Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission Group 1

APPSC Group 1 is the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission recruitment for the state's top Group-I civil service posts, including Deputy Collector, Deputy Superintendent of Police and Municipal Commissioner Grade-II. The Commission released Notification No. 07/2026 for 166 vacancies across 13 posts, with online applications open from 6 October 2026 to 27 October 2026.

This page brings the official details into one place: dates, vacancies, eligibility, fee, exam pattern, syllabus, selection process and pay. It also explains what each stage means for your preparation. Every figure below is taken from the Commission's notification and its 13 October 2026 addendum, and anything that is not final is marked clearly.

Table of Contents

APPSC Group 1 2026 at a glance

Notification overview

APPSC published a brief notification for Group-I Services on 15 September 2026 and the detailed Notification No. 07/2026 on 6 October 2026. The detailed document carries the post-wise vacancies, age limits, pay scales, community-wise break-up, scheme of examination and syllabus.

On 13 October 2026 the Commission issued an addendum that rewrites the reservation clause. Open competition vacancies are filled on merit irrespective of caste, community or gender. Candidates from SC, ST, BC, EWS and PBD categories who use the upper age relaxation are still considered for open competition vacancies.

Older articles and social posts may still show a different vacancy figure from an earlier provisional report. Follow the detailed notification, because the Commission can also revise vacancies through an addendum before the Screening Test.

Important dates

Tentative dates come from the notification schedule and can change. Track the official notifications page on psc.ap.gov.in and your registered email and mobile number.

Vacancy details

The notification lists 13 posts. Three of them include carried-forward vacancies from earlier recruitments, five in total, which are filled before fresh vacancies.

Community-wise, multi-zone and zone-wise break-ups are in Annexure I of the notification. Most posts are filled with a 95 percent local reservation under the Presidential Order, applied separately in Multi-Zone I and Multi-Zone II. The DSP (Communications) post is a state cadre post, so local reservation does not apply to it.

Eligibility

Educational qualification

Candidates need a bachelor's degree from a university in India recognised by law or by the UGC, or an equivalent qualification, as on the date of the detailed notification. Post code 04 (DSP Communications) requires a B.E. or B.Tech in Electronics and Communication, Electronics and Telecommunication or Radio Engineering.

Age limit

Age is counted as on 1 July 2026. Most posts allow 18 to 44 years. According to the vacancy table, DSP (Civil) allows 21 to 30 years and DSP (Communications) allows 18 to 30 years. Check the post-wise table in the notification before you apply.

The full rules, including physical standards for the police posts, are on the APPSC Group 1 eligibility page.

Application fee and how to apply

The notification asks for an application processing fee of Rs. 250. The examination fee amount is printed in the notification, so confirm it there before you pay. SC, ST, BC, PBD and ex-servicemen candidates are exempt from the examination fee. So are families with a household white card, and unemployed youth who submit the required declaration. Candidates from other states do not get these exemptions, apart from PBD and ex-servicemen.

1. Register: create your One Time Profile Registration (OTPR) on the Commission's website, or log in with your existing OTPR ID.

2. Open the application: choose Online Application Submission and click Fill Application against Notification No. 07/2026.

3. Fill the details: check qualification, local status, post preferences and exam centres.

4. Save and Submit: pay online. The application counts as complete only after a successful payment.

5. Download: keep the application PDF and payment reference for later.

Applications are accepted only through the official online application portal. Name, fee and age relaxation cannot be corrected after submission.

Exam pattern

The selection has three stages. The Screening Test is objective, OMR based and used only to shortlist candidates. The Mains is descriptive and the Interview carries 75 marks.

Screening Test

Mains and Interview

Each wrong answer in the Screening Test costs one third of the marks for that question. The Telugu and English papers only need to be passed and are not counted in merit. Read the full breakdown on the APPSC Group 1 exam pattern page.

Syllabus summary

Unlike many exams, APPSC publishes a topic-wise syllabus for Group 1 in Annexure II of the notification. The Screening Test and Mains draw on the same core subjects, so you can prepare them together.

The detailed topic lists are on the APPSC Group 1 syllabus page.

Selection process

1. Screening Test: candidates equal to 50 times the vacancies are admitted to the Mains.

2. Mains: five descriptive merit papers plus the two qualifying language papers. Appearing in every paper is compulsory.

3. Interview: candidates are called in the ratio of 1:2 against the vacancies.

4. Certificate verification and medical test: appointment depends on documents and medical fitness, plus physical standards for the police posts.

Final selection is based on merit in the Mains and the Interview. The minimum qualifying marks on aggregate are 40 percent for OC, sportspersons and EWS, 35 percent for BC, and 30 percent for SC, ST and PBD candidates. Meeting the minimum alone does not guarantee selection.

Salary and career

The pay scales in the notification range from Rs. 54,060 to Rs. 1,54,980, depending on the post. The scale for each post is printed in the vacancy table of the notification. In-hand salary also depends on allowances and posting, so treat any monthly figure you see elsewhere as an estimate, not an official one.

Group 1 officers start as Deputy Collectors, DSPs, Assistant Commissioners and similar officers, and move up through the state service with promotions over a career.

How to prepare

Treat the Screening Test as a filter and the Mains as the real contest, because only the Mains and Interview decide the final merit. A workable plan has three phases.

• Foundation (first 8 weeks): finish the core subjects from the syllabus, with extra time for Andhra Pradesh history, economy and geography.

• Practice (next 6 to 8 weeks): add current affairs notes, topic-wise tests and 20-minute sectional drills for aptitude.

• Revision (final phase): full-length Screening papers, a weekly error log, and answer-writing practice for the Mains.

For timed practice in the Screening Test format, you can attempt APPSC Group 1 mock tests on Testkart and use the section-wise analysis to plan your revision. Pair them with previous year papers to understand the real difficulty level.

Cut-off reference

APPSC has not published a cut-off for this cycle, as the Screening Test is scheduled for January 2027. The only official benchmarks today are the minimum qualifying percentages and the shortlisting ratios described above. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants, so aim for a clear margin above last year's level rather than a bare pass. See the APPSC Group 1 cut-off guide for how to set your target.