The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has announced a major recruitment drive for posts in the State Forest Department, with 53 provisional vacancies across three categories — Forest Range Officer, Forest Section Officer and Forest Beat Officer.
Through three separate brief notifications issued on September 15, 2026, APPSC has invited eligible candidates to apply online from October 16 to November 5, 2026, up to 11:59 PM. The Commission has advised candidates to submit their applications well before the deadline to avoid a last-minute rush.
The recruitment covers both the A.P. Forest Service and A.P. Forest Subordinate Service.
| Post | Notification | Vacancies | Pay Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Range Officer | 16/2026 | 4 | Rs 48,440–1,37,220 |
| Forest Section Officer | 17/2026 | 26 | Rs 32,670–1,01,970 |
| Forest Beat Officer | 18/2026 | 23 | Rs 25,220–80,910 |
| Total | — | 53 | — |
The Forest Range Officer recruitment carries four vacancies, while the Forest Section Officer and Forest Beat Officer recruitments account for 26 and 23 vacancies respectively. APPSC has stated that the vacancy figures are provisional and may vary after confirmation from the concerned departments.
The eligibility requirements are not identical for all three positions.
For Forest Range Officer, candidates need a bachelor's degree in specified subjects including Agriculture, Botany, Chemistry, Computer Applications/Computer Science, specified branches of Engineering, Environmental Science, Forestry, Geology, Horticulture, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Veterinary Science or Zoology.
For Forest Section Officer, candidates must possess a bachelor's degree in subjects such as Botany, Forestry, Horticulture, Zoology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Statistics, Geology or Agriculture. Certain engineering degrees — Chemical, Mechanical and Civil Engineering — are also included.
The Forest Beat Officer post has a lower educational qualification requirement, with candidates required to have passed the Intermediate examination or its equivalent. The notification also refers candidates to the detailed notification for physical requirements.
While all three recruitments involve a written examination and physical requirements, the examination structures differ.
For Forest Range Officer, the written examination carries 600 marks, comprising General Studies and Mental Ability, Mathematics, General Forestry-I and General Forestry-II. There is also a 100-mark qualifying test covering General English and General Telugu.
The Forest Section Officer examination carries 450 marks, with 150 marks each for General Studies and Mental Ability, Mathematics and General Forestry, in addition to a 100-mark qualifying test in General English and General Telugu.
For Forest Beat Officer, the written examination consists of two 100-mark objective papers — General Studies and Mental Ability, and General Science and General Mathematics — along with a 50-mark qualifying essay test in English, Telugu or Urdu. The essay is required to be based on a theme related to forests and the environment.
Aspirants should not look at the written examination alone. Candidates shortlisted for the relevant stages will have to undergo a walking test and medical examination conducted by the Forest Department.
For Forest Range Officer, APPSC has stated that eligible candidates will be picked in a 1:3 ratio with reference to the notified vacancies. For Forest Section Officer and Forest Beat Officer, the corresponding ratio is 1:2.
Candidates will be able to submit their applications through the APPSC online portal beginning October 16. The detailed notifications containing the vacancy breakup, age, community provisions, physical requirements and other conditions are scheduled to be made available on or before the same date.
APPSC has made it clear that applications will be accepted only through the prescribed online mode and has advised candidates to read the detailed notification carefully before submitting their forms.