Few state recruitments test a subject as thoroughly as the Assistant Statistical Officer examination does. A candidate who has studied statistics at degree level will find Paper II familiar, and a candidate from economics, commerce, mathematics or computer science will find that the notification asks for a specific mixture: economic concepts, Indian economy, financial accounting, basics of computers and five units of statistics. This guide explains the department that recruits the post, what the Assistant Statistical Officer does, what the 2026 notification fixes, how the earlier cycle ran, and then gives a statistics roadmap in which every worked example was computed with a script and checked by hand.
Status as on 7 October 2026 (source: APPSC portal, brief notification 20/2026 dated 15.09.2026). The application window is not yet open. The brief notification says online applications are invited through psc.ap.gov.in from 13/10/2026 to 02/11/2026 up to 11:59 P.M, and that the detailed notification, with the break-up of vacancies, scale of pay, age, community, qualifications and instructions, will be available on the Commission's website on or before 13.10.2026. When this guide was prepared, the Recruitment Notifications page listed the brief notification only. Anything that the detailed notification will decide, such as age and fee, is labelled below. Check the latest notification before you apply.
The wider picture of the 15 September 2026 notifications is in the Andhra Pradesh government exams 2026 guide and the AP government jobs calendar 2026.
1. The notification at a glance
| Item | What the 2026 brief notification says |
|---|---|
| Notification | No. 20/2026, dated 15/09/2026, direct recruitment, General Recruitment |
| Post | Assistant Statistical Officer in A.P. Economics and Statistical Subordinate Service |
| Provisional vacancies | 196, subject to variation on confirmation from the department |
| Scale of pay | Rs 37,640 to Rs 1,15,500 |
| Application window | 13/10/2026 to 02/11/2026, up to 11:59 P.M, online only |
| Qualification | Bachelor's Degree in one of five routes listed in section 5 below, as on the date of the detailed notification |
| Examination | Single-level, no screening test, online (CBRT) mode, normalisation if conducted in several sessions |
| Detailed notification | On or before 13/10/2026; its date is the crucial date for all purposes |
The same web note lists an Assistant Director post in the same department (Notification 09/2026, 17 provisional vacancies), which is a different, gazetted-level recruitment with its own notification. Do not confuse the two; this guide covers only Notification 20/2026.
2. The Directorate of Economics and Statistics and its district network
The Economics and Statistical Subordinate Service belongs to the Directorate of Economics and Statistics of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, whose district offices are headed by the District Economics and Statistics Officer, also called the Chief Planning Officer in district government pages. A statistical department in a State government serves as the data arm of the administration. It estimates the State's income and the income of each district, collects data from other departments, conducts sample surveys and evaluation studies, and monitors projects and programmes.
The district pages that this guide opened describe the work in concrete terms. The offices keep rain-gauge stations and report daily rainfall, prepare crop estimates, collect prices of essential commodities, building materials and farm produce, run annual surveys of industries, carry out socio-economic surveys, and handle the administration of programmes such as the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme. The district pages also list a hierarchy: the District Economics and Statistics Officer, an Assistant Director, Statistical Officers, Deputy Statistical Officers and Assistant Statistical Officers, with the Assistant Statistical Officers mostly posted at the mandal level and one at the district headquarters. The counts of officers differ by district page and by date, so this guide does not quote them.
It follows that the Assistant Statistical Officer is a field-level statistician. The work is collecting, checking and compiling data, and that explains why the Paper II syllabus puts so much weight on data collection, tabulation, averages, dispersion, index numbers and time series.
3. What the Assistant Statistical Officer does
The notification does not describe duties, so this section is based on the district office descriptions and should be read as a general picture, not as a job description from the Commission. An Assistant Statistical Officer at a mandal office typically gathers data on rainfall, crop areas and yield from field plots, prices, and other local indicators, and compiles it in the prescribed formats for the district office. Accuracy in recording and promptness in reporting matter because the district figures feed State and national estimates. When surveys or a census-type exercise are ongoing, the officer supervises field investigators, scrutinises schedules and tabulates results. The Computer Proficiency Test and the syllabus topic on spreadsheets reflect how much of this work now happens on computers.
Posting is not part of the notification either. The earlier cycle's notification treated the post as a zonal post with local candidates by zone. Whether the 2026 detailed notification treats it as a zonal, district or State-level post must be read from that notification when it is published.
