Uttarakhand APO Syllabus 2026: Subject-Wise Prelims & Mains Syllabus, Exam Pattern

The Uttarakhand APO syllabus has three stages. Prelims has two objective papers of 100 marks each: General Studies and Law (BNS, BNSS, BSA and the Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007). 

Mains has four descriptive papers of 100 marks each: General Studies, General Hindi, Law-I and Law-II. The interview carries 50 marks, and final merit is out of 450.

• Prelims is qualifying only. Its marks are not added to the final merit.
• The law paper gave 35 questions to criminal law, 25 to procedure, 25 to evidence and 15 to the Uttarakhand Police Act in the last cycle.
• Study BNS, BNSS and BSA, not IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act. The new codes have been in force since 1 July 2024.
• General Hindi is a full 100-mark Mains paper. It counts towards merit as much as either law paper.

Uttarakhand APO Syllabus 2026 Highlights

The Uttarakhand APO syllabus covers three stages and the exam is conducted by the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC). 

Particulars	Details
Exam Conducting Body	Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC), Haridwar
Exam Name	Assistant Prosecution Officer (APO) Examination
Application Mode	Online
Vacancies	2026: not yet notified. 2021 cycle: 63 posts
Eligibility	LL.B. from a recognised university; age 21–42 years (relaxation as per state rules)
Selection Process	Prelims (objective, qualifying) → Mains (descriptive) → Interview
Prelims Syllabus	Paper I – General Studies (100 questions, 100 marks, 1.5 hours): History of India, Indian National Movement, Indian Polity, Indian Geography, Indian Economy, General Science, and national and international current events. Uttarakhand-specific topics include its art, culture and traditions, the Revenue Police system, general administrative system, forests and crops, tribes, and mountains and rivers. Paper II – Law (100 questions, 100 marks, 1.5 hours): Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (replaced IPC): 35 questions; Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (replaced Indian Evidence Act): 25 questions; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (replaced CrPC): 25 questions; Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007: 15 questions. Negative marking: ¼ mark per wrong answer.
Mains Syllabus	Paper I – General Studies (100 marks, 3 hours): General level. Paper II – General Hindi (100 marks, 3 hours): High-school level; minimum 35 marks needed to qualify. Paper III – Law-I: Criminal Law and Procedure with Police Act (100 marks, 3 hours, law graduation level): Part A: BNS (formerly IPC); Part B: BNSS (formerly CrPC, 1973); Part C: Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007. Paper IV – Law-II: Evidence (100 marks, 3 hours, law graduation level): Part A: Relevancy of facts; Part B: Facts which need not be proved; Part C: Production and effect of evidence (under BSA, formerly Indian Evidence Act).
Job Location	Prosecution Department, Uttarakhand (posting anywhere in the state)
Official Website	psc.uk.gov.in

Uttarakhand APO Syllabus 2026 PDF Download Link

UKPSC has not yet released the Uttarakhand APO 2026 notification, so the latest official syllabus is the one attached to the 2021 APO notification. 

Candidates can download the syllabus from the link below. 

Uttarakhand APO Syllabus PDF Download Link

Uttarakhand APO Syllabus 2026 for Prelims

Uttarakhand APO Prelims has 2 objective papers of 100 marks each, 200 marks in total, with a quarter-mark deduction for every wrong answer. Candidates can also refer to the Uttarakhand Judiciary Syllabus. 

• Paper I is General Studies and Paper II is Law. Each has 100 questions for 100 marks and lasts 1 hour 30 minutes, for a total of 200 marks.
• GS covers History of India, the Indian National Movement, Indian Polity, Geography and Economy, General Science, and national and international current events. It also has a strong Uttarakhand section on art, culture and traditions, the Revenue Police system, general administration, forests, crops, tribes, mountains and rivers.
• Paper II has criminal laws - BNS, BNSS, BSA and the Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007. 
• The 2021 division had 35 questions on criminal law (IPC, now BNS), 25 on evidence (Indian Evidence Act, now BSA), 25 on criminal procedure (CrPC, now BNSS) and 15 on the Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007.
• One-fourth of the marks for a question is deducted for each wrong answer. Marking more than one option counts as wrong, and unanswered questions carry no penalty.
• Prelims marks are used only to shortlist candidates for the Mains and are not added to the final merit list, which is based on Mains (400 marks) and Interview (50 marks).

Paper	Subject
Paper I	General Studies (100 questions)
Paper II	Law (100 questions)
Total

UK APO General Studies Syllabus 

The UK APO General Studies syllabus covers Indian History, the Indian National Movement, Polity, Geography, Economy, General Science, and national and international current events.

