AP Jail Warder 2026: Posts, Eligibility, Age, Exam Pattern, PMT and PET Standards

A warder is the uniformed rank that keeps the Andhra Pradesh prison system running from one shift to the next. On 16 September 2026 the State Level Police Recruitment Board (SLPRB) published a notification that includes 150 posts of Warder (Men) and 21 posts of Warder (Women) in the Prisons and Correctional Services Department. This guide explains what the notification says, what the job involves, how the selection works, and how to prepare for the written test and the physical tests together.

Everything below that carries a number comes from the official SLPRB notification (Rc.No.91/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026) or from the official Prisons Department and SLPRB websites, as on 7 October 2026. Where something is only reported in news coverage or is not stated anywhere official, the post says so. The most important gap is the calendar: as on 7 October 2026 the SLPRB Recruitments page shows no online application window and no preliminary test date. For the wider picture of state posts, see the Andhra Pradesh government exams 2026 guide, and for the other posts in the same notification, see the AP police recruitment 2026 update.

Key facts at a glance

Item	Confirmed in the notification (16-09-2026)
Recruiting body	State Level Police Recruitment Board, Andhra Pradesh (online applications only, slprb.ap.gov.in)
Posts	Warder (Men), post code 53: 150. Warder (Women), post code 54: 21. Total 171 (provisional)
Education	Intermediate or equivalent, as on 1 July 2026
Age	18 to below 32 on 1 July 2026 (born between 2 July 1994 and 1 July 2008), plus relaxations
Fee (local candidates)	Rs 300 for OC (including EWS) and BC; Rs 150 for SC and ST. Non-local candidates pay Rs 300 as OC
Stages	Preliminary written test, PMT, PET, final written examination
Preliminary and final test	One paper each, 200 questions, 200 marks, three hours, objective, in English, Telugu and Urdu
PET	Qualifying only: 1600 m run plus one of 100 m run or long jump
Final merit	Final written examination marks only (200), after qualifying in the PET
Pay scale	Rs 25,220 to Rs 80,910 (Revised Pay Scale 2022)
Application dates	Not announced as on 7 October 2026

The vacancy numbers are described in the notification as provisional and liable to change without notice. Treat them as the current sanctioned count rather than a fixed promise.

What the department and the job are

The Andhra Pradesh Prisons Department came into existence on 1 November 1956, after the reorganisation of states, and works under the Home Department. Its own website describes the work in three words: custody, care and correction. Custody means the secure confinement and supervision of inmates so that the public stays safe and escapes are prevented. Care covers food, shelter, clothing, medical attention and psychological support. Correction covers the reformative work that helps people change behaviour and return to society.

A warder sits at the lowest uniformed rung of that system. The department's seniority lists show the ladder above the warder: Head Warder, Chief Head Warder, Deputy Jailor, Jailor, Deputy Superintendent and then administrative posts, with separate lists for men and women. Prisons are administered under the Prisons Act, 1894 and the Andhra Pradesh Prison Rules, 1979, and the department's website also lists a new law, the Andhra Pradesh Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2026 (Act 16 of 2026, which received assent on 25 March 2026 and was published in the Gazette on 2 April 2026). That Act says it comes into force on a date the government will notify, so a candidate should not assume it is already operating.

The institutions where warders serve are listed on the department website: four central prisons (Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Nellore and Kadapa), eight district jails (Ananthapuramu, Chittoor, Eluru, Guntur, Kurnool, Ongole, Srikakulam and Vijayawada), two special prisons for women (Rajamahendravaram and Kadapa), one open jail (Anantapuramu) and 66 district sub-jails spread over 13 districts. The size of an institution changes the daily texture of the work: a central prison holds a large population and has layered procedures, while a sub-jail is smaller and more personal.

What does a warder actually do? The notification does not list duties, and the department has not published a job description for the post, so this is a general description of guarding work rather than an official list. Warders watch gates and barracks, count inmates, check cells and belongings, escort inmates to courts and hospitals, and respond when something goes wrong. Because a prison cannot be left unattended, duty is organised around the clock, which normally means rotating shifts and some night duty. How the roster works in a particular prison is a departmental matter that candidates should ask about from serving staff, not assume from articles.

