The Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has released Advertisement No. 5/2026 dated 7 September 2026 for the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination 2026 (APPSCCE 2026).
Important correction: the advertisement does not total 135 vacancies. The 13 services/posts listed on pages 1–2 add up to 132 vacancies — including 60 Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service posts and 38 Assistant Section Officer posts.
Applications will open on 16 September 2026 at 5:00 PM and close on 20 October 2026 at 5:00 PM. The APPSCCE 2026 Preliminary Examination will be held on 6 December 2026.
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APPSCCE 2026 Notification: Key Highlights
- Advertisement Number: 5/2026
- Notification Date: 7 September 2026
- Total Vacancies: 132
- Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service: 60
- Arunachal Pradesh Police Service: 10
- Assistant Section Officer: 38
- Application Start: 16 September 2026, 5:00 PM
- Last Date: 20 October 2026, 5:00 PM
- Prelims Exam Date: 6 December 2026
- Application Fee: ₹200
- Prelims Papers: 2
- General Studies: 200 marks
- CSAT/Aptitude Test: 200 marks
- CSAT Qualifying Marks: 33%
- Negative Marking: One-third
- Main Written Examination: 8 papers
- Interview/Viva-Voce: After the written Main Examination
APPSCCE 2026 Vacancy Details
The notification contains 13 different services/posts. The largest share of recruitment is for the Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service, followed by Assistant Section Officer.
| Sl. No. | Post/Service | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service (Entry Grade), Group A | 60 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh Police Service (Entry Grade), Group A | 10 |
| 3 | Child Development Project Officer, Group A | 5 |
| 4 | District Information & Public Relation Officer, Group A | 4 |
| 5 | District Food & Civil Supply Officer, Group A | 3 |
| 6 | District Transport Officer, Group A | 1 |
| 7 | Labour Officer, Group B Gazetted | 2 |
| 8 | Station Superintendent, Group B Gazetted | 4 |
| 9 | Assistant Station Superintendent, Group B Gazetted | 1 |
| 10 | Field Publicity Officer, Group B Non-Gazetted | 1 |
| 11 | Inspector (Tax, Excise & Narcotics), Group B Non-Gazetted | 1 |
| 12 | Inspector (Trade & Commerce), Group B Non-Gazetted | 2 |
| 13 | Assistant Section Officer, Group B Non-Gazetted | 38 |
| Total | 132 |
The notification also provides reservation of certain vacancies for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) in specified services. The Commission notes that the number of vacancies and reservations may change depending upon requisitions submitted by the concerned departments.
APPSCCE 2026 Application Dates
The online application window will remain open from:
16 September 2026, 1700 hours
to:
20 October 2026, 1700 hours
Candidates must first complete One Time Registration (OTR) before submitting the online application.
The advertisement also makes an important procedural point: candidates are advised to submit only one application. Where multiple applications are submitted because of unavoidable circumstances, the application with the highest Registration ID will be accepted, provided it is complete in all respects.
Educational Qualification
A candidate must hold a Graduate Degree from a university recognised by the University Grants Commission or another institution recognised under the relevant law.
Candidates who have appeared or intend to appear in the qualifying examination may also be admitted provisionally, subject to fulfilment of the conditions prescribed in the notification. Proof of having passed the required examination must ultimately be produced at the prescribed stage of the selection process.
Special Eligibility Conditions for APPSCCE 2026
One of the most important features of this recruitment is the set of mandatory eligibility criteria relating specifically to Arunachal Pradesh.
The notification requires a candidate to satisfy three conditions:
Permanent Residence Criterion
The candidate must be a citizen of India and an inhabitant of Arunachal Pradesh holding a valid Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) of Arunachal Pradesh issued by the competent authority.
Indigenous Status and APST Certificate
The candidate must be an original inhabitant of Arunachal Pradesh and hold an Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) Certificate issued by the competent authority.
Indigenous Tribal Language Proficiency
The candidate must be able to speak any of the indigenous tribal languages of Arunachal Pradesh covered by the notified framework referred to in the advertisement.
These conditions are expressly placed under “Mandatory Eligibility Criteria” in the 2026 advertisement.
APPSCCE 2026 Age Limit
Candidates must be:
Minimum age: 21 years
Maximum age: 35 years
as on 20 October 2026, the last date for receipt of the online application.
The upper age limit is relaxable under the applicable rules. The advertisement specifically provides up to 5 years of relaxation for APST candidates. It also contains additional provisions for Defence Service Personnel belonging to APST, APST PwBD candidates and ex-servicemen.
APPSCCE 2026 Selection Process
The notification describes the examination as consisting of two successive stages:
- Preliminary Examination – Objective Type
- Main Examination – Written Examination and Interview/Viva-Voce
The Preliminary Examination is used to select candidates for admission to the Main Examination. The Main stage then consists of a written examination followed by Interview/Viva-Voce.
APPSCCE Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
The Preliminary Examination consists of two objective-type papers, each carrying 200 marks and having a duration of 2 hours.
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Duration | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General Studies | 200 | 2 Hours | Marks counted for selection to Mains |
| Paper II | Aptitude Test (CSAT) | 200 | 2 Hours | Qualifying – 33% required |
This is an important feature of the new notification. General Studies marks determine selection for the Main Examination, while the Aptitude Test/CSAT is qualifying in nature. Candidates must obtain at least 33% in CSAT.
Negative Marking
There will be a penalty of:
One-third of the marks assigned to a question
for every incorrect answer in the objective papers.
Both papers will be set in English, and the standard of the subjects is stated to be that of a degree-level course of an Indian university.
