APPSC Group 1 Eligibility 2026: Age Limit, Qualification and Relaxations

APPSC Group 1 eligibility for 2026 is set by Notification No. 07/2026, dated 6 October 2026. In short, you need to be an Indian citizen with a bachelor's degree from a recognised university, within the age limit for your post as on 1 July 2026, and medically fit. The two police posts add physical standards.

This page explains each condition in plain terms, including age relaxation by category, the qualification for the DSP (Communications) post, and the common reasons applications are rejected. Online applications close on 27 October 2026 at 11:59 PM, so check each point before you pay the fee.

Table of Contents

Eligibility at a glance

Educational qualification

For all 13 posts, you must hold a bachelor's degree from a university in India established or incorporated under a Central, State or Provincial Act, from an institution recognised by the UGC, or an equivalent qualification. Any discipline is accepted for 12 of the posts.

The notification treats the date of the detailed notification, 6 October 2026, as the cut-off date for the qualification. Plan on holding the degree by then. If your final results are still pending, check with the Commission before applying.

Post code 04, DSP (Communications), needs a B.E. or B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering or Radio Engineering. B.Tech or B.E. obtained through distance mode is accepted only if the course is recognised or approved by the AICTE.

Age limit

Age is counted as on 1 July 2026, under Rule 12 of the A.P. State and Subordinate Service Rules, 1996 and the government orders dated 14 September 2026. The notification states a minimum of 18 or 21 years and a maximum of 30 or 44 years, depending on the post.

Check the post-wise table in the official notification before you apply, because the layout of the table is dense and the limits differ by post.

Age relaxation

For a post with a limit of 44, adding the 5-year relaxation gives 49 years for SC, ST, BC and EWS candidates, and the 10-year relaxation gives 54 years for PBD candidates. This is a simple calculation and not an official table, so confirm your own case in the notification. Ex-servicemen and NCC instructors cannot exceed the maximum age for the post after the deduction.

The addendum dated 13 October 2026 adds that SC, ST, BC, EWS and PBD candidates who take the upper age relaxation are still considered for open competition vacancies.

Nationality and other conditions

• Citizenship: you must be a citizen of India. Other nationals can be appointed only with the State Government's prior sanction.

• Health and character: you must be of sound health and active habits, free from any bodily defect, with character and antecedents fit for the service.

• Local status: a 95 percent local reservation applies, separately in Multi-Zone I and Multi-Zone II, for most posts. DSP (Communications) is a state cadre post with no local reservation.

• Candidates from other states: SC, ST, BC and EWS candidates from other states cannot claim reservation or the examination fee exemption. PBD candidates and ex-servicemen are the exceptions and keep their fee exemption.

• Reservation categories: vertical reservation applies for SC, ST, BC and EWS. Horizontal reservation applies for women (33 and one-third percent), PBD and meritorious sportspersons (3 percent).

Physical standards for police posts

Post codes 03 (DSP Civil) and 04 (DSP Communications) have physical and vision standards that are checked at the medical stage. The main numbers in the notification are below.

The notification also sets vision standards without contact lenses and does not treat colour blindness as a cause for rejection by itself. Reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities does not apply to these two posts. Read Annexure V of the notification for the full medical rules.

Who is not eligible

• Overage candidates: anyone above the maximum age on 1 July 2026 after allowed relaxation.

• Without the degree: candidates who have not completed the bachelor's degree by the notification date.

• Wrong discipline: applicants for the DSP (Communications) post without the specified engineering degree.

• Unfit under police standards: candidates for posts 03 and 04 who do not meet the physical or vision standards.

• Incomplete applications: an application is complete only after Save and Submit and a successful payment. Saving alone is not enough.

• False information: a lapse found at any stage, even late, can lead to rejection and punishment under the notification's debarment clause.

Fee and documents

The notification asks for an application processing fee of Rs. 250 and an examination fee, whose amount is printed in the notification. SC, ST, BC, PBD and ex-servicemen candidates, households with a white card, and unemployed youth with the required declaration are exempt from the examination fee. Keep your community, nativity and date of birth certificates ready, because they are checked at verification. The fee, name and age relaxation cannot be changed after submission. Full details are on official application portal.