APPSC Recruitment 2026 Eligibility Criteria
1. Assistant Environmental Engineer
Not specified in the Brief Notification. Educational qualification for this post will be published along with the Detailed Notification on or before 6 October 2026.
2. Horticulture Officer
Applicants must possess a Four-year B.Sc. Degree / B.Sc. (Hons) Degree in Horticulture of a recognized University in the State, or of any other University accredited by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi. Applicants must possess the requisite qualification as on the date of the Detailed Notification.
3. Assistant Director, Forensic Science Laboratory
| Post |
Educational Qualification |
| Forensic Engineering |
B.E. in Mechanical or Structural Engineering, or its equivalent, i.e., B.E./B.Tech in Civil or Production Engineering |
| Physics |
M.Sc. Degree in First or Second Class in Physics, or its equivalent, i.e., Tech. Physics or Material Science or Nuclear Physics or Electronics or Electronics & Instrumentation or Applied Physics or Instrumentation or Five Integrated M.Sc. Physics or Geo Physics or Nano Science or Nano Technology or Electronic Communications |
| Chemistry |
M.Sc. Degree in First or Second Class in Chemistry, or its equivalent qualification, OR B.Sc. Degree with A.I.C. by examination in Forensic Sciences |
| Biology |
M.Sc. Degree in 1st or 2nd Class in either Botany/Zoology/Microbiology/Biochemistry, or its equivalent, i.e., Bio-Technology or Genetics or Forensic Science, OR a Degree in Medicine with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Physics) |
Additional conditions for Assistant Director (FSL) posts: candidates must have exceptionally good eyesight (colour blindness will be a disqualification); must have at least 5 years’ practical experience in a Forensic Science, Chemistry, Analytical, or Police Laboratory; further relevant experience is desirable.
APPSC Recruitment 2026 Selection Process
For all three posts, the examination consists of a single-level examination only; no Screening Test is conducted irrespective of the number of applications received. The examination is held in online (CBRT) mode, and if conducted in multiple sessions, the Commission will apply normalisation of marks wherever necessary, per its own methodology (to be notified in due course).
1. Assistant Environmental Engineer – Exam Pattern
| Paper |
Subject |
No. of Questions |
Duration |
Max. Marks |
| Paper I |
General Studies & Mental Ability |
150 |
150 minutes |
150 |
| Paper II |
Common Subject (Environmental Engineering) |
150 |
150 minutes |
300 |
| Total |
450 |
Syllabus highlights (Paper II – Common Subject): Ecosystems; Natural Resources; Biodiversity and Biotic Resources; Engineering Materials; Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics; Process Calculations and Thermodynamics; Air, Water, Soil and Noise Pollution and Control Technologies; Solid and Industrial Waste Management; Global Environmental Problems, Policies and Legislations; Environmental Impact Assessment towards Sustainable Future.
Negative marking: As per G.O. Ms. No. 235, Finance (HR-I, Plg & Policy) Dept., dt. 06/12/2016, each wrong answer is penalized with 1/3rd of the marks prescribed for that question.
2. Horticulture Officer – Exam Pattern
| Paper |
Subject |
No. of Questions |
Duration |
Max. Marks |
| Qualifying Test |
General English (50) & General Telugu (50), SSC standard – must qualify in each individually |
100 |
100 minutes |
100 (qualifying only) |
| Paper I |
General Studies & Mental Ability |
150 |
150 minutes |
150 |
| Paper II |
Horticulture-I |
150 |
150 minutes |
150 |
| Paper III |
Horticulture-II |
150 |
150 minutes |
150 |
| Total (Papers I–III; Qualifying Test marks not counted in merit) |
450 |
Syllabus highlights: Horticulture-I covers Fruit Crops – area, production, botany, classification, rootstocks, high-density planting, climate, soils, planting, training and pruning, nutrition, irrigation scheduling, harvesting and post-harvest handling for crops such as mango, banana, citrus, grape, pineapple, guava and papaya (and related fruit-crop topics per the annexure). Full topic lists for Horticulture-I and Horticulture-II are in the official annexure.
Negative marking: As per G.O. Ms. No. 235, Finance (HR-I, Plg & Policy) Dept., dt. 06/12/2016, each wrong answer is penalized with 1/3rd of the marks prescribed for that question.
3. Assistant Director (FSL) – Exam Pattern
| Post |
Paper I |
Paper II |
Total |
| Forensic Engineering |
General Studies & Mental Ability – 150 Qs, 150 min, 150 marks |
Mechanical/Structural/Civil/Production Engineering – 150 Qs, 150 min, 300 marks |
450 |
| Physics |
General Studies & Mental Ability – 150 Qs, 150 min, 150 marks |
Physics/Material Science/Nuclear Physics/Electronics/Electronics & Instrumentation/Applied Physics/Instrumentation/Five Integrated M.Sc. Physics/Geo Physics/Nano Science/Nano Technology/Electronic Communications – 150 Qs, 150 min, 300 marks |
450 |
| Chemistry |
General Studies & Mental Ability – 150 Qs, 150 min, 150 marks |
Chemistry or Forensic Science – 150 Qs, 150 min, 300 marks |
450 |
| Biology |
General Studies & Mental Ability – 150 Qs, 150 min, 150 marks |
Botany/Zoology/Microbiology/Biochemistry/Bio-Technology/Genetics/Forensic Science, or a Degree in Medicine with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Physics) – 150 Qs, 150 min, 300 marks |
450 |
Syllabus highlights: Paper I (common) covers Current Events, General Science, History and Geography of India, Indian Polity & Governance, Indian Economy, Sustainable Development & Environmental Protection, Disaster Management, and Logical Reasoning/Data Analysis. Forensic Engineering’s Paper II covers Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, and Steam Generators & Turbines among other Mechanical/Structural/Civil/Production Engineering topics; Physics, Chemistry and Biology Paper II follow their respective postgraduate-level syllabus, including forensic-specific applications for Chemistry/Biology.
Note: Negative marking is explicitly stated in the Assistant Environmental Engineer and Horticulture Officer notifications (1/3rd mark deduction per wrong answer); the Assistant Director (FSL) annexure, as reviewed, does not restate this clause separately, so it is Not confirmed for this post from the source document. A Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) – 60 minutes, 100 marks, practical type, minimum qualifying marks 30 (SC/ST/PBD)/35 (BCs)/40 (OCs) – is annexed to both the Assistant Environmental Engineer and Assistant Director (FSL) notifications as reviewed.
