AP DSC Special Education Syllabus 2026: SA & SGT Pattern, PDF

AP DSC Special Education syllabus 2026

The Department of School Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, has issued separate 2026 syllabi for School Assistant (SA) - Special Education and Secondary Grade Teacher (SGT) - Special Education in one official PDF. Both are recruitment-test papers, but their section-level mark distribution and topic emphasis differ.

Key facts from the official structure

• The paper is organised into two parts with five sections, not five equal 10-mark parts.
• Category of Disability Specialisation carries 90 questions and 45 marks in both SA and SGT, not 80 questions and 40 marks.
• SA Psychology carries 5 marks and Methodology 15 marks; SGT Psychology carries 8 marks and Methodology 12 marks.
• The official structure names six focus groupings: ID, HI, VI, SLD, ASD and CP with MD.
• The government cover and closing note describe the syllabus as suggestive, not exhaustive, and direct candidates to RCI-prescribed syllabi and approved education resources.

SA and SGT: what is common and what differs

AP TET and AP DSC serve different purposes

AP TET is an eligibility test. AP DSC/TRT is the competitive recruitment examination used for notified teacher vacancies. The current AP TET notification gives the AP TET score 20% weightage and the written TRT score 80% weightage when drawing the ensuing state teacher recruitment selection list.

Official source and scope

The attached 26-page DSC-2026 PDF contains the suggestive syllabi for School Assistant - Special Education and Secondary Grade Teacher - Special Education. The cover states that the syllabus is confined to posts notified in DSC 2026. The closing notes advise candidates to use RCI-prescribed syllabi, study material from RCI-approved institutions, Telugu Academy books, and NCERT, SCERT and Samagra Shiksha handbooks and modules.

Preparation priorities

• Start with the 45-mark disability-specialisation section because it is common to both posts and carries the highest weight.
• Then prepare the post-specific methodology and psychology allocations instead of using one generic pattern.
• Use the official topic list as the base and expand it with RCI-prescribed course material and government education resources.
• Track amendments and eligibility conditions on the official AP TET-to-DSC portal.

AP DSC Special Education exam pattern 2026

The official DSC-2026 PDF provides separate patterns for School Assistant (SA) - Special Education and Secondary Grade Teacher (SGT) - Special Education. Both papers have two parts, five sections, 160 MCQs, 80 marks and a duration of 2 hours 30 minutes. Each question therefore carries 0.5 mark.

School Assistant (SA) - Special Education

Secondary Grade Teacher (SGT) - Special Education

Part 1: common syllabus areas

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Current affairs and general awareness carry 10 marks in both SA and SGT.

Perspectives in Special Education and Inclusive Education

• Educational philosophy, agencies and modes of education; regular, inclusive, special and home-based learning contexts.
• History and models of disability; diversity, marginalisation, integration and inclusion.
• Inclusive practices, Universal Design for Learning, differentiated teaching, co-teaching and stakeholder or community roles.
• Constitutional provisions, education commissions, NEP 2020, curriculum frameworks and laws including the RTE, RCI, National Trust, PWD and RPwD Acts.

Psychology with reference to CWSN

• Growth and development, learning theories, learning styles, motivation and socio-cultural influences.
• Attention, perception, memory and intelligence, with implications for children with different disabilities.
• Behaviour analysis and management; the SGT syllabus additionally places visible emphasis on childhood stages, classroom management and ICT or assistive software.

Part 2: disability specialisation - 45 marks

• Core categories named in the structure: Intellectual Disability (ID), Hearing Impairment (HI), Visual Impairment (VI), Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Cerebral Palsy with Multiple Disabilities (CP with MD).
• Disability concepts, legal categories, causes and prevention, screening, assessment, early identification and intervention.
• IEP and IFSP planning; home-based, special-school and inclusive-school settings; group instruction and positive behavioural intervention.
• Cross-disability services, national institutes, international conventions, government schemes, assistive devices, AAC and ICT.

Methodology in Special Education and Inclusive Education

This section carries 15 marks in SA and 12 marks in SGT. It covers curriculum design, adaptation, accommodation and modification; instructional planning; functional academics; classroom management; assessment and evaluation; communication; assistive technology; teaching-learning material and disability-specific strategies.

• ID: functional academics, curriculum levels, behaviour support and evaluation.
• HI: communication approaches, auditory and speech intervention, language and literacy teaching, classroom acoustics and technology.
• VI: functional academics, independent living, Braille, orientation and mobility, low-vision support and adapted materials.
• SLD: curriculum hierarchies, instructional planning, accommodations, evaluation and interventions in reading, writing and mathematics.
• ASD, CP and MD: structured teaching, communication and behaviour support, physical access, therapeutic inputs, assistive technology and family or community participation.