| Conducting body | Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Assistant Conservator of Forests (HPFS), Group-A |
| Qualification | A bachelor's degree in science or engineering with at least one of: agriculture, botany, chemistry, computer applications or science, engineering (agricultural, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, electronics or mechanical), environmental science, forestry, geology, horticulture, mathematics, physics, statistics, veterinary science or zoology. Maths or statistics graduates must have had science in 10+2. Holders of an Honours Certificate from a government-run Forest Rangers College, sponsored by the state, are also eligible. |
| Age limit | Up to 35 years on 1 January 2025 (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Preliminary screening test (objective); about 20 times the vacancies go to the main exam → Main written exam: three compulsory and two optional papers → Physical standard test, including the walking test, for five times the vacancies → Interview / personality test of 100 marks (three times the vacancies) → Final merit from main exam and interview marks; the General English paper does not count for rank |
| Latest notification | Advertisement No. 37/5-2025: Himachal Pradesh Forest Service (ACF) Examination-2025 · 8 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About HP ACF (HPFS)
The HPFS exam fills Assistant Conservator of Forests posts in the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. HPPSC's 2025 advertisement (No. 37/5-2025) was for 8 posts in pay Level 18. It is open to science and engineering graduates and includes a walking test besides the written papers.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: Up to 35 years, counted on 1 January 2025.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 5 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- 5 years for bonafide SC, ST and OBC of Himachal Pradesh
- Candidates already in government service, including ad hoc and contract staff: up to 42 years
- H.P. government employees and ex-servicemen of H.P.: as per government instructions
Qualification
A bachelor's degree in science or engineering with at least one of: agriculture, botany, chemistry, computer applications or science, engineering (agricultural, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, electronics or mechanical), environmental science, forestry, geology, horticulture, mathematics, physics, statistics, veterinary science or zoology. Maths or statistics graduates must have had science in 10+2. Holders of an Honours Certificate from a government-run Forest Rangers College, sponsored by the state, are also eligible.
Other conditions
- General category candidates get 6 attempts; SC, ST and OBC have no limit.
- Men: height 163 cm, chest 79 cm (84 cm expanded), walk 25 km in 4 hours. Women: height 150 cm, chest 74 cm (79 cm expanded), walk 16 km in 4 hours. The minimum height is 152 cm for men and 145 cm for women from Scheduled Tribes and the hill groups listed in the advertisement, such as Gorkhas, Garhwalis, Kumaonis and people of Lahaul and Spiti.
- A medical certificate from a medical board is needed before training.
Selection process
- Preliminary screening test (objective); about 20 times the vacancies go to the main exam
- Main written exam: three compulsory and two optional papers
- Physical standard test, including the walking test, for five times the vacancies
- Interview / personality test of 100 marks (three times the vacancies)
- Final merit from main exam and interview marks; the General English paper does not count for rank
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam
Mode: Objective MCQ · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: One third of the question's marks cut for each wrong answer; no penalty for a blank
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge | 100 | 100 |
Main exam
Mode: Descriptive · Duration: 3 hours per paper
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| General English | 100 |
| Hindi | 100 |
| Optional subject 1 | 200 |
| Optional subject 2 | 200 |
Interview / personality test
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Interview | 100 |
HP ACF (HPFS) syllabus
Preliminary: General Knowledge
- History, geography and socio-economic development of Himachal Pradesh (30 marks)
- Current events and everyday science (30 marks)
- Modern Indian history from 1857, culture, polity, economy, geography, disaster management, environment, gender issues and Gandhi's teachings (40 marks)
Main: compulsory papers
- General Knowledge: current events, everyday science, Indian polity, history and geography
- General English: essay (30), summary or precis (20), grammar and usage (50)
- Hindi: essay (30), translation (10), explanation of prose and poetry (20), idioms and grammar (40)
Main: optional subjects (choose two, bachelor's level)
- Agriculture, botany, chemistry, computer applications or science
- Engineering (agricultural, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, electronics or mechanical)
- Environmental science, forestry, geology, horticulture
- Mathematics, statistics, physics, veterinary science, zoology
What they ask
The screening test is 100 one-mark questions in 2 hours, with a third of a mark cut for each wrong answer. Himachal Pradesh carries 30 marks and national history, polity and environment carry 40. In the main exam you take General Knowledge, General English and Hindi plus two optional subjects of 200 marks each at bachelor's level. You need 40% in each compulsory paper and 45% in aggregate, and those who clear the written stage face the walking test.
How to prepare
- Pick the two optional subjects you studied in your degree, and check the pairs you cannot combine, such as chemistry with chemical engineering or maths with statistics.
- Start walking practice with a watch early. Men must cover 25 km and women 16 km within 4 hours.
- Prepare Himachal forests, wildlife sanctuaries, rivers and districts well, since the state is 30% of the prelim.
- Skip prelim questions you are unsure of; a wrong answer costs a third of a mark.
Practise HP ACF (HPFS) syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Previous papers and answer keys
HP ACF (HPFS) FAQs
35 years or below on 1 January 2025 for the 2025 exam. Bonafide SC, ST and OBC of Himachal Pradesh get 5 extra years, and serving government staff can apply up to 42.
Sources
- HPPSC Advertisement No. 37/5-2025, HPFS (ACF) Examination-2025 ↗ (official, checked )
- HPPSC advertisements list ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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