Rajasthan's Civil Judge examination, usually called the RJS, is run by the Rajasthan High Court in three stages: a 100-question objective preliminary with no negative marking, a written main examination of two law papers and two essay papers, and an interview of 35 marks. Thirty per cent of the preliminary tests Hindi and English, and the interview awards marks for knowledge of Rajasthani dialects and the social customs of the State. Those two features, more than the law syllabus, are what set the RJS apart from its neighbours, and both reward preparation that starts early.
Which body runs the RJS, and under what rules?
The Rajasthan High Court conducts the examination itself, under the Rajasthan Judicial Service Rules, 2010 as amended. Its Examination Cell at Jodhpur issues the advertisement, admission cards, model and final answer keys, and results, all on the High Court's recruitment page under the heading "Civil Judge Cadre" for each year.
The last completed cycle is the Civil Judge Cadre, 2025. Its advertisement was issued on 27 February 2025 and its final result notice on 19 December 2025, so the whole process ran inside a single year. That pace matters for planning: a candidate who starts serious preparation only after the notification will have a few months, not a year, before the main examination. For the current cycle and official notices, follow the Law Maker Rajasthan page.
What does the RJS preliminary exam test?
The preliminary is an objective paper of 100 questions for 100 marks, two hours long, answered on an OMR sheet, with no negative marking. The 2025 advertisement fixes its content by weight: 70% from the subjects of Law Paper I and Law Paper II of the main examination, and 30% from Hindi and English proficiency.
The language syllabus is specific. Hindi covers word formation (sandhi, samas, prefixes and suffixes), word types and parts of speech, synonyms and antonyms, correction of words and sentences, punctuation, idioms and proverbs, and administrative and legal terminology. English covers tenses, articles and determiners, phrasal verbs and idioms, active and passive voice, coordination and subordination, direct and indirect speech, modals, and antonyms and synonyms.
The official papers bear this out. Law Maker's analysis of the RJS 2025 preliminary paper counts 15 Hindi and 15 English questions, with criminal law (10), evidence (9) and criminal procedure (8) leading the law questions and the State's local laws contributing seven. The 2024 paper had the same 15 and 15 split in the languages, with the Civil Procedure Code at 14.
Because there is no penalty for a wrong answer, never leave a question blank. Equally, because 30 marks turn on grammar, a candidate weak in either language starts at a real disadvantage that law knowledge cannot fully repair.
How many candidates reach the main examination?
The number admitted to the main examination is fifteen times the vacancies in each category, with everyone level at the last mark also admitted. A candidate must also cross a minimum: 45% for most categories and 40% for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, persons with benchmark disability and ex-servicemen. The preliminary score is not counted in the final merit.
What are the RJS main examination papers?
The main examination has four written papers, and the interview follows.
| Paper | Marks | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law Paper I | 100 | 3 hours | Civil law, Constitution, local civil laws, order and judgment writing |
| Law Paper II | 100 | 3 hours | Criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, special criminal statutes, framing of charge and judgment writing |
| Hindi Essay | 50 | 2 hours | Essay writing in Hindi |
| English Essay | 50 | 2 hours | Essay writing in English |
| Interview | 35 | General suitability, current affairs, Rajasthani dialects and customs |
Law Paper I: civil and local laws
Law Paper I lists the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, the Constitution, the Indian Contract Act, 1872, the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Limitation Act, 1963, the Specific Relief Act, 1963, the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, interpretation of statutes, the Hindu Marriage, Adoptions and Maintenance, Succession, and Minority and Guardianship Acts of 1955 and 1956, Muslim law, the Partnership Act, 1932, the Sale of Goods Act, 1930 and the Registration Act, 1908.
The local statutes in this paper are the Rajasthan Rent Control Act, 2001, the Rajasthan Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1961 and the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956. The paper closes with "Order/Judgment Writing", which means a civil judgment or a reasoned order on an application can be set.
Law Paper II: criminal and special laws
Law Paper II names both the new and the old criminal codes side by side: the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 with the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam with the Evidence Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 with the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The special statutes are the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, the POCSO Act, 2012, the POSH Act, 2013, the Rajasthan Excise Act, 1950 and the Information Technology Act, 2000. It ends with framing of charge and judgment writing.
The pairing of old and new codes is deliberate. Cases now before Rajasthan's magistrates include offences committed before 1 July 2024, which remain governed by the IPC, and those committed after it, which fall under the BNS. An answer that identifies which law applies to the date of the offence shows exactly the judgment the paper is testing.
How should you approach judgment writing in Law Paper II?
Write the judgment a magistrate would sign, not an essay about the offence. Cheque dishonour is a sound practice subject because magistrates in every district handle these complaints daily and the ingredients are compact.
Suppose the question sets out a complaint under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, the accused admits his signature on the cheque but says it was given as security and not for any existing debt. A structured answer would:
- Set out the parties, the cheque, the dishonour memo, the notice and the date of the complaint.