The law gives some signals about the character of the work. The 2026 Act says the workforce may include executive, ministerial and guarding staff and correctional officers, that every member of the prison staff shall receive induction training and periodic in-service training, and that there shall be at least one training institute for prison officers. The department's own training academy, the Andhra Pradesh State Training Academy for Reformation Services (AP-STARS) at Nellore, was renamed in 2014 from the State Institute of Correctional Administration, which dates from 1984. The notification itself does not state the length or location of warder training, so check that when the call letter arrives.

Confirmed officially and only reported, as on 7 October 2026

This section keeps the two kinds of information apart, because a job notification attracts a lot of second-hand claims.

Confirmed on the SLPRB site: the notification dated 16 September 2026 exists and is the one that carries the warder posts; the posts and counts in the table above; the eligibility, selection and pay clauses described below; and the statement that the exact dates for online applications and the preliminary written test will be announced separately through a press release. The SLPRB Recruitments page lists the notification with its application-period column empty, and the Press Release page shows only the notes of 16 and 17 September 2026. A press note of 16 September 2026 says the Government Order behind the posts is G.O.Ms.No.81 of the Finance (HR-I Planning and Policy) Department dated 22 August 2026, with a later memo dated 11 September 2026, and that 171 warders are among the sanctioned posts.

Only reported, and not part of the warder notification: news coverage of a 2026 job calendar describes ten thousand-odd posts in four phases and lists 171 jail warder posts, which matches the notification. Separate news reports say two Government Orders (numbers 187 and 188) changed or extended age relaxations in September 2026. The warder notification does not mention them and prints its own age limits. If a corrigendum ever applies them, the SLPRB site is where it will appear. Until then, work from the age rule printed in the notification.

Not found anywhere official: the application window, the preliminary test date, the length of training, and whether any negative marking will apply. The syllabus annexure says a candidate who darkens one correct bubble gets full marks and a candidate who darkens none gets zero. It does not mention a deduction for wrong answers, and the General Instructions in the online form are the place to confirm that before the test.

Vacancies and where they sit

The warder posts are not spread by district like the constable posts. They are given by six Contiguous District Cadres, abbreviated CDC, and every vacancy listed is direct recruitment.

Cadre	Districts included	Men (code 53)	Women (code 54)
CDC-I	Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli	13	2
CDC-II	Alluri Sitarama Raju, East Godavari, Kakinada, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema	28	3
CDC-III	West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR	18	4
CDC-IV	Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore, Palnadu	35	8
CDC-V	Tirupati, Chittoor, Annamayya, YSR Kadapa	38	4
CDC-VI	Nandyal, Ananthapuramu, Kurnool, Sri Sathya Sai	18	0
Total	26 districts	150	21

Two observations follow from the table. First, cadre CDC-VI has no vacancy for women in this notification, so a woman candidate whose first preference lies in those four districts has nothing to choose there. Second, a cadre is a group of districts, not a single district, so the choice you make in the application form is a choice of cadre preference. The notification says the selection list is prepared from the post and unit preferences given in the form, and a candidate is not considered against a post or unit that was left blank. The notification also says that a candidate applying for several of the posts in the same notification (for example civil constable, armed reserve constable, fireman and warder) fills only one application form.

Who can apply

Gender

Post code 53 is open to men only and post code 54 to women only. Each is advertised and filled separately, so a woman does not compete with men for the same warder vacancy and the reverse is also true.

Education

The minimum qualification is Intermediate or an equivalent examination recognised by the State Government, held on 1 July 2026. A candidate with a higher qualification is also considered. The notification adds that the responsibility for proving that an Intermediate or equivalent certificate is recognised, in case of doubt, rests with the candidate. One detail worth noticing: for the civil and armed reserve constable posts, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates may qualify with SSC plus having studied and appeared for both Intermediate years. For the warder posts the notification states only the Intermediate pass, with no such exception. A SC or ST candidate who is eyeing the warder posts should therefore read clause 13(b) of the notification literally.

