Judiciary Exam Pattern 2021

Judicial Services Exam is a state-level exam conducted for recruitment of aspirants for members of the Subordinate Judiciary. As per previous years' analysis, more than 50,000 aspirants apply for Judiciary Exam across India. 

If you have applied for Judiciary Exam this year or willing to apply, then it is important for you to be aware of the exam pattern. 

This post takes you through state-wise Judicial Services Exam Pattern for Prelims, Mains, and Viva Voce. 

Judiciary Exam Pattern 2021

• For few states, the exam pattern remains the same that is explained below.
• You can also go through the marking scheme for both prelims and mains exam here.  
• Once you are aware of the respective exam pattern, make sure to check the Judiciary Exam Syllabus 2021 as it varies for each state. 

Check out the combined PCS J exam pattern 2020 below and the state-wise pattern in the next section. Also, know the subjects included in prelims and mains. 

Judiciary Preliminary Exam Pattern 2021

Type of Exam

• The preliminary stage of the Judiciary Exam includes multiple-choice questions. 
• This stage is conducted as a screening test for the mains exam i.e., the second stage of Judiciary recruitment. 
• Candidates qualifying Prelims are eligible for the Mains Exam. Solving previous year Judiciary Exam Question Papers can help in cracking the exam with a high score. 

Qualifying Marks For General & SC/ST Categories

• The minimum qualifying marks in the preliminary exam vary for each state. 
• Also, the qualifying marks are different for the General and SC/ST categories.

Evaluation Criteria

• The marks secured in the preliminary exam are not considered for the final merit list since this is just a screening test for the mains stage. But it is mandatory to qualify for the exam.

Judiciary Mains Exam Pattern 2021

Type of Exam

• This is the second stage of the selection process wherein the question paper includes the descriptive type of questions.
• The subjects included in this stage varies from each state. There might be around 3 to 4 subjects in the Mains exam.

Qualifying Marks For General & SC/ST Categories

• The minimum qualifying marks in the Mains exam vary for each state. 
• Also, the qualifying marks are different for the General and SC/ST categories.

Evaluation Criteria

• Candidates need to score well in this stage as it will be considered for deciding the final merit list. 

Judiciary Viva-Voce Exam Pattern 2021

Type of Exam

• This is the last stage of the exam pattern of the PCS J Exam 2021 wherein Candidates are evaluated based on general knowledge, personality, and aptitude. 
• It is very important for all Mains exam qualifiers to perform well in this stage in order to get appointed for the Civil Judge post.

Qualifying Marks For General & SC/ST Categories

• The minimum qualifying marks in the Viva-Voce or the Interview is 20 marks out of 50 marks.
• It does vary for each category, however, the minimum marks need to be secured by each candidate to be eligible for selection. 

Evaluation Criteria

• If you have scored above the minimum marks, then you will be eligible for the final step of selection as a Judge as prescribed in the Judiciary Exam Eligibility. 

Subjects Included in Judiciary Exam 2021

The syllabus for each state varies, hence the subjects and marking scheme is also different. So, here is the list of subjects included overall in most of the state-wise Judiciary Exam. Have a look at the below subjects from the prelims and mains combined as per the latest Judiciary 2021 Exam Pattern.

Judiciary Exam Prelims Subjects

Judiciary Exam Mains Subjects 

State-Wise Judicial Services Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2021

Here is the brief pattern for Judiciary Exams conducted across India at various periods. Check out the pattern and selection process for Judicial Services explained below for each state and plan your preparation accordingly. 

Gujarat Judiciary Exam Pattern 

The exam pattern of the Gujarat Judiciary consists of three stages: Prelims, Mains, and personality test. All three stages are qualifying in nature. Go through the detailed Gujarat Judiciary Exam Pattern here.

Prelims Exam Pattern

The question paper of the prelims exam of the Gujarat Judiciary has three sections: Part A, Part B, and Part C.

• The prelims exam consists of objective type of questions
• .The paper consists of 100 questions for 100 marks.
• There is a negative marking of 0.33 marks for every wrongly answered question.
• The total time duration of the exam is 2 hours.

Mains Exam Pattern

The Mains exam pattern consists of three papers as mentioned below:

• Paper 1 (Criminal)
• Paper 2 (Civil)
• Paper 3 Gujarati Language)

The exam is a descriptive type of paper and the exam conducted for a total of 200 marks. Let us have a look at the table below to know the detailed number of questions from each section and the time duration of the exam.

