APPSC · Notification No. 16/2026

APPSC Forest Range Officer 2026

5 posts, four 150-mark papers, half forestry, walking test

  • 5 posts
  • Apply by 5 Nov 2026
  • 4 papers · 600 marks
  • 150 min per paper
  • Paper I ready · Paper II coming soon
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Official notification 16/2026 (PDF)

At a glance

Important dates

Notification
16 October 2026
Apply from
16 October 2026
Last date
5 November 2026, 11:59 PM
Exam date
Not announced yet

Vacancies

5 posts · provisional

Forest Range Officer exam pattern

PaperQsMinMarks
Qualifying test: General English & General Telugu (50 + 50, SSC standard) 100 100 100
Paper I: General Studies & Mental Ability 150 150 150
Paper II: Mathematics (SSC standard) 150 150 150
Paper III: General Forestry I 150 150 150
Paper IV: General Forestry II 150 150 150
Total600

Paper I + Paper II: Mathematics (SSC) & General Forestry (coming soon)

Forest Range Officer: full course · ₹1,099₹599

  • 20 mock tests
  • 4 previous papers
  • 10 sectional tests
  • 1,122 study notes
  • Unlimited practice by topic
  • In English and Telugu
  • Valid for 1 year from purchase. Pay once, nothing renews.
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What Forest Range Officer really tests

Biggest block: Paper I: Current events (15%). How questions are asked.

APPSC Notification 16/2026 fills 5 Forest Range Officer posts in Zones V and VI, with no screening test: four 150-mark merit papers (600 marks) and a qualifying English and Telugu test. Forestry is half the merit; those picked 1:3 face a walking test and medical.

Based on No previous FRO Paper II-IV analysed; weights cover Paper I only, from APPSC's 2022 and 2025 Assistant Statistical Officer Paper I (294 questions, same syllabus).

Paper I

  1. Current events15%
  2. History of India and AP14%
  3. Geography of India and AP13%
  4. Economy and planning12%
  5. Reasoning11%
  6. Sustainable development and environment9%
  7. Data analysis8%
  8. General science and S&T7%
  9. Polity and governance6%
  10. Disaster management5%
Share of each paper's questions, by topic, in the real papers.

Difficulty in the real papers

  • Easy 46%
  • Medium 39%
  • Hard 15%
  • Forestry is half the merit: Papers III and IV give 300 of the 600 marks.
  • Statistics is asked in three papers: Paper I data analysis (14 and 10 questions), Paper II and Paper IV. One chapter pays three times.
  • Environment and disaster management gave 21 and 19 Paper I questions, and return in Papers III and IV. Read them once, in depth.
  • History, geography and current events made 124 of 294 Paper I questions (about 42%). Polity jumped from 3 to 16 in 2025.

How questions are asked

  • Paper I: mostly direct one-line questions (112 in 2022, 77 in 2025).
  • Paper I 2025: 23 match-the-following and 9 multi-statement items.
  • Paper I numerical items: 20 in 2022, 7 in 2025.
  • Paper II: mostly calculation; Papers III-IV mix recall with calculations.

The job and who can apply

Qualification, age limit and selection

A gazetted post in the A.P. Forest Service, pay Rs. 48,440 – 1,37,220. The syllabus shows the field: nurseries and plantations, forest protection, timber, survey and forest law.

