APPSC · Notification No. 07/2026

APPSC Group 1 2026

166 posts, screening test on 24 January 2027

  • 166 posts
  • Apply by 27 Oct 2026
  • Exam 24 Jan 2027
  • 2 papers · 240 marks
  • 120 min per paper
  • Course ready
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Official notification 07/2026 (PDF)

At a glance

Important dates

Notification
6 October 2026
Apply from
6 October 2026
Last date
27 October 2026, 11:59 PM
Exam date
24 January 2027

Vacancies

166 posts · provisional

Group 1 exam pattern

PaperQsMinMarks
Screening Paper I: General Studies 120 120 120
Screening Paper II: General Aptitude 120 120 120
Total240

Screening Paper I + Screening Paper II: General Aptitude

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What Group 1 really tests

Biggest block: Paper II: Arithmetic (ratio, percentage, interest, time-work-distance) (8%). How questions are asked.

APPSC notification 07/2026 fills 166 Group I posts via a screening test (24 January 2027), descriptive Mains and an interview. Screening only shortlists 50 per vacancy; the final rank rests on Mains (750 marks) and the interview (75).

Based on The two screening tests under the current scheme: March 2024 (2/3 weight) and January 2023 (1/3 weight). 480 questions in all.

Paper II

  1. Arithmetic (ratio, percentage, interest, time-work-distance)8.3%
  2. Reasoning (series, coding, relations, Venn)7.4%
  3. Clocks, calendars, ages, number system4.5%
  4. Current events on science, environment, reports and indices3.9%
  5. Environment, climate change, disaster management3.6%

Paper I

  1. Money, banking, taxes, budget and fiscal policy4.6%
  2. World general and physical geography4%
  3. Economic geography3.9%
  4. Medieval India (Sultanate, Vijayanagara, Mughals, Bhakti)3.6%
  5. Physical geography of India and AP3.3%
The most-asked topics, as a share of all questions in the real papers.

Difficulty in the real papers

  • Easy 30%
  • Medium 53%
  • Hard 17%
  • Economy follows the Survey and Budget: 20 of 29 economy questions in 2024. Read Economic Survey 2025-26, Union Budget 2026-27 and AP equivalents.
  • Polity and economy were hard in 2024 (22 of 58 hard); geography was easy (17 of 30). Bank marks in geography and history first.
  • About 44% of Paper II in 2024 depended on the news. For 24 January 2027, cover January 2026 to mid-January 2027.
  • Part A is mostly arithmetic and reasoning: 50 of 60 questions in 2024. Mensuration, data interpretation and situational items were only 6.

How questions are asked

  • Paper I 2024: 58% multi-statement, up from 24% in 2023
  • Polity 2024: 26 of 29 questions statement-based, stems about 113 words
  • Economy 2024: about 76% statements and 14% assertion-reason
  • Paper II Part A 2024: 68% numerical problems, 21% reasoning puzzles

The job and who can apply

Qualification, age limit and selection

13 posts in 12 State services, including Deputy Collector, DSP (Civil), Assistant Commissioner of State Tax and District Educational Officer. Pay scales run from Rs 54,060-1,40,540 to Rs 65,360-1,54,980.

Qualification
A bachelor's degree for 12 of 13 posts; DSP (Communications) needs a B.E./B.Tech in Electronics and Communication or related branches. Hold it by 6 October 2026.
Age
On 1 July 2026: 18 to 44 for most posts; 21 to 30 for DSP (Civil); 18 to 30 for DSP (Communications). SC, ST, BC, EWS: +5 years; PBD: +10.
Also
DSP posts: physical standards (men 167.6 cm, chest 86.3 cm; women 152.5 cm, 45.5 kg) and vision standards.
Also
95% of posts in each multi-zone go to local candidates (study certificates for classes I to VII).
Also
BC non-creamy-layer and EWS certificates must be issued on or after 1 April 2026.
  1. Screening test (objective, OMR, offline)Two papers of 120 marks on 24 January 2027. Shortlists 50 per vacancy for Mains; marks do not count.
  2. Main examination (descriptive)Telugu and English papers are qualifying only. Papers I to V, 150 marks each, decide merit. Missing any paper disqualifies.
  3. Interview (personality test)75 marks, called 1:2 to vacancies. Final selection on 825 marks (Mains 750 plus interview 75).
  4. Certificate verification and allotmentPreferences given at verification are final. Appointment depends on medical fitness. No waiting list.

