The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has opened applications for 37 vacancies of Horticulture Officer in the AP Horticulture Service, under Notification No. 19/2026 dated October 6. Eligible candidates can apply online at psc.ap.gov.in until 11:59 pm on October 27.

The post carries a pay scale of Rs 54,060 to Rs 1,40,540. The recruitment is zonal, meaning vacancies are distributed across six zones of the state.

Vacancies

Of the 37 posts, 31 are for local candidates and six are open to all. Zone-wise, Zone I has 7 posts, Zone II has 6, Zone III has 7, Zone IV has 7, Zone V has 6 and Zone VI has 4.

By category, OC candidates get the bulk of the vacancies:

• OC: 21

• SC: 5 (Group I: 2, Group II: 1, Group III: 2)

• ST: 2

• BC: 6 (BC-A: 3, BC-B: 2, BC-C: 1; none for BC-D and BC-E)

• EWS: 3

Under horizontal reservation, six posts are earmarked for women, all in the OC category (Zone I: 1, Zone II: 1, Zone III: 2, Zone IV: 1, Zone V: 1). Two posts are reserved for Meritorious Sports Persons, one each in Zones III and VI. Women are reserved 33.5 per cent horizontally, and sports persons 3 per cent. All eligible candidates, irrespective of category or gender, may apply for horizontally reserved posts.

Who can apply

Applicants must hold a four-year BSc (or BSc Hons) degree in Horticulture from a recognised university in the state, or from any university accredited by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Candidates must be Indian citizens, of sound health and free from bodily defects that make them unfit for service.

The age limit is 18 to 44 years as on July 1, 2026. Relaxations include:

• SC, ST, BC and EWS: 5 years

• Persons with Benchmark Disabilities: 10 years

• Ex-servicemen and NCC instructors: 3 years plus the length of service

• Regular A.P. government employees: deduction of regular service, up to 5 years (employees of corporations and municipalities are not eligible)

• Retrenched temporary employees of the state Census Department (minimum 6 months' service): 3 years

Local status and certificates

Reservation for local candidates follows Article 371-D and the Presidential Order 2025. A candidate is local to an area if they studied there for at least four consecutive years up to and including the year of the Class VII exam. Candidates who did not study in any institution during that period can use residence instead. Those who studied up to Class VII must submit study certificates, as residence certificates will not be accepted. Candidates who migrated from Telangana to Andhra Pradesh between June 2, 2014 and June 1, 2024 must obtain a Local Status Certificate.

BC candidates must produce a non-creamy layer certificate, and EWS candidates an income certificate for FY 2025-26 (family income below Rs 8 lakh, issued in digital format). Both must be issued by a Tahsildar on or after April 1, 2026 and no later than the closing date. SC, ST, BC and EWS candidates from other states are not eligible for reservation.

How to apply

Candidates must first complete One Time Profile Registration (OTPR) on the APPSC website if they have not already. OTPR alone does not count as an application. After logging in, they must fill in the application and click "Save & Submit", which generates the payment link. Saving alone leaves the application incomplete.

The application processing fee is Rs 250 and the examination fee is Rs 120. SC, ST, BC and PBD candidates, ex-servicemen, families holding a white ration card, and unemployed youth (with a declaration) are exempt from the exam fee. Candidates from other states must pay both fees, except PBD and ex-servicemen candidates. Fees are non-refundable and must be paid online, as demand drafts and IPOs are not accepted.

Corrections will be allowed only for seven days after the last date, at Rs 100 per correction. Fields affecting name, fee, age relaxation and community cannot be edited. Candidates giving false information risk rejection and debarment of up to five years from APPSC exams.

Selection process

Selection will be through a computer-based recruitment test (CBRT), with the date to be announced later. The test will be held at four centres: Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati and Ananthapuramu. Candidates can give three preferences, but the Commission may allot any centre.

The exam has a qualifying test and three papers, all objective type at degree standard:

• Qualifying test: General English (50 marks) and General Telugu (50 marks) at SSC standard, 100 questions in 100 minutes. Candidates must qualify in English and Telugu individually.

• Paper I: General Studies and Mental Ability, 150 questions, 150 marks, 150 minutes

• Paper II: Horticulture-I, 150 questions, 150 marks, 150 minutes

• Paper III: Horticulture-II, 150 questions, 150 marks, 150 minutes

The three papers total 450 marks, and each wrong answer attracts a penalty of one-third of the marks for that question. Appearing in all papers is compulsory. If the exam is held in multiple sessions, scores will be normalised and results announced on a percentile basis.

Paper I covers current affairs, general science, Indian and AP history, geography, polity, economy, sustainable development, disaster management, reasoning and data analysis. Paper II covers fruit, vegetable and floriculture crops, medicinal and plantation crops, dryland horticulture, post-harvest management, preservation, farm machinery and greenhouse management. Paper III covers fundamentals of horticulture, propagation and nursery management, plant physiology, entomology, pathology, soil science, agroforestry, extension education and organic farming.

Shortlisted candidates must then qualify a 100-mark Computer Proficiency Test on office automation, with a 60-minute duration. The minimum qualifying marks are 40 for OC, 35 for BC and 30 for SC, ST and PBD candidates.

Final selection will be on merit in the written exam, subject to qualifying the CPT. The minimum qualifying aggregate in the written exam is 40 per cent for OC, sports persons, ex-servicemen and EWS, 35 per cent for BC, and 30 per cent for SC, ST and PBD. Ties will be broken by age, with the older candidate ranked higher. There will be no waiting list.

Sports quota

The notification annexes the recent government orders on the 3 per cent sports quota. Only sports persons who have represented Andhra Pradesh in recognised events, and who have local status, are eligible. Category-A disciplines get preference over Category-B. Applicants must register and upload achievements on sports.ap.gov.in, and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh will scrutinise claims. Those appointed under the quota must represent their department in competitions for at least 10 years.

Other conditions

Candidates are barred from carrying mobile phones, smartwatches, programmable calculators or any electronic device into the exam hall. Objections to the initial answer key must be filed within three days of publication, at Rs 100 per objection, refunded if upheld. The English version of the question paper will be authoritative.