CBI APP Syllabus 2026: Subject-Wise Topics, Exam Pattern & Preparation

The CBI APP syllabus 2026 includes 15 Acts, published in UPSC's addendum notice. It consists of the Constitution of India and the three new criminal laws (BNS, BNSS and BSA) and also  anti-corruption, money laundering, cyber, corporate, contract and IP statutes. 

• The exam is scheduled for 9 January 2027 for a two-hour in MCQ pattern.
• Three Acts are new for this exam: the Trade Marks Act, the Indian Contract Act and the Geographical Indications Act. 
• One-third of a question's marks is lost for every wrong answer.

CBI APP Syllabus 2026 Highlights

The CBI APP exam date and syllabus details are given in the table below. The syllabus came with UPSC's Combined Recruitment Test addendum on 28 October 2026.

Particulars	Details
Exam Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Name	CBI Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) Recruitment Test 2026 (part of the UPSC Combined Recruitment Test)
Department	Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Advertisement	Advt. No. 06/2026 (Vacancy No. 26060658213)
Application Mode	Online at upsconline.nic.in (closed on 3 July 2026, 6:00 PM)
Vacancies	5 (UR 3, OBC 1, SC 1), including 1 for PwBD
Eligibility	Law degree from a recognised university; no Bar practice required; upper age limit 30 (UR/EWS), 33 (OBC), 35 (SC)
Selection Process	Recruitment Test (75% weightage) and Interview (25% weightage); no Prelims–Mains split
Recruitment Test Date	9 January 2027 (Saturday), 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Recruitment Test Syllabus	15 Acts: Constitution, BNS, BNSS, BSA, PC Act, CVC Act, DSPE Act, PMLA, IT Act, Companies Act, Competition Act, Environment (Protection) Act, Contract Act, Trade Marks Act and GI Act
Pay Scale	Level 7 of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix (₹44,900 to ₹1,42,400 per month); Group B Gazetted
Official Website	upsc.gov.in

CBI APP Syllabus 2026 PDF Download Link

UPSC released the CBI APP notification (Advt. No. 06/2026) on 12 June 2026 for 5 posts. Of these, 3 are unreserved, 1 is for OBC and 1 is for SC candidates, with 1 post reserved for PwBD candidates. The full break-up is in the category-wise CBI APP vacancy details.

The advertisement itself didn't include a syllabus. UPSC published the 15-Act list later, in the Combined Recruitment Test addendum dated 28 October 2026. Candidates can download it from the link below.

Download CBI APP syllabus 2026 PDF

CBI APP Syllabus 2026 For Recruitment Test

The CBI APP syllabus 2026 consists of 15 statutes notified by UPSC for the Combined Recruitment Test (CRT) on 9 January 2027. 

Candidates can check the CBI APP exam date 2026 in detail before going through the syllabus. UPSC hasn't released a chapter-wise breakdown. The Act names are the syllabus.

The official list, in UPSC's order:

1. The Constitution of India
2. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
3. The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
4. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
5. The Information Technology Act, 2000
6. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
7. The Companies Act, 2013
8. The Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003
9. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
10. The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946
11. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
12. The Competition Act, 2002
13. The Trade Marks Act, 1999
14. The Indian Contract Act, 1872
15. The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999

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What Changed in the CBI APP Syllabus From Last Year?

UPSC added three Acts for the January 2027 test. Nothing was removed. The January 2026 test (Advt. No. 12/2025) includes 12 Acts.

Act	11 Jan 2026 test	9 Jan 2027 test
Constitution, BNS, BSA, BNSS	Yes	Yes
IT Act, PC Act, PMLA, DSPE Act, CVC Act	Yes	Yes
Companies Act, Competition Act, Environment (Protection) Act	Yes	Yes
Trade Marks Act, 1999	No	New
Indian Contract Act, 1872	No	New
GI of Goods Act, 1999	No	New

CBI APP Syllabus: Topic-Wise Sections 

UPSC names the Acts, not the chapters, so the table below shows the provisions that carry most weightage in the exam. 

Constitution and the Three New Criminal Laws Syllabus

Act	Topics and Sections to Cover First
Constitution of India	Arts 14, 19, 20 (double jeopardy, ex post facto law, self-incrimination), 21, 22 (arrest and preventive detention), 32, 226-227, 72 and 161 (pardon), 311; Seventh Schedule entries on police and CBI jurisdiction
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023	General exceptions (S. 14-33), private defence (S. 34-44), abetment and criminal conspiracy (S. 61), culpable homicide and murder (S. 100-103), organised crime (S. 111-112), terrorist act (S. 113), criminal breach of trust (S. 316), cheating (S. 318), forgery (S. 336 onwards), community service as a punishment (S. 4)
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023	Arrest without warrant (S. 35), FIR and zero FIR (S. 173), police report (S. 193), remand (S. 187), attachment of absconder's property (S. 85), attachment of proceeds of crime (S. 107), maintenance (S. 144), plea bargaining (S. 290), trial in absentia (S. 356), bail provisions (S. 478-483), inherent powers of the High Court (S. 528)
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023	Definitions including electronic records (S. 2), confessions (S. 22-24), expert opinion (S. 39), primary and secondary evidence (S. 57-58), certificate for electronic records (S. 63), burden of proof (S. 104 onwards), witnesses and examination

Candidates can also refer to how to study Constitution, BNS, BNSS and BSA for guidance on studying these subjects.

