How to Prepare for UP APO Exam: Preparation tips And Study Plan to Crack Prelims & Mains

Overview: If you’re aiming to crack UP APO in your very first attempt, this guide gives you exactly what to study, how to study, and how to avoid mistakes that waste time and marks.

You don’t need  hundred different strategies to Clear UP APO Exam, you need one clear plan that you can follow every day. So we will keep this tips simple and accesable to all from college students to working professionals.

By the end, you’ll know precisely how to prepare for UP APO exam without second guessing yourself, and you’ll have a schedule that actually fits your life.

Download FREE Study Material for UP APO Preparation By Judiciary Gold

UP APO Exam Basics You Must Know

Stage	What’s inside	Key details
Prelims	150 MCQs in 2 hours	Law (100 Q) + GK (50 Q); ¼ negative marking
Mains	4 papers × 100 marks each	GS, General Hindi (descriptive), Criminal Law & Procedure (BNS+BNSS), Evidence (BSA); 3 hours each
Interview	Personality, awareness, legal acumen	100 marks

Eligibility clarification: The 3-year “practice” rule relates to UP Judicial Service and is not applied to UP APO (as discussed in prep circles). Final-year/pass-out LLB students can plan for APO. 

Check - UP APO Complete Eligibility Details here

How to prepare for UP APO Exam 2025: Step by Step Guide

 First step of UP PAO exam preparation is creation of solid study which requires understanding of the UP APO paper pattern and number questions asked from different section. Prelims Paper is divided into 2 sections Law and general Knowledge(GK), let's understand each section in detail before we discuss preparation plan for the same.

Prelims: Marks Distribution & Smart Targeting( LAW 100 Questions)

Component	Typical weight	What to do
BNS (Substantive criminal law)	~35 Q	Bare Act reading + definition/ingredients/punishments + case law tags
BNSS (Procedure)	~25 Q	FIR/Zero FIR, arrest/remand, investigation, trial stages
BSA (Evidence)	~25 Q	Relevance, admissibility, burden, witness, estoppel, confessions
UP Police Act & Regulations	15 Q (total)	Act (~10 Q): all sections. Regulations (~5 Q): do only PYQ-asked rules

In spite of having 100 questions in law section, preparing only for law section will not help you to clear the prelims, same importance should be given to GK section also.

GK (50 Q): What to cover

Section	Typical weight	What to do
Current Affairs	10 Q	National security/operations, governance, committees, legal-policy news
History & National Movement	8 Q	1857–1947 focus; Congress phases; key personalities & events
Polity & Economics	8 Q	Constitution basics, bodies, FR/DPSP/Fundamental Duties, budgets/policies
General Science	8 Q	Basic physics/chemistry/bio factoids; applied questions
World Geography & Population	8 Q	World maps, regions, rivers, climate belts, demographics

How to Prepare for UP APO Exam? 5 Part System Rule

Use this as your weekly backbone. It works for both working and full-time aspirants.

1) Syllabus → PYQs → Notes: always follow this order which saves your time and energy, by reading unnecessary stuffs.

1. Read the UP APO syllabus thoroughly. Many “I knew this but marked wrong” errors come from not reading the whole question or not knowing scope.
2. Mine PYQs (Prelims + Mains). Prefer unsolved compilations; solved keys often contain mistakes. Cross-check with textbooks.
3. Create two note types:

• Short Notes (Prelims): bullets, triggers, one-liners, tables; made to revise in T–48/T–24 hours.
• Answer Bank (Mains): topic-wise questions, structured model answers (see template below).

 2) Bare Acts First, Textbooks as Scaffolding

Start with Bare Act language for BNS/BNSS/BSA. If tough (especially BSA 2023), bridge with textbooks, then return to the Bare Acts. Tag each section with definition → essentials → illustrations/case law → punishment/procedure.

 3) Comparative Lens: Old vs New Criminal Laws

You may face questions from both regimes (old IPC/CrPC/Evidence vs new BNS/BNSS/BSA) due to the transition (old cases still run under old law; new offences after 1 July 2024 under new law). Maintain a one-page compare sheet per theme: FIR, arrest, search, remand, charge, trial stages, confessions, electronic evidence, punishments.