Personality Test

Candidates who will get shortlisted in the Mains exam pattern are called for the personality test. They will get shortlisted in the personality test based on the performance in the face to face interview.

Exam pattern for Telangana Judiciary 2021

As per the notification, the pattern for Telangana Judiciary 2021 consists of three stages:

• Preliminary Exam
• Written Exam
• Viva-voce

Preliminary Exam

To shortlist the candidates, the High Court will conduct the screening test. The test consists of 100 objective type questions and each question carries one mark. The total time duration of the exam is 2 hours. 

The candidates scoring above 40% of marks in the screening test will get shortlisted for the written examination.

Written Exam

The written exam consists of three papers: Civil Law, Criminal Law, and English. The written exam is conducted to test the candidates' proficiency and knowledge in all three subjects.

• Each paper consists of 100 multiple choice questions for 100 marks.
• The duration of each paper is 3 hours.

Viva-voce

Candidates who have secured more than 60% of marks in the written exam are eligible to appear for the Vice-voce. The reserved category candidates must have scored more than 50% of marks to appear for the Vice-voce.

• Viva-Voce which is qualifying in nature is conducted for 50 marks.

Exam Pattern for Karnataka Judiciary 2021

The Karnataka Judiciary Exam includes three stages i.e., Prelims, Mains, and Viva-Voce. Go through the detailed Karnataka Judiciary exam pattern here.

Prelims Exam Pattern

• There are a total of three sections
• The exam is conducted for 100 marks including 100 Objective type questions.

Mains Exam Pattern

• This is a written exam including 4 papers
• Each paper is asked for 100 marks and the total marking scheme is 400 marks.

Viva-Voce

Candidates who will get qualified in the mains examination is eligible for Viva-voce. In this round, candidates will be tested on the general knowledge, grasp of principles of law, and suitability of appointments as CivilJudge.

Exam Pattern for Chhattisgarh Judiciary 2021

The exam paper of the Chhattisgarh judiciary is divided into three parts as follows:

• Prelims
• Mains
• Viva-Voce

Prelims Exam pattern

The prelims exam pattern of the Chhattisgarh Judiciary consists of 100 questions for 100 marks. The time duration of the exam is 2 hours.

Mains Exam Pattern

As per the Mains Chhattisgarh Judiciary Exam Pattern, there are three sections in the paper:

• Framing of issues and writing of judgment in Civil Cases for 40 marks
• Framing of charges and writing of judgment in Criminal Cases for 40 marks
• Translation: English to Hindi (10marks), Hindi to English(10marks)

Viva-voce

Depending on the candidates who appeared for the Mains examination, candidates will be called for Viva-voce in the ratio of 1:3. The viva-voce is conducted for a total of 15 marks.

Exam pattern for Jharkhand Judiciary 2021

The selection of candidates for Jharkhand Judiciary Recruitment 2021 will be done on the basis of marks scored in Prelims, Mains, and Viva-voce. Go through the detailed Jharkhand Judiciary Exam Pattern of all the there stages below.

Prelims Exam Pattern

• The Preliminary Entrance Test is a written exam with objective or Multiple Choice type questions.
• The prelims exam consists of 100 questions for 100 marks.
• The total time duration of the exam is 2 hours.

Mains Exam pattern

The Mains exam pattern of the Jharkhand Judiciary consists of four papers: Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3, and Paper 4.

• The candidates who will clear the prelims exam are eligible to appear for the Mains exam.
• Each paper is conducted for 100 marks and the total exam paper is for 400 marks.
• The question paper is a subjective type of paper.

Viva-Voce

The Viva-Voce Test for the Jharkhand PCS J exam holds 100 marks. In this test, candidates belonging to the General Category must score at least 25% marks whereas candidates belonging to SC/ST/EBC/OBC have 20% marks.

Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Maharashtra, and Jammu & Kashmir Exam Pattern 2021

The Judicial Services exam of all these states will be held in three stages as follows:

• Prelims
• Mains
• Viva-voce

Prelims Exam Pattern

• The prelims exam consists of multiple-choice questions.
• The question paper consists a total of 100 questions for 100 marks.
• Candidates will be tested on general knowledge, aptitude, English, the constitution of India, Code of Civil procedure, etc.

