The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has issued a brief notification (No. 18/2026, dated 15 September 2026) for 23 Forest Beat Officer posts in the A.P. Forest Subordinate Service. You only need to have passed Intermediate (Class 12). The pay scale is Rs 25,220 – 80,910, and online applications run from 16 October to 5 November 2026.
This is the brief notice. The detailed notification, with age limit, fee, community and zone breakup and the physical (walking) standards, comes on or before 16 October 2026. What is already fixed: Intermediate qualification, a single-level online exam with no screening test, and the full syllabus.
Apply 16 Oct – 5 Nov 2026, 11:59 PM · 23 posts · Intermediate pass · No screening test · Essay + 2 papers (200 marks) · Walking test + medical · Brief notification (PDF) · psc.ap.gov.in
Written from APPSC Brief Notification No. 18/2026 dated 15 September 2026 on 9 October 2026. We will update this page from the detailed notification.
On this page: Dates · Who can apply · Still to come · Exam pattern · Walking test and CPT · Syllabus · How to prepare · Sources
Important dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Brief notification | 15 September 2026 |
| Detailed notification on psc.ap.gov.in | On or before 16 October 2026 |
| Online application | 16 October to 5 November 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Crucial date for eligibility | The date of the detailed notification |
| Online exam (CBRT) | To be announced |
Who can apply
- Qualification: you must have passed the Intermediate exam (Class 12) or an equivalent, on the date of the detailed notification. The brief notice does not limit it to any Intermediate group.
- Physical requirements: the notice says these are in the detailed notification, so check them before you apply.
- Apply online only, at psc.ap.gov.in. Other modes are not accepted.
Still to come in the detailed notification
The brief notice does not give these:
- Age limit and relaxations
- Application fee and exemptions
- Community, zone and women-wise breakup of the 23 posts
- Physical standards: height, chest and the walking test distance and time
- The exam date
Don’t rely on figures from earlier Forest Beat Officer recruitments. We’ll update this page from the official detailed notification.
Exam pattern (single-level online exam)
There is no screening test. Everyone who applies sits one online exam (CBRT).
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Minutes | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying test | Essay in English, Telugu or Urdu (descriptive), on a forests and environment theme | 1 | 45 | 50 (pass only) |
| Paper I | General Studies & Mental Ability (objective) | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Paper II | General Science & General Mathematics, SSC standard (objective) | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Total for merit | 200 |
- The essay is qualifying. You choose the language: English, Telugu or Urdu.
- Negative marking: each wrong answer loses 1/3 of that question’s marks.
- If the exam runs in more than one session, scores are normalised by the method APPSC decides.
Walking test, medical and computer test
- Walking test and medical examination. Candidates picked in the ratio 1:2 to the vacancies take a walking test and a medical examination by a medical board. Both are arranged by the Forest Department with APPSC. For 23 posts that means about 46 candidates, which is our arithmetic.
- Computer Proficiency Test (CPT), qualifying only:
| Duration | Marks | Pass mark: SC/ST | BC | OC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 minutes | 100 | 30 | 35 | 40 |
The CPT syllabus covers computer basics, Windows, Linux, internet and email (Part A), and MS Office or LibreOffice: Word, Excel and PowerPoint (Part B).
Syllabus in brief
Qualifying test: essay (50 marks, 45 minutes)
One essay in English, Telugu or Urdu on a theme about forests and environment.
Paper I: General Studies & Mental Ability (100 marks)
- General science and contemporary science and technology, at a level expected of an Intermediate pass
- Current events of national importance and of Andhra Pradesh
- History of India, with a focus on AP and the national movement
- Geography of India, with a focus on AP
- Indian polity and economy: rural development, planning, economic reforms
- Mental ability: reasoning and inferences
- Sustainable development and environmental protection
- Disaster management: earthquakes, cyclones, tsunami, floods, drought, man-made disasters
Paper II, Part A: General Science (50 marks)
- Sources of energy: solar, wind, hydro, biogas, fossil fuels, nuclear fission and fusion
- Living world: nutrition, photosynthesis, digestion and respiration
- Transportation and excretion: blood, heart, nervous system, hormones
- Reproduction, heredity and evolution: DNA, genes, sex determination
- Natural resources: metals and metallurgy, alloys, hydrogen, ammonia, sulphur, sulphuric acid
- Carbon compounds: alcohols, formaldehyde, acetone, acetic acid, polymers, soaps
- Environment: pollution, water conservation, rainwater harvesting, greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, acid rain
- Ethnobotany: botanical names and medicinal uses of 48 listed plants (24 seasonal, 24 perennial). Seasonal plants include ashwagandha, tulsi, turmeric, giloy and sarpagandha; perennials include neem, aonla, arjuna, sandal, karanj and peepal.
- The universe, the solar system, satellites and space exploration
Paper II, Part B: General Mathematics (50 marks)
Arithmetic (percentages, interest, profit and loss, time and work, HCF/LCM), algebra (polynomials, quadratic and linear equations), trigonometry (heights and distances), geometry (triangles, circles), mensuration, and statistics (graphs, mean, median, mode).
How to prepare
- Learn the ethnobotany list. It’s a fixed list of 48 medicinal plants with their botanical names, which makes it easy marks once memorised.
- Practise essay writing on forest topics: deforestation, wildlife conservation, forest fires, climate change, community forestry. Pick the language you write best in.
- Paper II maths is SSC level, so speed matters. Avoid blind guessing because of negative marking.
- Start walking practice now. The test distance and time will be in the detailed notification.
- Get your OTPR ready on psc.ap.gov.in before 16 October, and check your community and local-status details.
Official sources
- APPSC Brief Notification No. 18/2026 (PDF)
- APPSC website, for the detailed notification, OTPR and the online application
If you hold a degree in a science, agriculture, engineering or forestry subject, also see APPSC Forest Range Officer 2026, which has the same application window. For more state jobs, browse our Andhra Pradesh Jobs category.
Easy Applications is an independent information site and is not affiliated with APPSC or the A.P. Forest Department. This page is based on the brief notification. Confirm every detail in the detailed notification on psc.ap.gov.in before you apply.