Qualification
A Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Botany, Chemistry, Computer Science/Applications, Engineering (named branches), Environmental Science, Forestry, Geology, Horticulture, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Veterinary Science or Zoology, held on 16.10.2026.
Age
18 to 30 years as on 01.07.2026. Relaxation: SC, ST, BC and EWS 5 years; ex-servicemen and NCC instructors 3 years plus service; State Government employees up to 5 years.
Also
Men: height at least 163 cm, chest 79 cm with 5 cm expansion, walk 25 km in 4 hours.
Also
Women: height at least 150 cm, chest 74 cm with 5 cm expansion, walk 16 km in 4 hours.
Also
Zonal posts: 95% go to local candidates of the zone, proved by Class I-VII study certificates.
  1. Written exam (objective, CBRT), 600 marksPapers I to IV, 150 marks each. No screening test. Absence in any paper disqualifies you.
  2. Qualifying language testGeneral English and General Telugu, 50 marks each, SSC standard. Pass each separately; not added to merit.
  3. Walking test, medical and Computer Proficiency TestFor candidates picked 1:3. Men walk 25 km, women 16 km, within 4 hours. The CPT is qualifying.
  4. Final selectionBy written-exam merit; minimum aggregate 40% OC/EWS, 35% BC, 30% SC/ST. No waiting list.

Forest Range Officer syllabus

5 papers, 128 topics

Paper I ready · Paper II coming soon in Medha AI. Paper I: APPSC Paper I: General Studies & Mental Ability · Paper II: Mathematics (SSC) & General Forestry Coming soon

Full numbered syllabus: every topic, chapter and micro-topic (printable)

Qualifying test: General English & General Telugu (SSC standard)

100 questions · 100 min · 100 marks

Two 50-mark parts, each must be passed. Telugu includes grammar and translation both ways, so English-medium candidates must prepare it too.

General English (50 marks)
  • Comprehension
  • Phrases and idioms
  • Vocabulary and punctuation
  • Logical re-arrangement of sentences
General Telugu (50 marks)
  • Synonyms and vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Telugu to English meanings
  • English to Telugu meanings

Paper I: General Studies & Mental Ability

150 questions · 150 min · 150 marks

The common APPSC Paper I (10-item syllabus). History, geography, current events and the economy weigh most; environment, disaster management and data analysis overlap with your forestry and mathematics papers.

1. Current events
  • Major current events and issues: international, national and Andhra Pradesh
2. General science
  • Science in day-to-day life
  • Contemporary developments in science and technology
  • Information technology
3. History of India
  • Social, economic, cultural and political aspects
  • Focus on Andhra Pradesh
  • Indian National Movement
4. Geography
  • Geography of India with focus on Andhra Pradesh
5. Polity and governance
  • Constitutional issues
  • Public policy and reforms
  • e-Governance initiatives
6. Economy
  • Indian economy and planning
7. Environment
  • Sustainable development and environmental protection
8. Disaster management
  • Vulnerability profile
  • Prevention and mitigation strategies
  • Remote sensing and GIS in disaster assessment
9. Reasoning
  • Logical reasoning
  • Analytical ability
  • Logical interpretation
10. Data analysis
  • Tabulation of data
  • Visual representation of data
  • Summary statistics: mean, median, mode, variance
  • Interpretation

Paper II: Mathematics (SSC standard)

150 questions · 150 min · 150 marks

Class 10 mathematics: 150 questions in 150 minutes, no calculator. Speed and accuracy by hand matter more than difficulty; the syllabus includes logarithm tables.

1. Arithmetic
  • Natural numbers, integers, rational and real numbers
  • Fundamental operations, square roots, decimal fractions
  • Unitary method: time and distance, time and work, percentages, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, variation
  • Division algorithm, prime and composite numbers, divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11
  • Factors and multiples, HCF and LCM, Euclidean algorithm
  • Logarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms, log tables
2. Algebra
  • Simple factors, Remainder Theorem, HCF and LCM of polynomials
  • Quadratic equations and the relation between roots and coefficients (real roots only)
  • Simultaneous linear equations and inequations in two variables, analytical and graphical
  • Word problems leading to linear or quadratic equations
  • Sets and set notation, rational expressions, conditional identities, laws of indices
3. Trigonometry
  • sin, cos and tan for 0° to 90°; values at 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°
  • Simple identities, trigonometric tables
  • Simple heights and distances
4. Geometry
  • Lines and angles, angles at a point, parallel lines
  • Sides and angles of a triangle, congruent and similar triangles
  • Concurrence of medians and altitudes
  • Parallelogram, rectangle and square: angles, sides, diagonals
  • Circles, tangents and normals
  • Loci
5. Mensuration
  • Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangles and circles
  • Areas of composite figures (field book)
  • Surface area and volume of cuboids, cones, cylinders and spheres
6. Statistics
  • Collection and tabulation of data
  • Frequency polygons, histograms, bar charts, pie charts
  • Measures of central tendency

