As on 19 October 2026. Sources: the scheme of examination in APPSC notifications on psc.ap.gov.in (Group-II 11/2023 and 37/2026, Executive Officer Gr-III 23/2026, Hostel Welfare Officer 25/2026, Assistant Statistical Officer 20/2026, Industrial Promotion Officer 24/2026, AMVI 36/2026 as reported) and the Commission's CPT instructions issued for earlier cycles. The CPT syllabus and the software version are printed in each notification; read yours.
Almost every APPSC notification of 2026 ends the same way: a written test, then a Computer Proficiency Test, then verification. The CPT is qualifying, it is practical, and it is the stage candidates prepare for least. Every year a few candidates who cleared the written test lose the post here. This page explains what the test is, who must take it, what the marks mean and how to be ready in two weeks.
The test at a glance
| Nature | Practical, on a computer, qualifying (marks are not added to the merit) |
| Duration and marks | 60 minutes, 100 marks |
| Minimum qualifying marks | 40 for OC (and EWS, where stated), 35 for BC, 30 for SC, ST and persons with benchmark disabilities |
| Who is called | Candidates shortlisted on the written test, usually at 1:2 of the vacancies or as the notification states |
| When | After the written test results, before certificate verification |
| Where | Commission-designated centres, on the Commission's machines and software |
| If you fail | You are not considered for selection, whatever your written marks |
Which 2026 notifications include a CPT
| Notification | Post | CPT |
|---|---|---|
| 37/2026 | Group-II Services | After Mains, for the posts the notification specifies (most secretariat, revenue and treasury posts) |
| 23/2026 | Executive Officer Gr-III, Endowments | Yes, 60 minutes, 100 marks |
| 24/2026 | Industrial Promotion Officer | Yes |
| 25/2026 | Hostel Welfare Officer Gr-II | Yes |
| 20/2026 | Assistant Statistical Officer | Yes |
| 36/2026 | Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector | Yes, as reported from the brief notification |
| 27/2026 | Assistant Executive Engineers | Check the detailed notification due by 2 November; earlier AEE cycles did not have one |
| 07/2026 | Group-I Services | No CPT; Mains is descriptive and followed by an interview as notified |
| 17, 18/2026 | Forest Section Officer, Forest Beat Officer | No CPT; walking test and medical instead |
If a notification says "Computer Proficiency Test" anywhere in the scheme, plan for it from the day you apply.
What is tested
The Commission's CPT instructions from earlier cycles describe five parts; the marks per part vary, and the notification annexure gives the exact split.
| Part | Task | Typical marks |
|---|---|---|
| Word processing | Type a given passage in English (and in some cycles Telugu) within a time limit, then format it: headings, bold and italics, alignment, line spacing, bullets, a table | 25 to 30 |
| Spreadsheet | Enter a small data set, apply formulas (sum, average, percentage, if), sort and filter, make a chart | 25 to 30 |
| Presentation | Create three to five slides with a title, bullet points, an image or a table, and apply a design | 10 to 15 |
| Internet and e-mail | Compose an e-mail with an attachment, save a web page or file, basic browser tasks | 10 to 15 |
| Computer basics and the operating system | Create and rename folders, copy and move files, find a file, change simple settings, answer a few objective questions on computer fundamentals | 10 to 15 |
Two things catch candidates out. The first is speed: a 60-minute test with five parts leaves about ten minutes per task, so a slow typist cannot finish the word-processing passage. The second is the software: the Commission uses the office suite and keyboard layout it provides, not your phone or your laptop's shortcuts. Practise on a desktop keyboard with a mouse.
What the qualifying marks mean in practice
Thirty or forty marks out of a hundred sounds easy. It is, if you complete every part. Candidates fail when they spend 35 minutes on the typing passage, leave the spreadsheet and presentation blank, and score only on two parts. The rule is to attempt every part for some marks before perfecting any one.
| If you are | Target | Order of attack |
|---|---|---|
| A daily computer user | 70 or more | Typing first (it is timed), then spreadsheet, presentation, e-mail, basics |
| An occasional user | 50 | Basics and e-mail first (quick marks), then presentation, then typing and spreadsheet for the remaining time |
| New to office software | the qualifying mark plus 10 | Two weeks of daily practice (below); on the day, basics and e-mail first, a short presentation, then the typing passage |
A 14-day practice plan
| Days | Practice (45 minutes a day) |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Typing: 20 minutes a day on the typing test in English, then 10 minutes of a Telugu passage if your notification includes it; aim at 25 to 30 words a minute with few errors |
| 4 to 6 | Word processing: type a 150-word passage and format it with a heading, bullets, a two-column table and page numbers; time yourself to 12 minutes |
| 7 to 9 | Spreadsheet: a marks table of ten students with total, average and percentage columns, a rank with sort, a filter, and a bar chart; time yourself to 12 minutes |
| 10 to 11 | Presentation: four slides on a given topic with a design, a table slide and an image slide; 8 minutes |
| 12 | E-mail and files: compose, attach, save; create a folder tree and move files; 8 minutes |
| 13 to 14 | Two full 60-minute dry runs covering all five parts in the order you will use on the day |
Keep the keyboard shortcuts for select all, copy, paste, bold, undo and save in your fingers; they save minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Do CPT marks count in the final merit? No. The CPT is qualifying. Selection is on the written test (or Mains) marks among those who qualify in the CPT.
Can I take the CPT in Telugu? The instructions and objective questions are bilingual in most cycles; the typing passage has been English in recent cycles, with a Telugu passage in some notifications. The notification annexure is final.
What if the computer fails during the test? Raise your hand at once; invigilators log the fault and the lost time is restored. Do not restart the machine yourself.
Is there negative marking in the CPT? No. Marks are for completed tasks.
I cleared the written test by a wide margin. Do I still need to prepare? Yes. The CPT is pass or fail. A high written score does not carry you through it.
Prepare with Pareeksha
The written test comes first, and its Paper I is the same for every post above: practise it on fixed papers where every candidate sits the same paper and the percentile is real. See the APPSC Paper I syllabus, the Group-II guide and the Andhra Pradesh exam list. For the CPT typing part, the typing test runs in the browser.
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