4. Vacancies, pay and the earlier cycle
The 2026 notification offers 196 provisional vacancies in the scale of Rs 37,640 to Rs 1,15,500. The previous notification for the same post was No. 12/2024 dated 06/03/2024, a limited recruitment for five carried-forward vacancies in the same scale. As recorded on the Commission's portal, that cycle went like this:
| Stage | 2024 cycle (Notification 12/2024) |
|---|---|
| Notification | 06/03/2024, 5 carried-forward vacancies, zonal post |
| Application window | 18/04/2024 to 08/05/2024 |
| Written examination | Computer-based test, 28/04/2025 forenoon and 29/04/2025 afternoon |
| CPT and certificate verification | CPT held 06/10/2025 |
| Provisional selection list | 16/10/2025 |
| Marks of selected candidates | Published 2026 |
Two lessons come from this. The process from application to selection list took about eighteen months, so a candidate should plan on the basis of a long timeline. And the 2024 cycle was a small backlog recruitment, while the 2026 cycle is a General Recruitment of 196 posts, so the size of the competition is not comparable; neither is the timing.
The scale of pay is a range. This guide does not quote a take-home figure, because allowances and deductions are not in the notification.
5. Eligibility: five degree routes
The brief notification lists the qualification precisely. A candidate must hold a Bachelor's Degree in one of the following forms, from a University established or incorporated by or under a Central or State Act, an institution deemed to be a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, or a foreign university approved by the Central Government:
- A Bachelor's Degree with Statistics as one of the main subjects; or
- A Bachelor's Degree with Mathematics as one of the main subjects, with Statistics as a paper in one year, two years or all three years as the case may be; or
- A Bachelor's Degree with Economics as one of the main subjects, with Statistics as a paper in one, two or three years; or
- A Bachelor's Degree with Commerce as one of the main subjects, with Statistics as a paper in one, two or three years; or
- A Bachelor's Degree with Computer Science as one of the main subjects, with Statistics as a paper in one, two or three years.
The phrase to notice is "Statistics as a paper". A B.Com graduate who never studied a Statistics paper is not covered by route 4, and a B.Sc in Computer Science without a Statistics paper is not covered by route 5. If your degree transcript shows a Statistics paper in any year, keep the marks memo ready. The 2024 notification said that for qualifications claimed as equivalent, the department's decision is final, and the candidate must produce the relevant Government Order within a stated time. Whether the 2026 detailed notification repeats that process must be read when it is released.
The date of the detailed notification is the crucial date, so the degree must be completed by that date. A candidate in the final semester should check with the notification whether results awaited are accepted; do not assume.
6. Age, fee and reservation (earlier cycle, for guidance only)
The 2026 brief notification does not give age, fee or reservation details. The 2024 notification fixed the age limits as minimum 18 and maximum 42 years as on 01/07/2024, with relaxations for SC, ST, BC and EWS, persons with benchmark disabilities, ex-servicemen, NCC instructors, regular State Government employees and certain others. It asked for an application processing fee of Rs 250 and an examination fee of Rs 80, with exemption from the Rs 80 only for SC, ST, BC, persons with benchmark disabilities, ex-servicemen, families holding a white ration card and unemployed youth with a declaration. It also described vertical reservations for SC, ST, BC and EWS, horizontal reservation for women, persons with benchmark disabilities, ex-servicemen and sports persons, and local reservation under Article 371-D. These are the Commission's standard terms, but the numbers for 2026, and any change in the age limit, are not known until the detailed notification.
One practical point: candidates from other States do not get local or community reservation, and pay the full fee. If you studied in Andhra Pradesh, collect your study certificates from class 4 to class 10 or the residence certificate, as the local-status rules use them.
7. Scheme of the examination and selection
The scheme is in the annexure to the brief notification, taken from Annexure-V of G.O.Ms.No.201, Finance (HR-I Plg & Policy) Department dated 21/12/2017.
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Minutes | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General Studies and Mental Ability | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| Paper II | Subject (Economics, Accounting, Computers, Statistics) | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| Total | 300 | 300 |
Wrong answers are penalised by one third of the marks prescribed for the question (G.O.Ms.No.235 of 06/12/2016). The examination is in CBRT mode, with a single level and no screening test irrespective of the number of applications. If it is held in several sessions, the Commission will apply normalisation of marks where necessary, and will announce the method later. See the percentile and normalisation explainer for how that works in general.
