APPSC · Notification No. 17/2026

APPSC Forest Section Officer 2026

26 posts, 450-mark CBT, then a walking test

  • 26 posts
  • Apply by 5 Nov 2026
  • 3 papers · 450 marks
  • 150 min per paper
  • Paper I ready · Paper II coming soon
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Official notification 17/2026 (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

26 posts · provisional

Forest Section 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 150 150 150
Total450

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

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

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  • 4 previous papers
  • 10 sectional tests
  • 1,122 study notes
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  • In English and Telugu
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What Forest Section Officer really tests

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

APPSC Notification 17/2026 fills 26 Forest Section Officer posts in 16 districts, with no screening test. Merit rests on a 450-mark CBT (Papers I-III, 150 each), plus a qualifying English and Telugu test, walking test, medical and Computer Proficiency Test.

Based on Paper I figures come from the common APPSC Paper I of 2022 and 2025 (294 questions); no previous FSO Paper II or III was analysed.

Paper I

  1. Current events15%
  2. History of India & AP14%
  3. Geography of India & AP13%
  4. Economy & planning12%
  5. Reasoning & analytical ability11%
  6. Sustainable development & environment8.5%
  7. Data analysis8.2%
  8. General science & S&T6.8%
  9. Polity & governance6.5%
  10. Disaster management5.1%
Share of each paper's questions, by topic, in the real papers.

Difficulty in the real papers

  • Easy 46%
  • Medium 39%
  • Hard 15%
  • History, geography and current events gave about 20 questions each per paper, about 42% of Paper I.
  • Reasoning plus data analysis gave 30 (2022) and 25 (2025) questions: the most reliable marks for science graduates.
  • Polity jumped from 3 questions in 2022 to 16 in 2025. Do not skip it.
  • Environment and disaster management gave 21 and 19 questions, and recur in Paper III units 10 and 11, so study pays twice.

How questions are asked

  • Paper I: direct one-line questions about 64% (112 and 77).
  • 2025 added 23 match-the-following and 9 multi-statement items.
  • Numerical items: 20 in 2022, 7 in 2025.
  • Papers II and III: no previous FSO paper analysed.

The job and who can apply

Qualification, age limit and selection

A district-cadre post in the A.P. Forest Subordinate Service, needing fitness for outdoor forest work, on pay scale Rs. 32,670 – 1,01,970.

Qualification
A Bachelor's degree with Botany, Forestry, Horticulture, Zoology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Statistics, Geology or Agriculture, or a B.E./B.Tech (Chemical, Mechanical, Civil), held by 16.10.2026.
Age
18 to 30 years as on 01.07.2026; SC, ST, BC and EWS get 5 more years, ex-servicemen 3 years plus their service.
Also
Men: height at least 163 cm, chest 84 cm with 5 cm expansion.
Also
Women: height at least 150 cm, chest 79 cm with 5 cm expansion. Normal eyesight is required.
Also
District cadre: 95% of each district's posts go to local candidates (Class I-VII study certificates).
  1. Written exam (objective, computer-based CBRT), 450 marksPapers I, II and III, 150 marks each; merit decides selection. Missing any paper disqualifies you.
  2. Qualifying test: General English and General Telugu (100 marks)Qualify in English and in Telugu separately; the marks are not added to the 450.
  3. Walking test and medical examination (qualifying)Shortlist 1:2. Men walk 25 km, women 16 km, each within 4 hours.
  4. Computer Proficiency Test, then final selectionCPT is qualifying only. Final list by written marks and roster, plus NCC bonus (C 5, B 3, A 1).

Forest Section Officer syllabus

4 papers, 114 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 halves; you must qualify in both. Telugu includes Telugu-English meanings, so English-medium candidates need real practice.

General English (50 marks)
  • Comprehension
  • Phrases and idioms
  • Vocabulary and punctuation
  • Logical rearrangement 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 10-item APPSC Paper I syllabus. Environment, disaster management and summary statistics overlap with Papers II and III, so study them once.