Age

The general limit for post codes 42, 53 and 54 is that the candidate must have reached 18 years and must not have reached 32 years on 1 July 2026, which means a date of birth between 2 July 1994 and 1 July 2008. A few worked examples show how the rule behaves.

A candidate born on 1 July 2008 turned 18 on 1 July 2026, so she is just eligible. A candidate born on 2 July 2008 is a day short and is not. A candidate born on 2 July 1994 is still under 32 on 1 July 2026, because the 32nd birthday falls the next day, so he is the oldest unrelaxed candidate. A candidate born on 1 July 1994 has completed 32 years on the cut-off date and is outside the general limit.

The upper limit can be relaxed as follows, taken from the notification:

• Up to five years for Economically Weaker Section candidates.
• Up to five years for Backward Class candidates in the non-creamy layer and for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• For employees of the Andhra Pradesh State Government, the length of regular service, up to a maximum of five years. Employees of APTRANSCO, the distribution companies, corporations, municipalities and local bodies are not entitled to this relaxation.
• For those who served in the Army, Navy or Air Force of the Union, three years in addition to the length of service.
• For whole-time NCC Cadet Corps Instructors with at least six months of service, three years in addition to the length of service.
• Up to three years for retrenched temporary employees of the State Census Department with at least six months of service during 1991.
• For a widow, a divorced woman or a judicially separated woman who has not remarried: a maximum age of below 42 for SC and ST and below 37 for others, with documents (death certificate and an affidavit of non-remarriage, or the court decree and an affidavit).

A candidate in a category that gets the full five years can therefore be eligible if born as early as 2 July 1989, because the upper limit becomes below 37. The notification says the prescribed age limits are not relaxed under any other circumstances, that the date of birth accepted is the one in the SSC or matriculation certificate, and that horoscopes, affidavits and municipal birth extracts are not accepted. It also says there is no automatic age check in the online form because of the many relaxations, so a candidate who applies when under age or over age will have the application rejected and the fee will not be refunded.

Medical and physical conditions

The vision standard is 6/6 in each eye for distance and 0/5 (Snellen) for near vision, with a full field of vision in each eye. Colour blindness, squint and any morbid condition of the eye or lids is a disqualification. Candidates must be in sound health and free from bodily defects. The conditions that stop a candidate from being considered are listed: being physically handicapped, knock-knees, pigeon chest, flat feet, varicose veins, hammer toes, fractured limbs, decayed teeth, stammering, hard of hearing and abnormal psychological behaviour. The notification advises candidates to be examined by a Civil Surgeon before applying, to avoid disappointment. That advice is worth following: most of the conditions can be checked in one visit.

Local status

Reservation to local candidates follows the Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres and Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order, 2025. The notification states that in direct recruitment the first five per cent of posts are filled by local and non-local candidates together on open merit, and the remaining 95 per cent by locals only. A candidate claims local status with school study certificates from Class I to Class VII, and for any period spent outside a recognised school, with a residence certificate issued by the Tahsildar (not below Mandal Revenue Officer rank) of the relevant Mandal. A candidate who has studied up to Class VII in a school cannot use a residence certificate for that period, and a degree from an open university without regular SSC studies requires a residence certificate. Candidates who migrated to Andhra Pradesh from Telangana within ten years of 2 June 2014 are treated as local where they live, in line with the central rules cited in the notification. Non-local candidates are treated as Open Category candidates.

Fee and application

Local OC (including EWS) and BC candidates pay Rs 300 for the warder posts, local SC and ST candidates pay Rs 150, and non-local candidates pay Rs 300. The fee covers processing, PMT and PET and the written examinations. The application is a three-step process. A candidate first pays the fee on the SLPRB website with name, date of birth, mobile number, community and the SSC hall ticket number. The candidate then fills and submits the Stage I online application. If the candidate pays but does not press submit, the application is rejected without notice and the fee is not refunded. Candidates who qualify in the preliminary written test return to the site for the Stage II application, uploading scanned copies of the original certificates before the PMT and PET.