Selection will, as in the earlier notification, be on merit in the written examination, followed by the Computer Proficiency Test. The CPT in the annexure is a practical test of 60 minutes and 100 marks, with qualifying marks of 30 for SC, ST and persons with benchmark disabilities, 35 for Backward Classes and 40 for Open Competition. Part A (20 percent) is MCQ-based on computer fundamentals, operating systems, the Internet and email. Part B has a document and typing exercise (25 percent for typing speed), organising and inserting objects (15 percent), a spreadsheet exercise (20 percent) and a presentation (20 percent). In the 2024 notification the minimum qualifying marks on aggregate were 40 percent for Open Competition, sports persons, ex-servicemen and EWS, 35 percent for Backward Classes and 30 percent for SC, ST and persons with benchmark disabilities, with the note that securing them gives no right to selection. The 2026 text must be read for the current figures.
For marking arithmetic over 150 questions, see the negative marking and time management strategy.
8. Paper I: General Studies and Mental Ability
Paper I is the standard APPSC degree-level paper with ten items, printed in the annexure: current events (international, national and Andhra Pradesh); general science and technology, including IT; history of India with a focus on Andhra Pradesh and the national movement; geography of India with a focus on Andhra Pradesh; Indian polity and governance; Indian economy and planning; sustainable development and environmental protection; disaster management with remote sensing and GIS; logical reasoning and analytical ability; and data analysis, defined as tabulation of data, visual representation, basic summary statistics (mean, median, mode, variance) and interpretation.
For a candidate who has studied statistics, the last item is a gift. Paper I item 10 is a subset of Paper II's statistics units, so practice for one earns marks in the other. The building blocks for the rest are on our pages: Indian polity and Constitution notes, AP polity and Panchayati Raj notes, Indian history notes, AP economy and budget notes and reasoning and arithmetic shortcuts.
9. Paper II: the ten units, with weight of preparation
The Paper II syllabus has ten numbered items in the annexure. Here they are, in the notification's order, with how each should be approached.
- Economic concepts: production, consumption, demand; elasticity; market structures and equilibrium; price determination; national income concepts and determinants; employment, consumption, savings and investment; interest and profit; money and the money supply; banks and credit creation; central bank control; price level and inflation (meaning, measurement, control); public finance (budgets, taxes, non-tax revenue, deficits).
- International economics: free trade and protection; balance of payments; exchange rates; international monetary system and world trading order, including the Bretton Woods system, the IMF and the World Bank; sources of growth.
- Indian economics: population features; poverty, unemployment, inequality, rural-urban disparities; foreign trade, balance of payments and external debt; inflation; fiscal deficit; sectoral trends and regional disparities; economic planning in India including NITI Aayog; broad fiscal, monetary, industry, trade and agricultural policies.
- Financial accounting: concepts and conventions; journals, ledgers, subsidiary books including the cash book; bank reconciliation; trial balance and final accounts; errors and rectification; depreciation and reserves; single entry and non-trading concerns.
- Basics of computers: binary, octal and hexadecimal systems and conversion; codes, bits, bytes and words; memory; arithmetic and logical operations; algorithms and flowcharts; spreadsheet basics, formulas and functions.
- Introduction to statistics: primary and secondary data; sampling methods (random and non-random); definition of probability; census; schedule and questionnaire; frequency distribution; tabulation; diagrammatic and graphic presentation.
- Measures of central tendency: arithmetic, geometric and harmonic means, median, mode, quartiles, deciles, percentiles, properties and applications.
- Measures of dispersion and skewness: range, quartile deviation, mean deviation, standard deviation, coefficient of variation; Karl Pearson's and Bowley's measures of skewness; concept of kurtosis; normal distribution.
- Measures of relation: correlation, its types and uses; Karl Pearson's coefficient; Spearman's rank correlation; probable error.
- Time series and index numbers: components, trend and seasonal variation, decomposition; index numbers (price and quantity), tests of adequacy, base shifting and deflation, cost of living index, limitations.
