Everything on this page comes from the last official Group-II scheme: Notification No. 11/2023 (7 December 2023), the scheme fixed by G.O.Ms.No.06, Finance (HR-I, Plg and Policy) Department, dated 6 January 2023, and the syllabus of 27 April 2023. As on 10 October 2026, APPSC has not issued a Group-II notification for 2026. When it does, read its scheme page first and compare it with the tables below; the notification wins wherever they differ.
Status as on 10 October 2026
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Is Group-II notified? | No. It was not among the 20 brief notifications of 15-09-2026 (Nos. 07/2026 to 26/2026) | Web note of 15-09-2026 |
| When might it come? | The state's job calendar lists Group-II in Phase III; news reports expect a combined Phase III release around 15 October 2026 | Not an APPSC notice; unverified |
| How many posts? | Unknown. Figures circulating online are not from APPSC and we do not repeat them | — |
| Which scheme applies? | The 2023 scheme below, until a new notification says otherwise | G.O.Ms.No.06 (06-01-2023), Notification 11/2023 |
| What should I do now? | Update OTPR (compulsory from 30-09-2026) and prepare to the 2023 syllabus | OTPR web note of 29-09-2026 |
Stages at a glance
| Stage | Mode | Counts in final merit? |
|---|---|---|
| Screening Test | Offline OMR, one objective paper | No, shortlisting only |
| Mains | Two objective papers, OMR or computer-based at the Commission's discretion | Yes, 300 marks |
| Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) | Practical, on a computer | No, qualifying only |
There is no interview and no descriptive paper in the 2023 scheme.
Screening Test
| Paper | Blocks | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Studies and Mental Ability | Indian History 30; Geography 30; Indian Society 30; Current Affairs 30; Mental Ability 30 | 150 | 150 | 150 minutes |
- Objective, degree standard, answered on an OMR sheet.
- Negative marking: one-third of the marks for the question for each wrong answer (G.O.Ms.No.235, Finance, 06-12-2016).
- Shortlisting for Mains: the notification leaves the ratio to the Commission, to be decided at the appropriate time. It is not a fixed multiple of vacancies as in Group-I.
- Screening marks do not carry into the final merit.
Each block is exactly one-fifth of the paper. There is no minor subject in this test: a block you skip costs the same 30 marks as a block you master. The syllabus page lists what each block contains.
Mains
| Paper | Section | Marks | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-I | A Social and Cultural History of Andhra Pradesh | 75 | 150 per paper | 150 minutes per paper |
| Paper-I | B General Overview of the Indian Constitution | 75 | ||
| Paper-II | A Indian and Andhra Pradesh Economy | 75 | 150 per paper | 150 minutes per paper |
| Paper-II | B Science and Technology | 75 | ||
| Mains total | 300 | 300 | 300 minutes |
- Objective, degree standard. The notification allows OMR or a computer-based test.
- The same one-third negative marking applies.
- Selection is on merit in the Main Examination. Nothing from the Screening Test is added.
- Each section is exactly half its paper. A weak half cannot be hidden by a strong half: 60 of 75 in history and 30 of 75 in the Constitution is an average Paper-I with a fixable gap.
Computer Proficiency Test
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who sits it | Candidates shortlisted on Mains merit |
| Type | Practical: office automation, use of computers and related software |
| Marks and time | 100 marks, 60 minutes |
| Nature | Qualifying; marks are not added to merit |
| Minimum qualifying marks | OC 40, BC 35, SC/ST/PH 30 |
| Basis | G.O.Ms.No.26, G.A. (Ser.B) Department, 24-02-2023 |
A candidate who does not qualify in the CPT is not eligible for appointment, whatever the Mains rank. The qualifying marks are on the cut-off page too.
How the marks add up
Our arithmetic from the scheme, not an APPSC statement:
| Component | Marks | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Screening Test | 150 | Gate: shortlist for Mains |
| Mains Paper-I | 150 | Merit |
| Mains Paper-II | 150 | Merit |
| CPT | 100 | Gate: qualify for appointment |
Written marks across the two stages total 450, which is the figure older material quotes, but only the 300 Mains marks rank you. Each Mains section is 25% of the merit total; each Screening block is 20% of the gate.
Negative marking in practice
Every Group-II question carries one mark, so each wrong answer costs 0.33 marks (arithmetic). A pure guess among four options is neutral on average: a one-in-four chance of +1 against a three-in-four chance of −1/3. Once you have eliminated two options, an attempt between the remaining two is positive on average (+1 at half probability against −1/3 at the other half). Our rule, from the arithmetic: attempt when you can rule out two options, skip when you cannot, and measure your own 50-50 accuracy in mocks before trusting it. The previous papers analysis works four attempt scenarios through this rule.
Medium of the question paper
We could not re-verify the language line of Notification 11/2023, so this page does not state the Group-II medium as fact. For comparison, APPSC's current Group-I notification (07/2026) sets its objective paper in English with a Telugu translation and makes the English version authentic where the two differ. Read the "medium" paragraph of the 2026 Group-II notification on the day it is published; if the same rule applies, check the English text whenever a Telugu question reads oddly.