Mains Exam Pattern

The Mains exam pattern consists of four papers:

• Paper 1
• Paper 2 (Objective Test)
• Paper 3
• Paper 4

Let us have a look at the table below to know the detailed exam pattern of all the states mentioned above.

Viva-voce

The Viva-voce is conducted for a total of 50 marks. candidates need to score 20 marks in the viva-voce to get selected for the Civil Judge post.

Exam Pattern for Punjab Judiciary 2021

The selection of Civil Judges as per Punjab Judicial Services guidelines will be based on one MCQ based test, one written test, and an interview round. The details of the Punjab Judiciary exam pattern has been mentioned below:

Prelims Exam Pattern

The Preliminary exam consists of 125 multiple choice questions of 500 marks.

• The time duration of the exam is 2 hours.
• The standard of the question paper will be of Law graduate level. i.e. the standard LLB syllabus that is prescribed in BCI approved law colleges across India.

Mains Exam Pattern

In the Punjab Judiciary Main Exams, candidates are asked questions from five subjects- Civil Law I, Civil Law II, Criminal Law III, English, Language (Hindi in Devanagari Script).

Candidates who will obtain 50% marks in the mains exam will be qualifying for the next round. For reserved category candidates, the qualifying marks is 45%. The marking scheme for each subject is as follows:

Interview/Viva-voce

Those who qualify in both Prelims and Mains exams will be called for the final round of examination, i.e. Personal Interview round. The candidates will be scored within a 100 marks bracket. Candidates will have to score a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate of Mains and Interview to make it to the final merit list.

Exam Pattern for West Bengal Judiciary 2021

The exam pattern for West Bengal Judiciary Examination is conducted in three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Viva-voce. Go through the West Bengal Judiciary Exam Pattern and start your preparation accordingly for the exam.

Prelims Exam Pattern 2021

• The Prelims include Multiple Choice Questions for a total of 200 marks.
• The total time duration of the exam is 150 minutes

West Bengal Mains Exam Pattern 2021

• The mains examination will consist of eight compulsory papers and three papers on optional subjects to be chosen by the candidates from the list of Optional Subjects.
• All the compulsory papers and optional will be 100 marks each.
• The total time duration of the exam is 3 hours.

Viva-voce

Candidates who will get shortlisted in the mains exam are called for the personality test or viva-voce. The final merit list will be prepared on the basis of total marks obtained in the Mains examination and viva-voce.

Madhya Pradesh Exam Pattern 2021

As per the Madhya Pradesh exam pattern, the exam is conducted in three stages: Prelims, Mains, viva-voce. Let us have a look at the table below to know the exam pattern of the Madhya Pradesh Judiciary.

Prelims Exam Pattern

The prelims exam paper consists of 150 multiple choice questions and each question carries one mark. The total time duration of the exam is 2 hours.

Mains Exam Pattern

The Mains exam consists of four papers and each paper is conducted for 100 marks. The total time duration of each paper is 3 hours. The exam is conducted for a total of 400 marks.

• Paper 1: Civil Law and Procedure
• Paper 2: Criminal law and procedure
• Paper 3: Writing skill, Court Practice, Translation, and current legal knowledge
• Paper 4: Judgment writing

Viva-Voce

Candidates will be shortlisted for the viva-voce based on the marks scored in the mains examination. The exam is conducted for a total of 50 marks.

Exam Pattern for Kerala Judiciary 2021

The Kerala Judicial Services Exam consists of three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Viva-voce. All three stages are qualifying in nature. Go through the detailed Kerala Judiciary Exam Pattern from the post below and enhance your preparation for the exam.

Prelims Exam Pattern

The prelims exam consists of three papers: Part A, Part B, and Part C. The total number of questions in the exam will be 100 and each question carries 2 marks, making the total number of marls as 200. 

• It is an objective MCQ based exam
• There will be a negative marking of 1 mark for each wrongly answered question.
• The total time duration of the exam is 2.5 hours.

Mains Exam Pattern

The mains exam is a descriptive paper that includes four papers: Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3, Paper 4.

• Each paper carries a total of 100 marks
• The time duration of each paper is 3 hours.

Viva-voce

The viva-voce or personality test will carry a total of 50 marks. Candidates must qualify in the personality test to get eligible for the post of Civil Judge.

Exam Pattern for Odisha Judiciary 2021

The Odisha Judiciary exam is conducted in three parts: the preliminary examination, the main examination, and the viva voce. Check the detailed exam pattern of the Odisha Judiciary from the post below.