The notification's wording has a few oddities that are best treated gently. It spells "Brettonwoods", "NITI Ayog" and "Coefficient of Veriation", and under time series it lists "Decentralization of data", which presumably refers to de-seasonalisation or a similar adjustment of data; the notification does not say. If a question uses a term in doubt, answer on the basis of the standard textbook meaning, and watch the Commission's provisional key. Units 6 to 10 are pure statistics and together are half of Paper II by count of items; the notification does not give a unit-wise mark weighting, so do not trust any figure that claims to. Treat all ten units as in scope.
10. Statistics roadmap, step 1: collecting and presenting data (unit 6)
Start with definitions, because the examiners test them directly. Primary data are collected afresh for the purpose; secondary data are already collected by someone else. A schedule is filled by the investigator; a questionnaire is filled by the respondent. A census studies every unit of the population; a sample studies a part. Random sampling gives every unit a known chance of selection, including simple random sampling, stratified, systematic and cluster designs; non-random methods include judgement, convenience and quota sampling. Probability is the ratio of favourable outcomes to total equally likely outcomes in the classical definition, and a simple check is the probability of at least one head in three tosses of a fair coin, which is 1 minus 1/8, or 7/8.
For frequency distributions, learn the vocabulary: class interval, class mark (the midpoint), cumulative frequency, relative frequency. For presentation, know when each diagram is appropriate: bar charts for categorical data, histograms and frequency polygons for continuous data, ogives for cumulative frequencies, pie charts for shares of a whole. Questions often ask which graph can be used to find the median graphically; the answer is the ogive.
11. Statistics roadmap, step 2: averages (unit 7)
Use the same ten observations throughout this section: 12, 15, 11, 18, 15, 20, 14, 15, 17, 13. A script and a hand calculation agree on the following.
- Sum = 150, n = 10, so the arithmetic mean is 15.
- Sorted: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 15, 15, 17, 18, 20. The median is the mean of the 5th and 6th values, 15. The mode is 15 (three times).
- The geometric mean is the n-th root of the product, about 14.78. The harmonic mean is n divided by the sum of reciprocals, about 14.56.
- Ordering: AM is 15.00, GM is 14.78, HM is 14.56. For positive values that are not all equal, AM is greater than GM, which is greater than HM. If an answer option violates this, it is wrong.
- Quartiles depend on the method. With the (n+1)p position rule, Q1 is at position 2.75, giving 12.75, and Q3 is at position 8.25, giving 17.25. Other textbooks use different interpolation rules and give slightly different numbers. The exam will tell you the rule or use a small data set where the methods agree. Practise both.
Grouped data need formulas. Take the distribution: classes 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50 with frequencies 5, 8, 12, 10, 5, so N = 40. With mid-points 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, the mean is 25.5. The median class is 20-30 (cumulative frequency reaches 20 there), and the median is 20 + (20 - 13)/12 x 10, about 25.83. The modal class is 20-30, and the mode is 20 + (12 - 8)/(2 x 12 - 8 - 10) x 10, about 26.67. A useful check is the empirical relation, mode approximately equal to 3 x median minus 2 x mean, which gives 26.5, close to 26.67 as expected for a mildly skewed distribution.
12. Statistics roadmap, step 3: dispersion and skewness (unit 8)
For the ten observations above, the squared deviations about the mean add to 68. The population variance is 68/10 = 6.8 and the standard deviation is about 2.61. The sample variance divides by n minus 1, 68/9, which is about 7.56, with sample SD about 2.75. The coefficient of variation is SD divided by mean times 100, about 17.4 percent. The range is 20 minus 11 = 9. The mean deviation about the mean is 2.0. The quartile deviation is (Q3 minus Q1)/2 = 2.25 using the positions above.
These data are symmetric about 15, so skewness is zero, which is a poor example of skewness. Use a skewed set instead: 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15. The sum is 50, so the mean is about 7.14. The median is 6 and the mode is 5. The population SD is about 3.44. Karl Pearson's coefficient is (mean minus mode)/SD = (7.14 minus 5)/3.44 = about 0.62; the alternative form 3 x (mean minus median)/SD is about 1.00. The two forms differ because the empirical relation is only approximate, so an examination question will say which form to use. Bowley's coefficient is (Q3 + Q1 minus 2 x Q2)/(Q3 minus Q1); with Q1 = 5, Q2 = 6, Q3 = 8, it is (8 + 5 minus 12)/(8 minus 5) = 1/3, about 0.33. All three are positive, which signals positive (right) skew, as the large value 15 pulls the tail to the right.