4) Daily Mains Answer Writing (non-negotiable)

Promise yourself one answer a day—short or long. Focus on structure + speed + handwriting. Use the template below to turn any topic into a crisp, examiner-friendly answer.

 5) Test & Tweak

Attempt sectional mock tests (e.g., Constitution, Contract, TPA for law foundations; and GK sections). Analyse attempts with negative marking discipline (see tactics later). Tweak your schedule based on misses revealed by mocks and PYQs.

7-Day Repeatable Study Plan For UP APO Preparation (Example)

Day	Law Core (BNS/BNSS/BSA)	Police Act & Regulations	GK Focus	Writing & Review
Mon	BNS: General Exceptions, common definitions	Police Act: Preamble & structure	Current Affairs (govt, legal)	1 mains answer + 20 MCQs
Tue	BNS: Offences against body	Police Act: Powers/roles	History: 1857–1919	Revise notes + 20 MCQs
Wed	BNSS: FIR/Zero FIR, arrest, remand	Regulations: PYQ-asked rules only	Polity: FR/DPSP/FD	1 mains answer + 20 MCQs
Thu	BNSS: Investigation → charge → trial	—	Economics: budget/policy basics	Revise + mini-test (50 Q)
Fri	BSA: Relevance & admissibility	Police Act: Procedures/discipline	World Geography: regions/climate	1 mains answer + 20 MCQs
Sat	BSA: Witnesses, burden, confessions, estoppel	—	Science: high-yield basics	Full-length Law (100 Q)
Sun	Consolidated revision	Quick Police Act sweep	CA weekly wrap	GS (50 Q) + error log

Adjust hours to your life. When people ask how to prepare for UP APO exam with limited time, the answer is: consistency beats intensity—but you need both in the last 8–10 weeks.

Check Out - How to Apply for UP APO Exam

Daily Time Table For UP APO Preparation 2025

Block	Duration	Focus
Session 1 (fresh mind)	2h 30m	Bare Act deep reading (BNS/BNSS/BSA) + quick tagging
Break	15m	Reset
Session 2	1h 30m	GK core (History/Polity/Geo/Science)
Lunch/Rest	60–75m	Walk/nap
Session 3	2h	PYQ drill (Prelims MCQs + Mains questions)
Break	15m	Reset
Session 4	1h 30m	Police Act (Act sections) + PYQ-asked Regulations
Night Cool-down	30–45m	Short-note creation + 1 mains answer

If you’re working, compress to two longer blocks (early morning + evening) and a 30-minute GK burst at lunch.

How to Crack UP APO Prelims with Negative Marking?

In Prelims there is negative marking where 1 marks will be deducted for 4 wrong answers(¼ negative). So you have to plan your prepartaion accordingly keep some important pints in your mind before attempting any questions. 

Here are some tips to answer the question in the exam,

1. Attempt what you truly know.
2. Read the entire question—many errors are half-reads.
3. Park doubtful items (light pencil dot on Q no. in your scratch sheet), return at end.
4. Two-option dilemma? Trust your first instinct more often.
5. Targeted attempts > reckless over-attempts. Your net score matters, not attempts.

When candidates ask how to prepare for UP APO exam to beat negative marking, the secret is selectivity plus clean accuracy.

Sample Short-Notes Layout for UP APO Prelims Preparation

Topic	Must-remember	Quick hook
Wrongful confinement (BNS)	Definition, essentials, punishment	“Restraint + circumscribed area”
Confession (BSA)	To police? Voluntariness? Sec. refs	“Who + how + reliability”
Zero FIR (BNSS)	Registration at any PS, then transfer	“Place agnostic; protects victim”

UP APO Mains Preparation Tips

In this section we discuss how to prepare for UP APO mains in a structured way, given tips on structure for answer writing. below table describes the numeber of papers in Mains and simple approach to prepare for those papers.

Paper	What examiners want	Your approach
GS (100)	Awareness + clarity + structure	Use headings, bullets, data points; link CA → static
General Hindi (100)	Language control, spelling, coherent arguments	Practise essays, précis, synonyms/antonyms; spotless spelling
Criminal Law & Procedure (100)	Concept+ procedure integration	Pair BNS provisions with BNSS flow; scenario-based presentation
Evidence – BSA (100)	Conceptual depth + application	Rules of relevancy, burden, witness credibility, confessions, estoppel; cite sections cleanly

Section-Wise Preparation Tips for UP APO Mains Exam

Police Act & Regulations: Efficient Coverage

Component	Volume	Strategy
UP Police Act	~42–47 sections	Read all; make a one-page section map; expect ~10 Q
Police Regulations	500+ rules	Do only PYQ-asked rules; expect ~5 Q; keep a list of rule-heads

Convert Act sections into a mini index with 3-word hooks. This supercharges recall under time pressure.

