Judicial Services Exams 2026 — RJS, UP PCS-J, MP CJ, DJS, HJS, BPSC-J Compared
Entry-level Civil Judge / Judicial Magistrate recruitment runs separately in each state — RJS (Rajasthan), UP PCS-J, MP CJ, DJS (Delhi), HJS (Haryana), and BPSC-J (Bihar). All follow a broadly similar Prelims→Mains→Interview structure but differ meaningfully in eligibility and conducting body.
- *Correction: RJS is conducted by the Rajasthan High Court, not RPSC; MP CJ is conducted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, not MPPSC
- All 6 require an LLB degree + Indian citizenship as the baseline
- Age bands differ sharply: DJS has the strictest (no floor, max 32, zero general relaxation) vs. RJS/HJS which allow up to 40-42
- Common syllabus core: Constitutional Law, CPC, Contract/Property Acts, personal laws, plus the NEW codes — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), replacing IPC/CrPC/Evidence Act since July 2024
- *DJS ≠ DHJS: Delhi Judicial Service (direct/junior entry) is different from Delhi Higher Judicial Service (senior entry for 7+ years' practicing advocates) — don't conflate the two
IPC, CrPC, and the Evidence Act have been replaced by BNS, BNSS, and BSA (effective 1 July 2024). RJS's 2026 notification explicitly confirms this transition; other states' syllabi are reasonably assumed to follow given the nationwide effective date, though this wasn't independently confirmed for each.
Overview
| RJS | Rajasthan High Court · age 21-40 |
| UP PCS-J | UPPSC · age 22-35 |
| MP CJ | Madhya Pradesh High Court · age 21-35 (up to 38 reserved) |
| DJS | Delhi High Court · age (no floor)-32, no general relaxation |
| HJS | Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) · age 21-42 |
| BPSC-J | Bihar Public Service Commission · age 22-35 (up to 40) |
Eligibility
Common baseline: LLB (3-year or 5-year integrated, BCI-recognized) + Indian citizenship.
- RJS: 21-40, +5 relaxation SC/ST/OBC/women; must be enrolled/eligible for enrolment as Advocate; Hindi (Devanagari) proficiency mandatory.
- UP PCS-J: 22-35, +5 OBC/SC/ST etc., +15 PwD; final-year LLB students may apply provisionally.
- MP CJ: 21-35 (up to 38 reserved). *One source claims a "3-years practice" and "70% aggregate" requirement — unusual and unverified, possibly outdated.
- DJS: no minimum age, max 32 (as on 1 Jan of reference year), no relaxation for General/OBC — the strictest of the six.
- HJS: 21-42, LLB from BCI-recognized university OR enrolled Advocate.
- BPSC-J: 22-35 (up to 40 women/PwD). *One source cites a "3 years' Bar practice" requirement for a specific recent cycle — unusual for junior-entry judicial exams generally, verify before publishing.
Selection Process & Exam Pattern
All six use Prelims (objective, qualifying) → Mains (descriptive) → Interview/Viva. RJS's structure is best documented: Prelims 100 marks/100 Q/2 hrs (70% law + 30% Hindi/English), qualifying only; Mains 300 marks; Interview 35 marks — final merit = Mains + Interview only (Prelims doesn't carry forward). *Detailed marks breakdowns for MP CJ/DJS/HJS/BPSC-J weren't captured at the same depth — a full comparison table would need each state's own syllabus PDF.
Syllabus
Strong common core: Constitutional Law, CPC, Contract Act, Transfer of Property Act, Hindu Law, Mohammedan Law, plus the new BNS/BNSS/BSA codes (replacing IPC/CrPC/Evidence Act). Most states also test a language paper (Hindi/regional + English) and state-specific local/revenue laws.
Pay Scale
Entry-level Civil Judge (Junior Division) draws basic pay per the Second National Judicial Pay Commission (SNJPC) scale — reported ₹77,840-1,36,520, roughly uniform across states since pay is nationally mandated. *Exact figures not verified against a primary SC/NJPC document.
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Does RPSC conduct the Rajasthan judicial exam?
No — this is a common misconception. RJS is conducted by the Rajasthan High Court, not RPSC (which conducts RAS and other unrelated exams).
Is DJS the same as DHJS?
No. DJS (Delhi Judicial Service) is direct/junior entry, open to fresh LLB graduates up to age 32. DHJS (Delhi Higher Judicial Service) is a separate, senior entry-level service for practicing advocates/officers with 7+ years experience and a different age band (35-45).
Which judicial exam has the strictest age limit?
DJS — no floor, maximum 32, with zero relaxation for General/OBC candidates, notably stricter than RJS or HJS which allow up to 40-42.
Sources
Rajasthan High Court · MP High Court
The conducting-body corrections (RJS=High Court not RPSC; MP CJ=MPHC not MPPSC) and the DJS≠DHJS distinction are important and should be preserved exactly. Full per-state Mains marks breakdowns and current vacancy figures were not captured for MP/DJS/HJS/BPSC-J at RJS-level detail — recommend a follow-up per-state deep dive before publishing exact numbers for those five.
Notes for Judicial Services Exams 2026
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Judicial Services Exams 2026 — नोट्स
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