For kurtosis, the notification asks only for the concept. A normal curve is mesokurtic, a peaked one leptokurtic and a flat one platykurtic. Know the normal distribution's properties: symmetric, bell-shaped, mean equal to median equal to mode, and about 68, 95 and 99.7 percent of values within 1, 2 and 3 standard deviations.
13. Statistics roadmap, step 4: correlation (unit 9)
Take six paired observations: X = 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and Y = 3, 5, 4, 8, 9, 11. The means are 6 and 6.67. The sum of products of deviations is 44, the sum of squared deviations of X is 42, and of Y about 49.33. Karl Pearson's coefficient r equals 44 divided by the square root of 42 x 49.33, which is about 0.967. Its square, 0.934, is the coefficient of determination: about 93 percent of variation in Y is associated with X in a linear way. The probable error is 0.6745 x (1 minus r squared)/square root of n, which is about 0.018, and r is more than six times its probable error, so the correlation is regarded as significant.
For Spearman's rank correlation, take six students ranked on two tests: ranks (4,5), (2,1), (6,6), (1,2), (5,4), (3,3). The differences are minus 1, 1, 0, minus 1, 1, 0, so the sum of squared differences is 4. The formula 1 minus 6 x 4/(6 x 35) gives 1 minus 24/210, about 0.886. Remember the formula's condition: ranks without ties; with ties there is a correction factor added for each tied group. Remember also the limits of the coefficient: it lies between minus 1 and 1; zero correlation does not imply independence, and correlation does not prove causation.
14. Statistics roadmap, step 5: index numbers and time series (unit 10)
Index numbers are the area of most formulae. Let three commodities have base-year prices 10, 20, 5, current prices 12, 25, 6, base quantities 8, 3, 10 and current quantities 9, 4, 12. Then the sums are: p1q0 = 231, p0q0 = 190, p1q1 = 280, p0q1 = 230. The Laspeyres price index uses base quantities: 231/190 x 100 = 121.58. The Paasche price index uses current quantities: 280/230 x 100 = 121.74. Fisher's ideal index is the geometric mean of the two, about 121.66. The Marshall-Edgeworth index is about 121.67, and the simple average of price relatives is also about 121.67 here. Fisher's index satisfies both the time reversal and factor reversal tests: the product of Fisher price and quantity indices divided by 100 x 100 equals the value ratio, 280/190 = 1.4737 in this example. That is the reason it is called ideal, and it is a frequent question. Laspeyres tends to overstate and Paasche to understate when substitution takes place, but in this example the two are close.
Base shifting: to shift an index series 110, 125, 150 to a new base where the second year is 100, divide each by 125 and multiply by 100, giving 88, 100 and 120. Deflation: a nominal value of Rs 5,000 when the price index is 125 corresponds to a real value of 5,000 divided by 125 x 100 = Rs 4,000. A cost of living index is a weighted index of consumer prices; know its limitations, such as fixed weights, regional variation and quality change.
For time series, take yearly values 40, 44, 47, 53, 56 with the middle year coded 0. The least-squares straight line is y = 48 + 4.1t, where t runs from minus 2 to 2, and the forecast for t = 3 is 60.3. A three-year moving average of the series 40, 44, 47, 53, 56, 60 is 43.67, 48.00, 52.00, 56.33, each placed against the middle year. Know the four components: trend, seasonal, cyclical, irregular, and the additive and multiplicative models. The syllabus says "measurement of trend and seasonal variations", so be prepared for the method of semi-averages, moving averages, least squares and simple averages for seasonal indices.
15. Economics, accounting and computers: the other half of Paper II
Candidates from a statistics background often neglect items 1 to 5. That is a mistake, because those items together carry as many items in the syllabus as the statistics units. For economics, use the standard first-year and second-year degree concepts and link each to a measure: elasticity formulas, national income aggregates, money supply measures, inflation indices. For Indian economy, read our Indian economy basics and AP economy and budget notes, and do not skip the NITI Aayog and planning items.
