The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has issued Notification No. 26/2026, dated 9 October 2026, for 17 posts in two welfare departments:
- 11 Assistant Social Welfare Officer posts in the A.P. Social Welfare Service
- 6 Assistant Tribal Welfare Officer posts in the A.P. Tribal Welfare Service
Both need only a bachelor’s degree in any subject. Both pay Rs 48,440 – 1,37,220, and online applications are open from 9 to 29 October 2026.
There are only 17 posts, spread over six zones, so look at the zone tables before you decide. Zones III and VI have no Tribal Welfare post at all. Two of the three exam papers are about Andhra Pradesh history, welfare schemes and the Constitution, not general degree subjects.
Apply 9 – 29 Oct 2026, 11:59 PM · 17 posts · Any degree · Age 18–44 · Fee Rs 370 / Rs 250 · 3 papers, 450 marks · Notification (PDF) · OTPR login
Written from APPSC Notification No. 26/2026 dated 9 October 2026, on 10 October 2026.
On this page: Dates · The two posts · Zone tables · Eligibility and age · Fee · Exam pattern · Papers II and III · Selection · How to apply · Common mistakes · Sources
APPSC Social and Tribal Welfare Officer 2026: important dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification | 9 October 2026 |
| Online application | 9 to 29 October 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Application corrections (Rs 100 per correction) | Up to 7 days after 29 October 2026 |
| Crucial date for qualification | 9 October 2026 (notification date) |
| Crucial date for age | 1 July 2026 |
| Computer-based test | To be announced on psc.ap.gov.in |
The two posts at a glance
| Post code | Post and service | Posts | Pay scale (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Assistant Social Welfare Officer, A.P. Social Welfare Service | 11 | 48,440 – 1,37,220 |
| 02 | Assistant Tribal Welfare Officer, A.P. Tribal Welfare Service | 6 | 48,440 – 1,37,220 |
Both are zonal posts, so 95% local reservation under the Presidential Order 2025 applies zone by zone. The pay scale, age limit, fee and exam are the same for both.
Zone-wise vacancies, with category
The notice gives each vacancy by zone, community and whether it is Open (anyone in AP can compete) or Local (only local candidates of that zone). We have put the two Annexure-I tables into one view per zone.
Assistant Social Welfare Officer (11 posts)
| Zone | Districts | Open | Local | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | SKM, VZM, PPM, VSP, AKP | – | OC | 1 |
| II | ASR, EG, KKD, AKSM | – | OC | 1 |
| III | WG, ELR, NTR, KST | BC-C | OC | 2 |
| IV | GNT, PND, BPT, PKM, NLR | OC | BC-D, BC-E | 3 |
| V | TPT, CTR, ANN, KDP | OC | SC-I | 2 |
| VI | NDL, ATP, KNL, SSS | SC-II | OC | 2 |
| Total | 4 | 7 | 11 |
By community: OC 6, SC-I 1, SC-II 1, BC-C 1, BC-D 1, BC-E 1.
Assistant Tribal Welfare Officer (6 posts)
| Zone | Open | Local | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | OC | BC-B | 2 |
| II | – | OC | 1 |
| III | – | – | 0 |
| IV | – | OC | 1 |
| V | OC | SC-I | 2 |
| VI | – | – | 0 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 |
By community: OC 4, SC-I 1, BC-B 1.
What the tables mean for you:
- No ST, SC-III, BC-A or EWS vacancy in either post. Candidates from these groups can still compete for the OC posts on merit.
- No women, PBD or sports-quota posts. APPSC notes that the indent had no horizontal reservation vacancies “in this turn”.
- In Zones III and VI you can only aim for the Social Welfare post.
- Zone IV has the most Social Welfare posts (3), but two of them are local BC-D and BC-E.
Eligibility and age
Qualification: a bachelor’s degree from a university set up under a Central, State or Provincial Act, or an institution recognised by the UGC. The notice does not name a subject, so B.A., B.Com., B.Sc. and other degrees all fit the wording. You must hold the degree on 9 October 2026.
Open university or distance degrees count only if recognised by the Distance Education Council, and proving that is up to you.
Age: 18 to 44 years on 1 July 2026. Relaxations from the notice:
| Category | Extra years |
|---|---|
| SC, ST, BC, EWS | 5 |
| Persons with benchmark disabilities | 10 |
| Ex-servicemen, NCC instructors | 3 years plus service, within the maximum |
| Regular AP State Government employees | Length of service, up to 5 years |
| Retrenched AP Census Department temporary staff (6+ months) | 3 |
BC candidates need a Non-Creamy Layer certificate and EWS candidates an EWS certificate for FY 2025-26. Both must be issued by the Tahsildar on or after 1 April 2026 and no later than 29 October 2026.