1. Current events
  • Major current events and issues: international, national and Andhra Pradesh
2. General science
  • General science and its applications to day-to-day life
  • Contemporary developments in science and technology and information technology
3. History of India
  • Social, economic, cultural and political aspects
  • Focus on Andhra Pradesh and the 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 and logical interpretation
10. Data analysis
  • Tabulation and visual representation of data
  • Summary statistics: mean, median, mode, variance
  • Interpretation

Paper II: Mathematics (SSC standard)

150 questions · 150 min · 150 marks

Class 10 maths at one minute a question. Para 15.5 bans calculators, so work by hand and know standard log and trig values by heart.

1. Arithmetic
  • Natural numbers, integers, rational and real numbers
  • Square roots and decimal fractions
  • Unitary method: time and distance, time and work, percentages
  • Simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, variation
  • Division algorithm, primes, tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 11
  • HCF and LCM, Euclidean algorithm
  • Logarithms to base 10 and their laws
2. Algebra
  • 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 these equations
  • Sets, rational expressions, conditional identities, laws of indices
3. Trigonometry
  • sin, cos and tan for 0° to 90°, values at 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°
  • Simple identities
  • Heights and distances
4. Geometry
  • Lines, angles, parallel lines
  • Triangles: congruency, similarity, medians and altitudes
  • Parallelogram, rectangle and square
  • Circles, tangents and normals
  • Loci
5. Mensuration
  • Areas of square, rectangle, parallelogram, triangle and circle
  • Areas of composite figures (field book)
  • Surface area and volume of cuboid, cone, cylinder and sphere
6. Statistics
  • Collection and tabulation of data
  • Frequency polygons, histograms, bar charts, pie charts
  • Measures of central tendency

Paper III: General Forestry

150 questions · 150 min · 150 marks

Degree-level forestry over 11 units no single degree covers. Almost everyone must learn silviculture (unit 6), forest law (unit 9) and mensuration (unit 10) fresh.

1. Plant science
  • Cell structure and plant classification
  • Plant nutrition, nutrient deficiencies and their correction
  • Photosynthesis, respiration, auxins and hormones
  • DNA and RNA
  • Reproduction, pollination, seed dormancy and germination, pre-germination treatment
  • Seed collection in forestry crops
  • Plant diseases and their control, including transgenic plants
  • Vegetation zones and forests of Andhra Pradesh
  • Deforestation, afforestation, wasteland reclamation
2. Forests and ecology
  • Genetic, species and ecosystem diversity
  • Ecosystem structure, succession, food chains and pyramids
  • Biogeographical classification of India, hot-spots
  • Threats: habitat loss, poaching, man-wildlife conflict
  • Endangered and endemic species of India
  • In-situ and ex-situ conservation, Convention on Biological Diversity
  • Forest protection and carbon sequestration
3. Horticulture
  • Branches and importance of horticulture
  • Propagation by cuttings, layering, grafting and budding
  • Rootstock and scion selection
  • Greenhouse production
4. Soil science
  • Rocks and minerals; folds, joints, faults, foliation, lineation
  • Clinometer compass in field measurement
  • Soil types, forest soils, soil formation and properties
  • Erosion and its control; wind breaks and shelter belts
  • Reclamation of saline, alkaline and waterlogged land
  • Manures and fertilizers
5. Water resources and watersheds
  • Surface and subsurface water, demand prediction
  • Water impurities, physical, chemical and bacteriological analysis, water-borne diseases
  • Standards for drinking water; pumping and gravity schemes
  • Watershed concepts, forest hydrology, water harvesting
6. Silviculture, agroforestry, social forestry
  • Principles of silviculture; natural and artificial regeneration
  • 22 named species, including Tectona grandis, Santalum album, Pterocarpus santalinus, Pterocarpus marsupium, Gmelina arborea, Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus, bamboo and Azadirachta indica
  • Agroforestry systems, multipurpose trees and NTFPs
  • Social and urban forestry in AP
  • AP community forest management
7. Animal health and nutrition
  • Feeds, fodder and supplements
  • Nutrition deficiencies
  • Contagious diseases of cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats
  • Bacterial, viral, rickettsial and parasitic infections
  • Feed management in zoological parks
8. Economic zoology
  • Beneficial and harmful insects, disease vectors
  • Commercial fish, prawns and molluscs of India
  • Poisonous and non-poisonous snakes; venomous animals
  • Chromosomal and genetic disorders, genetic counselling
  • DNA in forensic investigation
9. Forest economics, legislation and administration
  • Principles of forest economics, cost-benefit analysis, demand and supply
  • AP Forest Act 1967
  • Wildlife Protection Act 1972
  • Forest Conservation Act 1980
  • Forest Rights Act 2006
  • Indian Forest Service, AP State Forest Service, AP Forest Subordinate Service
10. Mensuration, remote sensing, working plans
  • Measuring diameter, girth, height and volume; form factor
  • Current annual increment vs mean annual increment; yield and stand tables
  • Forest cover monitoring by remote sensing; GIS
  • Wireless sets and walkie-talkies
  • Working plan vs management plan
  • Sampling: simple random, systematic, cluster, stratified; ratio and regression estimation
11. Environmental science
  • Air, water, soil, marine, noise and thermal pollution, nuclear hazards
  • Solid waste management
  • Climate change, acid rain, ozone depletion
  • Renewable and non-renewable resources