Prelims Exam Pattern

• The preliminary examination consists of one paper, with a total score of 100
• The format of the question paper is objective.
• There are 100 Multiple Choice Questions given in the paper and each question carries 1 mark.
• The total time for the exam is 1.5 hours
• Allocation of negative marking for every wrong answer is 0.25% of the total score assigned per question.

Mains Exam Pattern

• The main examination consists of three optional papers and two compulsory papers.
• The three optional papers are assigned a score of 150 and the duration of each paper is 3 hours.
• The two compulsory papers are assigned a score of 150 and the time duration is 2.5 hours.
• The format of the question paper is subjective.

Viva-Voce

• The total marks assigned for the viva voce is 100.
• The questions asked will be based on current affairs across the globe, the syllabus given, and common interest in the areas of science and arts.

Exam Pattern for Uttarakhand Judiciary 2021

As per the Uttarakhand Judiciary 2021 Exam Pattern, the exam is conducted in three stages:

• Prelims
• Mains
• Viva-voce

Let us have a look at the detailed paper pattern of the Uttarakhand Judiciary to know the marking scheme and the number of questions asked from each section.

Prelims Exam Pattern

The Preliminary Examination of the Uttarakhand Judiciary Exam consists of 2 Parts:

• Part 1 of the Uttarakhand Judiciary prelims exam consists of 50 objective type questions and for each correct answer 1 mark is allotted and there is no negative marking for incorrect answer.
•  Part 2 of the Uttarakhand Judiciary exam consists of 150 objective type questions and for each correct answer 1 mark is allotted and there is no negative marking for incorrect answer. To attempt both the 2 parts the time allotted is 3 hours.

The table below shows the exam pattern of the prelims examination of Uttarakhand Civil Judge:

Mains Exam Pattern

The mains examination of the Uttarakhand Judiciary consists of 6 subjects and the exam is conducted for a total of 950 marks.

Exam Pattern for Sikkim Judiciary 2021

The examination process of the Sikkim Judicial Services exam consists of two stages:

• Written Exam
• Viva-voce

Written Exam

According to the Sikkim Judiciary Exam Pattern, the written exam consists of two papers: Paper 1 and paper 2.

• Paper 1 consists of subjects like procedural law, local laws, Indian evidence act, limitation act whereas paper 2 has Hindu law, Indian contract act, Sale of goods act, partnership act, etc.
• Both paper 1 and paper 2 carries 200 march each.
• The time duration of each paper is 3 hours.

Viva-voce

The Viva-voce is conducted for a total of 100 marks. Candidates need to score at least 40 marks to get selected in this round of selection process.

Exam Pattern for Himachal Pradesh Judiciary 2021

The Himachal Pradesh Judiciary Exam Pattern consists of three stages: 

• Prelims
• Mains
• Viva-voce

Prelims Exam Pattern

The Himachal Pradesh Judicial Services Preliminary Examination consists of three papers and each paper carries 100 marks. 

• The prelims exam is an objective type paper.
• The total time duration of the exam is 3 hours.

Mains Exam Pattern

There are a total of five papers in the Mains exam of the Himachal Pradesh Judiciary. The exam is conducted for 850 marks.

Candidates can go through the Himachal Pradesh Judicial Services mains exam pattern as described by the Himachal high court listed here:

Viva-voce

Candidates who will get shortlisted in the mains exam are eligible to appear for the Viva-voce. In this round, candidates must score minimum qualifying marks to receive an appointment letter for the Civil Judge post.

Exam Pattern for Goa Judiciary 2021

Goa Judicial Services exam is conducted in the following three stages:

• Prelims
• Mains
• Interview (Viva-voce)

Prelims Exam Pattern

The prelims exam is the first stage of the selection process of the Goa Judicial Services exam. The exam is conducted for a total of 100 marks. Candidates who will get selected in the prelims exam are eligible to appear for the Mains examination.

Mains Exam Pattern

As per the Goa Judiciary Exam pattern, the mains exam consists of two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2.

• Both paper 1 and paper 2 are conducted for a total of 100 marks each.
• The time duration of each paper is 2 hours.

Viva-voce

Candidates who will get selected in the mains exam can appear for the viva-voce i.e., personality test. Candidates must score minimum marks to get qualified in this round.