APPSC Group 1 Syllabus 2026 & Exam Pattern (Prelims & Mains PDF)

The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) conducts the prestigious APPSC Group 1 examination to recruit high-level civil servants for the state. For candidates aspiring to secure a career in the Andhra Pradesh government, this exam presents an excellent opportunity. To excel, you must begin your preparation with the comprehensive APPSC Group 1 Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026. This guide details the updated syllabus for both the Prelims and Mains examinations to keep your study plan aligned with the latest requirements. 

APPSC Group 1 Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026

 The selection process for APPSC Group 1 2026 vacancies consists of three rigorous stages: Preliminary, Mains, and a Personal Interview. Candidates must qualify at every stage to progress toward final selection; therefore, mastering the detailed syllabus is the fundamental step to achieving your career goals. 

APPSC Group 1 Syllabus 2026- Highlights
Organisation	Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission
Name of Examination	APPSC Group 1 Exam 2026
Exam Level	State Level
Category	Syllabus
Mode of Exam	Offline
Total Marks	Prelims- 240 marks Mains- 150 marks for each paper Personal Interview-75 Marks
Negative Marking	⅓ mark will be deducted in the preliminary exam
Selection Process	Prelims-Mains-Interview
Official website	https://psc.ap.gov.in

AP Job Calendar 2026 Out- Click to Check

APPSC Group1 Selection Process 2026

The APPSC Group 1 examination process is divided into three stages: Prelims, Mains, and the Interview. The APPSC Group 1 Prelims syllabus 2026 features two papers, each containing 120 questions worth 120 marks. The Mains examination consists of seven papers, each carrying 150 marks. Success in both Prelims and Mains is required to reach the interview round, with the final merit list determined by the cumulative scores from the Mains and the Interview.

• Preliminary Exam
• Mains Exam
• Interview

APPSC Group 1 Exam Pattern 2026

The APPSC Group 1 syllabus is standardized for all posts across the Screening test, Main Examination, and Interview. Familiarity with the exam pattern is crucial for candidates to understand the types of questions, marking schemes, and total question counts to optimize their performance. 

APPSC Group 1 Prelims Exam Pattern

1. There will be a negative marking of ⅓rd mark for each incorrect answer.
2. The questions will be Multiple-Choice Questions (Objective).

APPSC Group 1 Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
Papers	Subjects	No. of Questions	Marks	Duration
Paper 1	A.History and Culture.  B. Constitution polity, Social Justice and International relations.  C. Indian and Andhra Pradesh Economy and Planning.  D. Geography	120	120	120 Minutes
Paper 2	A. General Mental Ability, Administrative and Psychological Abilities.  B. (i) Science and Technologies. (ii) Current events of Regional, National and International importance	120	120	120 Minutes

APPSC Group 1 Mains Exam Pattern 2026

1. Those candidates who qualify for the prelims exam, have to appear for The APPSC Group 1 main exam.
2. The Main exam is a conventional offline mode exam.
3. The marks of the main exam will be included in the merit list of APPSC Group 1.
4. The English and Telugu papers are qualifying in nature, their marks will not be included in the merit list. Rest of the five papers are of General Studies, marks of these papers will be included in the final list.
5. Check the detailed exam pattern if APPSC Group 1 mains exam.

APPSC Group 1 Mains Exam Pattern 2026
Papers	Name of Paper	Duration	Marks
Paper 1	Paper in Telugu (Qualifying Nature)	180 Minutes	150
Paper 2	Paper in English (Qualifying Nature)	180 Minutes	150
Paper 3	General Essay - on contemporary themes and issues of regional, national and international importance	180 Minutes	150
Paper 4	History and Cultural and Geography of India and Andhra Pradesh	180 Minutes	150
Paper 5	Polity, constitution, Governance, Law and Ethics	180 Minutes	150
Paper 6	Economy and Development of India and Andhra Pradesh	180 Minutes	150
Paper 7	Science, Technology and Environmental Issues	180 Minutes	150
Personal Interview		75 Marks	-

APPSC Group 1 Syllabus 2026 for Prelims

A thorough understanding of the syllabus is essential for structuring an effective study strategy. The APPSC Group 1 Prelims Syllabus comprises Paper 1 and Paper 2 as outlined below:

APPSC Group 1 Prelims Syllabus for Paper 1

APPSC Group 1 Prelims Paper 1 covers History and Culture, Constitutional Polity, Social Justice and International Relations, and Indian and Andhra Pradesh Economy, Planning, and Geography. Explore the topic-wise breakdown here. 

(A) History & Culture

The History & Culture section of the APPSC Group 1 Prelims 2026 includes essential topics such as the Indus Valley Civilization, Kanauj and their contributions, South Indian Dynasties, the Delhi Sultanate, the Vijaynagar and Mughal Empires, and the Bhakti and Sufi movements.