1/3 of a question's marks is deducted per wrong answer (G.O.Ms.No.235, 2016); with 1 mark each, that is 0.33.

The language test must be passed in English and Telugu separately; it is not counted in the total. 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 Section Officer

5 phases, week by week

For a B.Sc. or B.Tech graduate with about 5 hours a day; the exam date is not notified, so stretch weeks 2-9 if needed.

  1. Week 1

    Apply, check standards, measure where you stand

    • Apply (OTPR and online form) before 05.11.2026, 11:59 PM; keep certificates ready.
    • Check your height and chest against the standards before investing months.
    • Walk 8 km briskly and time it; men need 6.25 km an hour.

  2. Weeks 2-5

    Paper III core forestry, Paper II arithmetic and algebra, Paper I base

    • Paper III: silviculture first, with a species table (teak, sandalwood, red sanders, bamboo).
    • Paper III: one page each on the 1967, 1972, 1980 and 2006 forest Acts.
    • Paper II: arithmetic and algebra; Paper I: history and geography. Walk 3 days a week.

  3. Weeks 6-9

    Rest of Paper III, Paper II geometry to statistics, Paper I remaining items

    • Paper III: mensuration, soils and geology, watersheds, propagation, animal health, pollution.
    • Paper II: trigonometry, geometry, mensuration, statistics; 40 timed questions daily without calculator.
    • Walk 4 days weekly; reach 15 km (men) or 10 km (women) by week 9.

  4. Weeks 10-11

    Language test, current events and sectional tests

    • English comprehension and idioms daily; Telugu grammar and meanings, 45 minutes daily.
    • Current events of the last 12 months, 30 minutes a day, especially forests and environment.
    • One 50-question sectional a day on your weakest Paper II and III units.

  5. Weeks 12-14

    Full mocks in exam conditions and the walking trial

    • Full 150-question mocks of Papers I-III on screen, 150 minutes each, with negative marking.
    • Sort mock errors into 'did not know' and 'careless'; revise the first next day.
    • One full walking trial: 25 km (men) or 16 km (women) under 4 hours.

Mistakes that cost marks

5 traps seen in the real papers
  • Taking the English and Telugu test lightly: fail either half and your 450-mark score is lost.
  • Preparing Paper III only from your degree subject; no degree covers all 11 units.
  • Practising maths with a calculator: Para 15.5 bans them, and Paper II gives one minute per question.
  • Mixing up forest law years: AP Forest Act 1967, Wildlife Protection 1972, Forest Conservation 1980, Forest Rights 2006.
  • Leaving walking practice until the result: 25 km in 4 hours is a steady 6.25 km an hour.

