TNPSC AE Civil Syllabus 2026
Subject-wise and chapter-wise TNPSC AE Civil syllabus: 10 subjects, 123 chapters, with the weightage each subject really got in 1 previous paper.
TNPSC AE Civil Exam Pattern 2026
Paper-I: Engineering Subject
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering (degree standard) | As notified | 200 |
Duration: 3 hours · Negative marking: As per the current TNPSC notification
Paper-II: General Studies
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Studies | As notified | As notified |
Duration: Per official notification · Negative marking: As per the current TNPSC notification
Interview / Oral Test
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Personality test | — | As notified |
Duration: — · Negative marking: Not applicable
TNPSC AE Civil Syllabus — Technical (Civil Engineering)
Weightage = average number of questions per paper across the 1 real previous-year paper on this site.
Building Materials & Construction Practices
- Properties & testing of engineering materials (brick, stone, M-sand, aggregates, cement, timber)
- Recycled & modern materials — glass, plastic, FRP, ceramic
- Concrete — properties, testing & mix design
- Admixtures & self-compacting concrete
- Steel construction practice
- Stone, brick, RCC & block masonry
- Construction equipment
- Building bye-laws & development regulations of Tamil Nadu
- Fire safety, lighting & ventilation
- Acoustics
Engineering Survey
- Chain, compass & plane table surveying
- Levelling & theodolite
- Computation of area & volume
- Longitudinal & cross sections
- Contouring
- Traversing & traverse adjustment
- Heights & distances
- Tacheometry & triangulation
- Total station, GPS & remote sensing techniques
Engineering Mechanics & Strength of Materials
- Forces — types & laws
- Centre of gravity & moment of inertia
- Friction
- Stresses & strains; thermal stress
- Elastic constants
- Bending moment & shear force in beams
- Theory of simple bending
- Deflection of beams
- Torsion
- Combined stresses & stresses on inclined planes
- Principal stresses & principal planes
- Theories of failure
- Analysis of plane trusses
Structural Analysis
- Indeterminate beams
- Stiffness & flexibility methods
- Slope deflection method
- Moment distribution method
- Arches & suspension cables
- Theory of columns
- Moving loads & influence lines
- Matrix method of analysis
- Stability of retaining walls
- Plastic theory
- Seismic analysis of high-rise buildings
Geotechnical Engineering
- Formation & types of soils
- Classification & field identification of soils
- Physical properties & testing of soils
- Three-phase diagram
- Permeability of soils
- Stress distribution in soils
- Theory of consolidation
- Shear strength parameters
- Soil stabilization & compaction
- Slope stability analysis
- Soil exploration & sampling; SPT; borelog profile
- Shallow foundations; Terzaghi's bearing capacity theory
- Pile foundation; pile load test; group action of piles
- Settlement of foundations
- Ground improvement techniques
Environmental Engineering & Pollution Control
- Sources of water & water demand
- Characteristics & analysis of water
- Hydraulics for conveyance & transmission
- Water-borne diseases
- Water treatment plant & desalination
- Water distribution system & pipe network analysis
- Characteristics & composition of sewage
- Sewerage system planning & design; sewer appurtenances
- Pumping of sewage
- Sewage treatment & disposal
- Storm water drain design
- Plumbing in high-rise buildings
- Industrial waste treatment
- Solid waste management
- Air & noise pollution control
- E-waste management
Design of RCC, Prestressed Concrete & Steel Structures
- Limit state & working stress design concepts
- Design of slabs — one-way, two-way & flat slabs
- Singly & doubly reinforced & flanged sections
- Design of columns & footings
- Prestressing — systems & methods; post-tensioning slabs
- Design of prestressed members for flexure
- Design of tension & compression members (steel)
- Bolted & welded connections
- Design of truss members
- Steel columns & bases
- Beams, plate girders & gantry girders
- Liquid storage structures — elevated & underground
- Design of retaining wall
Hydraulics & Water Resources Engineering
- Hydrostatics
- Bernoulli equation & applications
- Losses in pipes
- Flow measurement in channels
- Open channel flow
- Pumps — types & characteristics
- Momentum equation applications; kinematics of flow
- Water resources in Tamil Nadu; water resource planning
- Master plan for water management; flood control
- Runoff estimation; hydrograph; flood routing
- Soil-plant-water relationship; crop water requirement
- Irrigation methods
- Design of alluvial canal & headworks
- Water logging & land reclamation
- Cross drainage works
Urban & Transportation Engineering
- Urbanization trend & impact
- Slum clearance & improvement programmes
- Modes of transport & their characteristics
- Geometric design of highways
- Pavement materials & testing; alternate materials; modified binders
- Design & construction of bituminous & concrete roads
- Pavement distress, evaluation & maintenance
- Railways — permanent way; signalling, interlocking & train control
- Drainage in roads & railways
- Airport planning — components, site selection, runways, terminal buildings
- Harbours & ports — layout, docks, breakwaters
Project Management & Estimation
- Construction management & planning
- Scheduling & monitoring
- Cost control; quality control & inspection
- Network analysis — CPM & PERT
- Methods of project management
- Resource planning & management
- Types of estimates
- Technical specifications & tender documents; e-tender
- Building valuation
- Law relating to contracts & arbitration
See the syllabus in real TNPSC AE Civil papers
1 previous-year paper, with the subject-wise question count of each.
TNPSC AE Civil previous year papers →TNPSC AE Civil Syllabus — FAQs
What is the syllabus of TNPSC AE Civil 2026?
TNPSC AE Civil covers 10 subjects. The subjects are Building Materials & Construction Practices, Engineering Survey, Engineering Mechanics & Strength of Materials, Structural Analysis, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering & Pollution Control, Design of RCC, Prestressed Concrete & Steel Structures, Hydraulics & Water Resources Engineering, Urban & Transportation Engineering, Project Management & Estimation.
Which subjects carry the most questions in TNPSC AE Civil?
Across the 1 previous paper on CIVILGYAN, the most-asked subjects are Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering (about 23 questions a paper), Environmental Engineering (about 22 questions a paper), Transportation Engineering (about 21 questions a paper), Hydraulics (about 21 questions a paper).
Is this the official TNPSC AE Civil syllabus?
The subject list follows the official notification (tnpsc.gov.in); the chapter split and the weightage come from real previous papers and our test series. Always confirm against the latest notification.
How do I practise the TNPSC AE Civil syllabus chapter by chapter?
The TNPSC AE Civil test series has 123 chapter tests and 10 full mocks built on this syllabus, each with a detailed solution. 2 tests are free to attempt.