Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission
Permanent

APPSC Forest Section Officer Recruitment 2026

Sourced from Official Government PDF
Sep. 15, 2026
Forest Section Officer

Required Qualification

Graduate130
B.Tech64
B.Sc31
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Quick Recruitment Snapshot

Key recruitment parameters at a glance before you apply

Vacancies
26 Posts
Pay Scale
₹32,670 – ₹1,01,970/- per month
Age Limit
18 to 30 Years (Subject to Detailed Notification)
Job Location
Andhra Pradesh18

Crucial Recruitment Dates

Official schedule & key deadlines

Published

Sep 15, 2026

2

Starts

Oct 16, 2026

3

Deadline

Nov 5, 2026

4

Exam Date

TBA

Application Window16 Oct – 5 Nov 2026
Exam / Test DateTo Be Announced

Eligibility Criteria & Educational Qualifications

Who is eligible to apply for this recruitment? Check essential educational qualifications, branch/stream criteria, and age limits.

Educational Qualification

• Educational Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Botany, Forestry, Horticulture, Zoology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Statistics, Geology, or Agriculture) OR Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering) from a recognized University or UGC-approved institution.
• Physical Standards & Walking Test: Male candidates must walk 25 km within 4 hours; female candidates must walk 16 km within 4 hours. Minimum height: Male – 163 cm (chest 79 cm with 5 cm expansion); Female – 150 cm (chest 74 cm with 5 cm expansion).

Age Limit & Relaxations

Standard age bracket for Forest Section Officer is 18 to 30 years. Category-wise relaxations (SC/ST/BC/EWS/ESM) and the crucial reference date will be confirmed in the detailed notification on or before 16/10/2026.

Check Your Age Eligibility

Selection Procedure & Screening Stages

Verified Official Source

How will candidates be selected? Multi-stage screening roadmap from application to final merit list.

Written Examination (Single-Level CBRT Objective Type)

Online (CBRT)Merit Scored

Walking Test & Medical Examination (Ratio 1:2)

OfflineQualifying Only

Computer Proficiency Test (CPT)

Practical TypeQualifying Only

Document Verification

OfflineQualifying Only

The selection consists of a single-level Computer-Based Recruitment Test (CBRT) with no preliminary screening test. The written examination carries a total of 450 merit marks across Paper-I (General Studies & Mental Ability - 150 marks), Paper-II (Mathematics SSC standard - 150 marks), and Paper-III (General Forestry - 150 marks), preceded by a Qualifying Test in General English and Telugu (100 marks). Negative marking of 1/3rd applies. Qualified candidates in a 1:2 ratio undergo a physical walking test (25 km for men, 16 km for women in 4 hours) and medical examination by a Medical Board, followed by the Computer Proficiency Test (CPT, 100 marks, 60 mins) and certificate verification.

Syllabus & Exam Pattern Overview

Verified Official Source

What is the examination structure? Mode of test, total marks, duration, and negative marking rules.

Exam Tier / Mode

Tier 1

Total Duration

100 Minutes

Negative Marking

None / N/A

Exam Tier / Mode

Tier 2

Total Duration

150 Minutes

Negative Marking

None / N/A

Exam Tier / Mode

Tier 3

Total Duration

150 Minutes

Negative Marking

None / N/A

Exam Tier / Mode

Tier 4

Total Duration

150 Minutes

Negative Marking

None / N/A

Aspirant Ground Reality & Career Trajectory

Verified Official Source

Practical service rules, posting locations, transfer policy, and promotion ladder curated from official gazettes.

Work Culture & Environment

Office/fieldwork balance, duties, organizational environment.

Forest Section Officers (FSOs) hold frontline territorial executive jurisdiction over designated forest sections comprising multiple beats. Responsibilities include anti-smuggling patrolling (especially Red Sanders and timber protection), wildlife conservation, managing fire lines, inspecting nursery and afforestation plantations, investigating forest offenses, and enforcing the AP Forest Act. The role involves strenuous outdoor field duties in rough terrains and reserves, commanding Beat Officers and Assistant Beat Officers.