For the Stage I form the notification asks for a passport-size photo, a signature, the SSC certificate, the community certificate (for BC, SC and ST), and EWS and non-creamy layer certificates, if applicable. The information given in Stage I decides how the preliminary result is issued, and false information found later leads to rejection without notice.

The four stages of selection

1. Preliminary written test. One paper of 200 objective questions for 200 marks in three hours, set in English, Telugu and Urdu. The answers go on an OMR sheet with a blue or black ball-point pen. The minimum to qualify is 40 per cent for OC (including EWS), 35 per cent for BC and 30 per cent for SC and ST. The marks do not count toward final selection.
2. Physical Measurement Test (PMT). Height, chest and weight are recorded on a digital measurement system, and height is measured with the candidate standing upright in the correct position.
3. Physical Efficiency Test (PET). Qualifying only for the warder posts.
4. Final written examination. One paper of 200 questions, three hours, again 200 marks for the warder posts, with the same qualifying percentages, and the candidate chooses the language at the time of application.

Candidates who qualify in the preliminary test download an intimation letter from the SLPRB site with the venue, date and time for the PMT and PET and must carry it to the centre. They must also carry original documents together with one set of photocopies attested by a Gazetted Officer. The notification says that failure to produce them leads to rejection of candidature, that no additional time is given, and that no certificate will be accepted at a later stage. A candidate's admission at every stage is provisional, and the SLPRB says it verifies the genuineness of original documents only after a candidate has finally qualified.

Written examination: pattern and syllabus

The preliminary and the final papers share one syllabus, described in the notification as Intermediate standard and objective in type. The seven subjects are English, Arithmetic (SSC standard), Test of Reasoning and Mental Ability, General Science, History of India with Indian culture and the Indian National Movement, Indian Geography with Polity and Economy, and Current events of national and international importance. The English questions are set in English even in the Telugu and Urdu versions of the paper.

This corrects a point that often appears in guides on the warder post: the notification contains no separate section on prison administration, prison law or correctional science. A candidate should prepare the general syllabus above and treat the Prison Act and the 2026 Act as background reading for interviews or later training, not as exam content, unless a later notification adds them. The Board says it does not prescribe any particular textbook, and the Subject Experts Committee decides disputes about questions and answers.

A short orientation to each block helps with planning:

• Arithmetic. Expect SSC-level problems: number system, percentages, ratio, average, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, time and distance, clocks, calendars and mensuration. These reward daily practice more than a long reading list.
• Reasoning. Series, analogies, coding, direction sense, blood relations and simple visual patterns. Speed grows with repetition.
• General Science. Everyday science at school level, with some contemporary developments and environmental topics.
• History, Polity, Geography, Economy. Indian National Movement, the Constitution, basic geography of India and the economy, with a stronger weight on facts about Andhra Pradesh as you study.
• Current events. National and international events from the last year. Keep a dated notebook so that revision is quick.
• English. Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and sentence correction at the Intermediate level.

PMT and PET standards for warders

For the male warder post (code 53) the notification requires a minimum height of 167.6 cm and a chest of at least 86.3 cm on full inspiration with a minimum expansion of 5 cm. For the female warder post (code 54) it requires a minimum height of 152.5 cm and a minimum weight of 40 kg. Aboriginal Scheduled Tribe candidates from the agency areas of Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, Polavaram, Alluri Sitharamaraju, Eluru and Parvathipuram Manyam districts meet lower standards and must produce a residence certificate from the agency area: for men, 160 cm height and 80 cm chest with a 3 cm expansion, and for women, 150 cm height and 38 kg weight.

Group	Height (minimum)	Chest (minimum)	Expansion	Weight (minimum)
Men, general	167.6 cm	86.3 cm	5 cm	Not specified
Men, agency-area ST	160 cm	80 cm	3 cm	Not specified
Women, general	152.5 cm	Not specified	Not specified	40 kg
Women, agency-area ST	150 cm	Not specified	Not specified	38 kg

The PET for the warder posts is qualifying in nature. A candidate must qualify in the 1600 metre run (one mile) and in one of the other two events, the 100 metre run or the long jump.

