Tamil Nadu Circle Releases DEST Shortlist for LDCE/CE Postal Assistant & Sorting Assistant Exam 2026
Tamil Nadu Circle Releases DEST Shortlist for LDCE/CE Postal Assistant & Sorting Assistant Recruitment 2026
The Tamil Nadu Postal Circle has officially released the list of qualified candidates shortlisted for the Data Entry Skill Test (DEST) for the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) / Competitive Examination (CE) 2026 for recruitment to the posts of Postal Assistant (Circle Office & Regional Offices), Postal Assistant (Post Offices), and Sorting Assistant (Railway Mail Service). The DEST is scheduled to be held on 16 August 2026 (Sunday) at the respective Regional Headquarters.
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969 Candidates Shortlisted for DEST
According to the notification, 969 departmental candidates have been shortlisted to appear for the DEST based on the LDCE/CE conducted on 28 June 2026 for vacancies pertaining to the year 2026 (01.01.2026 to 31.12.2026). Among them, 12 Visually Handicapped (VH) candidates have been exempted from appearing in the DEST as per Directorate instructions.
No Change in Vacancies
The Tamil Nadu Circle has clarified that there is no change in the total number of vacancies already notified through Letter No. REP/4-1/2026 dated 11.05.2026. Candidates qualifying in DEST will continue in the recruitment process based on the notified vacancies.
DEST Schedule
- Examination: Data Entry Skill Test (DEST)
- Date: 16 August 2026 (Sunday)
- Venue: Regional Headquarters across Tamil Nadu Circle
- Posts Covered:
- Postal Assistant (Circle Office & Regional Offices)
- Postal Assistant (Post Offices)
- Sorting Assistant (Railway Mail Service)
Candidates Advised to Prepare as per Official Syllabus
The Circle has advised all shortlisted candidates to carefully go through the DEST syllabus communicated earlier by the Directorate under Letter No. 17-08/2018-SPN-I dated 19.12.2022 and prepare accordingly.
Shortlist Covers All Postal Divisions
The annexure accompanying the notification contains the names of shortlisted candidates from postal divisions across the Tamil Nadu Circle, including Chennai City, Chennai GPO, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Vellore, Kanyakumari, Puducherry, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Thanjavur, Tuticorin, Virudhunagar and several other divisions. The complete annexure spans 16 pages.
Final Words
Candidates whose names appear in the shortlist should make necessary preparations for the DEST scheduled on 16 August 2026, as qualifying the skill test is an essential stage in the selection process for Postal Assistant and Sorting Assistant posts under the LDCE/CE 2026 recruitment.
Source: Tamil Nadu Circle, Department of Posts – DEST Shortlist Notification for LDCE/CE 2026.