UP Judiciary Syllabus 2026: Prelims & Mains Subject-wise Important Topics

The UP Judiciary syllabus 2026 covers three stages - Prelims covers two objective papers (General Knowledge, 150 marks; Law, 300 marks), a Mains covers six compulsory written papers worth 1,000 marks, and an interview is of 100-mark . 

• The UP Judiciary syllabus 2026 is set by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) for the UP Judiciary exam.
• The law paper includes the Constitution, contract and property law to evidence, procedure, criminal law and UP's own revenue and local laws. 
• The non-law  tests General Knowledge (which includes science and technology), English and Hindi.

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UP Judiciary Syllabus 2026 Highlights

UPPSC conducts the U.P. Judicial Service Civil Judge (Junior Division) Examination on the requisition of the Allahabad High Court. 

The notification for the next cycle has not been published on the UPPSC website, so the UP PCS J vacancy count is not final, check this for your reference from the last cycle. 

Candidates can check dates and fees on the UP Judiciary application form page once it is out.

Read the full UP PCS J eligibility criteria before you apply.

UP Judiciary Syllabus 2026 PDF Download Link

UPPSC has not yet released the  UP PCS J notification yet. For Hindi readers, link the UP PCS J syllabus in Hindi page here.

Candidates can download the syllabus from the link below.

UP Judiciary Syllabus PDF Download Link

UP Judiciary Syllabus 2026 for Prelims

The UP Judiciary Prelims has two objective-type papers carrying 450 marks in total, and it works as a screening test for Mains. Past UP Judiciary cut off marks show how high that screen sits.

• Paper I is General Knowledge (150 marks) and Paper II is Law (300 marks), each two hours long.
• GK covers static topics plus social legislation. It includes Indian history and culture, geography, polity, economy, international affairs, science and technology, current national issues, and nine social-welfare Acts such as POCSO, the Domestic Violence Act and the POSH Act.
• Law covers ten subjects. These are Jurisprudence, International Organisations, Current International Affairs, Constitution, Transfer of Property Act, Contract, CPC, Evidence (BSA), IPC (BNS) and CrPC (BNSS), along with recent legal developments.
• Prelims is a screening stage only. Its marks are not added to the final merit, so you only need to clear the cut-off to qualify for Mains.

Paper	Subject
Paper I	General Knowledge (General Studies)
Paper II	Law

UPPCS J Prelims Syllabus for paper I (General Knowledge)

The subject names below come from the UPPSC notification. The "Topics Covered" column lists what past papers and the bare Acts point to, so you know where to start.

Paper I (General Knowledge)

Subjects	Topics Covered
History of India and Indian Culture	Ancient, medieval and modern India; national movement; art, architecture, religion and literature
Geography of India	Physical features, rivers, climate, soils, resources, population; UP-specific geography
Indian Polity	Constitution basics, Parliament, State Legislature, Panchayati Raj, constitutional bodies
Indian Economy	Budget, planning, banking, government schemes, economic surveys
India and the World; International Affairs and Institutions	Foreign policy, bilateral ties, UN bodies, regional groupings
Science and Technology, Communications and Space	Everyday science, ISRO missions, defence technology, IT and communications
Current National Issues and Topics of Social Relevance	Sensitivity to persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and offences against women and children
Social legislation named in the syllabus	Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 PCPNDT Act, 1994 Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 POCSO Act, 2012

For a topic-wise plan, read how to prepare GK for UP Judiciary and the geography preparation guide for UP Judiciary.