Event	General men	Ex-servicemen	Women
1600 m run	8 minutes	9 minutes 30 seconds	10 minutes 30 seconds
100 m run	15 seconds	16.5 seconds	18 seconds
Long jump	3.80 m	3.65 m	2.75 m

The notification sets out rules that apply to every event. The events use electronic devices, spike shoes are not allowed, the time is recorded on the prescribed electronic timing system, and once an event is conducted the result is final, with no second chance, re-test or re-conduct under any circumstances. Participation in every prescribed event is compulsory for every candidate, including those in special categories. The notification does not explain how a candidate indicates the choice between the 100 metre run and the long jump, so watch the intimation letter and the instructions on the day.

Because there is no re-test, a safety margin matters. A candidate who runs the mile in exactly 8 minutes in practice may run slower on a hot day, so a target of 7 minutes 20 seconds to 7 minutes 30 seconds gives room. These practice targets are our suggestion and not official rules. Women candidates can use a similar cushion over 10 minutes 30 seconds.

Final selection, ties and quotas

For post codes 53 and 54 the final selection is made strictly on relative merit based on the marks obtained in the final written examination, which carries 200 marks, subject to qualifying in the PET and meeting the other conditions. The preliminary test and the PET do not add marks. When two or more candidates in a category have equal marks, the candidate who was born earlier is preferred. The notification also says no waiting list is maintained, and any vacancy that arises from cancellation, non-joining, medical unfitness or adverse antecedents lapses and is not filled.

Two special categories apply to the male warder post. Children of Jail or Prison Personnel, abbreviated CJP, have 5 per cent, and Ex-Servicemen have 2 per cent. The CJP category covers children of personnel up to the rank of Jailor who are serving, retired or deceased, and the certificate must have been issued on or after the date of the notification. A certificate obtained earlier is not valid. Ex-servicemen must meet the definition in Rule 2(16) of the Andhra Pradesh State and Subordinate Service Rules, and the notification excludes service in paramilitary forces such as the BSF, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, Assam Rifles and the Railway Protection Force from that definition. The special category vacancies apply only to local candidates and are adjusted horizontally within each communal category. Special category candidates must reach the same minimum qualifying marks as their community and must take every event.

The reservation for women is already built into the existence of a separate female post, so the percentages that apply to the constable posts do not apply to warders. The social reservation rules for EWS, BC-A to BC-E, SC (with the three-group sub-classification) and ST follow the State and Subordinate Service Rules. Backward Class candidates need a non-creamy layer certificate issued on or after 1 April 2026 to claim reservation and age relaxation, and without one they are treated as Open Category and cannot change category later. EWS candidates need a certificate issued on or after the same date, with family income below Rs 8 lakh.

Pay, allowances and career

The notification states the scale of pay for warders as Rs 25,220 to Rs 80,910 under the Revised Pay Scale 2022. This is a scale, not a take-home figure. Allowances depend on the posting and on government orders, and candidates should not use informal salary calculators. Employees appointed on or after 1 September 2004 are covered by the Contributory Pension Scheme. The notification also says the selected candidates are asked for attestation forms, other documents, a medical examination and joining on specific dates, and that a candidate who fails to respond has the provisional selection cancelled without notice.

Selection is provisional until the verification of certificates, antecedents and medical fitness. The notification lists disqualifications including forged documents, canvassing, a prior marriage that is not permitted, dismissal from government service, conviction or facing trial for an offence other than technical offences, and involvement in an offence of moral turpitude. A candidate who is already a government employee can join training only after being relieved from the earlier service.

The career ladder can be read from the department's seniority lists: Warder, Head Warder, Chief Head Warder, Deputy Jailor, Jailor and Deputy Superintendent. The notification does not give promotion timelines and the department has not published them on its website, so an honest answer to how long a promotion takes is that it depends on departmental rules, vacancies and tests that are not covered here.

A preparation plan for the written test

The warder paper is the same type of paper as the constable paper, which means a candidate who prepares well can serve both. Because the final merit comes only from the final written examination, the written paper is where positions are decided, and the PET is a gate that must be cleared without much advantage in marks.