Group 1 syllabus

4 papers, 49 topics

Screening Paper II: General Aptitude: practise it

Screening Paper I: General Studies

120 questions · 120 min · 120 marks

Four fixed parts of 30 questions: history and culture, polity and social justice, Indian and AP economy, geography. In 2024, polity and economy were long multi-statement items at UPSC-prelims level.

A. History and Culture (30)
  • Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mahajanapadas, Jainism and Buddhism
  • Magadha, Mauryas, Kushans, Satavahanas, Sangam age, Sungas, Guptas
  • Kanauj; Badami and Eastern Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Yadavas, Kakatiyas, Reddis
  • Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara, Mughals, Bhakti and Sufism
  • European companies and their struggle (Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Mysore, Andhra, Nizam); Governors-General and Viceroys
  • 1857, 19th-century reform movements, freedom movement and revolutionaries
  • Gandhi, Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, Ambedkar and the Constitution; reorganisation of states
B. Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations (30)
  • Evolution, Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, DPSP, amendments, basic structure
  • Union and States, Parliament and State Legislatures, federal issues, devolution to local levels
  • Constitutional authorities, Panchayati Raj, public policy and governance
  • Impact of LPG on governance; statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies
  • Rights issues: human, women, SC/ST, child rights
  • Foreign policy, international institutions and fora, central and state programmes
C. Indian and Andhra Pradesh Economy and Planning (30)
  • Planning, NITI Aayog, growth and distributive justice, HDI, sustainable development
  • National income, demography, poverty, unemployment and employment schemes, rural and urban development
  • Agriculture, MSP, food security, industrial policy, Make in India, SEZs, energy, LPG reforms, trade, WTO
  • RBI and monetary policy, banking and NPAs, SEBI, tax system and GST, Finance Commissions, public debt, budget
  • AP economy after 2014: resources, river water disputes, infrastructure, welfare; AP Reorganisation Act 2014 and special status issues
D. Geography (30)
  • General geography: solar system, Earth's motions and structure, landforms, atmosphere, climate, oceans
  • Physical geography of the world, India and AP: drainage, monsoon, vegetation, parks and sanctuaries, soils, minerals
  • Social geography: population, sex ratio, literacy, SC/ST population, tribes, urbanisation, migration
  • Economic geography: agriculture, industries, transport and trade

Screening Paper II: General Aptitude

120 questions · 120 min · 120 marks

Part A (60 questions) is reasoning and arithmetic. Parts B(i) science and technology and B(ii) current events (30 each) are mostly news-based: about 44% of the 2024 paper.

A. General Mental Ability, Administrative and Psychological Abilities (60)
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability, number series, coding-decoding, relations, shapes and their sub-sections, Venn diagrams
  • Clocks, calendars, ages, number system and order of magnitude
  • Ratio, proportion and variation; mean, median and mode (including weighted mean); powers, roots, HCF and LCM
  • Percentage, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, time and work, time and distance
  • Area, perimeter, volume and surface area; lines, angles, triangles and quadrilaterals
  • BODMAS and symbol problems, data interpretation, data sufficiency, probability
  • Emotional intelligence, social intelligence and interpersonal skills, decision making, critical thinking, problem solving
B(i). Science and Technology (30)
  • Science, Technology and Innovation policy, institutions, Indian scientists
  • ICT, e-governance, cyber security
  • ISRO, satellite programmes (IRNSS, IRS), DRDO
  • Energy needs and policy: solar, wind, nuclear
  • Environment laws and treaties, biodiversity, climate change, forest and wildlife law, disaster management
  • Biotechnology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, health and environment
B(ii). Current events of regional, national and international importance (30)
  • No topic list is notified: events of regional (Andhra Pradesh), national and international importance

Mains: Telugu and English (qualifying)

180 min · 150 marks

Two SSC-standard qualifying papers of 150 marks each: essay, letter, precis, comprehension, report, grammar and translation.

Mains Papers I to V

180 min · 150 marks

Five descriptive papers of 180 minutes and 150 marks each, written in English, Telugu or Urdu (one medium for all five).

