The TNEA eligibility criteria have been released by DoE, Tamil Nadu, along with the official brochure. Candidates who have passed class 12th from Tamil Nadu can apply for the TNEA counselling.
The TNEA eligibility criteria 2025 and the information brochure were made available on the official website by the Directorate of Education, Tamil Nadu. The eligibility criteria comprise nativity requirements, aggregate marks, age limit, and more.
So, who is eligible for TNEA 2025? Interested candidates must have passed their class 12th from schools situated in Tamil Nadu. Checking the TNEA eligibility criteria is crucial for candidates to participate in the TNEA counselling process 2025 successfully.
TNEA Eligibility Criteria 2025: An Overview
The TNEA eligibility criteria were provided by the authorities with the release of the TNEA information brochure. To fill out the TNEA application form 2025, candidates must first have a look at the eligibility requirements.
The eligibility requirements include fulfilling the domicile criteria, age limit, aggregate marks, and other such intricacies. A quick overview of the TNEA admission eligibility 2025 is provided in the table below for candidates’ reference:
|
Particulars |
Details |
|
Nativity |
Children of Central Government Employees staying in Tamil Nadu for 5 years Students of Tamil Nadu residing in another state Students studying in Tamil Nadu Children of employees in the Public Sector or Government recognised Institutions Sons and daughters of All India Service Tamil Nadu cadre officers Other state candidates who have studied in Tamil Nadu Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees who have studied in Tamil Nadu Candidates of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders/Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cardholders and Native of Tamil Nadu |
|
Qualifying Examinations |
Candidates must have passed 10+2 with HSC/vocational course |
|
TNEA Age Limit |
The authorities have not specified a strict upper age limit to be eligible for TNEA counselling 2025. However, for admission to streams like Marine Engineering, the maximum age is 25 years. |
Note: As per the TNEA eligibility, passing the qualifying examination or changing the religion after the last date of submission of the online application shall not be considered.
Also Read: TNEA 2025 Selection Process for Sports Quota
TNEA Domicile Rules 2025
As per the DoE, only candidates fulfilling the TNEA domicile rules can apply for the TNEA counselling 2025. Here’s a detailed overview of the nativity requirements:
|
TNEA Domicile Eligibility 2025 |
Supporting Documents |
|
Tamil Nadu candidates who have passed their 8th to 12th standards from schools situated in the state |
They need not produce a Nativity Certificate for verification. |
|
Tamil Nadu native candidates who have passed any of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th standard or their equivalent examination from schools situated outside Tamil Nadu |
They must produce a Nativity Certificate; however, only in electronic form/digitally signed e-Certificate. |
|
Children of Central Government Employees, wherein the parents or guardians (only if both parents are not alive) have been serving in Tamil Nadu continuously for the past five years at the time of submission of the TNEA application form |
They must produce a certificate from the employer of the parent or guardian, to that effect |
|
Children of employees in the Public Sector or Government recognised Institutions who, at the time of submission of application for admission employed in Tamil Nadu continuously for the past five years |
A certificate from the employer stating that the person is a Permanent Employee of the Firm or Institution concerned with evidence like Income Tax return, PF Slips, etc. and is working in Tamil Nadu continuously for the past five years has to be produced |
|
Sons and daughters of All India Service Tamil Nadu cadre officers |
A Self-declaration from the parent in this regard is to be produced |
|
Other State candidates who have studied 8th to 12th standards, those in Tamil Nadu |
They need not produce any nativity certificate |
TNEA Aggregate Marks Eligibility Requirements 2025
The following are the TNEA qualification requirements as set by the DoE, Tamil Nadu:
|
Particulars |
Details |
|
Qualifying Examination |
Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Examination (Academic or Vocational) |
|
Mandatory Subjects |
Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (any of these for vocational studies) |
|
TNEA Cutoff Marks Eligibility for Class 12th in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics |
General: 45% |
|
OBC (including OBC Muslims): 40% |
|
|
MBC & DNC: 40% |
|
|
SC/ST/SA: 40% |
|
|
TNEA Cutoff Marks Eligibility for Class 12th in Related Subjects, Vocational Theory and Practicals |
General: 45% |
|
OBC (including OBC Muslims): 40% |
|
|
MBC & DNC: 40% |
|
|
SC/ST/SA: 40% |
|
|
List of Vocational Subjects accepted under TNEA eligibility criteria |
Mechanical Engineering |
|
Automobile Engineering |
|
|
Civil Engineering |
|
|
Electronics Engineering |
|
|
Textile Engineering |
|
|
Electrical Engineering |