Paper III: General Forestry I

150 questions · 150 min · 150 marks

The science base: natural resources, plant science, biodiversity, soils, watersheds and silviculture. Silviculture names 14 AP species, a closed list you can learn in full.

I. Renewable and non-renewable natural resources
  • Forest resources: deforestation, timber extraction, mining, dams and their effects on forests and tribal people
  • Water resources: surface and ground water, floods, drought, water conflicts, dams
  • Mineral, food, energy and land resources: overgrazing, fertiliser and pesticide problems, water logging, salinity, land degradation, landslides, soil erosion, desertification
II. Plant sciences
  • Diversity of life and biological classification
  • Morphology of roots, stems and leaves
  • Plant tissues vs animal tissues
  • Wood anatomy: annual rings, grain, texture, pores, fibres, pith, rays
  • Seeds: monocot and dicot, albuminous and endospermic, dormancy, dispersal, germination
  • Reproduction: pollination, fertilisation, hybridisation, fruit development, vegetative propagation, varieties and hybrids
  • Plant physiology: water and mineral transport, transpiration, photosynthesis, respiration, nutrient deficiency symptoms, growth regulators
  • Inheritance, variation, DNA and RNA
  • Common plant diseases and their chemical, biological and genetic control
III. Biodiversity and its conservation
  • Genetic, species and ecosystem diversity; global, national and local levels
  • Biodiversity hot-spots, causes of loss, conservation measures
  • Major biomes of India, abiotic factors, adaptations, population ecology
IV. Soil science and geology
  • Rocks and minerals of India, layers of the earth, rock types and weathering
  • Soil formation and physical, chemical and biological properties
  • Wind and water erosion, wind breaks, shelter belts, sand dunes
  • Reclamation of saline, alkaline and water-logged soils; role of forests in soil conservation
  • Soil organic matter, leaf litter, composting, micro-organisms, nitrogen and carbon cycles
V. Water resource and watershed management
  • Surface and subsurface water, water pollution
  • Watershed concept, forest hydrology, mini-forests
  • Water harvesting, groundwater recharge, integrating trees, horticulture, crops and fodder
VI. Silviculture, agroforestry, social and community forestry
  • Silvicultural principles, site factors, natural and artificial regeneration, propagation and grafting
  • Nursery beds, polybags, water budgeting, grading and hardening of seedlings, planting and tending
  • Silviculture of 14 AP species: Acacia nilotica, Azadirachta indica, Dendrocalamus strictus, Casuarina equisetifolia, Dalbergia sissoo, Emblica officinalis, Eucalyptus, Gmelina arborea, Pterocarpus marsupium, Pterocarpus santalinus, Santalum album, Tectona grandis, Melia dubia, Leucaena leucocephala
  • Agroforestry: scope, systems by agro-ecological zone, multipurpose trees and NTFPs, food, fodder and fuel security
  • Social forestry: objectives and scope
  • Community Forest Management in Andhra Pradesh: genesis, principles, methodology

Paper IV: General Forestry II

150 questions · 150 min · 150 marks

The range officer's working side across 11 units: wildlife, protection, timber, law, mensuration, remote sensing, survey and first aid. It mixes facts with calculations.

