AP Police Recruitment 2026: Constable, SI, Fireman and Warder Posts, Eligibility, Age and Exam Pattern

The State Level Police Recruitment Board (SLPRB) of Andhra Pradesh published a set of recruitment notifications on 16 September 2026. Two of them matter most to the largest number of aspirants: Rc.No.91/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026 for Stipendiary Cadet Trainee (SCT) Police Constables, Firemen and Warders, and Rc.No.81/SLPRB/Rect.1/2026 for Sub Inspectors. This post is a plain-language reading of those two documents, checked line by line against the official PDFs, together with the later updates that exist as on 7 October 2026. It is written for someone who wants to know whether they are eligible, what the stages are, how marks are counted, and what to do while the application window is still unannounced.

A time-sensitive post needs one habit above all: separate what the Board has actually printed from what is only circulating in news reports and messaging groups. The next section does that first. Everything else in the article depends on the printed notifications, and the Board itself says it may issue corrigenda at any time, so treat the official website as the final authority and read the full PDF yourself before you apply. For the wider picture of state-level exams, see the Andhra Pradesh government exams 2026 guide and the Andhra Pradesh hub.

What is confirmed officially and what is only reported (as on 7 October 2026)

As on 7 October 2026, the SLPRB Recruitments page lists the notifications Rc.91, 92, 93, 81, 82 and 83 (all dated 16.09.2026) and Rc.94 (dated 17.09.2026, Driver Operator in Fire Services). In that listing, the column for the period of Stage I online application is blank for every notification. In plain words, no application window and no preliminary test date has been announced on the official page. Each notification says the exact dates will be notified separately through a press release.

Item	Status as on 7 October 2026	Source
Notifications Rc.91 and Rc.81 issued on 16.09.2026	Confirmed officially	SLPRB notification PDFs
Vacancy numbers in Rc.91 (1,156) and Rc.81 (378)	Confirmed officially, but marked provisional and liable to change	SLPRB notification PDFs
Sanctioned posts under the Finance Department order dated 22.08.2026 and memo dated 11.09.2026	Confirmed officially	SLPRB press note dated 16.09.2026
Driver Operator, 147 posts	Confirmed officially	SLPRB press note dated 17.09.2026
Corrigendum to Rc.82 (SI Communications) dated 24.09.2026, pay scale	Confirmed officially	SLPRB Recruitments page
Corrigendum to Rc.94 (Driver Operator) dated 18.09.2026, education	Confirmed officially	SLPRB Recruitments page
Online application start and end dates	Not announced	SLPRB Recruitments page
Preliminary written test date	Not announced	SLPRB Recruitments page
Any corrigendum to Rc.91 or Rc.81	None listed	SLPRB Recruitments page
Government orders numbered 187 and 188 changing age limits	Reported only, not mentioned in either notification	News reports
Phase-wise dates in the state job calendar for 2026	Reported only, reports disagree	News reports

Two points from this table deserve a longer explanation, because they are where aspirants most often go wrong.

First, the reported government orders. Some reports say that one government order raised the upper age for certain non-uniformed direct recruitment posts from 42 to 44 years until 30 September 2027, and that another extended an existing relaxation for uniformed services by a further year until the same date. The two SLPRB notifications do not mention these orders. They print their own age limits, namely 18 to 24 years for Constable, 21 to 27 years for Sub Inspector, and 18 to 32 years for Fireman and Warder, all as on 1 July 2026. Until the Board issues a corrigendum or a press note that says otherwise, the printed numbers are the ones you can rely on. If a relaxation is later applied to these posts, it will almost certainly appear as a corrigendum on the Recruitments page, and you will be able to recalculate then. Do not apply on the assumption of an age limit that is not printed.

Second, the job calendar. The state job calendar for 2026 is reported to place notifications in phases, and reports differ on which phase contains some other uniformed posts. The calendar is useful as a general hint about the year, but it is not a notification and it does not give you an application date. If you are also interested in the Excise constable posts, note only that they are not part of these SLPRB notifications. We keep a separate page for them at AP Excise Constable.

The posts and vacancies at a glance

Rc.91 covers five posts and Rc.81 covers three. Every post has a post code, and the application asks for preferences by post code, so learn the codes. The Board states that all vacancy numbers are provisional and may change without notice, which is why the totals below should be treated as the position on 16 September 2026, not as a permanent count.

Post	Post code	Vacancies (provisional)	Notification
SCT Police Constable (Civil), men and women	21	542	Rc.91
SCT Police Constable (AR), men and women	22	285	Rc.91
Fireman, State Disaster Response and Fire Services	42	158	Rc.91
Warder (Men), Prisons and Correctional Services	53	150	Rc.91
Warder (Women), Prisons and Correctional Services	54	21	Rc.91
SCT Sub Inspector (Civil), men and women	11	253	Rc.81
SCT Reserve Sub Inspector (AR), men and women	12	116	Rc.81
Sub Inspector, Special Protection Force (SPF), men	31	9	Rc.81

The Rc.91 total is 1,156 and the Rc.81 total is 378. Together they make 1,534 posts. The Board's press note of 16 September 2026 lists the posts sanctioned under the Finance Department order dated 22 August 2026 and the memo dated 11 September 2026: 369 SI (Civil and AR), 9 SI (SPF), 50 SI (Communications), 10 SI (Police Transport Organisation), 43 Scientific Assistants (FSL), 827 constables (Civil and AR), 158 Firemen, 171 Warders (150 men and 21 women), 200 constables (Communications) and 213 constables (Mechanics 15 and Drivers 198). That adds up to 2,050. A further 147 Driver Operator posts were announced in the press note of 17 September 2026.