APPSCCE Prelims Exam Date 2026
The APPSC has already announced the Preliminary Examination date in the advertisement.
6 December 2026 – Sunday
This means candidates have a defined preparation window rather than waiting for a separate examination calendar to know the tentative Prelims date.
APPSCCE 2026 Preliminary Examination Centres
The notification lists 19 examination centres for the Preliminary Examination:
- Itanagar
- Naharlagun and Nirjuli
- Bomdila
- Ziro
- Daporijo
- Seppa
- Pasighat
- Yingkiong
- Tezu
- Aalo
- Basar
- Khonsa
- Changlang
- Roing
- Doimukh
- Yachuli
- Tawang
- Namsai
- Likhabali
The Commission reserves the right to allocate or change examination centres when required.
APPSCCE Main Examination Pattern 2026
The written Main Examination consists of eight subjective-type papers.
The notification states that these papers will be based on the subjects prescribed under the applicable Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination Rules and subsequent amendments.
The eight-paper structure includes:
- English – Compulsory
- General Studies I
- General Studies II
- General Studies III
- General Studies IV
- Optional Subject I – Paper I
- Optional Subject I – Paper II
- the remaining prescribed merit paper under the notified Main examination structure
The important point from the advertisement is that the Main written examination contains eight papers, while the merit calculation is based on seven merit subjects carrying an aggregate of 1,750 marks. English is treated separately as a qualifying compulsory paper.
Compulsory English Paper
The English Compulsory paper carries 300 marks and is qualifying in nature.
Candidates of all categories must obtain at least:
33% marks
in English.
Marks obtained in the English paper are not counted for final merit, but candidates must qualify the paper for their other Main examination papers to be evaluated.
Qualifying Standard in APPSCCE Mains
For candidates other than PwBD categories, the notification requires:
- at least 30% marks in each of the seven merit papers, and
- at least 33% in aggregate across the seven merit papers.
The seven merit papers together carry 1,750 marks.
Separate relaxed qualifying standards are prescribed for eligible PwBD candidates.
Interview/Viva-Voce
Candidates who obtain the prescribed minimum qualifying marks in the written examination become eligible for the Interview/Viva-Voce or Personality Test, subject to the applicable rules and service-specific requirements.
For particular services, candidates may also have to satisfy prescribed physical and medical standards.
Physical Standards for Certain Services
The advertisement carries the relevant physical standards as an annexure.
For example, the notified physical standards include different minimum height requirements according to category and gender. The annexure also prescribes chest measurements for male candidates and a Physical Efficiency Test involving running, long jump and high jump for the relevant services.
These conditions do not automatically apply to every service under APPSCCE. Candidates interested in services carrying physical requirements should study the applicable service rules carefully.
APPSCCE 2026 Application Fee
Candidates are required to pay:
₹200
through online mode.
PwD candidates are exempt from payment of the application fee under the provision cited in the notification.
Documents Required for APPSCCE 2026 Application
The advertisement requires candidates to upload or provide the prescribed documents and information while completing the online application. These include:
- scanned signature;
- recent passport-size photograph;
- proof of date of birth through Matriculation certificate/marksheet;
- APST Certificate;
- Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC);
- disability certificate where applicable.
The Commission further requires eligible candidates to produce original certificates and documents at the prescribed verification stage.
What Is Important in the APPSCCE 2026 Notification?
The notification contains several points that make the 2026 examination particularly important.
First, the recruitment is substantial, with 132 vacancies across 13 services/posts, including 60 Civil Service vacancies and 38 Assistant Section Officer vacancies.
Second, the eligibility framework contains explicit State-specific requirements relating to PRC, APST/original inhabitant status and indigenous tribal-language proficiency.
Third, the Preliminary Examination gives decisive importance to General Studies. CSAT remains compulsory, but it is qualifying at 33%.
Fourth, the Commission has already fixed 6 December 2026 as the Prelims date, giving candidates a clear timeline for preparation.
Finally, the Main Examination continues as an extensive eight-paper written examination, followed by Interview/Viva-Voce.
APPSCCE 2026 Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Released | 7 September 2026 |
| Online Application Begins | 16 September 2026, 5:00 PM |
| Last Date to Apply | 20 October 2026, 5:00 PM |
| APPSCCE Prelims 2026 | 6 December 2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many vacancies are there in APPSCCE 2026?
The official Advertisement No. 5/2026 lists 132 vacancies across 13 services/posts.
2. How many Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service vacancies are there?
There are 60 vacancies in the Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service (Entry Grade).
3. How many ASO vacancies are there in APPSCCE 2026?
There are 38 Assistant Section Officer vacancies.
4. When will APPSCCE 2026 applications begin?
Online applications will begin on 16 September 2026 at 5:00 PM.
5. What is the last date to apply for APPSCCE 2026?
The last date is 20 October 2026 at 5:00 PM.
6. When will APPSCCE Prelims 2026 be held?
The Preliminary Examination is scheduled for 6 December 2026.
7. What is the APPSCCE 2026 Prelims pattern?
Prelims consists of General Studies and Aptitude Test/CSAT, carrying 200 marks each. General Studies marks are counted for selection to Mains, while CSAT is qualifying with a minimum of 33%.
8. Is there negative marking in APPSCCE Prelims?
Yes. One-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for an incorrect answer.
9. Is PRC compulsory for APPSCCE 2026?
The 2026 advertisement includes possession of a valid Arunachal Pradesh Permanent Residence Certificate among its mandatory eligibility criteria.
10. Is knowledge of an indigenous tribal language compulsory?
Yes. The advertisement prescribes indigenous tribal-language proficiency as part of its mandatory eligibility criteria.