- Frame the points for determination: whether the cheque was issued in discharge of a legally enforceable debt or liability, and whether the statutory notice and limitation requirements were met.
- Apply the presumption under section 139 that the holder received the cheque for the discharge of a debt, and examine whether the accused's defence rebuts it on a preponderance of probabilities.
- Check the proviso to section 138: presentation within six months of the date of the cheque or its validity period, whichever is earlier; notice within thirty days of information of dishonour; failure to pay within fifteen days of receiving the notice.
- Record the finding on each point with reasons drawn from the evidence given.
- Pass the order on conviction or acquittal and, if convicting, deal with sentence and compensation.
The Legal Drive guide to the section 138 notice process is written for the public, but it is a useful way to see the timeline from the complainant's side before you write it from the bench.
Why do Hindi, English and Rajasthani customs matter so much?
Language carries more weight in the RJS than in most state exams: 30 of the 100 preliminary marks, and 100 of the 300 written marks in the main examination, go to Hindi and English. The essay papers are only two hours each, so the skill tested is producing a structured, correct essay quickly, not literary flair.
The interview carries 35 marks. The advertisement says questions "may be of a general nature and will not necessarily be academic or legal", include current affairs, and that marks will be awarded for proficiency in Rajasthani dialects and knowledge of the State's social customs. The eligibility clause itself requires every candidate to have a thorough knowledge of Hindi written in Devanagari and of Rajasthani dialects and social customs.
For a candidate from outside the State, this is a preparation item, not an afterthought. Read about the State's regional dialects, its fairs and festivals, land and family customs, and the customary practices that reach the civil courts in partition and succession disputes. An interviewer is likely to ask what you know about the district you might be posted to.
Who can apply for the RJS exam?
The 2025 advertisement required a Bachelor of Laws (Professional) degree from a university recognised under the Advocates Act, 1961, and allowed candidates appearing in the final year or final semester to apply, provided they acquired the degree before the main examination and submitted proof within the time allowed.
That advertisement predates the Supreme Court's rulings on practice. In All India Judges Association v. Union of India (20 May 2025) the Court required three years' practice for Civil Judge (Junior Division) recruitment, and in Bhumika Trust v. Union of India (21 August 2026) a majority modified it: law graduates may apply to advertisements issued after 20 May 2025 and up to 31 March 2027, while those issued from 1 April 2027 require one year of actual practice in the District Courts. The next Rajasthan advertisement will say which applies. If you will need a period of practice, start looking for a chamber early; the Legal Firms directory of law firms lets you search by city and practice area.
How should you plan RJS preparation?
Plan for the main examination and the language papers together from the start, because the preliminary is mostly a by-product of them.
| Phase | Focus |
|---|---|
| Months 1 to 3 | Bare acts for Law Paper I and II; one Hindi and one English grammar exercise daily |
| Months 4 to 6 | Rajasthan local laws; first judgment writing and charge framing practice; weekly essays in both languages |
| Months 7 to 9 | Full preliminary mocks under time; old main papers from the High Court's question paper page; current affairs |
| Final weeks | Revision of local laws and special statutes; two full main examination simulations; interview reading on Rajasthan |
Practise the Rajasthan local laws question sets alongside the bare texts. The three civil local statutes and the Excise Act are short, and they recur in both the preliminary and the main papers.
Where RJS candidates lose marks
The first is neglecting grammar because "law is the main thing". Thirty preliminary marks and a third of the written marks say otherwise.
The second is learning only the new criminal codes. Law Paper II names both, and an offence committed before 1 July 2024 must be answered under the IPC, while a trial already pending on that date continues under the CrPC.
The third is treating the special statutes as optional reading. The Probation of Offenders Act and the Juvenile Justice Act are daily tools for a magistrate. A question on whether a child in conflict with the law aged sixteen or above should be tried as an adult turns on the preliminary assessment under section 15 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and candidates who skipped it have nothing to write.
Key points to remember
- The Rajasthan High Court conducts the RJS Civil Judge examination under the Rajasthan Judicial Service Rules, 2010.
- The preliminary has 100 questions, 100 marks, two hours and no negative marking, with 30% on Hindi and English.
- Fifteen times the vacancies per category are admitted to the main examination, and preliminary marks do not count in the final merit.
- The main examination has two 100-mark law papers and two 50-mark essays; the interview adds 35 marks.
- Law Paper II lists both the new and the old criminal codes, and the date of the offence decides which applies.
- Knowledge of Rajasthani dialects and social customs is an eligibility condition and is marked at interview.
- The 2025 advertisement predates the practice rulings; the next one will reflect the Supreme Court's 2026 transitional scheme.
Where to go next
The RJS mock tests follow the preliminary pattern of 100 questions without negative marking, and the RJS pass adds the full set with the local law practice sets. Start with the two official preliminary papers linked above and compare your subject-wise score with the paper's own spread.