For accounting, the questions are mechanical: debit and credit rules, preparation of a trial balance, bank reconciliation statements, depreciation by straight line and written-down value methods, and rectification of errors. A candidate with a B.Com background is ahead here, and a B.Sc candidate needs about two weeks of practice with solved examples. For computers, learn number-system conversions by hand (for example, the decimal number 45 is 101101 in binary, 55 in octal and 2D in hexadecimal), and practise spreadsheet functions: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, IF, VLOOKUP and conditional formatting.
16. An eight-week roadmap
| Week | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the notification, set up OTPR, list weak units | Unit-wise self rating |
| 2 | Units 6 and 7 with the examples above | Formula sheet, 60 questions |
| 3 | Unit 8 (dispersion and skewness) | Worked sets, 60 questions |
| 4 | Units 9 and 10 | Index number and time series practice |
| 5 | Economics and Indian economy (items 1 to 3) | Notes and a test |
| 6 | Accounting and computers (items 4 and 5), CPT practice | Trial balance, spreadsheet files |
| 7 | Paper I: polity, history, geography, science, current events | Timed sets |
| 8 | Full-length mocks for both papers, error analysis | Revision list |
Typing speed should be built across all eight weeks. Ten minutes each day on a standard passage is better than one long weekend session, and the CPT's Part B weights typing at 25 percent.
17. Exam traps
- Population versus sample variance. Divide by n or n minus 1 according to the question. If the question says nothing, look at the options.
- Skewness sign. A positive skew has the mean greater than the median greater than the mode.
- Spearman with ties. The simple formula does not apply directly.
- Laspeyres versus Paasche. Laspeyres uses base-year quantities; Paasche uses current-year quantities. Mixing them up is the commonest error.
- Using 2024 figures as 2026 facts. Age 18 to 42, the fee of Rs 250 plus Rs 80 and the five-vacancy scale belong to the earlier cycle.
- Degree without a Statistics paper. Routes 2 to 5 require a Statistics paper, so confirm your transcript.
- Skipping the CPT. Separate qualifying marks apply.
Key facts for exams
- Notification 20/2026 dated 15/09/2026; 196 provisional vacancies; scale Rs 37,640 to Rs 1,15,500; window 13/10/2026 to 02/11/2026, 11:59 P.M.
- Qualification: degree with Statistics, or with Mathematics, Economics, Commerce or Computer Science plus a Statistics paper.
- Two papers of 150 questions, 150 minutes and 150 marks each; one-third penalty; CBRT; no screening test; normalisation if several sessions.
- Paper II units: economic concepts, international economics, Indian economics, financial accounting, basics of computers, introduction to statistics, central tendency, dispersion and skewness, correlation, time series and index numbers.
- CPT: 100 marks, 60 minutes, qualifying marks 30, 35, 40.
- Earlier cycle: Notification 12/2024, 5 carried-forward vacancies, CBT on 28 and 29 April 2025, selection list 16 October 2025.
- Worked results used here: mean 15, median 15, mode 15, SD 2.61, r = 0.967, Spearman = 0.886, Laspeyres 121.58, Paasche 121.74, Fisher 121.66.
Ten practice MCQs
1. For the values 12, 15, 11, 18, 15, 20, 14, 15, 17, 13, the arithmetic mean is: (a) 14 (b) 15 (c) 16 (d) 17 Answer: (b), as the sum is 150 and n is 10.
2. For the same values, the population variance is: (a) 6.8 (b) 7.56 (c) 68 (d) 2.61 Answer: (a). The sum of squares is 68, divided by 10. The value 7.56 is the sample variance.
3. Which relation always holds for positive observations that are not all equal? (a) AM < GM < HM (b) GM > AM > HM (c) AM > GM > HM (d) HM > GM > AM Answer: (c).
4. In a data set the mean is 7.14, the mode is 5 and the SD is 3.44. Karl Pearson's coefficient of skewness is about: (a) 0.62 (b) minus 0.62 (c) 2.14 (d) 0 Answer: (a), as (7.14 minus 5)/3.44.
5. A Spearman coefficient is computed with n = 6 and sum of squared rank differences 4. Its value is about: (a) 0.67 (b) 0.89 (c) 0.96 (d) 1.00 Answer: (b), 1 minus 24/210.
