APPSC Forest Beat Officer Exam Pattern: Marks and Stages

The APPSC Forest Beat Officer exam pattern has two written stages: a 150-mark screening test, held when applications are very high, and a main exam with a 50-mark qualifying essay and two objective papers of 100 marks each. Shortlisted candidates then take a walking test and a medical examination, which are qualifying only. This pattern follows Notification No. 06/2025 issued by the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC).

Your rank is decided by the 200 marks of the two main exam papers, plus any NCC bonus marks. This page explains each stage, the negative marking rule and what it means for your preparation.

Table of Contents

APPSC Forest Beat Officer Exam Pattern at a Glance

Screening Test Pattern

APPSC holds a screening test only when the number of applications is more than 200 times the number of vacancies. In the 06/2025 cycle, a screening test was held on 7 September 2025.

The screening test lasts 150 minutes. The minimum marks to qualify for the main exam are set by the Commission, and relaxed standards may apply to SC, ST and BC candidates.

Main Exam Pattern

You must pass the essay for Paper I and Paper II to be counted. The objective papers are set in English with a Telugu translation, and the English version is final if the two differ. In the 06/2025 cycle the main exam was scheduled across two days in February, with the essay and Paper I on the first day and Paper II on the second. Topics for each paper are on the APPSC Forest Beat Officer syllabus page.

Negative Marking Explained

Each correct answer earns 1 mark, and one-third of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer. A blank answer costs nothing. Suppose you attempt 90 questions in Paper I and get 75 right:

With four options, a blind guess breaks even on average under a one-third penalty. Once you can rule out one option, a guess is in your favour. Guess only when you can narrow the choice.

Walking Test and Medical Examination

After the main exam, candidates are called for the walking test and medical examination at 2 times the number of vacancies, in order of merit.

• Walking test: Men must cover 25 km in 4 hours and women 16 km in 4 hours. It carries no marks.

• Medical examination: Conducted by a Medical Board, which checks eyesight, hearing and general fitness for outdoor work.

• Physical measurements: Height and chest are checked against the standards on the APPSC Forest Beat Officer eligibility page.

Failing any of these ends your candidature, whatever your written score.

Minimum Qualifying Marks and Final Merit

The final merit list is based on main exam marks out of 200, plus NCC bonus marks of 5 for a C certificate, 3 for B and 1 for A. If two candidates tie, the older candidate ranks higher. Reservation, local status and roster points are applied at selection.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Prepare for mains from day one: The screening test and main exam share subjects, but only main exam marks decide rank.

• Science and maths are half the paper: Paper II is entirely SSC-level science and maths, so strong basics pay off directly.

• Do not neglect the essay: It carries no rank marks, but failing it cancels your objective scores.

• Train for the walk early: A 25 km walk in 4 hours needs a steady pace of over 6 km an hour, which takes weeks of practice.

To build speed and accuracy for the objective papers, you can take full-length online tests on Testkart with negative marking and review the section-wise analysis after each attempt.

Official source: Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (Notification No. 06/2025).