It also has a dedicated Uttarakhand section on the state’s art, culture, traditions, Revenue Police system, administration, forests, crops, tribes, mountains, and rivers. In Prelims, GS is a 100-question objective paper, while in Mains it is a 100-mark descriptive paper set at a general level.

Subjects	Topics Covered
General Science	Everyday physics, chemistry and biology; health and disease; environment and natural resources
Current Events	National and international events, awards, schemes, appointments, sports
History of India	Ancient, medieval and modern India; major dynasties and reform movements
Indian National Movement	Freedom struggle phases, leaders, sessions of Congress; Uttarakhand's role in the freedom movement
Indian Polity	Constitution, Fundamental Rights and Duties, DPSP, Parliament, judiciary, Panchayati Raj
Geography and Indian Economy	Physical and economic geography of India; budget, planning, banking, poverty and employment
Art, Culture and Traditions of Uttarakhand	Fairs, festivals, folk dances and songs, religious places, famous personalities
Revenue Police System and Administration of Uttarakhand	Patwari-led revenue police areas, districts and divisions, state administrative set-up
Natural Features of Uttarakhand	Forests, crops, tribes, mountains, rivers, glaciers and bugyals

Uttarakhand APO Law Syllabus 

The Uttarakhand APO Law syllabus covers four subjects: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), and the Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007.

In Prelims, Paper II has 100 objective questions split 35 (BNS), 25 (BSA), 25 (BNSS) and 15 (Police Act). In Mains, the subjects are tested in two descriptive papers of 100 marks each at law-graduation level: Law-I covers BNS, BNSS and the Police Act, and Law-II covers evidence under the BSA.

Subjects	Topics Covered	Questions (2021 pattern)
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (replaces IPC)	General principles of liability, general exceptions, joint liability, abetment, attempt, criminal conspiracy, offences against public tranquillity, offences against the human body (culpable homicide, murder, death by negligence, hurt, wrongful restraint and confinement, assault, kidnapping, abduction), offences against women (sexual offences, cruelty, dowry death), offences against property (theft, extortion, robbery, dacoity, misappropriation, cheating, mischief, criminal trespass), new offences under BNS	35
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (replaces CrPC)	Constitution and powers of criminal courts, arrest and rights of arrested persons, information to police and investigation, summons and warrants, maintenance of public order, commencement of proceedings before Magistrates, charge, trial, judgment, bail and bonds, appeal, reference and revision	25
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (replaces Indian Evidence Act)	Definitions, relevancy of facts, admissions and confessions, dying declarations, expert opinion, facts not requiring proof, oral, documentary and electronic evidence, public documents and presumptions, burden of proof, estoppel, witnesses and their examination	25
Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007	Police organisation and definitions, powers and duties of police officers, police-station duties on reports, investigation, arrest, bail, custody and execution of process, role of public prosecutors and prosecution officers	15

Check: UP APO syllabus

Uttarakhand APO Syllabus 2026 for Mains

Candidates who clear the Prelims cut-off write four descriptive papers in Mains, and all four are compulsory; unlike the judiciary exam, APO Mains has no optional papers.

• In Mains paper there are General Studies, General Hindi, Law-I and Law-II. Each carries 100 marks and lasts 3 hours, for a total of 400 marks.
• General Studies is set at a general level. General Hindi is set at high-school level, and you need at least 35 marks in it to qualify. Every paper except General Hindi can be answered in Hindi or English.
• Law-I (Criminal Law and Procedure with Police Act) paper is set at law-graduation level and has three parts. Part A covers criminal law (IPC, now BNS), Part B covers criminal procedure (CrPC, now BNSS) and Part C covers the Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007.
• Also set at law-graduation level, with three parts: relevancy of facts, facts that need not be proved, and production and effect of evidence. These were under the Indian Evidence Act and are now under the BSA.
• Question 1 is compulsory and has 5 short notes of 4 marks each, about 100 words per answer. You then attempt 4 more questions of 20 marks each from the remaining nine, with at least one from each part.

Category	Subject
Compulsory: Paper I	General Studies (10 questions, 3 hours)
Compulsory: Paper II	General Hindi (14 questions, 3 hours)
Compulsory: Paper III	Law-I: Criminal Law and Procedure with Uttarakhand Police Act (10 questions, 3 hours)
Compulsory: Paper IV	Law-II: Law of Evidence (10 questions, 3 hours)
Optional	None prescribed for APO
Total

Uttarakhand APO Mains Syllabus for Compulsory Subjects

The two non-law Mains papers, General Studies and General Hindi, carry 200 of the 400 written marks, so they decide half your Mains score.