There are several things to read carefully in the way these numbers are written. The civil constable number of 542 and the AR number of 285 are direct recruitment (DR) vacancies. Alongside them the notification lists limited recruitment (LR) vacancies, which are backlog posts: 71 for Civil constable, 21 for AR constable and 7 for Fireman. The notification says all LR vacancies will be filled only with local candidates of the respective revenue district. So when you compare your district's figure with a friend's, make sure you are comparing the same type of vacancy. The direct recruitment figure also includes the special category posts and, for civil constable men, the 75 percent of posts in scheduled areas reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates who live in those areas.

Other SLPRB notifications published the same week

These are not covered in detail in this post because their eligibility and exam patterns are different. They are listed so that you know they exist and can check the official page if one of them suits you.

Notification	Posts	Vacancies
Rc.No.82/SLPRB/Rect.1/2026	SCT SI (Communications) 50, SCT SI (Police Transport Organisation) 10	60
Rc.No.92/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026	SCT Police Constable (Communications)	200
Rc.No.93/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026	Stipendiary Constable (Mechanics) 15, (Drivers) 198	213
Rc.No.83/SLPRB/Rect.1/2026	Scientific Assistant, Forensic Science Laboratory	43
Rc.No.94/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026 (press note of 17.09.2026)	Driver Operator, Fire Services	147

The Rc.82 corrigendum dated 24.09.2026 states that the scale of pay for post code 15 is Rs 44,570 to Rs 1,27,480 under the Revised Pay Scale 2022. The Driver Operator corrigendum dated 18.09.2026 states that the minimum education is Intermediate or equivalent as on 1 July 2026, together with a Heavy Transport Driving Licence that is valid for at least two years as on the date of the notification. If you are interested in either of these posts, read the corrigendum together with the original notification, because the corrigendum changes the original text.

District, zone and cadre distribution

How vacancies are spread across geography affects your strategy as much as the total number does. The notifications use three different units: districts for constables and firemen, contiguous district cadres (CDC) for warders, and zones for Sub Inspectors.

Constable and Fireman: district totals

Constable (Civil), Constable (AR) and Fireman posts are allotted district by district across 26 units, and the notification lists the direct recruitment figure for each. A few highlights from the district table for Civil constable direct recruitment:

• NTR City has the largest number, 44.
• Tirupati follows with 42.
• Anakapalli has 29, while Krishna and Guntur have 28 each.
• At the lower end, Srikakulam has 8 and Eluru has 9.

The AR constable pattern is more uneven. NTR City again has the largest number with 39, followed by Tirupati with 28, Krishna with 17, Anakapalli with 15 and Guntur, Visakhapatnam City, Chittoor and Annamayya with 14 each. For Firemen, NTR City has 20 and Visakhapatnam City 18, while a handful of districts, such as Srikakulam, Alluri Sitharama Raju and Annamayya, show no direct recruitment vacancy at all. Because the table is long and the numbers are provisional, use these highlights only to get a sense of scale and then read the exact row for your own district in the PDF.

Warders: six contiguous district cadres

Warder posts are not allotted by single district. They are allotted by six CDCs, with the figure for men (post code 53) and women (post code 54) given for each cadre. The groupings, as printed on page 3 of the Rc.91 notification, are these.

Cadre	Districts	Men (53)	Women (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

The totals are 150 for men and 21 for women. Two details are easy to miss. CDC-VI has no women's warder vacancy at all, and CDC-V has the largest men's number. For a fuller picture of the Warder role itself, see AP Jail Warder.

Sub Inspector: six zones

Sub Inspector posts are distributed by six zones. The zone figures for Civil SI (post code 11) and Reserve SI (post code 12) are below.

Zone	Civil SI (11)	Reserve SI AR (12)
Zone I	42	20
Zone II	39	11
Zone III	39	10
Zone IV	48	38
Zone V	43	18
Zone VI	42	19
Total	253	116

The nine SPF Sub Inspector posts sit in the contiguous zonal cadre table, with 4 in Zone II and 5 in Zone V. The same table shows which districts make up each zone. Zone I is Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli. Zone II is Alluri Sitarama Raju, East Godavari, Kakinada and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema. Zone III is West Godavari, Eluru, NTR and Krishna. Zone IV is Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla, Prakasam and Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore. Zone V is Tirupati, Chittoor, Annamayya and YSR Kadapa. Zone VI is Nandyal, Ananthapuramu, Kurnool and Sri Sathya Sai. Zone IV has the highest figures for both Civil SI and Reserve SI, which makes it the zone with the largest overall intake for those two posts.

Why does this matter to you? The application is built around post preferences and unit preferences, and the selection list is prepared from the preferences you enter. The notification says candidature will not be considered against posts or units that were left blank. Looking at the distribution before you fill the form is therefore a practical step, not a curiosity.

Eligibility: education, gender and medical standards

For Constable (Civil), Constable (AR), Fireman and Warder posts, the education requirement is a pass in Intermediate or an equivalent examination recognised by the State Government, as on 1 July 2026. For Sub Inspector posts, it is a degree from a recognised university in India, or an equivalent qualification, also as on 1 July 2026. A candidate with a higher qualification than the one prescribed is also considered along with those who hold exactly the prescribed one.