Paper I: General Essay
  • Three essays of about 800 words, one from each section: current affairs; socio-political, socio-economic and socio-environmental issues; cultural and historical aspects, civic awareness, reflective topics
Paper II: History, Culture and Geography of India and AP
  • Indian history from prehistory to post-1947
  • Andhra history: Satavahanas to Vijayanagara, Company rule, reformers (Kandukuri, Gurajada, Gidugu), Andhra movement, Potti Sriramulu, 1953, 1956, bifurcation 2014
  • Physical, economic, social and environmental geography of India and AP
Paper III: Polity, Constitution, Governance, Law and Ethics
  • Constitution, federalism, 73rd and 74th amendments, Parliament, judiciary
  • Public administration, good governance, RTI, citizen's charter, social audit
  • Ethics, values, attitude, emotional intelligence, Lokpal and Lokayukta
  • Basic laws: hierarchy of civil and criminal courts, new developments in criminal laws, Nirbhaya Act, labour, cyber (IT Act) and tax laws including GST
Paper IV: Economy and Development of India and AP
  • Challenges of the Indian economy, resource mobilisation, budgeting and Finance Commission
  • AP budget, central assistance after bifurcation, AP agriculture, industry and infrastructure
  • Inclusive growth, agriculture, industrial policy, infrastructure
Paper V: Science, Technology and Environmental Issues
  • S&T policy and institutions in AP and India, ICT, space programme, energy
  • Environment, pollution and waste management, biotechnology, diseases, intellectual property rights

Screening test only: each wrong answer costs 1/3 of the question's 1 mark (0.33 marks).

Screening test (objective, OMR). The Main examination is descriptive; its dates will be announced later. Each wrong answer costs 1/3 of the marks for that question.

APPSC Group 1 syllabus · APPSC Group 1 study notes

A 13-week plan for Group 1

5 phases, week by week

From 21 October 2026 to the screening test on 24 January 2027, at 6 hours a day. Screening first; Mains reading where it overlaps.

  1. Weeks 1-3

    Arithmetic every day; polity and the core of economy

    • Paper II Part A daily for 90 minutes; 60-90 seconds per question
    • Polity: Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Parliament procedure, Finance Commission, GST Council, CAG
    • Economy: national income, RBI tools, NPAs, fiscal deficit; 20 multi-statement polity questions daily

  2. Weeks 4-6

    History, geography and science and technology

    • History: ancient to Mughals (Vijayanagara travellers, Sher Shah), then freedom movement chronology
    • Geography: world physical, India and AP rivers, soils, sanctuaries, projects
    • Science and technology: ISRO, DRDO, energy, Ramsar sites; keep Part A going

  3. Weeks 7-9

    The news-based third of the test and AP

    • Economic Survey 2025-26, Union Budget 2026-27, AP Socio-Economic Survey and AP Budget
    • AP Reorganisation Act 2014; current events January to September 2026
    • One sectional test a day: polity or economy, and Paper II Part A

  4. Weeks 10-12

    Full tests under the real timing

    • Two full screening tests a week, both papers same day, with OMR bubbling
    • List every wrong answer by cause; solve both 2024 papers under 120 minutes
    • Current events October 2026 to January 2027

  5. Week 13

    Revision and the last news

    • Revise your error list, polity articles, AP districts, banking ratios
    • Last-month current events; check the hall ticket and booklet series bubbling

Mistakes that cost marks

5 traps seen in the real papers
  • Guessing blindly. With a 1/3 penalty, a pure guess is worth zero; guess only after ruling out an option.
  • Reading 'which is/are incorrect' as 'correct'. Options often differ by a single statement.
  • Studying economy only from a textbook. Most 2024 economy questions came from the Survey, Budget and AP policies.
  • Mixing up the erstwhile 13 and present 26 districts of AP. The 2024 paper asked about erstwhile districts.
  • Skipping one screening or Mains paper. Absence in any paper disqualifies you.