Anti-Corruption and Investigation Statutes

Act	Topics and Sections to Cover First
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988	Public servant (S. 2(c)), taking undue advantage (S. 7), giving a bribe (S. 8), commercial organisations (S. 9), criminal misconduct and disproportionate assets (S. 13), prior approval before inquiry (S. 17A), sanction for prosecution (S. 19), presumption (S. 20), 2018 amendments
Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002	Offence and punishment (S. 3-4), provisional attachment (S. 5), adjudication (S. 8), search, seizure and arrest (S. 17-19), burden of proof (S. 24), twin bail conditions (S. 45), statements (S. 50); Vijay Madanlal Choudhary v. Union of India (2022)
Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946	Constitution of the DSPE (S. 2), notified offences (S. 3), extension to states (S. 5), state consent (S. 6), Director's appointment (S. 4A); S. 6A and its invalidation in Subramanian Swamy v. Director, CBI (2014)
Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003	Composition (S. 3), appointment committee (S. 4), removal (S. 6), functions and superintendence over the DSPE for PC Act cases (S. 8)

Download Constitution of India Notes by Judiciary Gold

Cyber, Corporate and Commercial Law

Act	Topics and Sections to Cover First
Information Technology Act, 2000	Authentication of electronic records (S. 3), penalties (S. 43), offences (S. 66, 66C, 66D, 66F, 67-67B), interception and blocking (S. 69, 69A), traffic data monitoring (S. 69B), critical information infrastructure (S. 70), intermediary liability (S. 79); Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015)
Companies Act, 2013	Incorporation, sweat equity (S. 54), reduction of capital (S. 66), buy-back (S. 68), EGM requisition (S. 100), minutes (S. 118), dividend (S. 123), CSR (S. 135), related party transactions (S. 188), SFIO investigation (S. 212), punishment for fraud (S. 447)
Competition Act, 2002	Anti-competitive agreements (S. 3), abuse of dominance (S. 4), combinations (S. 5-6), factors for agreements and relevant market (S. 19), CCI orders (S. 27-28), appeals
Indian Contract Act, 1872	Offer, acceptance and consideration (S. 2-10), capacity (S. 11), free consent (S. 13-22), unlawful agreements (S. 23-30), frustration (S. 56), damages (S. 73-74), indemnity and guarantee (S. 124-147), bailment and pledge, agency (S. 182 onwards)

IP and Environmental Law

Act	Topics and Sections to Cover First
Trade Marks Act, 1999	Definitions (S. 2), absolute and relative grounds of refusal (S. 9, 11), registration and renewal, infringement (S. 29-30), offences for false trade marks and their cognisance (Chapter XII)
GI of Goods Act, 1999	Definition of geographical indication (S. 2), prohibited GIs (S. 9), application and registration, 10-year term and renewal, infringement, offences
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986	Central government powers (S. 3), directions (S. 5), penalties as amended by the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 (S. 15), cognisance of offences (S. 19)

CBI APP Syllabus 2026 for Interview

There's no fixed syllabus for the CBI APP interview. UPSC tests your suitability for the post, and the interview carries 25% weightage in the final merit. Only candidates who clear the recruitment test are called.

Area	What to Prepare
Criminal law and procedure	BNS offences, BNSS trial stages, bail, remand, BSA rules on confessions and electronic evidence
CBI-specific law	DSPE Act (state consent under S. 6), CVC's superintendence, PC Act sanction (S. 19) and prior approval (S. 17A)
Recent legal developments	Transition to the new criminal codes and recent Supreme Court rulings on arrest, bail and PMLA
Role of a prosecutor	Duty to ensure a fair trial, disclosure, and handling hostile witnesses
Personal profile	Your DAF details, legal experience and reasons for choosing prosecution

UPSC has set minimum interview suitability standards: 50 marks for General and EWS, 45 for OBC, and 40 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates.

CBI APP Exam Pattern 2026

The CBI APP recruitment test is a two-hour, offline, objective MCQ paper in English, with one-third negative marking for each wrong answer. All questions carry equal marks.