There is a special education rule for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates. For the constable and fireman posts (codes 21, 22 and 42), an SC or ST candidate who has passed SSC or an equivalent examination, studied Intermediate and appeared for both the first-year and second-year Intermediate examinations is eligible even without a pass. For Warder posts (codes 53 and 54) the notification asks for an Intermediate pass without this concession. For Sub Inspector posts, an SC or ST candidate who has passed Intermediate and is studying for a degree in any Indian university is eligible. Degrees obtained through open or distance modes must be recognised by the Distance Education Council, and the notification says the burden of proving recognition rests on the candidate.

On gender, post codes 21, 22, 11 and 12 are open to men and women. Fireman (42), Warder (Men) (53) and SPF Sub Inspector (31) are for men only, while Warder (Women) (54) is for women only.

The medical standards are the same in both notifications. Distant vision must be 6/6 in each eye and near vision 0/5 on the Snellen scale, with a full field of vision. Colour blindness, squint and any morbid condition of the eye or lids are disqualifying. The notification also lists conditions that will not be accepted, such as knock-knees, pigeon chest, flat feet, varicose veins, hammer toes, fractured limbs, decayed teeth, stammering and hardness of hearing. The Board suggests that candidates get examined by a Civil Surgeon before applying, to avoid disappointment later. Taking that advice early is sensible, because the physical measurements and medical conditions cannot be changed after you apply.

Age limits with birth-date ranges

All ages are counted as on 1 July 2026. The notifications express each limit twice, once as an age and once as a birth-date range, and the date range is the easier thing to check against your certificate.

Post group	Minimum age	Upper age (general)	Born not earlier than	Born not later than
Constable (Civil, AR)	18	below 24	2 July 2002	1 July 2008
Fireman, Warder	18	below 32	2 July 1994	1 July 2008
Sub Inspector (Civil, AR, SPF)	21	below 27	2 July 1999	1 July 2005
Home Guard (serving, with 360 days of service in the preceding two years), for constable posts	18	below 32	2 July 1994	1 July 2008

The wording "must not have attained the age of 24" is the part that confuses people. Someone attains an age on the birthday itself. A person born on 1 July 2002 attains 24 on 1 July 2026, so on the reference date that person has already attained 24 and is not within the general limit. A person born on 2 July 2002 attains 24 only on 2 July 2026, which is after the reference date, so that person is still within the limit. That is why the earliest permitted birth date is 2 July 2002 and not 1 July 2002.

Worked age examples

Example 1, a general candidate for Constable. A candidate born on 15 March 2002 is 24 years and 3 months old on 1 July 2026. That is above the general limit, so the candidate needs a relaxation to be eligible. A candidate born on 20 November 2003 is 22 years and about 7 months old and is within the limit.

Example 2, minimum age. A candidate born on 1 July 2008 attains 18 on 1 July 2026 and is eligible on age. A candidate born on 2 July 2008 does not attain 18 until the day after the reference date and is not eligible, however close the dates look.

Example 3, a BC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidate with a certificate issued on or after 1 April 2026. The upper age can be relaxed by up to five years. For Constable, that moves the limit from below 24 to below 29, so on a plain reading the earliest eligible birth date becomes 2 July 1997. For Sub Inspector, the limit moves from below 27 to below 32, and the earliest eligible birth date becomes 2 July 1994. For Fireman and Warder, the limit moves from below 32 to below 37, which corresponds to 2 July 1989. The relaxation applies only if the candidate produces a valid Non-Creamy Layer certificate at certificate verification. Otherwise the candidate is treated as Open Category and cannot later claim a Backward Class concession.

Example 4, a serving State Government employee. The relaxation equals the length of regular service, up to a maximum of five years. A candidate with three years of regular State Government service who applies for Constable would, on a plain reading, have an upper limit of below 27. Employees of APTRANSCO, DISCOMs, APGENCO, corporations, municipalities and local bodies are specifically excluded from this relaxation.

Example 5, an ex-serviceman. The relaxation is three years in addition to the length of service in the Army, Navy or Air Force. A candidate with five years of service who applies for Constable would, on a plain reading, have an upper limit of below 32, that is 24 plus 5 plus 3. Whether such a candidate also claims an ex-serviceman special category quota is a separate matter and has its own conditions.

Example 6, a widow, divorced or judicially separated woman who has not remarried. This relaxation appears in the Constable and Fireman and Warder notification (Rc.91) but not in the Sub Inspector notification (Rc.81). An SC or ST woman in this position must be below 42, which means born between 2 July 1984 and 1 July 2008. A woman from any other category must be below 37, which means born between 2 July 1989 and 1 July 2008. The candidate must produce a death certificate with an affidavit of non-remarriage, or a certified copy of the divorce or separation decree with the same affidavit.

The notification does not say that relaxations can be added together, and it states that the prescribed limits shall not be relaxed under any circumstances other than those listed. So do not assume that you can combine, for example, a Backward Class relaxation with a service relaxation. If you think you fall under more than one rule, check the notification text for your post and, where it is unclear, wait for an official clarification rather than guessing.

The remaining age rules

Other relaxations in the Rc.91 list include three years in addition to service as a whole-time Cadet Corps Instructor in the NCC (provided there was at least six months of service) and up to three years for retrenched temporary employees of the State Census Department with a minimum service of six months in 1991. The same two rules appear in the Rc.81 list.

