The APPSC Group 2 selection runs over three stages, and the syllabus for each one is different in a way that matters. The screening test is broad and shallow. The mains is narrow and deep, and it is the only stage whose marks decide your rank.
This page lays out what is actually in each paper, how the 150 marks are split inside it, and the order worth studying it in. The official syllabus comes with the detailed notification on or before 10 November 2026; what follows is the structure APPSC has used consistently and which the brief notification confirms.
Exam pattern at a glance
| Stage | Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screening Test | General Studies & Mental Ability | 150 | 150 | 150 minutes |
| Mains Paper I | Social & Cultural History of AP + Indian Constitution | 150 | 150 | 150 minutes |
| Mains Paper II | Indian & AP Economy + Science & Technology | 150 | 150 | 150 minutes |
All papers are objective type. One-third of the marks prescribed for a question is deducted for every wrong answer. Three wrong answers wipe out one correct answer — which means a 50-50 guess is roughly break-even and anything weaker than that loses you marks.
A Computer Proficiency Test follows for the posts that require it. It runs 60 minutes and is qualifying only: 30 marks to pass for SC/ST/PH, 35 for BC, 40 for OC. It adds nothing to your merit position.
Screening Test syllabus — five sections, 30 marks each
The screening test is a filter, not a scorer. Its marks do not carry into the final merit list. Its only job is to cut the applicant pool down before the mains. That changes how you should study it: you need to clear a cut-off, not top the paper.
Indian History — 30 marks. Ancient, medieval and modern India, the independence movement, and post-independence developments.
Geography — 30 marks. Physical and economic geography of India and Andhra Pradesh, natural resources, agriculture, industries, transport and human geography.
Indian Society — 30 marks. Social structure, social issues, welfare policies and the constitutional provisions covering different sections of society.
Current Affairs — 30 marks. International, national and regional events. The regional part is where Andhra Pradesh candidates have a structural advantage over everyone else sitting the paper.
Mental Ability — 30 marks. Logical reasoning, number and letter series, coding-decoding, blood relations, basic numeracy, percentages, averages, ratios, simple and compound interest, time and work, time and distance, and data interpretation.
Mains Paper I — history and the Constitution
Section A: Social and Cultural History of Andhra Pradesh — 75 marks.
- Prehistoric cultures and the major early dynasties
- Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins, Eastern Chalukyas and the Andhra Cholas
- The arrival of the Europeans and the British period
- Social and cultural awakening, and the phases of the national movement in Andhra
- The Andhra Movement and the formation of Andhra State in 1953
- Formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and developments up to 2014
Section B: Indian Constitution — 75 marks.
- Nature, development and salient features of the Constitution
- Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties
- Union and State structures — legislature, executive and judiciary
- Centre-State relations and the constitutional bodies
- Human Rights Commission, Right to Information, Lokpal and Lokayukta
- Political parties, elections and electoral reforms
- Panchayati Raj and the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments
Mains Paper II — economy, science and technology
Section A: Indian and Andhra Pradesh Economy — 75 marks.
On the national side: national income, economic planning and reforms, monetary policy, inflation, the functions of the RBI, public finance, taxation and GST, budgeting, foreign trade, and the development of agriculture, industry and services.
On the state side: Andhra Pradesh GSDP and per capita income, state revenue and expenditure, the agricultural sector, industrial policy, MSMEs, industrial corridors, and the IT and services sectors.
Section B: Science and Technology — 75 marks.
- Science and technology policy; space technology and Indian satellite missions
- DRDO and defence technology
- ICT, Digital India and cybersecurity
- Nuclear technology and energy management
- Renewable and non-renewable energy
- Ecosystems, biodiversity and wildlife conservation
- Waste management, pollution and pollution control
- Climate change and sustainable development
- Public health trends and healthcare programmes
What to study first
The syllabus looks enormous written out, but the overlaps make it smaller than it reads.
Start with Andhra Pradesh. AP history, AP geography, AP economy and AP current affairs appear in the screening test and in both mains papers. It is the single highest-leverage block on the whole syllabus, and it is the one where candidates who prepared for a national exam have nothing banked.
Then the Indian Constitution. Seventy-five marks in Paper I, it overlaps directly with the Indian Society section of the screening test, and it is the most stable part of the syllabus — what you learn does not go out of date between attempts.
Mental ability last, but daily. It is 30 marks in the screening test and the only section where steady practice reliably moves your score inside a few weeks. Twenty minutes a day beats a week of concentrated effort.
Current affairs throughout. Not a subject you can finish, so treat it as a daily habit rather than a block of study time. Prioritise Andhra Pradesh and national news over international.
Common mistakes with this syllabus
Over-preparing for the screening test. Its marks do not count. Candidates routinely spend months perfecting a paper that only has to be cleared, and then meet the mains underprepared. Clear the filter, then move on.
Ignoring negative marking until the mock test. At one-third deduction, attempting 140 of 150 questions with 60 per cent accuracy scores worse than attempting 110 with 80 per cent accuracy. Decide your attempt strategy while you study, not in the exam hall.
Studying Indian economy from a national-exam book and stopping there. Half of Paper II Section A is specifically Andhra Pradesh — GSDP, state budget, industrial policy, MSMEs. The AP Socio-Economic Survey is the source for most of it and almost nobody reads it.
Waiting for the detailed notification to start. It arrives on or before 10 November, the same day applications open. The structure above is stable across APPSC cycles; the three weeks you spend waiting for confirmation are three weeks you do not get back.