తెలుగులో సంక్షిప్తంగా

In brief, in Telugu

APPSC నోటిఫికేషన్ 17/2026 ద్వారా 16 జిల్లాల్లో 26 ఫారెస్ట్ సెక్షన్ ఆఫీసర్ పోస్టులను భర్తీ చేస్తారు, స్క్రీనింగ్ టెస్ట్ ఉండదు. మెరిట్ 450 మార్కుల కంప్యూటర్ ఆధారిత పరీక్ష (పేపర్లు I-III, ఒక్కోటి 150) మీద ఆధారపడుతుంది; దీనితో పాటు ఇంగ్లీష్, తెలుగు అర్హత పరీక్ష, నడక పరీక్ష, వైద్య పరీక్ష, కంప్యూటర్ ప్రొఫిషియెన్సీ టెస్ట్‌లో ఉత్తీర్ణులు కావాలి.

How to apply

Online at psc.ap.gov.in, by 5 Nov 2026
  1. Read notification 17/2026 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 17/2026 (16.10.2026): p. 1 (post, vacancies, pay, dates, CBRT), p. 2 (qualification, physical standards), p. 3 (walking test, NCC bonus, medical board, reservations), pp. 3-4 (BC non-creamy layer, EWS certificates), p. 5 (age), pp. 5-7 (local candidates, districts), p. 8 (corrections, fee), p. 9 (scheme, negative marking, normalisation, CPT, centres), p. 10 (answer key, Telugu translation), p. 11 (distance-mode degrees, para 12.7), pp. 11-12 (selection, minimum marks, SC/ST rank rule), p. 13 (electronic gadgets, para 15.5), p. 14 (Annexure I vacancies), pp. 15-21 (Annexure II scheme and syllabus), pp. 22-24 (CPT), p. 26 (CBT instructions, SUBMIT after 150 minutes, rough sheet), p. 27 (Annexure III C.4, calculators), p. 37 (Annexure V normalisation); APPSC brief notification 17/2026 (15.09.2026), p. 2, para 6: single-level exam, no screening test, normalisation if multi-session; APPSC scheme and syllabus for the FSO main examination, p. 1 (scheme); earlier FSO screening test syllabus (10.06.2025), p. 1 (150-mark screening scheme); APPSC common Paper I, ASO 2022 and 2025 papers with final keys; Medha AI level analysis (docs/exams/APPSC-P1-level.md, Paper I table and 'Level (2022 / 2025)').

APPSC Forest Section Officer questions

14 common questions, answered
Is there a screening test for the Forest Section Officer exam in 2026?

No. The notification (para 6) says it is a single-level exam with no screening test, whatever the number of applications.

When is the FSO exam?

The date is not announced; hall tickets will be on psc.ap.gov.in. Applications run from 16.10.2026 to 05.11.2026.

Can final-year students apply?

No. You must hold the qualification on 16.10.2026, the date of the detailed notification.

What are the minimum marks to qualify?

On the 450-mark aggregate of Papers I-III: 40% for OC, EWS, sportspersons and ex-servicemen (180), 35% for BC (157.5), 30% for SC and ST (135).

How many posts are there in my district?

26 posts in 16 districts; Eluru has 4. By category: OC 12, SC-I 4, SC-II 3, SC-III 2, BC-A 1, BC-B 1, BC-D 2, EWS 1; no ST, BC-C or BC-E vacancies.

Are posts reserved for women?

The rules provide 33 1/3% for women, but this notification provides no vacancies under horizontal reservation. Women compete for all 26 posts on merit and category.

How much is deducted for a wrong answer?

One third of a mark. For example, 120 right and 30 wrong gives 120 - 10 = 110 marks. Unanswered questions lose nothing.

Will the question paper be in Telugu?

Papers I-III are set in English and translated into Telugu. If the two differ, the English version is used for valuation.

When is the APPSC Forest Section Officer exam 2026?

Not announced yet. Notification 17/2026 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 Section 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 Section Officer 2026?

26 posts as notified in 17/2026. The number is provisional and can change.

What is the APPSC Forest Section 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 (150 questions, 150 minutes, 150 marks). Total 450 marks. Each wrong answer costs 1/3 of the marks for that question.

Is there a syllabus for APPSC Forest Section Officer?

Yes. The scheme and syllabus are in an annexure of notification 17/2026. 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 Section 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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