The date of birth that counts is the one in the SSC, Matriculation or equivalent certificate. Horoscopes, affidavits, municipal birth extracts and service records are not accepted. The online form does not validate age automatically, because of the many relaxations, so the responsibility for being within the limit is entirely yours. An under-age or over-age applicant is rejected without any liability for the Board, and the fee is not returned.

How local status works

The 2026 notifications give local status a decisive role. Under the notification's reading of the AP Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres and Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order, 2025, as applied through a government order dated 2 September 2026, the first 5 percent of direct recruitment posts are filled on open merit by local and non-local candidates together. The remaining 95 percent are filled by local candidates only. Candidates who are not local are treated as Open Category, and they pay the full fee for that category.

How do you prove you are local? The notification asks for study certificates for classes I to VII, issued by the government or government-recognised school authorities in the prescribed format (Annexure III A). If the candidate did not study in a government or government-recognised school for any part of the seven-year period, a residence certificate for that period, issued by the Tahsildar of the concerned Mandal, can be submitted (Annexure III B). One kind of certificate, whether study or residence, is enough to apply as a local candidate. If you lived in more than one Mandal within the same district during the relevant period, you need separate certificates from the revenue officers of each Mandal.

A worked example makes this concrete. Suppose a candidate studied classes I to V in a recognised school in one district and classes VI and VII in another school in the same district. The candidate would produce the study certificates for both schools. Suppose another candidate studied classes I to III at home with no school record, and classes IV to VII in a recognised school. That candidate would produce the school certificate for classes IV to VII and a Tahsildar residence certificate for classes I to III. The notification also says a residence certificate will not be accepted from someone who studied in any educational institution up to class VII, and that such candidates must produce study certificates, so the line between the two situations depends on the facts of each case. If your case is not simple, collect both kinds of evidence and ask the school or Tahsildar office to confirm the right format before you pay the fee.

There is one further rule that is easy to overlook. Candidates who migrated to Andhra Pradesh from Telangana within ten years from 2 June 2014 are treated as local at their place of residence, and they must submit the certificate the Government of Andhra Pradesh prescribes. The special category vacancies are also available only to candidates who are local to the State, under a government order dated 16 September 2026.

Application fee

The fee covers processing of the application, the physical tests and the written examinations. It is lower for local SC and ST candidates and the same for everyone else.

Category	Constable, Fireman, Warder (Rc.91)	Sub Inspector (Rc.81)
OC (including EWS) and BC, local	Rs 300	Rs 600
SC and ST, local	Rs 150	Rs 300
Non-local candidates (treated as OC)	Rs 300	Rs 600

Payment is made through the SLPRB website by credit card, debit card, net banking or any other mode the site offers. The candidate pays first by entering name, date of birth, mobile number, community and SSC hall ticket number, and then completes the Stage I application. The notification warns that if a candidate pays and does not press the submit button on the Stage I form, the application is rejected without notice and the fee is not refunded.

Selection stages in order

For Constable (Civil), Constable (AR), Fireman and Warder, there are four stages: a Preliminary Written Test, the Physical Measurement Test (PMT), the Physical Efficiency Test (PET), and a Final Written Examination. For Sub Inspector posts, the same four stages apply, but with two papers in the preliminary and four papers in the final.

The two-step structure of the application matters. In Stage I, the candidate pays the fee and submits a form with a passport photograph, signature, SSC certificate, and, where applicable, community, EWS and Non-Creamy Layer certificates. The preliminary result is issued on the basis of the information given in Stage I, and if any of it later proves false, the candidature is rejected without notice. Only after qualifying in the preliminary test does the candidate return to the website for the Stage II application, uploading scanned copies of the original documents before the PMT and PET. The notification says all certificates must be produced in person at the PMT and PET centre, and that no further submission is accepted later.

An admit card does not mean the candidature is cleared. The Board says admission at every stage is provisional and subject to the eligibility conditions, and that it verifies the genuineness of original documents only after a candidate has finally qualified. This is important because it means a candidate who does not actually meet a condition can progress several stages and still be removed late.

Written exam pattern and qualifying marks

The preliminary test for constable-level posts is a single objective paper of 200 questions and 200 marks, with a duration of three hours. The questions are set in English, Telugu and Urdu, and are answered on an OMR sheet with a blue or black ball-point pen. The final written examination for these posts has the same size, but the marks differ by post. For post codes 21, 42, 53 and 54 the 200 questions are graded for 200 marks. For post code 22 (AR constable), the same 200 questions are graded for 100 marks.

For Sub Inspector posts, the preliminary test has two objective papers of 100 questions each: Paper 1 is Arithmetic and Test of Reasoning (SSC standard) and Paper 2 is General Studies (degree standard). Each paper is of three hours and the candidate has to qualify in each of them separately. The final examination has four papers of three hours each.

Paper	Subject	Type	Marks for code 11	Marks for codes 12 and 31
I	English (degree standard)	Descriptive, qualifying	100	100
II	Telugu or Urdu (degree standard)	Descriptive, qualifying	100	100
III	Arithmetic and Reasoning	Objective, 200 questions	200	100
IV	General Studies	Objective, 200 questions	200	100

The qualifying percentages are common to all these posts. Every paper that has a qualifying requirement needs 40 percent for OC candidates (including those claiming EWS), 35 percent for BC candidates and 30 percent for SC and ST candidates. Candidates in special categories such as ex-servicemen, home guards, sportspersons, NCC and the children-of categories must score the minimum for the communal category to which they belong.