Evidence (BSA) Deserves Extra Love

Often under-prepared, but huge in Mains (100) and major in Prelims. Prioritise: Relevancy → Admissibility → Burden & Presumptions → Witnesses → Confessions → Estoppel → Electronic evidence basics. Make a visual map (one pager) linking these themes across sections.

Current Affairs That Actually Help

Tie CA to static. A national operation or committee? Connect it to history (precedents), geography (region), and polity/economics (institutional/financial angle). Make CA-to-Static bridges weekly. This multiplies returns in GS and sharpens essays.

Weekly CA drill (45–60 min):

1. Pick 5–7 headlines with legal/governance weight.
2. For each, add context → impact → related static.
3. Convert to 2–3 exam-ready bullets (for Prelims) + one paragraph (for Mains).

UP APO Mains Answer Writing Answer Template

1. Definition/Provision (Section)
2. Essential Ingredients / Tests
3. Illustration / Mini-Hypo
4. Case Law (1–2 crisp citations)
5. Application / Comparison (if asked)
6. Conclusion (one-line takeaway)

Example topic (Dacoity vs Robbery): Start with definitions, list essentials, one case, table of differences, conclude with punishment or procedural note.

Tips to Prepare for UP APO Exam With Previous Year Question papers(PYQs)?

Here’s a repeatable loop that embodies how to prepare for UP APO exam with PYQs at the center:

1. Sort PYQs topic-wise (BNS/BNSS/BSA/Police/GK).
2. Identify repeats (tick marks “×2”, “×3”).
3. Build micro-notes right under each question (definition, essentials, case).
4. Reverse-test: after a day, answer from memory; fix gaps.
5. Once a week, write one 10-marker and one 5-marker on past mains.

Simple Revision Rechniques to Crack UP APO Exam

1. Slow & deep make short notes and break lessons into manageable unites, refer these notes at the time of revision.
2. Faster (tagging & summaries).
3. With short notes create tables and memonics when ever necessary, which helps in end time of revision
4. Final 10–14 days take Full-length mock tests, quick corrections, and sleep well.

Aim to reach a point where you can revise Evidence in one day from your short notes.

UP APO Study Plan For Prelims And Mains (Daily, Weekly)

Daily Plan

• Bare Act reading (at least 2–3 sections thoroughly)
• 1 mains answer
• 30–40 Prelims MCQs (mixed law + GK)
• Short-note update (10–15 lines)

Weekly Plan

• 1 full Law test (100 Q)
• 1 GS test (50 Q)
• One essay in Hindi (45–60 minutes)
• Update comparative sheets (old vs new)

Last 30 Days Preparation Plan for UP APO Exam

Day 30 to 21: Full pass of BNS/BNSS/BSA; Police Act sections; CA bridge notes.

Day 20 to 11: Focused PYQs; two full tests/week; build answer bank on weak topics.

Day 10 to 4: Only short notes, compare sheets, Police Act recap, essay practice.

Day 3 to 1: Light revision, sleep hygiene, 1–2 short mock bursts (don’t exhaust yourself).

D-Day: Attempt what you know cold; park doubts; trust first instinct in two-option splits.

Conclusion

Quality of life matters so, Protect sleep; peak recall and reading speed rely on it. Offload chores during the final stretch. Study at your natural high-focus hours (night owl or early bird—both are fine). Keep a single error log (only your personal mistakes + fixes). Review it every Sunday.

When people ask how to prepare for UP APO exam, the real answer is this compound effect: Bare Acts daily (with textbook referring where needed), PYQs as the spine (unsolved preferred; verify with texts), relentless short notes, daily answer writing, mock-driven corrections, and a schedule you actually follow.

Do this for a few steady months and you won’t need luck—you’ll be ready. Now block your calendar for Week 1 and start. You’ve got this.