Particular	Detail
Test	Combined Recruitment Test (CRT), conducted by UPSC
Date and time	9 January 2027 (Saturday), 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Mode	Offline, pen and paper
Question type	Objective, multiple choice
Medium	English only
Negative marking	One-third of the question's marks per wrong answer; none for blanks
Last cycle's format (Jan 2026)	120 questions, 2.5 marks each, 300 marks total
Final merit	Recruitment test and interview in a 75:25 ratio

Download Independence of Judiciary Notes by Judiciary Gold

CBI APP Syllabus 2026 Marks Distribution

UPSC doesn't publish marks per Act. It sets only the overall structure.

Stage	Marks / Weightage
Recruitment Test (last cycle, Jan 2026)	120 questions × 2.5 marks = 300 marks
Negative marking	One-third of a question's marks per wrong answer
Interview	25% of final merit
Final merit	Recruitment Test 75% + Interview 25%

The 2027 addendum states only that all questions carry equal marks. Confirm the question count on your e-admit card. For Act-level weight, the only firm signal is last year's paper, where the Companies Act gave about 15 questions.

Important Topics to Cover in CBI APP Syllabus 2026 

Candidates can start with the Constitution and the new 3 criminal laws, then the CBI's own statutes, and leave the IP Acts for the last fortnight. There are about nine weeks between early November and the test. Split them by weight, not by Act count.

Weeks	Focus	Why this order
1-3	BNS, BNSS, BSA, Constitution	Largest Acts; every other statute leans on them
4-5	PC Act, PMLA, DSPE Act, CVC Act, IT Act	Core CBI caseload; short Acts with dense, testable sections
6-7	Companies Act, Competition Act, Contract Act	Heavy question share last year; numbers and thresholds need repetition
8	Trade Marks Act, GI Act, Environment (Protection) Act	Short and factual; quick marks per hour
9	Timed mocks from 2 PM to 4 PM, error log, bare-Act rereads	Builds speed for a lengthy paper

How to Prepare for the CBI APP Exam 2026?

1. Work from the 15-Act list only. Ignore pages showing the old 12-Act syllabus.
2. Map old sections to new ones. Make a table of the 40 most-tested IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act sections against their BNS, BNSS and BSA numbers.
3. Read the short CBI Acts in full, twice. The DSPE Act, CVC Act and PC Act are small and directly tested.
4. Give the Companies Act real time. Focus on share capital, buy-back, meetings and dividends.
5. Solve the January 2026 paper Act by Act as you finish each block.
6. Take mocks from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and always mark them with the one-third penalty.
7. Keep one page of notes per Act for the last 10 days of revision.

CBI APP Syllabus 2026: Subject-Wise Best Books

Candidates can refer to the best books for the CBI APP exam and start from Bare Acts and commentaries books. The list of books are mentioned below in the table.

Subject	Book (Author)
BNS, BNSS, BSA (bare text)	Criminal Manual
BNS	The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Ratanlal & Dhirajlal)
BNSS	The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Ratanlal & Dhirajlal)
BSA	The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (Ratanlal & Dhirajlal)
Quick revision of all three codes	Commentaries on BNS, BNSS and BSA (J.K. Verma)
Constitution	Constitution of India (V.N. Shukla)
Companies Act	Company Law (Avtar Singh)
Competition Act	Avtar Singh's Competition Law (Neha Vyas)
Contract Act	Law of Contract & Specific Relief (Avtar Singh)
Trade Marks and GI Acts	Intellectual Property Law: An Introduction (Bandyopadhyay & Bindal); MCQ on Intellectual Property Law (Bindal)
IT Act	Cyber Crimes (Talat Fatima)
Environment (Protection) Act	Environmental Law (Gurdip Singh)
PC Act, PMLA, DSPE Act, CVC Act	Bare Acts

Key Takeaways:

 Here is a quick summary of the CBI APP syllabus 2026 and how the exam works: 

• Bare Acts are your primary text for all 15 Acts. Free, updated versions are on India Code.
• For the three new criminal codes, use Ratanlal & Dhirajlal (LexisNexis) for depth or J.K. Verma (EBC) for faster revision.
• Avtar Singh's Company Law (18th Edn 2025) is worth the money; the Companies Act gave about 15 questions in the January 2026 paper.
• The Trade Marks and GI Acts are new this cycle. One introductory IP book plus Saurabh Bindal's MCQ book covers them.
• The PC Act, PMLA, DSPE Act and CVC Act are short. Read them as bare Acts, along with the key Supreme Court judgments.
• Don't use IPC, CrPC or Evidence Act books as your main text. The exam uses BNS, BNSS and BSA section numbers.

If you want a structured guidance, take a free demo online class or talk to a Judiciary Gold counsellor about the Judiciary APO Coaching 2026.