(A) History & Culture
Topics	Sub-Topics
Indus Valley Civilization	Features, Sites, Society, Cultural History, Art and Religion Vedic Age- Mahajanapadas, Religions-Jainism and Buddhism. The Maghadas, the Mauryan, Foreign invasions on India and their impact, the Kushans. The Sathavahanas the Sangam Age, the Sungas, the Gupta Empire -their Administration- Social, Religious and Economic conditions-Art, Architecture, Literature, Science and Technology.
The Kanauj and their Contributions,  South Indian Dynasties	The Badami Chalukyas The Eastern Chalukyas The Rastrakutas The Kalyani Chalukyas The Cholas The Hoyasalas The Yedavas The Kakatiyas The Reddis
The Delhi Sultanate,  the Vijaynagar Empire and the Mughal Empire,  the Bhakti Movement and Sufism	Administration Economy Society Religion Literature Arts and Architecture
The European Trading companies in India	Their struggle for supremacy-with special reference to Bengal Bombay Madras Mysore Andhra and Nizam Governor Generals Viceroys
Indian War of Independence of 1857	Origin Nature Causes, consequences and significance with special reference to Concerned State,  Religious and Social Reform Movements in 19th century in India and Concerned State India's Freedom Movement Revolutionaries in India and Abroad
Mahatma Gandhi, his thoughts, Principles and Philosophy	Important Satyagrahas The Role of Sardar Patel Subash Chandrabose in Freedom Movement Post-independence consolidation
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, his life and contribution  to the making of the Indian Constitution,  India after Independence	Reorganization of the States in India

(B) Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations

The Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations section includes the Indian Constitution, the functions and responsibilities of Union and State governments, Parliamentary and State Legislature proceedings, and India's Foreign Policy.

(B) Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
Topics	Sub-topics
Indian Constitution	Evolution, features Preamble Fundamental Rights Fundamental Duties Directive Principles of State Policy Amendments Significant Provisions Basic Structure
Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States,  Parliament and State Legislatures	Structure Function Power and Privileges Issues and challenges pertaining to Federal Structure Devolution of Power and Finances up to local levels and Challenges therein
Constitutional Authorities	Powers Functions and Responsibilities Panchayati Raj Public Policy Governance
Impact of Liberalization, Privatization and  Globalization on Governance	Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial bodies
Rights Issues	Human rights Women rights SC/ST rights Child rights etc.
India's Foreign Policy	International Relations Important Institutions Agencies and Fora Their structure and mandate Important Policies and Programmes of Central and State Governments

(C) Indian and Andhra Pradesh Economy & Planning

The Indian and Andhra Pradesh Economy & Planning section focuses on the fundamental characteristics of the Indian economy as a developing nation and key pillars of Indian Agriculture.

(C) Indian and Andhra Pradesh Economy & Planning
Topics	Sub-Topics
Basic characteristics of the Indian Economy as a developing economy	Economic development since independence objectives and achievements of planning NITI Ayog and its approach to economic development Growth and distributive justice Economic development Human Development Index India’s rank in the world Environmental degradation and challenges Sustainable Development Environmental Policy
National Income and its concepts and components	India’s National Accounts Demographic issues Poverty and Inequalities Occupational Structure and Unemployment Various Schemes of employment and poverty eradication Issues of Rural Development and Urban Development
Indian Agriculture	Irrigation and water Inputs of agriculture Agricultural Strategy and Agricultural Policy Agrarian Crisis and land reforms Agricultural credit Minimum Support Prices Malnutrition and Food Security Indian Industry Industrial Policy Make-in India Start-up and Stand-up programmes SEZs and Industrial Corridors Energy and Power policies Economic Reforms Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalization International Trade and Balance of Payments – India and WTO
Financial Institutions	RBI and Monetary Policy Banking and Financial Sector Reforms Commercial Banks and NPAs Financial Markets Instabilities Stock Exchanges and SEBI Indian Tax System and Recent changes GST and its impact on Commerce and Industry Centre, States financial relations- Financial Commissions Centre, States financial relations Financial Commissions Sharing of resources and devolution Public Debt and Public Expenditure Fiscal Policy and Budget
The characteristics/ basic features of Andhra Pradesh's  economy after bifurcation in 2014	Impact of bifurcation on the endowment of natural resources and state revenue Disputes of river water sharing and their impact on irrigation New challenges to industry and commerce The new initiatives to develop infrastructure Power and transport Information technology and e-governance Approaches to development and initiatives in agriculture, industry and social sector Urbanisation and smart cities Skill development and employment Social welfare programmes
A.P. Reorganisation Act, 2014	Economic Issues arising out of bifurcation Central government’s assistance for building a new capital,  compensation for loss of revenue, development of backward districts Issues such as Vizag railway zone, Kadapa steel factory,  Dugarajapatnam airport, Express ways and industrial corridors etc. Special Status and Special Assistance Controversy Government’s stand and measure

(D) Geography

In the APPSC Group 1 Prelims Geography section, questions are derived from physical, economic, and social geography.