What the 2026 notification may change
Nothing below is announced. These are the items a new notification fixes, with the reason each could differ from 2023:
| Item | 2023 position | Why it may differ |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme of papers | G.O.Ms.No.06 of 06-01-2023 | A new G.O. could amend it; read the scheme page first |
| Number of questions and minutes | 150 / 150 / 150 at both stages | Printed per notification |
| Mode of Mains | OMR or CBT at the Commission's discretion | The notification may fix one |
| Upper age limit | Not re-verified for 2023 | G.O.Ms.No.187 (14-09-2026) raises the limit for non-uniform services to 44 for notifications up to 30-09-2027; G.O.Ms.No.188 covers uniformed posts |
| Local reservation | Older Presidential Order | The Presidential Order 2025 (G.O.Ms.No.45, G.A. (SPF&MC), 20-04-2026) now applies; OTPR records district, zone and multi-zone |
| Posts and vacancies | Fixed per notification | Entirely new list; executive and non-executive posts change each cycle |
| Interview | None in 2023 | The 2008 scheme had a 50-mark interview for executive posts; a new notification would say so explicitly if it returned |
| Dates | Screening 25-02-2024 in the last cycle | New calendar |
The 2023 cycle's official timeline
| Event | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notification 11/2023 | 07-12-2023 | Notification |
| Screening Test (OMR) | 25-02-2024, forenoon | Web note of 10-04-2024 |
| List of candidates provisionally qualified for Mains hosted | By 10-04-2024 | Web note of 10-04-2024 |
| Mains date announced in that web note | 28-07-2024, later changed | Web note of 10-04-2024; later schedules |
| Selection notification | 28-01-2026 | APPSC notifications page |
The gap between notification and Screening Test was about eleven weeks. If the 2026 cycle follows a similar gap, a candidate starting on the day of the notification has roughly 80 days for the screening; the preparation strategy is built for starting earlier.
What changed from the old pattern
Material for the pre-2023 scheme is still in circulation. Under the older scheme (documents dated 30-01-2008 and 05-10-2018 on the Commission's site), the Screening Test was 150 marks and the Mains had three papers: Paper-I General Studies and Mental Ability, Paper-II AP social and cultural history with a general overview of the Constitution, Paper-III planning and the Indian economy with contemporary problems of rural society in Andhra Pradesh. The 2023 scheme moved General Studies and Mental Ability into the Screening Test only, cut the Mains to two papers with four 75-mark sections, made Science and Technology a full 75-mark section, dropped the rural-society paper, and added the Computer Proficiency Test. Any book, video or plan built on "Paper-III" is describing the old scheme.
Eligibility points to settle before the notification
- OTPR. The web note of 29-09-2026 makes updating OTPR compulsory from 30-09-2026 for every APPSC application, because OTPR now records district, zone and multi-zone under the Presidential Order 2025. Details are pre-filled from OTPR and cannot be changed in the application.
- Age. G.O.Ms.No.187, G.A. (Ser.A), 14-09-2026, relaxes the upper age limit from 34 to 44 for non-uniform services for notifications issued up to 30-09-2027, in addition to Rule 12 of the A.P. State and Subordinate Service Rules, 1996. G.O.Ms.No.188 of the same date extends the two-year relaxation for uniformed services. If a Group-II notification includes an excise or other uniformed post, that post is treated separately. The exact age line for 2026 Group-II exists only in the notification.
- Qualification. Group-II posts are largely graduate posts, and some carry extra conditions such as computer knowledge; the post list and conditions sit in the detailed notification.
How to apply when the notification comes
- Update OTPR first, including district, zone and multi-zone particulars. False particulars lead to rejection.
- Read the scheme of examination and the syllabus annexure before anything else, and compare them with this page.
- Match yourself to the post list and its post-wise conditions, then apply inside the window the notification gives.
- Pay the fee, if not exempt, and keep the reference. Fee amounts and exemptions are printed per notification.
- Download the hall ticket when APPSC releases it; the Screening Test is OMR, so practise on an OMR sheet.
What this means for your attempt strategy
Our arithmetic and reading, not APPSC advice:
- Time: 150 questions in 150 minutes at both stages, so 60 seconds a question. Bank time on direct-fact questions to spend two minutes on data and statement questions.
- The gate and the race are different exams. The Screening Test needs you above the shortlist line in all five blocks; the Mains ranks you on four 75-mark sections. Prepare at Mains depth and test in screening format.
- Guess only after eliminating two options. With a one-third penalty, a run of blind guesses cancels correct answers.
- Start the CPT early. Twenty minutes a day of typing, word processing and spreadsheets from the first month removes the last gate.
Plan around these numbers in the preparation strategy. Full topic lists are on the syllabus page.
Related: Syllabus · Cut-off · Preparation strategy · Group-II guide · Andhra Pradesh state guide