A few numerical illustrations help. In the 200-mark constable preliminary paper, the qualifying score is 80 marks for OC, 70 for BC and 60 for SC and ST. In the SI preliminary, an OC candidate needs 40 out of 100 in each paper, not 80 in total, so a candidate who scores 90 in one paper and 38 in the other fails. In the SI final for code 11, Paper III is out of 200, so an OC candidate needs 80 and a BC candidate needs 70 there. For codes 12 and 31, Paper III and IV are out of 100, so the thresholds are 40, 35 and 30.

Two rules in the SI final are easy to miss. The marks in Papers I and II are qualifying only and are not counted in the merit list. But a candidate who fails to reach the minimum in either of them is not considered further, whatever the Paper III and IV scores are. Also, the marks in the preliminary tests, in both notifications, have no weight in the final selection. They only decide who moves ahead to the physical tests.

The notification says a candidate who does not darken any bubble receives zero for that question. In the two documents we read, we did not find a mention of negative marking. That is not the same as a confirmation that none exists, so check the General Instructions in the online application and any later exam-day instructions. Revaluation of answer sheets is not entertained for the SI final, although recounting of marks may be considered.

Syllabus

The constable-level syllabus (Annexure II of Rc.91) is the same for both the preliminary and the final paper and is set at Intermediate standard. It has seven parts: English, Arithmetic (SSC standard), Test of Reasoning and Mental Ability, General Science, History of India with Indian culture and the National Movement, Indian Geography, Polity and Economy, and current events of national and international importance. The English questions appear in English even in the Telugu and Urdu versions of the paper.

The Sub Inspector syllabus is wider. The English and Telugu or Urdu papers are descriptive and test comprehension and writing, including short essays, précis, letter writing, paragraph or report writing and translation. Paper III covers Arithmetic (number system, simple and compound interest, ratio and proportion, average, percentage, profit and loss, time and work, work and wages, time and distance, clocks and calendars, partnership and mensuration) and Reasoning (verbal and non-verbal, covering analogies, similarities and differences, spatial visualisation and orientation, problem solving, analysis, judgement, decision making and visual memory). Paper IV covers General Science, current events, History of India and the National Movement, Geography of India, and Indian Polity and Economy. The Board does not prescribe any book, and disputes about a question are settled by its Subject Experts Committee.

PMT and PET in summary

The PMT measures height and chest for men and height and weight for women, using a digital system. The standard figures are below, and a relaxed set applies to Aboriginal Scheduled Tribe candidates living in the agency areas of Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, Polavaram, Alluri Sitharamaraju, Eluru and Parvathipuram Manyam districts.

Measure	Men, standard	Women, standard	Men, ABO-ST agency	Women, ABO-ST agency
Height	167.6 cm	152.5 cm	160 cm	150 cm
Chest	86.3 cm with at least 5 cm expansion	not applicable	80 cm with at least 3 cm expansion	not applicable
Weight	not applicable	40 kg	not applicable	38 kg

The PET has two different formats, and which one applies depends on the post. For Constable (Civil), Fireman, Warder and Civil SI, the PET is only qualifying. The candidate must clear the 1600 metre run and one of the other two events, either the 100 metre run or the long jump.

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

For AR Constable (code 22), Reserve SI (code 12) and SPF SI (code 31), the candidate must qualify in all three events, and the performance is converted into marks out of 100 using the gradation tables in the annexures: 40 for the 1600 metre run, 30 for the 100 metre run and 30 for the long jump. These marks are added to the written marks for the final merit. As an example from the men's table, a time of 4 minutes or less on the 1600 metre run gets 40 marks, 5 minutes 31 seconds to 6 minutes gets 25, and 7 minutes 31 seconds to 8 minutes gets 15. The events are timed electronically, spike shoes are not allowed, the result of an event is final with no re-test, and participation in every event is compulsory, including for special category candidates. For preparation advice, see AP Police PMT and PET physical test preparation.

Final selection formulas

Marks that count differ by post, so check the row that applies to you.

Post	Marks counted for merit	Total
Constable (Civil), Fireman, Warder	Final written exam only; PET is qualifying	200
Constable (AR)	Final written exam scaled to 100 plus PET 100	200
Sub Inspector (Civil)	Paper III 200 plus Paper IV 200	400
Reserve SI (AR), SI (SPF)	Paper III 100 plus Paper IV 100 plus PET 100	300

Consider two worked examples. An AR constable aspirant takes 6 minutes 20 seconds in the 1600 metre run (22 marks), 13.2 seconds in the 100 metres (15 marks) and jumps 4.50 metres (15 marks), which gives 52 out of 100 in PET. If the 200-question written test is scaled to 100 and the candidate scores 60, the merit total would be 112 out of 200. The notification does not describe the scaling formula, so treat the scaling as proportional only as a working assumption. A civil SI aspirant who scores 130 in Paper III and 120 in Paper IV has 250 out of 400, and the PET marks do not enter the total.

When two candidates in a category have equal marks, the older candidate gets preference. The Board does not maintain a waiting list, and any vacancy arising from cancellation, non-joining, medical unfitness or adverse antecedents is treated as lapsed. Selection remains provisional until certificates, antecedents and medical examination are verified.