(D) Geography
Topics	Sub-Topics
General Geography	Earth in Solar system Motion of the Earth Concept of time Season Internal Structure of the Earth Major landforms and their features Atmosphere structure and composition Elements and factors of Climate Airmasses and Fronts Atmospheric disturbances Climate change Oceans: Physical, chemical and biological characteristics, Hydrological Disasters, Marine and Continental resources.
Physical	World, India and concerned State Major physical divisions Earthquakes Landslides Natural drainage Climatic changes and regions Monsoon Natural Vegetation Parks and Sanctuaries Major Soil types Rocks and Minerals
Social	World, India and concerned State: Distribution Density Growth Sex-ratio Literacy Occupational Structure SC and ST Population Rural-Urban components Racial, tribal, religious and linguistic groups Urbanization Migration Metropolitan regions
Economic	World, India and concerned State: Major sectors of the economy Agriculture Industry and Services, their salient features Basic Industries-Agro, mineral, forest, fuel and manpower based Industries, Transport and Trade, Pattern and Issues.

APPSC Group 1 Prelims Syllabus for Paper 2

APPSC Group 1 Prelims Paper 2 covers General Mental Ability, Psychological Abilities, and Science and Technology. This paper consists of 120 questions for a total of 120 marks. 

(A) General Mental Ability and Psychological Abilities

The General Mental Ability and Psychological Abilities section includes topics such as logical reasoning, Venn diagrams, clock and calendar problems, age-based calculations, the number system, and ratios, proportions, and variations.

Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability. Number Series Coding-Decoding Problems Related to Relations. Shapes and their Sub-sections, Venn Diagram Problems based on Clocks, Calendar and Age Number system and order of Magnitude Ratio, proportion and variation Central Tendencies - mean, median, mode — including weighted mean Power and exponent, Square, Square Root, Cube Root, H.C.F. and L.C.M Percentage, Simple and Compound Interest, Profit and loss Time and Work, Time and Distance, Speed and Distance Area and Perimeter of Simple Geometrical Shapes, Volume and Surface Area of Sphere, Cone,  Cylinder, cubes and Cuboids Lines, angels and common geometrical figures — properties of transverse and parallel lines,  properties of triangles, quadrilateral, rectangle, parallelogram and rhombus. Introduction to algebra — BODMAS, simplification of weird symbols Data interpretation, Data Analysis, Data sufficiency, and concepts of Probability Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and analyzing emotions, Dimensions of emotional intelligence,  coping with emotions, empathy and coping with stress Social Intelligence, interpersonal skills, Decision making, Critical thinking,  problem-solving and Assessment of personality.

(B) Science & Technology

The Science & Technology section of the APPSC Group 1 Prelims Paper 2 covers Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Space and Defence technology, and Environmental Science.

Science & Technology
Subjects	Topics
Science and Technology	Nature and Scope of Science & Technology Relevance of Science & Technology to the day-to-day life National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation Institutes and organizations in India promoting the integration of Science,  Technology and Innovation, their activities and contribution Contribution of Prominent Indian Scientists
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)	Nature and Scope of ICT ICT in day to day life ICT and Industry ICT and Governance Various government schemes promoting use of ICT, E-Governance programmes and  services Netiquettes Cyber Security Concerns National Cyber Crime Policy
Technology in Space & Defence	Evolution of the Indian Space Programme Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)-it's activities and achievements Various Satellite Programmes Satellites for Telecommunication, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Satellites Satellites for defence Eduset or Satellites for academic purposes Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)- vision, mission and activities
Energy Requirement and Efficiency	India's existing energy needs and deficit India's Energy Resources and Dependence Energy policy of India Government Policies and Programmes Solar, Wind and Nuclear energy
Environmental Science	Issues and concerns related to environment- Its legal aspects, policies and treaties for the protection of the environment at the national and the international level Biodiversity-its importance and concerns Climate Change, International Initiatives (Policies, Protocols) and India's commitment Forest and Wildlife - Legal framework for Forest and Wildlife Conservation in India Environmental Hazards, pollution, carbon emission, Global warming National Action plans on Climate Change and Disaster management Biotechnology and Nanotechnology- Nature, Scope and application Ethical, Social, and Legal issues Government Policies Genetic Engineering Issues related to it and its impact on human life Health & Environment

APPSC Group 1 Mains Syllabus 2026

The APPSC Group 1 Mains syllabus consists of seven papers. Notably, the Telugu and English papers are qualifying in nature, while the remaining five papers are worth 150 marks each. The final merit list for the interview is calculated based on the five main papers. Download the APPSC Group 1 Mains Syllabus PDF here to streamline your preparations.

APPSC Group 1 Syllabus PDF for Prelims & Mains