6. Fisher's ideal index number is: (a) the arithmetic mean of Laspeyres and Paasche (b) the geometric mean of Laspeyres and Paasche (c) the harmonic mean of price relatives (d) the median of price relatives Answer: (b).
7. A nominal income of Rs 5,000 with a price index of 125 gives a real income of: (a) Rs 3,750 (b) Rs 4,000 (c) Rs 6,250 (d) Rs 5,125 Answer: (b), 5,000 divided by 125 times 100.
8. Which graph is used to find the median graphically? (a) Histogram (b) Pie chart (c) Ogive (d) Bar chart Answer: (c).
9. The decimal number 45 in binary is: (a) 101011 (b) 101101 (c) 110101 (d) 100111 Answer: (b), as 32 + 8 + 4 + 1 = 45.
10. For the qualification route using Commerce in Notification 20/2026, a Bachelor's Degree with Commerce must also include: (a) Statistics as a paper in one, two or three years (b) Accounting as a paper (c) Computer Science as a paper (d) a postgraduate degree Answer: (a).
Frequently asked questions
Has the application window opened? As on 7 October 2026, no. The brief notification fixes 13/10/2026 to 02/11/2026, and the detailed notification is due on or before 13.10.2026.
Do I need Statistics as a main subject? Not necessarily. A degree with Mathematics, Economics, Commerce or Computer Science also qualifies if Statistics was studied as a paper in at least one year.
What is the age limit? The brief notification does not say. The 2024 cycle fixed 18 to 42 years as on 01/07/2024 with relaxations. Check the 2026 detailed notification.
How many papers are there? Two, each of 150 questions, 150 minutes and 150 marks, with a one-third negative marking, plus a Computer Proficiency Test.
Is there a screening test? No. The notification says there will be no screening test irrespective of the number of applications.
Is the exam online? Yes, in CBRT mode. The 2024 cycle was also a computer-based test.
Is Paper II only statistics? No. It covers economics, international economics, Indian economy, financial accounting and basics of computers as well as five statistics units.
What did the previous recruitment look like? Notification 12/2024 was a limited recruitment of 5 carried-forward vacancies in the same scale. The written test was held on 28 and 29 April 2025 and the provisional selection list was published on 16 October 2025.
Related reading
- Andhra Pradesh government exams 2026 guide
- AP government jobs calendar 2026
- APPSC OTR registration guide
- APPSC Group-1, 2, 3 and 4 compared
- APPSC Group-2 guide
- APPSC Section Officer guide
- APPSC Treasuries and Accounts posts
- AP economy and budget notes
- Andhra Pradesh hub
- Telugu version: APPSC అసిస్టెంట్ స్టాటిస్టికల్ ఆఫీసర్
When you are ready to test yourself, you can practise timed mock tests for APPSC exams on pareeksha.in, which offers 10 Lakh+ MCQs, 100+ Exams and 5,000+ Full-Length Mocks, and review your errors after each one.
Sources and verification
Official pages opened for this guide (as on 7 October 2026):
- APPSC portal home page and Recruitment Notifications page, portal-psc.ap.gov.in and psc.ap.gov.in
- APPSC Brief Notification No.20/2026 dated 15.09.2026, Assistant Statistical Officer in A.P. Economics and Statistical Subordinate Service, with scheme, syllabus and the Computer Proficiency Test annexure
- APPSC Web Note of 15.09.2026 on brief notifications 07/2026 to 26/2026
- APPSC Notification No.12/2024 dated 06.03.2024, Assistant Statistical Officer, for the earlier cycle's age, fee, zones and rules
- APPSC Selection Notification and web note of 16.10.2025 on Notification 12/2024
- Government of Andhra Pradesh district website pages (Chief Planning Office, Nellore, and Tirupati district) describing the district economics and statistics offices
All statistical examples were computed with a script and cross-checked by hand; formulae are standard textbook definitions.
Not verified: age, fee, reservation break-up, zonal or district nature of the post and minimum qualifying marks for the 2026 cycle, which depend on the detailed notification; the exact duties of the post as defined in the service rules; the unit-wise weighting of Paper II, which the notification does not give; the meaning of "Decentralization of data" in the time series item; officer counts in the Directorate. Check the latest notification before you apply.
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