I. Ecosystem and wildlife
  • Ecosystem structure and function, GPP, NPP, energy flow, ecological pyramids, succession
  • Forest, grassland, desert and aquatic ecosystems
  • Wildlife and endangered species of India, sanctuaries and national parks, biological rhythms
II. Forest protection
  • Abiotic and biotic injuries, insect pests and diseases, air pollution and die-back
  • Fire protection, equipment and controlled burning
  • Timber salvage after disasters, afforestation and CO2 absorption
  • Grazing control, damage by wild animals, encroachment, poaching, theft, shifting cultivation
III. Forest utilisation
  • Logging tools and transport, wood seasoning and preservation
  • Physical properties of wood for timber identification
  • Uses of important MFP/NTFP species of AP
  • Plants known as antidotes to snake and scorpion poison
IV. Animal management
  • Animal ailments and treatment, nutrition and deficiencies
  • Dentition of animals: incisors, canines, premolars, molars
  • Poisonous and non-poisonous snakes of India, snakebite symptoms and treatment
  • Bird morphology and migration
V. Economic zoology
  • Beneficial and harmful insects, vectors of human disease
  • Industrial fish, prawns and molluscs of India
  • Poisonous and non-poisonous snakes of India
  • Venomous animals: centipede, wasp, honey bee
VI. Forest economics, legislation and administration
  • Cost-benefit analysis, demand and supply, investment planning, depreciation, types of costs
  • Investment methods: net surplus, payoff time, present value, internal interest, capital cost
  • Forest policies of 1894, 1952 and 1990 (as listed), National Forest Policy 1988
  • A.P. Forest Act 1967, Forest Conservation Act 1980, Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and amendments, the penal code in forestry
  • Indian Forest Service, AP State Forest Service, AP State Forest Subordinate Services, AP Forest Department structure and activities
VII. Forest inventory
  • Complete enumeration vs sampling, sampling and non-sampling errors
  • Simple random, stratified, systematic and cluster sampling, sample size
  • Ratio and regression estimation
VIII. Forest mensuration and remote sensing
  • Central tendency, dispersion, regression
  • Measuring diameter, girth, height and volume; form factor; CAI and MAI; yield and stand tables
  • Forest planning, evaluation and monitoring tools
  • Instruments: Relaskop, altimeter, wedge prism, planimeter
  • Remote sensing, air photo interpretation, GIS, GPS, GNSS, forest cover monitoring
IX. Environmental sciences
  • Air, water, soil, marine, noise and thermal pollution, nuclear hazards
  • Solid waste management
  • Sustainable development, rain water harvesting, resettlement and rehabilitation
  • Climate change, acid rain, ozone depletion, wasteland reclamation
  • Environment Protection Act 1986, Air Act 1981, Water Act 1974, APWALTA 2004
X. Forest survey and engineering
  • Bearings, offsets, concrete, painting, varnishing, glazing, pointing, plastering
  • Road alignment and types of roads
  • Ghat tracer, dumpy level, IOP level, theodolite
XI. First aid
  • Aims and types of first aid
  • Bleeding, drowning, venomous insects, burns and scalds, shock, unconsciousness, fits, fainting, sunstroke, sprains, wounds, fractures

Each wrong answer loses 1/3 of the question's marks. Unanswered questions lose nothing.

The language test must be passed in English and Telugu separately; it is not counted in the total. A walking test and a medical examination follow. Each wrong answer costs 1/3 of the marks for that question.

APPSC Paper I syllabus · APPSC Paper I study notes

A 14-week plan for Forest Range Officer

5 phases, week by week

Assumes a science, agriculture or engineering graduate with about 5 hours a day. The exam date is not notified; if sooner, keep the order and shorten each phase.

  1. Week 1

    Apply and measure where you stand

    • Apply before 05.11.2026, 11:59 PM; keep Class I-VII and NCL/EWS certificates ready.
    • Zones I-IV candidates can compete only for the two open posts.
    • Check height and chest now; walk 10 km to see your pace.