Subject	Topics Covered
General Studies (Paper I)	Current events of national and international importance, History of India and Indian culture, Indian National Movement and Uttarakhand's role in it, Geography of India and Uttarakhand, major rivers and physical divisions, Indian economy and political system, Economic development of Uttarakhand since statehood and Revenue Police, administration, art, culture, tribes, forests and crops of Uttarakhand
General Science (within Paper I)	Science of everyday life, Environment, ecology and natural resources, Disaster management, with Uttarakhand examples (cloudbursts, landslides, glacial floods)
General Hindi (Paper II)	Essay of about 300 words (15 marks), Unseen passage (10 marks), Precis (5 marks), Noting and drafting (5 marks), Synonyms and antonyms (5 marks), Paronyms and punctuation correction (5 marks), Hindi-English and English-Hindi translation (10 marks), One word for a group of words (5 marks), Prefixes and suffixes (5 marks), Hindi equivalents of English legal terms (5 marks), Correcting wrong words and sentences (5 marks), Idioms and proverbs with usage (5 marks), Official letter writing (10 marks) and Office use of computers (10 marks)
General English	Not a separate paper in UKPSC APO Mains. English is tested only through translation inside the General Hindi paper.

The Hindi marks split above follows the 2021 Mains question paper; check it against the 2026 notification.

Uttarakhand APO Mains Syllabus for Law Papers (Law-I and Law-II)

Uttarakhand APO Mains has no optional subjects. In place of the judiciary-style optional list, both law papers are compulsory and go deeper than Prelims, so this section sets out what each one demands.

Subject	Topics Covered
Law-I, Part A: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023	General exceptions and right of private defence, Common intention, criminal conspiracy, attempt and abetment, Offences against the human body, women and property, Offences against public tranquillity and New offences under BNS (organised crime, terrorist act, mob lynching, snatching) and the IPC sections they replace
Law-I, Part B: Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023	Powers of police, FIR and investigation, Arrest procedure and safeguards, Cognizance, complaints and charge, Trials before Sessions Court and Magistrates, Bail and bonds, Appeal and revision and Changes from CrPC, such as timelines and electronic processes
Law-I, Part C: Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007	Duties and powers of police officers, Duties of the officer in charge of a police station, Investigation, arrest, bail, custody and execution of process, Duties of public prosecutors and subordinate prosecution officers and Revenue Police areas
Law-II: Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023	Relevancy of facts, in depth, Admissions, confessions and dying declarations, Expert and third-party opinion, Oral, documentary and electronic evidence, with certificate requirements, Presumptions, burden of proof and estoppel, Competency and examination of witnesses and Changes from the Indian Evidence Act

Uttarakhand APO Syllabus 2026 for Interview

The interview is the final stage and carries 50 marks, which are added to the 400 Mains marks for a final merit list out of 450. The board checks whether you can think like a prosecutor: fair to the accused, firm for the State and clear in your reasoning.

• Candidates are shortlisted on Mains merit. To be shortlisted, they must clear the category-wise minimum marks: 40% for Unreserved, 35% for OBC and EWS, and 30% for SC and ST.
• The 2021 notification set no pass mark for the Interview. However, attending it is compulsory for anyone who is called.
• UKPSC does not prescribe a separate Interview syllabus. Questions usually come from your Mains law subjects (BNS, BNSS, BSA and the Uttarakhand Police Act), the role of a prosecutor, current legal developments, and Uttarakhand-related topics.
• To appear in the final merit list, candidates need at least 45% (Unreserved), 40% (OBC and EWS) or 35% (SC and ST) of the combined Mains and Interview marks.

Assessment Area	Focus Points
Legal Knowledge and Awareness	Role and duties of a public prosecutor under BNSS, Key BNS, BNSS and BSA changes, and why they were made and Rights of victims and accused; bail and fair-trial questions
Personal Profile and General Awareness	Why APO and not judiciary or practice, Your law college, internships and home district, Uttarakhand issues such as Revenue Police reform, and disasters and migration
Communication and Analytical Skills	Structured answers to a fact situation ("the IO's chargesheet is weak, what do you do?"), Calm handling of disagreement from the board and Clear spoken Hindi or English, without memorised speeches

Uttarakhand APO Exam Pattern 2026

The Uttarakhand APO exam pattern has three stages carrying 650 marks in all, of which 450 (Mains plus Interview) decide final selection.

Exam Stage	Exam Type	No. of Papers	Duration	Purpose
Prelims	Objective (MCQ), −0.25 per wrong answer	2	1 hour 30 minutes per paper	Screening; qualifying only
Mains	Descriptive	4	3 hours per paper	Merit determining
Interview	Personality test (viva-voce)	–	–	Final selection

Uttarakhand APO Syllabus 2026 Marks Distribution

The Uttarakhand APO exam marks distribution is given stage by stage.

