What judiciary prelims ask: subject weightage across exams
We counted every question in 42 official prelims papers (4,850 questions) across 14 judiciary exams, by subject. Each exam counts equally in the all-exam average, however many of its years we have.
In short
- The five heaviest subjects across exams: Civil Procedure Code (11%), General Knowledge (10%), Criminal procedure (CrPC / BNSS) (9%), Criminal law (IPC / BNS) (9%), Evidence (IEA / BSA) (8%).
- Asked in every one of the 14 exams: Civil Procedure Code, Criminal procedure (CrPC / BNSS).
- Language and general papers (English, Hindi, general knowledge) vary most from state to state; check your own exam's column.
Share of questions by subject and exam
Percent of each exam's prelims questions, averaged over its analysed papers. A blank means the exam asked none.
| Subject | All exams | Exams | J&K | Odisha | DHJS | DJS | Manipur | RJS | HP | AP | Bihar | Jharkhand | RJS HJS | TN | MP | Tripura | Practise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Procedure Code | 11% | 14 | 13% | 10% | 6% | 17% | 13% | 8% | 14% | 9% | 2% | 16% | 11% | 9% | 10% | 19% | Practise |
| General Knowledge | 10% | 11 | 5% | <1% | 3% | 4% | 26% | 42% | 7% | 10% | 2% | 20% | 23% | Practise | |||
| Criminal procedure (CrPC / BNSS) | 9% | 14 | 8% | 10% | 6% | 14% | 9% | 10% | 8% | 11% | 2% | 16% | 7% | 12% | 10% | 10% | Practise |
| Criminal law (IPC / BNS) | 9% | 13 | 9% | 9% | 5% | 12% | 8% | 9% | 11% | 10% | 15% | 6% | 11% | 10% | 6% | Practise | |
| Evidence (IEA / BSA) | 8% | 13 | 9% | 10% | 5% | 8% | 5% | 8% | 13% | 7% | 2% | 16% | 5% | 9% | 10% | Practise | |
| Constitutional Law | 7% | 11 | 11% | 10% | 5% | 7% | 4% | 5% | 8% | 10% | 10% | 7% | 15% | Practise | |||
| Contract Law | 6% | 13 | 9% | 3% | 4% | 6% | 3% | 7% | 7% | 4% | 18% | 3% | 10% | 5% | 5% | Practise | |
| State Local Laws | 6% | 8 | 24% | 4% | 11% | 17% | 10% | 3% | 7% | 4% | |||||||
| English | 5% | 8 | 4% | 9% | 19% | 15% | 10% | 4% | 7% | 5% | Practise | ||||||
| Transfer of Property Act | 5% | 12 | 7% | 9% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 10% | 5% | 5% | Practise | ||
| Specific Relief Act | 3% | 11 | 9% | 3% | 3% | <1% | 2% | 3% | 5% | <1% | 4% | 6% | 4% | Practise | |||
| Special Criminal Laws | 3% | 9 | 4% | 10% | 1% | <1% | 8% | <1% | 5% | 5% | 4% | Practise | |||||
| Limitation Act | 3% | 9 | 4% | 9% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 6% | 4% | 2% | 3% | Practise | |||||
| Hindu Law | 2% | 9 | 7% | 3% | <1% | 1% | 7% | 8% | 3% | 5% | 1% | Practise | |||||
| Negotiable Instruments Act | 2% | 10 | <1% | <1% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 6% | 1% | 2% | 6% | 3% | Practise | ||||
| Current Affairs | 2% | 7 | 3% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 9% | 3% | 3% | Practise | |||||||
| Hindi | 1% | 2 | 15% | 3% | Practise | ||||||||||||
| Law of Torts | 1% | 4 | 2% | 6% | 2% | 4% | Practise | ||||||||||
| Arbitration and ADR | <1% | 4 | 4% | 8% | <1% | <1% | Practise | ||||||||||
| Labour and Industrial Law | <1% | 3 | 11% | <1% | 1% | Practise | |||||||||||
| Other Acts | <1% | 7 | 3% | <1% | <1% | 2% | 3% | 2% | <1% | ||||||||
| Partnership and Sale of Goods | <1% | 6 | 3% | <1% | <1% | <1% | 1% | 3% | Practise | ||||||||
| Family Law (other) | <1% | 5 | 3% | 2% | 3% | <1% | 2% | Practise | |||||||||
| Registration and Easements | <1% | 5 | 5% | <1% | <1% | 4% | 1% | Practise | |||||||||
| Company and Commercial Law | <1% | 4 | 6% | 2% | 2% | <1% | Practise | ||||||||||
| Jurisprudence and Legal Maxims | <1% | 7 | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | 1% | 3% | 3% | Practise | |||||||
| Environmental Law | <1% | 3 | <1% | 7% | <1% | Practise | |||||||||||
| Intellectual Property Law | <1% | 2 | 7% | <1% | Practise | ||||||||||||
| Cyber and IT Law | <1% | 3 | 2% | <1% | 4% | Practise | |||||||||||
| Motor Vehicles Act | <1% | 2 | 2% | 3% | Practise | ||||||||||||
| Administrative Law | <1% | 1 | 5% | Practise | |||||||||||||
| Muslim Law | <1% | 4 | <1% | <1% | 3% | <1% | Practise | ||||||||||
| Logical Reasoning | <1% | 2 | <1% | 3% | Practise | ||||||||||||
| Interpretation of Statutes | <1% | 1 | 2% | Practise | |||||||||||||
| Professional Ethics and Advocates Act | <1% | 3 | <1% | <1% | <1% | Practise | |||||||||||
| Public International Law | <1% | 3 | <1% | <1% | <1% | Practise | |||||||||||
| Court Fees and Suits Valuation | <1% | 1 | <1% | Practise |
Papers counted
- Jammu and Kashmir Civil Judge6 papers (2018, 2023, 2025), 600 questions
- Odisha Judicial Service (Civil Judge)5 papers (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), 500 questions
- Delhi Higher Judicial Service (DHJS)4 papers (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024), 600 questions
- Delhi Judicial Service (DJS)4 papers (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023), 800 questions
- Manipur Civil Judge4 papers (2019, 2022), 400 questions
- Rajasthan Civil Judge (RJS)4 papers (2018, 2021, 2024, 2025), 400 questions
- Himachal Pradesh Civil Judge3 papers (2019), 150 questions
- Andhra Pradesh Civil Judge2 papers (2024, 2025), 200 questions
- Bihar Judicial Service2 papers (2023), 250 questions
- Jharkhand Civil Judge2 papers (2019, 2024), 200 questions
- Rajasthan Higher Judicial Service (District Judge)2 papers (2020, 2024), 300 questions
- Tamil Nadu Civil Judge2 papers (2019, 2023), 200 questions
- Madhya Pradesh Civil Judge1 paper (2019), 150 questions
- Tripura Civil Judge1 paper (2024), 100 questions
How we count: every question of each official paper was classified by subject twice, by separate reviewers, and the few disagreements settled and recorded. Papers and keys open on the examining body's own site from each exam page. Subjects change with the syllabus (the 2023 criminal laws replaced IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act), so read the newest year of your exam first.