  2. Weeks 2-5

    Paper III, with mathematics and Paper I daily

    • Silviculture: one page per named AP species; keep santalinus (red sanders) and marsupium apart.
    • Then nursery, agroforestry, plant science (Intermediate botany), soils and watersheds.
    • Daily: 40 timed maths questions without a calculator; Paper I history and geography.

  3. Weeks 6-9

    Paper IV, with mathematics and Paper I

    • Tabulate the Forest, Wildlife and pollution Acts: year, key sections, authority.
    • Mensuration, inventory and the five investment methods: 20 calculation questions a day.
    • Instruments, sanctuaries, snakes; Paper I polity, economy, environment.

  4. Weeks 10-11

    Language test, current events and sectionals

    • General Telugu and English daily; each must be passed separately.
    • Current events of the last 12 months, 30 minutes a day.
    • One 30-question sectional a day on weak forestry units; one error notebook.

  5. Weeks 12-14

    Full mocks in exam conditions

    • Two full papers a day, two days a week, with 1/3 negative marking.
    • Sort mistakes into 'did not know', 'misread', 'guessed'; cut guesses first.
    • Do one full 25 km (men) or 16 km (women) walk within 4 hours.

Mistakes that cost marks

5 traps seen in the real papers
  • Treating forestry as one subject: Papers III and IV are 300 of the 600 marks.
  • Ignoring General Telugu: failing English or Telugu ends your candidature whatever your merit marks.
  • Mixing up named species: Pterocarpus santalinus vs P. marsupium, Melia dubia vs Azadirachta indica.
  • Learning only old law: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replaced the IPC; the Forest Conservation Act was amended in 2023.
  • Leaving walking practice until after the results: 25 km in 4 hours (men) needs weeks.

తెలుగులో సంక్షిప్తంగా

In brief, in Telugu

APPSC నోటిఫికేషన్ 16/2026 ద్వారా జోన్-V, జోన్-VI లో 5 ఫారెస్ట్ రేంజ్ ఆఫీసర్ పోస్టులను భర్తీ చేస్తారు; స్క్రీనింగ్ టెస్ట్ ఉండదు, 150 మార్కుల చొప్పున నాలుగు మెరిట్ పేపర్లు (600 మార్కులు), అర్హత కోసం జనరల్ ఇంగ్లీష్, జనరల్ తెలుగు టెస్ట్ ఉంటాయి. మెరిట్ మార్కుల్లో సగం జనరల్ ఫారెస్ట్రీ (పేపర్ III, IV) వే; 1:3 నిష్పత్తిలో ఎంపికైన అభ్యర్థులకు నడక పరీక్ష, మెడికల్ బోర్డు పరీక్ష ఉంటాయి.

How to apply

Online at psc.ap.gov.in, by 5 Nov 2026
  1. Read notification 16/2026 on the official APPSC website.
  2. Go to psc.ap.gov.in. If you are new, register with One Time Profile Registration (OTPR).
  3. Apply online between 16 October 2026 and 5 November 2026, up to 11:59 PM.

Medha AI does not take applications or fees. Apply only on the official APPSC website.

Dates are from the official notification, checked on 20 October 2026. We list an exam date only after the commission announces it. Recheck psc.ap.gov.in for changes. Vacancies in a notification are provisional and can change.