తెలుగులో సంక్షిప్తంగా

In brief, in Telugu

ఏపీపీఎస్సీ నోటిఫికేషన్ 07/2026 ద్వారా 166 గ్రూప్-I పోస్టులను స్క్రీనింగ్ టెస్ట్ (24 జనవరి 2027), డిస్క్రిప్టివ్ మెయిన్స్, ఇంటర్వ్యూ ద్వారా భర్తీ చేస్తారు. స్క్రీనింగ్ ఒక్కో ఖాళీకి 50 మందిని ఎంపిక చేయడానికి మాత్రమే; తుది ర్యాంకు మెయిన్స్ (750 మార్కులు), ఇంటర్వ్యూ (75) ఆధారంగా ఉంటుంది.

How to apply

Online at psc.ap.gov.in, by 27 Oct 2026
  1. Read notification 07/2026 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 6 October 2026 and 27 October 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. Screening test on 24 January 2027 (para 1.7 of the notification). Main examination dates not announced. Recheck psc.ap.gov.in for changes. Vacancies in a notification are provisional and can change.

Sources: APPSC detailed notification 07/2026 dated 06/10/2026: p. 1 (posts, vacancies, age, pay), p. 2 (screening date, OMR mode), pp. 3-5 (qualifications, physical and vision standards), pp. 6-11 (reservation, certificates, age relaxation, local candidates), p. 12 (application corrections, fee), p. 13 (scheme, negative marking), pp. 13-14 (exam centres), pp. 14-15 (OMR rules, keys, medium, Mains qualifying marks, interview ratio, no waiting list), pp. 18-19 (procedure of selection, minimum marks, preferences); APPSC notification 07/2026: Annexure I pp. 21-25 (vacancy break-up), Annexure II pp. 26-30 (screening scheme and syllabus), pp. 31-39 (Mains syllabus); APPSC brief notification 07/2026 dated 15/09/2026, pp. 1-2 (163 provisional vacancies); Medha AI level analysis of the APPSC Group I screening tests of 2024 (notification 12/2023) and 2023 (notification 28/2022), final keys (docs/exams/APPSC-G1-level.md, 21 October 2026).

APPSC Group 1 questions

14 common questions, answered
When is the APPSC Group I screening test?

On 24 January 2027, offline on OMR sheets (para 1.5 and 1.7). Mains dates will be announced later. Hall tickets will be on psc.ap.gov.in.

Do screening test marks count in the final selection?

No. Screening only picks 50 candidates per vacancy for Mains. Final merit is on Mains Papers I to V and the interview.

How many posts are there, and why do I see 163 in some places?

The brief notification of 15 September 2026 listed 163. The detailed notification of 6 October 2026 lists 166, and it is the one that counts.

Is Group I Paper I the same as the common APPSC Paper I for other 2026 posts?

No. Group I has its own Screening Paper I with four parts of 30 questions (history, polity, economy, geography). The 150-question common Paper I is a different paper.

Can I write the exam in Telugu?

Screening papers are in English and Telugu; if they differ, English counts. Mains Papers I to V can be written in English, Telugu or Urdu, one medium for all five.

I am in the final year of my degree. Can I apply?

No. The notification says you must hold the qualification on the date of the detailed notification, 6 October 2026.

Which previous papers should I practise?

The 2024 (notification 12/2023) and 2023 (notification 28/2022) screening tests. Both follow the 2026 scheme.

Can I correct my application after submitting it?

Yes, for 7 days after 27 October 2026, at Rs 100 per correction. Name, fee and age-relaxation fields cannot be changed.

When is the APPSC Group 1 exam 2026?

Screening test on 24 January 2027 (para 1.7 of the notification). Main examination dates not announced. Check the official APPSC website for any change.

What is the last date to apply for APPSC Group 1?

Online applications are open from 6 October 2026 to 27 October 2026, up to 11:59 PM, on psc.ap.gov.in.

How many posts are there in APPSC Group 1 2026?

166 posts as notified in 07/2026. The number is provisional and can change.

What is the APPSC Group 1 exam pattern?

Screening Paper I: General Studies (120 questions, 120 minutes, 120 marks). Screening Paper II: General Aptitude (120 questions, 120 minutes, 120 marks). Total 240 marks. Each wrong answer costs 1/3 of the marks for that question.

Is there a syllabus for APPSC Group 1?

Yes. The scheme and syllabus are in an annexure of notification 07/2026. Medha AI has this exam: Group 1 screening: Paper I General Studies and Paper II General Aptitude.

Where do I apply for APPSC Group 1?

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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