UP PCS Judiciary Syllabus For Paper II (Law)

Subjects	Topics Covered
Jurisprudence	Schools of law; sources (custom, precedent, legislation); rights and duties; ownership and possession; legal personality; liability
International Organisations	UN and its principal organs; specialised agencies; ICJ; WTO, IMF, World Bank; regional bodies
Current International Affairs	Treaties, international court rulings and legal developments of the last 12–18 months
Indian Constitution	Preamble; Fundamental Rights (Articles 12–35); DPSPs; Union and State executive and legislature; Supreme Court, High Courts and subordinate courts (Articles 233–237); Centre–State relations; emergency; amendment (Article 368)
Transfer of Property Act, 1882	General principles (Sections 5–53A); lis pendens; part performance; sale, mortgage, lease, exchange, gift; actionable claims
Indian Evidence Act, 1872 → Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023	Relevancy; admissions and confessions; dying declarations; expert opinion; documentary and electronic evidence; burden of proof; estoppel; examination of witnesses
Indian Penal Code, 1860 → Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023	General exceptions; abetment and conspiracy; offences against the body, property, women and children; new offences such as organised crime
Civil Procedure Code, 1908	Jurisdiction; res sub judice and res judicata; pleadings; interim orders; judgment and decree; execution; appeal, reference, review and revision
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 → Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023	Criminal courts; arrest and bail; FIR and investigation; charge; trials; maintenance (Section 144 BNSS); plea bargaining; appeals
Law of Contract (Indian Contract Act, 1872)	Formation; consideration; capacity; free consent; void agreements; contingent and quasi-contracts; breach and remedies; indemnity, guarantee, bailment, pledge, agency

UP Judiciary Syllabus 2026 for Mains

Candidates who clear the Prelims cut-off sit for a written Mains of six papers. All six are compulsory; UP PCS J has no optional papers. Each paper is three hours long. The UP Judiciary Mains preparation  covers answer writing for these papers.

• Six compulsory written papers, 1,000 marks. There are no optional subjects, and each paper is three hours long.
• General Knowledge is worth 200 marks. English and Hindi are worth 100 marks each, split into essay (50), précis (30) and translation (20).
• Law I (Substantive Law) covers contract, torts, property, equity, trusts, Hindu and Mohammedan law, and Constitutional Law, which alone carries 50 marks. Law II (Procedure and Evidence) covers BSA, BNSS and CPC, with practical questions on framing charges and issues and on judgment writing. Law III covers BNS (50 marks) and UP revenue and local laws (150 marks).
• Mains marks are added to the 100-mark interview to prepare the final merit list out of 1,100 marks.

Category	Subject
Compulsory (General)	Paper I: General Knowledge
Compulsory (Language)	Paper II: English Language
Compulsory (Language)	Paper III: Hindi Language
Compulsory (Law)	Paper IV: Law I (Substantive Law)
Compulsory (Law)	Paper V: Law II (Procedure and Evidence)
Compulsory (Law)	Paper VI: Law III (Penal, Revenue and Local Laws)
Total

The three law papers carry 600 of the 1,000 marks. That ratio should shape your timetable from the first week.

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UP Judiciary Mains Syllabus 2026 for Compulsory Subjects

The three non-law papers test general awareness and your ability to write clearly in two languages.

Subject	Topics Covered
Paper I: General Knowledge (200)	History of India and Indian culture; geography of India; Indian polity; Indian economy; India and the world; international affairs and institutions; science and technology, communications and space; current national issues and topics of social relevance, including the same nine social-welfare Acts listed for Prelims
Paper II: English Language (100)	Essay: 50 marks; Précis writing: 30 marks; Translation of a passage from Hindi to English: 20 marks
Paper III: Hindi Language (100)	निबंध (Essay): 50 marks; सार लेखन (Précis): 30 marks; Translation of a passage from English to Hindi: 20 marks

UP Judiciary Mains Syllabus 2026 for Law Subjects

UP PCS J has no "choose three out of five" optional scheme. Instead, every candidate writes all three law papers below. The question range for each paper is fixed by the notification.