Weeks 1 to 4: base. Read the syllabus one line at a time and sort the topics into strong, average and weak. Spend most of the time on arithmetic fundamentals (percentages, ratio, averages, simple interest) and on basic reasoning series. Read school-level science and Indian history notes. Start a current-events notebook and write five lines daily.

Weeks 5 to 8: breadth. Add time and work, time and distance, profit and loss, and mensuration. Add Indian geography, polity and the basics of the economy. Practise timed sets of 25 questions in 20 minutes and write down the reason for every wrong answer: wrong concept, calculation error or a rushed reading.

Weeks 9 to 12: exam conditions. Take one full 200-question paper in three hours every week. A paper of that length tests stamina as much as knowledge, and many candidates lose marks in the last forty minutes. After each paper, read your error log, revise the three weakest topics, and re-attempt only the questions you got wrong.

A calendar for the last fortnight helps. In the final two weeks stop opening new topics, revise short notes, re-solve error-log questions and spend one evening arranging documents. Sleep matters more than another hour of reading.

A preparation plan for the physical tests

A medical caution comes first. If you have a heart, lung, joint or bone condition, or you have not exercised for a long time, see a doctor before you begin running or jumping, and train with a qualified coach if possible. Stop at once and seek medical help for chest pain, dizziness, breathlessness out of proportion to effort, or sharp joint pain. These suggestions are general and are not medical advice.

The training sequence below is built around the standards in the notification and is a suggestion.

First weeks: build the habit. Walk and jog on alternate days for 15 to 25 minutes, and add two short sessions of bodyweight strength: squats, lunges, push-ups and planks. Time one easy mile at the end of the first week so that you know the starting point. If a general male candidate takes 9 minutes 30 seconds, for instance, the gap to 8 minutes is 90 seconds, or about 22 seconds a lap on a 400 metre track.

Next weeks: endurance and speed. Add one longer steady run a week, going no more than about ten per cent further than the previous week. Add interval work such as 400 metre repeats at your target lap pace, with equal recovery walking. Add short sprints of 30 metres for the 100 metre event.

Technique for the two events. The long jump is decided by the approach and the take-off. Measure and mark your run-up in practice, and keep the take-off foot behind the line. The 100 metre run needs a low and driving start for the first few steps, then an upright finish without slowing before the line, because the time is electronic.

Final week. Reduce the volume, keep one short run, and sleep well. The day before the test, avoid new shoes, new food and hard exercise. Spike shoes are not allowed, so train in ordinary running shoes.

Food does not need to be expensive. Rice, millets, chapati and bananas supply energy. Eggs, pulses, groundnuts, milk and curd supply protein. Fruit and vegetables supply vitamins and fibre. Drink water through the day. Do not use steroids or any powder that claims to raise height or weight, which are unsafe and can end a candidature. A woman candidate close to the minimum weight of 40 kg should increase calories steadily and avoid sudden changes of more than about half a kilogram a week, and anyone with anaemia or diabetes should speak to a doctor.

Documents to keep ready

Keep the originals and one attested set of copies in one folder. The list from clause 31 of the notification includes: the SSC or matriculation certificate showing the date of birth; the Intermediate or equivalent certificate and marks memo; the community certificate and the non-creamy layer certificate (issued on or after 1 April 2026) for BC candidates; the EWS certificate for OC candidates claiming it; study certificates for Classes I to VII or a residence certificate on the prescribed form; the agency-area residence certificate for tribal candidates claiming the relaxation; ex-servicemen, NCC and other special-category certificates, and for CJP the certificate issued on or after the notification date; service or other certificates for age relaxation; and, if applicable, the documents for a widow, divorced woman or judicially separated woman. Check that your name, date of birth and community are spelled the same everywhere, because a mismatch is the most avoidable reason for rejection.

