of the paper.

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Frequently asked questions

Which part of Group 2 General Tamil has the most questions?

Literary Knowledge: 44% of the General Tamil questions in the last three prelims.

Is General Tamil compulsory in Group 2?

Not in the prelims: you choose General Tamil or General English for the 100-question language part. The Mains is different: its Paper I is a Tamil Eligibility Test, and 40 of 100 is needed there for the rest of the Mains to count.