Posting & Transfer Policy

Initial posting criteria, zone preferences, transfer liability.

FSOs are posted across territorial forest divisions, social forestry ranges, and wildlife sanctuaries in Andhra Pradesh. Transfers follow standard state forest department tenure rotations. Field postings require residency within the section headquarters or range headquarters.

Career & Promotion Ladder

Promotion timeline, seniority ladder, pay grade scaling.

FSO is a supervisory executive tier in the A.P. Forest Subordinate Service. Direct recruits are in line for promotion to Forest Range Officer (FRO) upon completion of requisite service years, qualifying departmental tests, and physical fitness benchmarks, followed by entry into State Forest Service (Assistant Conservator of Forests - ACF).
Crucial Application Warnings & Eligibility Traps

Avoid common application rejection triggers, photo/signature guidelines, and certificate validity windows.

  • No preliminary screening test will be conducted; selection is governed entirely by the single-level CBRT written examination consisting of 450 merit marks.
  • Qualifying in both General English (50 marks) and General Telugu (50 marks) individually is strictly mandatory; failure in either language invalidates the merit evaluation.
  • Rigorous walking test standards apply: male candidates must walk 25 km and female candidates 16 km within 4 hours; failure to complete the distance within the time limit disqualifies the candidate.
  • A negative marking penalty of 1/3rd (0.33 mark) is deducted for every incorrect response in the objective papers.
  • Detailed vacancy category distribution, exact age calculation dates, and fee requirements will be published on psc.ap.gov.in on or before 16/10/2026.

Category-Wise Vacancy Breakdown & Pay Scale

Detailed post distribution across UR, OBC, EWS, SC, ST quotas and 7th CPC Pay Matrix / Monthly Stipend.

Category-Wise Vacancy Distribution

  • Forest Section Officer in A.P. Forest Subordinate Service26
Total Vacancies26 Posts

Pay Scale & Monthly Remuneration

Scale of Pay: ₹32,670 – ₹1,01,970/- per month in A.P. Forest Subordinate Service.

Pay Scale of ₹32,670 – ₹1,01,970/- per month in A.P. Forest Subordinate Service plus standard allowances (DA, HRA) as admissible under Government of Andhra Pradesh rules.

Andhra Pradesh Govt Salary Calculator

How to Apply Online Step-by-Step?

Follow this verified step-by-step application procedure on the official recruitment portal.

Application Procedure

  1. Visit the official Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) portal at psc.ap.gov.in.
  2. Complete One-Time Profile Registration (OTPR) if applying for the first time, or log in with your existing OTPR User ID and password.
  3. Click on the Online Application link for "Forest Section Officer in A.P. Forest Subordinate Service (Notification No. 17/2026)" (active from 16/10/2026 to 05/11/2026 up to 11:59 PM).
  4. Verify auto-populated personal and educational details from OTPR, select qualification and community details, and upload updated documents if prompted.
  5. Pay the requisite application processing and examination fee through the integrated online payment gateway (Net Banking / Credit Card / Debit Card / UPI).
  6. Submit the application form and download/print the finalized submission receipt and application PDF for future reference during document verification.

Application Fee & Category Concessions

To be specified in the Detailed Notification on 16/10/2026. Standard APPSC online application processing fee and examination fee rules apply with exemptions for reserved categories.

Official Notification & Portal Verification

Direct links to the authorized government portal, official notification PDF, and career portal.

Verified Official Domain
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View130Active Graduate JobsView18Active Jobs in Andhra Pradesh

Frequently Asked Questions & Crucial Aspirant Queries

5 Queries Resolved

Clear, verified answers to top eligibility, exam format, salary calculation, and application queries for this notification.

Online applications on psc.ap.gov.in will open on October 16, 2026, and close on November 05, 2026, up to 11:59 PM.

Sarkari Job Khojo is an independent information service and job discovery platform. All recruitment insights, syllabi, previous year exam cutoffs, and selection stages are compiled from official government notifications, gazettes, and recruitment portals. We are not affiliated with, authorized by, or an official representative of any government agency or recruitment board. Always verify details in the official advertisement PDF before applying.

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