Reservations and special quotas

Women's reservation is horizontal: one third of the vacancies in each communal category for Civil constable and Civil SI, and 20 percent for AR constable and Reserve SI. If suitable women are not available in a year, the posts are filled by men of the same category and are not carried over. The usual categories EWS, BC-A to BC-E, SC (Groups I to III) and ST apply as per the State and Subordinate Service Rules. EWS candidates must be local and have a family income below Rs 8 lakh and a certificate issued on or after 1 April 2026. The BC-E reservation and the related age relaxation are subject to the outcome of pending court cases, as the notifications state.

Special categories are also horizontal and are adjusted within each communal category.

Post	Special category quotas
Constable (Civil) and (AR)	Home Guard 15%, CPP 4%, MSP 3%, NCC 3%, Ex-servicemen 2%, CDI 2%
Fireman	Home Guard 10%, Ex-servicemen 2%
Warder (Men)	Children of Jail personnel 5%, Ex-servicemen 2%
SI (Civil)	Police Executive 5%, MSP 3%, NCC 3%, Ex-servicemen 2%, CPP 2%, CDI 2%, Police Ministerial 1%
Reserve SI (AR)	Police Executive 7%, MSP 3%, NCC 3%, CPP 2%, CDI 2%, Ex-servicemen 2%, Police Ministerial 1%
SI (SPF)	SPF members 5%, MSP 3%, children of SPF 3%, Ex-servicemen 2%, NCC 2%

Three conditions are worth noting. Home Guard, CPP, CDI and children-of-jail-personnel certificates must be obtained on or after the date of the notification, and earlier certificates are not accepted. Sportspersons must appear for the written tests and events, and Category A disciplines get preference over Category B. Among NCC candidates, the C certificate is preferred, then B, then A.

Pay scale and benefits

The scale of pay for Constable (Civil and AR), Fireman and Warder is Rs 25,220 to Rs 80,910, and for Sub Inspector posts it is Rs 44,570 to Rs 1,27,480, both under the Revised Pay Scale 2022. These are scales, not monthly take-home figures, and allowances depend on place of posting. SCT posts receive a stipend during institutional training, as fixed by the Government, and are appointed in the regular scale after successful training. Employees appointed on or after 1 September 2004 are covered by the Contributory Pension Scheme. For a discussion of the job profile, see AP Police Constable salary and job profile.

Documents checklist

The notification requires candidates who qualify in the preliminary test to bring, in person, original documents and one set of photocopies attested by a Gazetted Officer to the PMT and PET. Missing documents lead to rejection, with no extra time given. Use this list as a starting point and verify it against paragraph 31 of Rc.91 or paragraph 35 of Rc.81.

Document	Notes
SSC or Matriculation certificate	Proof of date of birth
Education certificates	Intermediate for constable-level posts, degree for SI; SC and ST concession documents where used
Community certificate	Latest, issued by the State authority; SC certificates follow the sub-classification
Non-Creamy Layer certificate (BC)	Issued on or after 1 April 2026
EWS certificate	Issued by the Tahsildar on or after 1 April 2026
Study certificates for classes I to VII, or residence certificate	For local status, in the prescribed proforma
Age relaxation proof	Service certificate for government employees, ex-servicemen, NCC instructors, Census employees; documents for widows and divorced or separated women where claimed
Special category certificates	Home Guard, CPP, CDI, CJP obtained after the notification date; ex-servicemen, NCC and sports certificates
Agency area residence certificate	For ABO-ST candidates claiming relaxed measurements
Migration certificate	For candidates who moved from Telangana within ten years of 2 June 2014

A practical step is to get time-bound certificates, particularly the Non-Creamy Layer and EWS certificates, checked against the 1 April 2026 date now. Check names, dates of birth and spellings across every document, because a mismatch between the SSC certificate and another record can cause trouble at verification.

How to read the notification before applying

Reading an official notification is a skill, and a short routine saves most mistakes. First, find the notification number and date on the first page and confirm it is the one for your post. Second, find the table of posts and note your post code. Third, go straight to the eligibility clause and read the education, age and gender conditions for your code, not for the post in general. Fourth, find the reference date, here 1 July 2026, and compute your age against it. Fifth, read the selection scheme to see which stages carry marks for your code. Sixth, read the general instructions at the end, which carry rules on submission, refunds, preferences and the absence of a waiting list. Finally, check the SLPRB Recruitments page for any corrigendum that carries the same notification number.

Whenever a sentence seems to conflict with something you read elsewhere, the printed notification and its corrigenda decide the matter. News articles, coaching videos and group messages are useful for alerts, and they are not a source of rules.

Constable or Sub Inspector: how to choose

If you hold a degree and are within the age limit for both, you may be able to apply to both families of posts, and the choice is about preparation and fit. The key differences are as follows. The Constable examination is a single objective paper of Intermediate standard, which means the preparation is focused and the paper is predictable in format. The SI route adds a preliminary with two papers, then two descriptive language papers and two long objective papers in the final, so it demands more writing practice and a broader syllabus. The pay scales differ, with the SI scale starting at Rs 44,570. For a detailed comparison of the two careers, see AP Police Constable vs SI, and for the roles see AP Police Constable and AP Police SI.