APPSC Social and Tribal Welfare Officer application fee
| Who | Processing fee | Exam fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| General candidates, and all applicants from other States | Rs 250 | Rs 120 | Rs 370 |
| SC, ST, BC, PBD, ex-servicemen, AP white-card families, unemployed youth | Rs 250 | Exempt | Rs 250 |
Pay online by net banking, credit card or debit card. The fee is not refunded. Unemployed youth claiming the exemption must give a declaration when APPSC asks for it.
Exam pattern (degree standard)
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Minutes | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | General Studies & Mental Ability | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| II | Social and Cultural History of Andhra Pradesh and Welfare Programmes | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| III | Indian Constitution and Welfare and Protection Measures for Weaker Sections | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| Total | 450 |
- Negative marking: each wrong answer loses 1/3 of the marks for that question.
- You must sit all three papers. Missing one disqualifies you.
- Questions are in English and Telugu. The English version is final for valuation.
- If the exam runs in more than one session, scores are normalised.
- Exam centres: Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati and Ananthapuramu. You give three preferences.
Paper I has the usual APPSC General Studies topics, and the notice also lists data analysis: tabulation, charts and mean, median, mode and variance.
Papers II and III: where this exam is different
Paper II: Social and Cultural History of AP and Welfare Programmes
- Andhra’s geography and its impact on history; pre-history; the Satavahanas and Ikshvakus; the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi
- Kingdoms that ruled Andhra from the 11th to 16th centuries; growth of Telugu language, literature, art and architecture
- Europeans and the Company; the 1857 revolt in Andhra; Justice Party and self-respect movements; the nationalist movement in Andhra 1885–1947; socialists, communists, anti-zamindari and kisan movements
- The Andhra movement and Andhra Mahasabhas, up to the formation of Andhra State in 1953
- Formation of Andhra Pradesh: Visalandhra Mahasabha, the States Reorganisation Commission, the Gentlemen’s Agreement, and events from 1956 to 2014
- State Government priorities for the welfare and economic development of SCs and STs
Paper III: Constitution and Welfare Measures for Weaker Sections
- Salient features, Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties
- Legislature, executive and judiciary; judicial review and judicial activism
- Union–State relations; UPSC, State PSCs, CAG and the Finance Commission
- Reform commissions: Rajamannar, Sarkaria, Punchhi
- Amendments; Balwantray Mehta and Ashok Mehta committees; the 73rd and 74th Amendments
- Political parties, regionalism, the Sri Krishna Committee
- Constitutional provisions for SCs and STs: reservations, the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, the SC/ST/BC, Women’s, Minorities and Human Rights commissions, RTI, Lokpal and Lokayukta
- Laws to end social evils
The last topic in Paper II and topics 7–8 in Paper III are the welfare-officer part of the syllabus.
How selection works
- Written exam (CBT). Merit is decided on the 450-mark total.
- Minimum marks to be shortlisted: OC, sportspersons, ex-servicemen and EWS 40%; BC 35%; SC, ST and PBD 30%.
- Computer Proficiency Test. Shortlisted candidates must qualify in a 60-minute, 100-mark practical test of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, typing and computer basics. The pass mark is 30 for SC/ST, 35 for BC and 40 for OC. It adds no marks to your merit.
- Certificate verification and medical fitness.
There is no interview and no waiting list. On equal marks, the older candidate ranks higher.
How to apply for APPSC Social and Tribal Welfare Officer 2026
- OTPR first. If you are new to APPSC, complete One Time Profile Registration. OTPR on its own is not an application.
- Check your OTPR data. Local/non-local status and white-card details come from OTPR and decide your fee and relaxations. Use “Modify OTPR” before you start the application.
- Log in and click Online Application Submission, then Fill Application against Notification 26/2026.
- Fill in your qualification, post preference and three exam centre choices.
- Click Save & Submit. “Save” alone does not submit, and the payment link appears only after Save & Submit.
- Pay online and download the filled application PDF. Look for the payment reference SMS.
Mistakes that get applications rejected
- Clicking only “Save”. The application is incomplete until you click Save & Submit and pay.
- Wrong community or fee details. After payment, the fields that decide fee, age relaxation and community are locked. The 7-day correction window does not cover name, fee, age relaxation or community.
- Old BC or EWS certificates. They must be issued on or after 1 April 2026.
- Applying with a degree result that came after 9 October 2026. The degree must be in hand on the notification date.
- An unrecognised distance degree. Without DEC recognition it is not accepted.
- Residence certificate instead of study certificates. If you studied in a school up to Class 7, you must give study certificates for local status. Residence certificates are only for those who did not study in a school.
Official sources
Other APPSC posts open in October 2026: Group 1, Horticulture Officer and Forest Beat Officer.
