TANCET 2026 Civil Engineering Syllabus PDF - Download TANCET Civil Engineering Syllabus Topic wise

Name of Exam

Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET)

Conducting Authority

Anna University

TANCET Notification 2026

Yet to be released

TANCET 2026 Exam Pattern 

• Total Marks: 100
• Total Questions: 100 
• Time Duration: 2 hours (120 minutes)
• Marks for Correct Answer: +1
• Negative Marks for Incorrect Answer: -1/3 

TANCET Eligibility Criteria 2026

Hold a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 50% marks in a relevant discipline

Structural Engineering

Mechanics: Stress-Strain Relationships – Principal stresses and Principal strain in two dimension and three dimension. Composite Bars – Composite Beams – Elastic Constants. Beams and Bending – Shear Force and Bending Moment Diagrams – Flexural and shear Stresses. Slope and Deflection of Beams. Thin and Thick Cylinders. Torsion. Theories of Failure – Unsymmetrical Bending – Curved Beams – Theories of Columns. Combined Direct and Bending Stresses

Structural Analysis

Static and Kinematic Indeterminacy – Energy Principles – Deflection of pin jointed plane frames – rigid frames. Classical Method of Analysis of indeterminate structures (Slope deflection and Moment Distribution) – Matrix Method. Arches and Suspension Bridges – Influence Line for Determinate and Indeterminate Structures. Plastic Analysis of Structures

Building Materials

Cement – Concrete – properties of ingredients – Mix Design – Quality Control – Special Concrete – Concreting Methods – Brick – Brick Masonry – Stone – Timber – Steel

Concrete Structures

Design Methods – Limit State Design for beams, slabs, columns and footings – retaining walls – water Tanks. Prestressed Concrete – Principles – Methods – Losses – Deflection – Design

Steel Structures

Steel Sections – Connections – Design of Tension and Compression Members – Beams, Column Bases – Plate Girders and Trusses. 

Soil Mechanics

Nature of soil – phase relationships – soil classification; Soil water – static pressure – effective stress principle; permeability – seepage; Stress distribution in soil – Consolidation (Terzaghi’s one dimension consolidation theory); Compaction shear strength of soil – Mohr - Coulomb theory – determination of shear strength by different methods; Slope stability analysis – protection measures

Foundation Engineering

Site investigation – scope and objectives – drilling techniques – depth and spacing of boreholes – sampling techniques – penetration tests (SPT and SCPT) – plate load test – selection of foundation; Foundation types – shallow foundation – bearing capacity (Terzaghi’s Theory and BIS formula) – allowable bearing pressure – bearing capacity from field tests – settlement of foundation – allowable settlement – Codal provisions; Design of foundations – Isolated, combined and raft foundation; Pile foundations – static and dynamic pile driving formulae (Engineering News and Hiley method) – Pile groups – capacity and settlement – Codal provisions – pile load test – negative friction on piles; Earth pressure theories – Earth pressure on retaining walls – stability analysis of retaining wall.

Transportation Engineering: Highway Planning

Road Classification, Geometric Design of Highways, Construction of Earth, WBM, Bituminous and concrete roads, Design of flexible and rigid pavements. Drainage of roads, Maintenance of roads. Railways, Airways, Docks and Harbour Planning: Railway alignment components of permanent way, geometric design Airport planning, components of airport, site selection, planning for terminal building, runways. Harbour planning, components of harbour, inland water transport. Traffic Engineering: Traffic characteristics, Traffic surveys, Traffic Signals, Road markings and signs. 

Water Resources Engineering

Fluid Mechanics and hydraulics: Properties of fluids. Fluid statics and relative equilibrium. Basic concepts of fluid flow – kinematics and dynamics. Concept of system and control volume application to continuity, momentum and energy equations. Dimensional analysis and model studies. Laminar and turbulent flow through pipes. Boundary layers. Steady uniform and gradually varied flow in open channels. Rapidly varied flows. Turbines and pumps and positive displacement pumps.

Hydrology and Ground Water

Hydrometeorology. Hydrologic cycle. Precipitation and its measurements. Abstractions. Runoff estimation. Hydrograph analysis. Unit Hydrograph. Hydrologic extremes floods and droughts. Rainwater harvesting. Properties of aquifer. Groundwater development. GEC norms. Well hydraulics. Steady and unsteady flows. Ground water quality. Irrigation Engineering: Irrigation system. National water policy. Components of irrigation network. Design of lined and unlined channels. Waterways, head works, gravity dams and spillways. Design of weirs on permeable foundation. Soil water relations. Crop water requirements. Irrigation scheduling and methods. Duty, delta and base period. Irrigation water quality. Irrigation water management. Participatory approach.

Environmental Engineering

Water and waste water Engineering; Water requirements; water demand; quality standards; Development of water supply source, conveyance system; basic unit processes and operations for water treatment; water distribution; sewage characteristics; sewage treatment, primary and secondary treatment of sewage, sludge disposal, sewage disposal. Air Pollution and Control: Types of Pollutants, their sources and impacts, air pollution meteorology, air pollution control, air quality standards and limits

Noise pollution and Control

Impacts of noise, permissible limits of noise pollution, measurement of noise and control of noise pollution

Surveying

Chain surveying, compass surveying – plane table surveying – levelling – theodolite surveying – Temporary and permanent adjustments for level and theodolite – trigonometric levelling – tacheometry – traversing – contouring – Computation of areas and volumes. Curve Setting – simple, compound and reverse curves – transition curves – vertical curves – Electromagnetic distance measurement – Total station – construction surveying – hydrographic surveying – route survey – triangulation – astronomical survey