Some questions to ask yourself. Does your age keep you within the SI limit? Remember that the SI window is narrow, with the general birth-date range running from 2 July 1999 to 1 July 2005, and that the constable window is narrower still at the upper end. Are you comfortable writing descriptive English and Telugu answers at degree level? Is your physical preparation strong enough to compete for marks in the PET, which matters for AR Constable, Reserve SI and SPF SI but not for the civil posts? Are your measurements within the PMT standards? The measurements cannot be changed, so check them first.

Stage-wise preparation plan

Since the dates are not announced, the safest approach is to prepare in stages that do not depend on the exact date, and to compress or expand each stage once a date appears.

Stage 1 is the written preliminary. Build speed and accuracy in arithmetic and reasoning, because these two sections are the quickest way to gain marks. Revise the Indian history, geography, polity, economy and general science topics in a weekly cycle, and add state-specific topics such as Andhra Pradesh geography, rivers, projects and schemes. Read a good current affairs summary every week, not every day, so that the revision does not crowd out the basics. Practise full-length timed papers of 200 questions in three hours, and analyse each wrong answer by topic.

Stage 2 is the PMT and PET. If you are going for AR Constable, Reserve SI or SPF SI, the PET carries marks, so train for time and distance beyond the qualifying minimum. If you are going for the civil posts, Fireman or Warder, the PET is qualifying, and the goal is to clear 1600 metres and one other event with a safe margin. Do not over-train in the last weeks. Record your 1600 metre time weekly and look for a steady trend.

Stage 3 is the final written examination, which is the stage that decides merit for most posts. After the preliminary, shift your time toward depth. For SI candidates, set aside regular time for descriptive English and Telugu writing, such as letters, short essays and précis, because a failure in either paper ends the candidature regardless of Paper III and IV marks.

Stage 4 is verification. Keep a folder of originals and attested copies ready well before any call comes. A late certificate is one of the most common reasons good candidates are rejected.

A rough 12-week outline looks like this.

Weeks	Written preparation	Physical preparation
1 to 4	Arithmetic basics, reasoning series, Indian history and polity	Easy running three or four days a week, record 1600 m time
5 to 8	Mensuration, time and work, geography, economy, science	Interval running, 100 m sprints, long jump technique
9 to 11	Timed full papers and error analysis	One full PET rehearsal each week
12	Revision and one mock	Reduced load and rest

If you want a baseline, a short mini mock shows where you stand before you commit to a plan.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without computing age against 1 July 2026, or relying on a relaxation that the notification does not print.
• Paying the fee and not pressing submit on the Stage I form.
• Carrying a Non-Creamy Layer or EWS certificate that was issued before 1 April 2026.
• Using a special category certificate issued before the date of the notification.
• Leaving post or unit preferences blank, which removes you from consideration for those posts and units.
• Treating the PET as a minor stage and starting physical practice late.
• Forgetting that the SI language papers are qualifying but decisive.
• Assuming a hall ticket or admit card means your eligibility has been accepted.
• Trusting a message that quotes dates without a press release number from the SLPRB site.

Key facts for exams

• Authority: State Level Police Recruitment Board, Andhra Pradesh, Mangalagiri.
• Constable, Fireman, Warder notification: Rc.No.91/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026, dated 16-09-2026, total 1,156 provisional posts.
• Sub Inspector notification: Rc.No.81/SLPRB/Rect.1/2026, dated 16-09-2026, total 378 provisional posts.
• Reference date for age and education: 1 July 2026.
• General age limits: Constable 18 to below 24, Fireman and Warder 18 to below 32, SI 21 to below 27.
• Fee: Rs 300 or Rs 150 (SC and ST local) for Rc.91 posts, Rs 600 or Rs 300 for SI posts.
• Preliminary test: one paper, 200 questions, 200 marks for constable-level posts; two papers of 100 marks each for SI.
• Qualifying marks: 40 percent OC (including EWS), 35 percent BC, 30 percent SC and ST.
• Prelim marks are not counted in the final merit.
• PET counts for marks in AR Constable, Reserve SI and SPF SI only (100 marks).
• Civil SI merit: Paper III 200 plus Paper IV 200.
• Local rule: first 5 percent of direct recruitment posts on open merit, remaining 95 percent for locals.
• Pay: Rs 25,220 to 80,910 for Constable, Fireman, Warder; Rs 44,570 to 1,27,480 for SI.
• No application window or preliminary test date announced on the SLPRB Recruitments page as on 7 October 2026.

10 practice questions

The questions below are original and are based on the two notifications.

1. How many direct recruitment vacancies are listed for SCT Police Constable (Civil), post code 21? A) 285 B) 542 C) 827 D) 1,156

2. What is the reference date for age and education in Rc.91 and Rc.81? A) 1 January 2026 B) 1 April 2026 C) 1 July 2026 D) 16 September 2026

3. For which of these posts do PET marks count in the final merit? A) Constable (Civil) B) Fireman C) Warder (Men) D) Constable (AR)

4. What is the minimum qualifying percentage for a BC candidate in the written tests? A) 30 B) 35 C) 40 D) 45

5. For Civil SI (code 11), the merit total is based on which marks? A) Paper I plus Paper II B) Paper III 200 plus Paper IV 200 C) Prelim Paper 1 plus Paper 2 D) Paper III 100 plus Paper IV 100 plus PET 100

6. Under the local candidate rule, what share of direct recruitment posts is filled on open merit by local and non-local candidates together? A) 5 percent B) 15 percent C) 33 percent D) 95 percent

