The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has released Brief Notification No.19/2026 dated 15 September 2026 for Direct Recruitment to the post of Horticulture Officer in A.P. Horticulture Service (General Recruitment).

Online applications: 6 October 2026 to 27 October 2026, up to 11:59 PM, through the Commission's website (psc.ap.gov.in).

• Horticulture Officer, A.P. Horticulture Service: 37 vacancies — Pay Scale Rs 54,060 – 1,40,540

Vacancies are provisional and subject to variation on confirmation from the concerned department. Age, community-wise breakup and other details will be published in the Detailed Notification, available on or before 6 October 2026 on the Commission's website — the date of the Detailed Notification is the crucial date for all eligibility purposes.

Educational Qualification: Four year B.Sc. Degree / B.Sc. (Hons) Degree in Horticulture of a recognized University in the State, or any other university accredited by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.

Selection Process: A single-level online (CBRT) examination — no separate Screening Test — followed by a Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) for qualifying candidates.

• Qualifying Test — General English (50 marks) & General Telugu (50 marks), SSC Standard, must be qualified individually in each (100 marks; qualifying only, not counted toward the merit total)
• Paper I — General Studies & Mental Ability: 150 questions, 150 minutes, 150 marks
• Paper II — Horticulture-I: 150 questions, 150 minutes, 150 marks
• Paper III — Horticulture-II: 150 questions, 150 minutes, 150 marks

Merit total: 450 marks (Papers I–III). Negative marking: 1/3rd of the marks prescribed for the question, deducted for each wrong answer (G.O.Ms.No.235, Finance Dept.). The Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) is a 100-mark practical test (60 minutes) with minimum qualifying marks of 30 (SC/ST/PBD), 35 (BC) and 40 (OC).

Read the full Brief Notification No.19/2026 (PDF) for complete terms and conditions. Refer to the official Detailed Notification for age limit, community-wise vacancy breakup and other eligibility details.