Warder, constable or excise: choosing

The written syllabus overlaps strongly across the uniformed posts in the SLPRB notification, so one preparation can serve warder, civil constable, armed reserve constable and fireman applications. The differences lie in the duty and in the selection formula. A civil constable works in a police station and is often public-facing. An armed reserve constable's merit includes 100 marks from the PET, so physical performance matters for rank. A warder works inside an institution and the final merit comes only from the written paper, so the physical test is qualifying. Excise posts are different again: the Prohibition and Excise Department deals with liquor, narcotics and enforcement, and its recruitment is not part of the SLPRB notification discussed here. See the AP Excise Constable guide for what is and is not confirmed. Candidates who are physically strong and want the best marks from fitness may prefer the armed reserve post, while a candidate who would rather rely on the written paper may find the warder and civil constable posts better suited. This is a matter of preference, and the notification allows candidates to indicate several posts in one application. For the body measurements and the event techniques in more detail, read the PMT and PET preparation guide.

Common mistakes

1. Treating the 150 and 21 as a district count. They are cadre counts, and the cadre preference you pick should match where you can live and work.
2. Missing the Submit button after paying the fee, which leads to rejection without refund.
3. Assuming the SC and ST concession for Intermediate applies to warders, when the notification states only the Intermediate pass.
4. Using an old non-creamy layer or EWS certificate, when the notification requires one issued on or after 1 April 2026.
5. Training only for the written paper and leaving the mile run to the last month, or the reverse.
6. Relying on social-media messages about dates. The SLPRB website is the only place where the application window will be announced.
7. Preparing prison-law topics instead of the stated syllabus.

Key facts for exams

• The SLPRB notification of 16 September 2026 carries 150 Warder (Men), code 53, and 21 Warder (Women), code 54, in the Prisons and Correctional Services Department.
• Education: Intermediate or equivalent on 1 July 2026. Age: 18 to below 32 on that date.
• Stages: preliminary written test, PMT, PET, final written examination.
• PET is qualifying: 1600 m run plus 100 m run or long jump.
• Final merit is only the final written examination, 200 marks.
• Pay scale: Rs 25,220 to Rs 80,910. Special categories for code 53: CJP 5 per cent, Ex-Servicemen 2 per cent.
• Local rule: first 5 per cent on open merit, the rest 95 per cent for locals.
• The Prisons Department was formed on 1 November 1956, and the Andhra Pradesh Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2026 is Act 16 of 2026.

10 practice questions

1. Which body issued the notification that includes the Warder posts in 2026? (a) APPSC (b) SLPRB, Andhra Pradesh (c) District Selection Committee (d) The Prisons Department directly

2. How many Warder (Men) posts are listed in the notification? (a) 21 (b) 142 (c) 150 (d) 171

3. What is the minimum educational qualification for the Warder posts? (a) SSC (b) Intermediate or equivalent (c) Degree (d) ITI

4. A general candidate born on 2 July 1994 on the cut-off date of 1 July 2026 is: (a) Over age without relaxation (b) Just within the upper age limit (c) Under age (d) Eligible only as ex-serviceman

5. In the PET for Warder posts, which event is compulsory? (a) 800 m run (b) Shot put (c) 1600 m run (d) High jump

6. What is the qualifying time for the 1600 m run for women? (a) 8 minutes (b) 9 minutes 30 seconds (c) 10 minutes 30 seconds (d) 12 minutes

7. On what basis is the final merit prepared for the Warder posts? (a) Preliminary test plus PET (b) PET marks only (c) Final written examination marks, subject to qualifying the PET (d) Interview marks

8. What percentage is reserved for Children of Jail or Prison Personnel for the male Warder post? (a) 2 per cent (b) 3 per cent (c) 4 per cent (d) 5 per cent

9. A candidate wants to be treated as local. Which certificates does the notification ask for? (a) Ration card (b) Study certificates from Class I to VII, or a Tahsildar residence certificate where no school study applies (c) Voter ID only (d) Employer letter

10. Which cadre has no vacancy for women Warders in this notification? (a) CDC-I (b) CDC-III (c) CDC-IV (d) CDC-VI

Answers

Question	Answer	Why
1	b	The notification Rc.No.91/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026 is issued by SLPRB.
2	c	Post code 53 has 150 vacancies, and post code 54 has 21.
3	b	Intermediate or equivalent as on 1 July 2026.
4	b	Born not earlier than 2 July 1994 is within the general upper limit.
5	c	The 1600 m run is compulsory, with one of 100 m or long jump.
6	c	Women must run 1600 m in 10 minutes 30 seconds.
7	c	Final written examination marks decide merit, with PET qualifying.
8	d	CJP is 5 per cent for post code 53.
9	b	Class I to VII study certificates, or the Tahsildar residence certificate.
10	d	CDC-VI shows 0 for post code 54.