7. A general candidate for Sub Inspector must have been born not earlier than which date? A) 2 July 1997 B) 2 July 1999 C) 2 July 2002 D) 2 July 2005

8. In the SI final examination, Papers I and II are: A) objective and counted in merit B) descriptive and counted in merit C) descriptive and qualifying only D) optional

9. Which Warder cadre has no women's vacancy? A) CDC-I B) CDC-III C) CDC-V D) CDC-VI

10. Which zone has the largest Civil SI allocation (48 posts)? A) Zone I B) Zone III C) Zone IV D) Zone VI

Answers

Question	Answer	Explanation
1	B) 542	Direct recruitment figure for post code 21 in Rc.91; 71 backlog posts are separate.
2	C) 1 July 2026	Age and education are counted as on this date in both notifications.
3	D) Constable (AR)	AR constable merit is final written exam scaled to 100 plus PET 100. For the civil posts the PET is qualifying only.
4	B) 35	OC 40, BC 35, SC and ST 30.
5	B) Paper III 200 plus Paper IV 200	Total 400 for post code 11.
6	A) 5 percent	The remaining 95 percent are filled by locals only.
7	B) 2 July 1999	General SI window is 2 July 1999 to 1 July 2005.
8	C) descriptive and qualifying only	Marks in Papers I and II are not counted in merit but a minimum is required.
9	D) CDC-VI	CDC-VI shows 18 men and 0 women.
10	C) Zone IV	Zone IV has 48 Civil SI posts and 38 Reserve SI posts.

Frequently asked questions

1. Has the AP police notification for 2026 been issued officially? Yes. The SLPRB issued Rc.No.91/SLPRB/Rect.2/2026 and Rc.No.81/SLPRB/Rect.1/2026, along with other notifications, on 16 September 2026. The full PDFs are on the Recruitments page of slprb.ap.gov.in.

2. What is the last date to apply? No application window had been announced on the official Recruitments page as on 7 October 2026. The notifications say dates will come through a press release. Watch the Recruitments and Press Release sections of the SLPRB site.

3. Does the age relaxation in the reported government orders apply to these posts? The notifications do not mention those orders and print their own limits. Reports about them are not a substitute for the notification. If the Board applies any change, it is expected to say so in a corrigendum or press note, so check before you finalise your application.

4. How many constable posts are there? Rc.91 lists 542 Civil and 285 AR constable posts (direct recruitment), 158 Fireman posts, and 150 men's and 21 women's Warder posts, 1,156 in total. All numbers are provisional.

5. Do PET marks count towards selection? Only for AR Constable, Reserve SI and SPF SI, where PET carries 100 marks. For Civil Constable, Fireman, Warder and Civil SI, PET is qualifying only.

6. Is there negative marking? We did not find a mention of negative marking in the two notifications, which say only that an unmarked question gets zero. Confirm in the General Instructions of the online application and in the exam-day instructions.

7. Can a non-local candidate apply? Non-local candidates are treated as Open Category and pay the open category fee. Only the first 5 percent of direct recruitment posts are filled on open merit by locals and non-locals together, so competition for those is separate from the 95 percent reserved for locals.

8. What changed after the original notifications? Two corrigenda are listed on the Recruitments page: one for Rc.82 (SI Communications) dated 24.09.2026 on pay scale, and one for Rc.94 (Driver Operator) dated 18.09.2026 on education and driving licence. None is listed for Rc.91 or Rc.81 as on 7 October 2026.

Related reading

• AP Police Constable vs SI
• AP Police Constable salary and job profile
• AP Police PMT and PET physical test preparation
• AP Jail Warder
• AP Excise Constable
• Andhra Pradesh government exams 2026
• Exam calendar

Practise on pareeksha.in

When you are ready to test yourself, try the free mini mock and then browse the online test series. Pareeksha.in offers 10 Lakh+ MCQs, 100+ Exams, 5,000+ Full-Length Mocks, so you can practise in the same timed format as the real paper. For the final word on dates and rules, always rely on slprb.ap.gov.in.

Sources and verification

Pages opened and read for this post, as on 7 October 2026:

• 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)
• SLPRB notification, Rc.No.81/SLPRB/Rect.1/2026 dated 16.09.2026 (https://slprb.ap.gov.in/2026_PDFS/SLPRB_AP_SI_Notification_2026.pdf)
• SLPRB Recruitments page (https://slprb.ap.gov.in/UI/Recruitments), for the list of notifications, the blank application-period column and the corrigenda
• SLPRB Press Release page (https://slprb.ap.gov.in/UI/pressRelease)
• SLPRB press note dated 16.09.2026 (https://slprb.ap.gov.in/2026_PDFS/PressNote_dated_16092026.pdf)
• SLPRB press note dated 17.09.2026 (https://slprb.ap.gov.in/2026_PDFS/PressNote_dated_17092026.pdf)

What remained unverified or only reported: the reported government orders on age relaxation (numbered 187 and 188) were not found in either notification and are treated as unconfirmed; the phase-wise dates of the 2026 job calendar are reported and differ between reports; the scaling formula for the 200-question AR constable written test is not spelled out in the notification; negative marking is not mentioned in the two notifications we read. The detailed contents of Rc.82, 83, 92 and 93 were not read in full, and their entries above come from the Recruitments page and the press notes. Numbers are provisional and may change. Always check the latest notification and corrigenda on slprb.ap.gov.in.