Sources: APPSC notification 16/2026 (16.10.2026): p. 1 (post, dates, CBRT, age, pay), pp. 2-3 (qualification, physical standards, medical board), pp. 3-4 (reservations, no PBD), p. 5 (age relaxation), pp. 5-6 (local candidates, zones), pp. 7-8 (applying, corrections, fee), p. 9 (scheme, negative marking, normalisation, CPT, centres), p. 10 (Telugu translation, no waiting list), p. 11 (distance degrees, all papers compulsory), pp. 11-12 (selection, minimum marks, SC/ST rule, ties), pp. 12-13 (banned items incl. calculators), p. 14 (Annexure I vacancies), pp. 15-21 (Annexure II scheme and syllabus), pp. 21-23 (CPT); APPSC brief notification 16/2026 (15.09.2026): p. 1 para 2 (4 provisional vacancies), p. 2 para 6 (single-level exam, no screening test), pp. 3-12 (scheme and syllabus), pp. 13-17 (CPT); APPSC scheme and syllabus for the Forest Range Officer main examination, A.P. Forest Service Gazetted Services: p. 1 (scheme, minimum marks 40/35/30%); APPSC older screening-test scheme for Forest Range Officer (150 marks): p. 1; APPSC common Paper I in the ASO 2022 (notification 20/2021) and 2025 (12/2024) papers with final keys, 294 questions; Medha AI level analysis (docs/exams/APPSC-P1-level.md), Paper I table and level notes.

APPSC Forest Range Officer questions

14 common questions, answered
How many Forest Range Officer posts are there and where?

5 posts, one carried forward. Zone V: 1 OC open and 1 SC Group-I local. Zone VI: 1 BC-E open, 1 BC-A local and 1 BC-B local. No posts in Zones I-IV.

I am from a district in Zones I-IV. Can I apply?

Yes, if eligible. The two open posts (OC in Zone V, BC-E in Zone VI) go on merit among all applicants of that category.

Which degrees are eligible? Is B.Sc. with Botany enough?

Botany is a listed subject. The notification does not say whether one of three B.Sc. subjects is enough; if your degree is a combination, check with APPSC before the last date.

Can final-year students apply?

No. You must hold the degree on 16.10.2026.

When is the exam?

Not announced. Applications run from 16.10.2026 to 05.11.2026; hall tickets will be on psc.ap.gov.in.

How much is deducted for a wrong answer?

One third of a mark: 120 right and 30 wrong gives 110 marks. Unanswered questions lose nothing.

Will the paper be in Telugu?

Yes. Papers are in English and Telugu; if they differ, the English version is used for valuation.

What is the application fee?

Rs. 250 processing fee plus Rs. 120 exam fee. SC, ST, BC, ex-servicemen, white-card families and unemployed youth of Andhra Pradesh are exempt from the Rs. 120 only.

When is the APPSC Forest Range Officer exam 2026?

Not announced yet. Notification 16/2026 says the date will be announced later. Check the official APPSC website, psc.ap.gov.in.

What is the last date to apply for APPSC Forest Range Officer?

Online applications are open from 16 October 2026 to 5 November 2026, up to 11:59 PM, on psc.ap.gov.in.

How many posts are there in APPSC Forest Range Officer 2026?

5 posts as notified in 16/2026. The number is provisional and can change.

What is the APPSC Forest Range Officer exam pattern?

Qualifying test: General English & General Telugu (50 + 50, SSC standard) (100 questions, 100 minutes, 100 marks). Paper I: General Studies & Mental Ability (150 questions, 150 minutes, 150 marks). Paper II: Mathematics (SSC standard) (150 questions, 150 minutes, 150 marks). Paper III: General Forestry I (150 questions, 150 minutes, 150 marks). Paper IV: General Forestry II (150 questions, 150 minutes, 150 marks). Total 600 marks. Each wrong answer costs 1/3 of the marks for that question.

Is there a syllabus for APPSC Forest Range Officer?

Yes. The scheme and syllabus are in an annexure of notification 16/2026. Paper I is General Studies & Mental Ability. You can practise it in Medha AI now with APPSC Paper I.

Where do I apply for APPSC Forest Range Officer?

Only on the official APPSC website, psc.ap.gov.in. Medha AI does not take applications. Medha AI is an independent preparation service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to APPSC, TSPSC, MPSC, UPSC or any other commission or government body.

All APPSC notifications 2026 · APPSC exams on Medha AI

Medha AI is an independent preparation service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to APPSC, TSPSC, MPSC, UPSC or any other commission or government body. Facts are from the official notification as checked on 20 October 2026.

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