Frequently asked questions

When will applications open? As on 7 October 2026 the SLPRB site has not announced the application window. The notification says the dates will come by a separate press release on slprb.ap.gov.in.

Can a woman apply for the warder post? Yes. Post code 54 is for women only, with 21 provisional vacancies. Women have separate height and weight requirements and separate PET standards.

Do the PET marks count in the merit list for warders? No. The PET is qualifying in nature for warders. The merit list uses only the final written examination, which carries 200 marks.

Is there a re-test if I miss the PET standard? The notification says that once an event is conducted its result is final and that there is no second chance, re-test or re-conduct under any circumstances.

Is prison law part of the syllabus? The notification lists seven general subjects and none is prison law. Read the Prison Rules only as background.

Can I apply for warder and constable posts in the same notification? Yes. The notification says a candidate applying for different posts among the codes 21, 22, 42, 53 and 54 submits only one application form, and the selection list follows the post and unit preferences.

Is negative marking applicable? The notification does not mention a deduction for wrong answers. Check the General Instructions in the online application.

Where is the training held? The notification does not say. The department's training academy is AP-STARS at Nellore, but the notification does not say that warders will train there.

Related reading

• AP Police Recruitment 2026 update
• AP Police PMT and PET preparation
• AP Excise Constable guide
• Andhra Pradesh government exams 2026

Practise on pareeksha.in

To check where your written preparation stands, try the free mini mock, and when you want full-paper practice, the online test series offers fixed papers so you can compare your percentile with other candidates. Pareeksha.in has 10 Lakh+ MCQs, 100+ Exams and 5,000+ Full-Length Mocks, and mocks remain practice: the official notification decides the pattern.

Sources and verification

Opened and read, official first:

• SLPRB notification Rc.No.91/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026 dated 16-09-2026, https://slprb.ap.gov.in/2026_PDFS/SLPRB_AP_PC_Notification_2026.pdf (posts, eligibility, age, fee, selection, PMT, PET, special categories, pay, documents, syllabus).
• SLPRB Recruitments page, https://slprb.ap.gov.in/UI/Recruitments (list of notifications; application-period column empty as on 7 October 2026).
• SLPRB Press Release page and press note dated 16-09-2026, https://slprb.ap.gov.in/UI/pressRelease and https://slprb.ap.gov.in/2026_PDFS/PressNote_dated_16092026.pdf (sanctioned posts, G.O.Ms.No.81 dated 22-08-2026).
• Andhra Pradesh Prisons Department website, https://prisons.ap.gov.in (about us, institutions, organisation, notifications and seniority lists).
• Andhra Pradesh Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2026 (Act 16 of 2026, Gazette of 2 April 2026), https://prisons.ap.gov.in/pdf/APPrisonsAct2026.pdf.
• News coverage only (not official): Deccan Chronicle on the 16 September 2026 notifications, https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/andhra-pradesh/2050-police-fire-and-prison-posts-notified-in-ap-1987989 , and its report on the 2026 job calendar, https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/andhra-pradesh/ap-rolls-out-10060-post-job-calendar-for-2026-1981393 , and a news report on the job calendar at https://www.ap7am.com/en/134133/andhra-pradesh-releases-job-calendar-2026-10060-government-posts-to-be-filled-in-four-phases . The age-relaxation Government Orders were seen only in a news summary (findmycollege.com) and are treated as unconfirmed.

Not verified: the application window and preliminary test date (not announced), the length and place of warder training, shift and posting patterns, promotion timelines, how a candidate declares the choice between the 100 m run and the long jump, whether negative marking applies, and how the two reported September 2026 age-relaxation Government Orders interact with the printed age limit.