Also Read: TNEA 2025 Certificate Verification
TNEA Eligibility Criteria for Marine Engineering Branch
The Directorate of Education, Tamil Nadu, has set a separate TNEA eligibility criterion for admission to the Marine Engineering branch through TNEA 2025. Candidates willing to pursue Marine Engineering must fulfil the following criteria before applying for TNEA 2025:
|
Particulars |
Details |
|
Qualifying Examination |
Students must have passed their 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognised institute |
|
Mandatory Subjects Required |
Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and English as a separate subject |
|
Minimum Aggregate Required |
60% in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics |
|
50% in English, either in the 10th or 12th standard |
|
|
TNEA Age Limit |
The candidates must be a maximum of 25 years old |
|
Additional Requirements |
Height: minimum of 157 cm. |
|
Normal colour vision |
|
|
Weight: minimum of 48 kg. |
TNEA Eligibility Criteria Reservation Rules 2025
Several seats at the TNEA participating institutes are reserved for certain categories. Here’s what the TNEA reservation policy looks like:
|
Category |
Percentage of Reservation |
|
Open Competition |
31% |
|
Backward Class |
26.5% |
|
Backwards Class Muslim |
3.50% |
|
Most Backwards Class and Denotified Communities |
20% |
|
Scheduled Caste |
15% |
|
Schedule Caste Arunthathiyars |
3% |
|
Scheduled Tribes |
1% |
|
Total |
100% |
TNEA Community Certificate Requirements
The community recorded in the certificate of a Tamil Nadu native candidate should appear in the list of communities approved by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The applicants from Tamil Nadu State must possess a permanent community certificate (for SC/ SCA/ ST/ MBC&DNC, BC and BCMuslim candidates) in the form of a permanent card/ electronic form/ digitally signed e-Certificate.
These certificates must only be produced from the authorities given below on or before the last date prescribed for submission of the online application:
|
Community |
Issuing Authority |
|
Scheduled Tribe (ST) |
Revenue Divisional Officer / Sub Collector of their native place (except Chennai) or P.A. (General) to the Collector of Chennai. |
|
The Community Certificate card issued by Tahsildars upto11.11.1989 is valid. |
|
|
Scheduled Caste (SC) |
Tahsildar of the Native Taluk of the candidate |
|
Backward Class/ Backward Class Muslim/ Most Backward Class/ Denotified Communities |
Headquarters Deputy Tahsildar / Zonal Deputy Tahsildar/ Deputy Tahsildar (Certifica |
Also Read: TNEA Supplementary Counselling 2025
TNEA Special Reservation Criteria 2025
A special category of reservation is also provided to the natives of Tamil Nadu. Here’s how seats are allocated during the TNEA counselling 2025 for certain categories:
|
Category |
Reservation |
|||
|
Uni. Depts. & Uni. Colleges |
Govt. and Govt. Aided Colleges |
Self-financing Colleges |
Total |
|
|
Son’s / Daughter’s of Ex-Servicemen |
8 |
34 |
108 |
150 |
|
Persons With Benchmark Disabilities |
5% |
|||
|
Eminent Sports Persons |
Uni. Depts. |
Uni. Colleges/Govt./ Aided & Self-financing |
Total |
|
|
12 |
488 |
500 |
||
TNEA Certificate Requirements Under Special Reservation Criteria
Candidates given a special reservation under the TNEA counselling must produce the following certificates to fulfil the TNEA eligibility criteria 2025:
TNEA Eligibility Criteria for PwD Candidates 2025
Candidates with visual and hearing impairment, locomotor disability, autism, intellectual disability, and specific learning disability are provided with special accommodations. Candidates with disabilities must fulfil the following TNEA eligibility criteria:
|
Particulars |
PDF Link |
|
TNEA Eligibility Criteria for PwD Candidates 2025 |
Also Read: TNEA Lateral Entry 2025
TNEA Admission Eligibility Criteria 2025
Apart from the qualifying examination marks, the selection of candidates will also be based on the normalised marks. In simple terms, the marks obtained in the prescribed subjects are reduced to 200 (Mathematics:100, Physics: 50, Chemistry: 50) in the qualifying examination.
For example, if the highest mark secured by a student in the Tamil Nadu State Board in Physics is 100 and the highest mark secured by a student of any other Board in the same subject is 90, both the highest marks will be considered to be equal to 100.
Moreover, if a student of the other Board secures 60 marks in Physics when the first mark in Physics in the same Board is 90, 60 marks will be considered to be equal to 66.66 marks, as shown below:
(60/90) ∗ 100 = 66.66%. After the normalisation of the marks secured across different subjects and boards, the qualified students shall be merged into a common TNEA merit list.
TNEA Admission Eligibility Criteria for Other Categories
Apart from the merit-based admission criteria, the authorities have also set the TNEA eligibility requirements for vocational courses, sandwich courses, and disabled candidates. Students can find the same from the PDF provided in the table below:
|
Particulars |
PDF Link |
|
Admission under Special Reservation Categories |
|
|
Admission Of Vocational Stream Candidates |
|
|
Admission To Sandwich Courses |