Law accounts for 200 of the 450 merit marks. General Studies and Hindi together account for another 200, which is why a law-only preparation plan rarely produces a top-20 rank.

Exam Stage	Subject/Section	Marks	Exam Type
Prelims	Paper I: General Studies	100	MCQ
Prelims	Paper II: Law (BNS 35, BNSS 25, BSA 25, Police Act 15 questions)	100	MCQ
Mains (compulsory)	Paper I: General Studies	100	Descriptive
Mains (compulsory)	Paper II: General Hindi	100	Descriptive
Mains (compulsory)	Paper III: Law-I (BNS, BNSS, Uttarakhand Police Act)	100	Descriptive
Mains (compulsory)	Paper IV: Law-II (BSA)	100	Descriptive
Mains (optional)	No optional papers in APO	–	–
Interview	Personality test	50	Viva-voce
Final merit	Mains + Interview	450

How to Prepare for the Uttarakhand APO 2026 Syllabus?

Candidates who want to prepare for the Uttarakhand APO exam, have to study each law topic once for both stages.

• Print the marks distribution table and pin it above your desk. Prelims is only qualifying, so aim for a safe 130+ rather than a topper score. Remember that Hindi and GS together carry half the Mains marks.
• BNS, BNSS, BSA plus the Police Act, and GS plus Uttarakhand GK. Also prepare for General Hindi with a daily 30-minute slot. Within BNS, start with general exceptions and offences against the human body, since these appear in both Prelims and Mains.
• A 12-week first round works for most full-time aspirants: about 3 weeks each for BNS and BNSS, 2 for BSA, 1 for the Police Act and 3 spread across GS. Study Uttarakhand GK a little every day instead of leaving it for a late sprint. If you are also preparing for Uttarakhand Judiciary, cover BNS, BNSS and BSA first, because they overlap with both exams.
• Make a two-column law notebook with Prelims traps on the left and Mains answer points on the right. Keep a one-page IPC-to-BNS section conversion sheet for solving previous-year questions, and a separate Uttarakhand GK notebook for districts, rivers, tribes and schemes.
• Solve the 2016 and 2021 UKPSC APO papers. Answer old IPC or CrPC questions using the current code, not the repealed one. Track which Police Act sections repeat, because this Act rewards recall of the bare Act.
• Start Mains answer writing before Prelims, with at least two answers a week. Structure each law answer as issue, provision, explanation, application and conclusion. Attempt the full Hindi paper in 3 hours at least four times before Mains.
• Revise the bare Acts three times: after the first round, a month before Prelims, and in the final week. Take weekly sectional tests with negative marking, and log every wrong answer along with the reason.

Best Books to Cover Uttarakhand APO Syllabus 2026 

For Uttarakhand APO, the bare Acts are your primary books; buy only post-2024 editions that cover BNS, BNSS and BSA, and use one reference text per subject.

Subject	Book Name	Author/Publisher
All law subjects	Bare Acts: BNS, BNSS, BSA (latest amended editions)	Universal LexisNexis / EBC (Eastern Book Company)
Uttarakhand Police Act	The Uttarakhand Police Act, 2007 (bare Act)	Free text on India Code or any local law publisher
Criminal Law (BNS)	Ratanlal & Dhirajlal's The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita	LexisNexis
Criminal Procedure (BNSS)	R.V. Kelkar's Criminal Procedure (BNSS edition)	Eastern Book Company
Evidence (BSA)	The Law of Evidence (BSA edition)	Batuk Lal, Central Law Agency
Evidence (reference)	Ratanlal & Dhirajlal's Law of Evidence (BSA edition)	LexisNexis
General Studies	Lucent's General Knowledge	Lucent Publications
Indian Polity	Indian Polity	M. Laxmikanth, McGraw Hill
General Science	NCERT Science, Classes 6–10	NCERT
Uttarakhand GK	Any current Uttarakhand Samanya Gyan book (2025 or later edition)	Local Uttarakhand publishers; check the edition year
General Hindi	Samanya Hindi	Lucent Publications
Hindi grammar and drafting	Adhunik Hindi Vyakaran aur Rachna	Dr. Vasudevnandan Prasad, Bharati Bhawan
Current Affairs	Monthly current affairs magazine plus one daily newspaper	Any reputed publisher

The Uttarakhand APO Syllabus 2026 tests legal depth and state knowledge together. Prelims screens you on General Studies, Uttarakhand GK, and the criminal laws. 

Mains then tests whether you can write clear, well-structured answers on BNS, BNSS, BSA, and the Uttarakhand Police Act, and the Interview completes your final 450-mark merit score. 

Until UKPSC releases the 2026 notification, use the 2021 syllabus as your base and prepare the law papers under the new criminal codes. 

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