Subject	Topics Covered
Paper IV: Law I (Substantive Law), 200 marks	Law of Contracts; Law of Partnership; Law of Easements and Torts; Transfer of Property, including the principles of equity applicable to it; Equity with special reference to Trusts and Specific Relief; Hindu Law; Mohammedan Law; Constitutional Law. Constitutional Law alone carries 50 marks.
Paper V: Law II (Procedure and Evidence), 200 marks	Law of Evidence (BSA, 2023); Criminal Procedure (BNSS, 2023); Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, including principles of pleading. Questions focus on practical work: framing of charges and issues, dealing with evidence of witnesses, writing judgments and conducting cases.
Paper VI: Law III (Penal, Revenue and Local Laws), 200 marks	Penal law (BNS, 2023); Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006; UP Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972; UP Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act, 2021; UP Municipalities Act, 1916; UP Panchayat Raj Act, 1947; UP Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1953; UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973. Penal law: 50 marks; Revenue and Local Laws: 150 marks. Local law questions are compulsory.

UP Judiciary Syllabus 2026 for Interview

The interview (viva-voce) is the final stage and carries 100 marks.

UPPSC judges a candidate's suitability for the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Service on merit, ability, character, personality and physique, and these marks are added to the 1,000 Mains marks for the final merit list out of 1,100.

• Only candidates who clear the Mains are called for the interview, also called the viva-voce or personality test.
• UPPSC assesses your suitability for the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Service on merit, ability, character, personality and physique.
• Expect core law from your Mains papers and recent Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court judgments. The panel may also ask about your academic and professional background and why you chose judicial service. Current affairs and UP-related issues come up as well.

Assessment Area	Focus Points
Legal Knowledge and Awareness	Core concepts from your Mains papers, especially BNS, BNSS, BSA and CPC, Recent Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court judgments and Practical questions on bail, injunctions or framing issues
Personal Profile and General Awareness	Your academic background, law school, practice or internships, Why judicial service, and why Uttar Pradesh and Current affairs, UP governance and social issues
Communication and Analytical Skills	Clear, calm answers in Hindi and English, Reasoning through a hypothetical without guessing and Honesty when you don't know an answe

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UP Judiciary Exam Pattern 2026

The UP Judiciary exam has three stages:

• Prelims with 2 objective papers (450 marks).
• Mains with 6 compulsory written papers (1,000 marks), and a 100-mark interview.
• Prelims is only a screening test, so the final merit list is prepared out of 1,100 marks from the Mains and interview combined.

Exam Stage	Exam Type	No. of Papers	Duration	Purpose
Prelims	Objective (MCQ)	2	2 hours per paper	Screening; marks not counted in final merit
Mains	Descriptive (written)	6	3 hours per paper	Merit-determining
Interview	Viva-voce (personality test)	—	Not fixed	Final selection

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UP Judiciary Syllabus 2026 Marks Distribution

The marks distribution below shows how marks are allocated at each stage.

• Law carries the most weight at both written stages: 300 of the 450 Prelims marks and 600 of the 1,000 Mains marks.
• The rest of the Mains is split between General Knowledge (200), English (100) and Hindi (100).
• Together with the 100-mark interview, this makes up the final merit total of 1,100.

Exam Stage	Subject / Section	Marks	Exam Type
Prelims	Paper I: General Knowledge	150	MCQ
Prelims	Paper II: Law	300	MCQ
Mains (compulsory)	Paper I: General Knowledge	200	Descriptive
Mains (compulsory)	Paper II: English (Essay 50, Précis 30, Translation 20)	100	Descriptive
Mains (compulsory)	Paper III: Hindi (Essay 50, Précis 30, Translation 20)	100	Descriptive
Mains (compulsory)	Paper IV: Law I (Constitutional Law 50 + other substantive laws 150)	200	Descriptive
Mains (compulsory)	Paper V: Law II (Procedure and Evidence)	200	Descriptive
Mains (compulsory)	Paper VI: Law III (Penal 50 + Revenue and Local Laws 150)	200	Descriptive
Mains (optional, choose 3)	Not applicable for UP PCS J	—	—
Interview	Personality test	100	Viva-voce
Final merit	Mains + Interview	1,100

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How to Prepare for the UP Judiciary Syllabus?

Candidates can start with the law papers, build GK and languages alongside them, and move to timed practice at least three months before Prelims. For month-wise timetables, see the detailed UP Judiciary preparation tips.

1. Prelims only screens you out, while Mains decides your rank, so plan for Mains from day one and keep the fixed splits in mind (Constitutional Law 50 marks, Penal 50, UP local laws 150).
2. Study the overlapping subjects first (Constitution, Contract, TPA, Evidence, criminal law and CPC), keep Mains-only subjects like Partnership, Torts, personal laws and UP local laws as a separate track, and finish the nine social-welfare Acts early.
3. Give law about two-thirds of your daily hours, read the bare Act before the textbook and case law, and set weekly targets by Act rather than by hours.
4. Prepare one-page section maps for BNS, BNSS and BSA with the old IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act numbers beside them, and note leading cases with a one-line ratio.
5. Solve UP Judiciary previous year papers topic by topic and then as full timed papers, and use repeated Acts as your revision priority list.
6. Write at least two Mains answers a day, practise framing issues and short judgments for Paper V every week, and write one essay and one précis in each language weekly.
7. Revise each Act within 7 days of finishing it and again within a month, then switch to bare Acts and MCQs only in the last 6 weeks before Prelims.

Best Books for UP Judiciary Syllabus Preparation

Candidates can use the bare Act for every law subject, then one standard book per subject from the list below. If you are also writing other state exams, see the best books for judiciary exams.

Subject	Book Name	Author / Publisher
Constitutional Law	Indian Constitutional Law	M.P. Jain / LexisNexis
Constitutional Law	Constitutional Law of India	J.N. Pandey / Central Law Agency
Law of Evidence (BSA)	The Law of Evidence	Ratanlal & Dhirajlal / LexisNexis
Code of Civil Procedure	Civil Procedure with Limitation Act, 1963	C.K. Takwani / Eastern Book Company
Criminal Procedure (BNSS)	Criminal Procedure	R.V. Kelkar / Eastern Book Company
Criminal Law (BNS)	Textbook on the Indian Penal Code	K.D. Gaur / LexisNexis
Law of Contract and Specific Relief	Contract and Specific Relief	Avtar Singh / Eastern Book Company
Law of Torts	The Law of Torts	Ratanlal & Dhirajlal / LexisNexis
Transfer of Property	Property Law	Poonam Pradhan Saxena / LexisNexis
Hindu Law	Modern Hindu Law	Paras Diwan / Allahabad Law Agency
Muslim Law	Mohammedan Law	Aqil Ahmad / Central Law Agency
Equity, Trusts and Specific Relief	Equity, Trusts and Specific Relief	Aqil Ahmad / Central Law Agency
Jurisprudence	Studies in Jurisprudence and Legal Theory	N.V. Paranjape / Central Law Agency
Pleadings	Mogha's Law of Pleadings in India	Eastern Law House
UP Revenue and Local Laws	Bare Acts with latest amendments	Any current bare Act edition
General Science and GK	Lucent's General Knowledge	Lucent Publications
GK (current)	India Year Book	Publications Division, Government of India
English	High School English Grammar and Composition	Wren & Martin / S. Chand
Hindi	Samanya Hindi	Lucent Publications

This will help to prepare for the full UP PCS J syllabus paper by paper to candidates, with the topics UPPSC lists for Prelims and Mains, the interview criteria, the UP Judiciary exam pattern and the marks distribution. 

It also maps the old criminal laws in the syllabus (IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act) to BNS, BNSS and BSA, then gives preparation steps and a UP Judiciary book list you can turn into a realistic subject-wise plan.

The UP Judiciary syllabus 2026 covers depth in law more than anything else. Law makes up 300 of the 450 Prelims marks and 600 of the 1,000 Mains marks, so your preparation should be built around the bare Acts, BNS, BNSS and BSA, and UP’s revenue and local laws.

GK and the two language papers still decide close ranks, though. A weak precis or a poor translation can cost as much as an entire law subject. 

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