Delhi Judiciary Exam Pattern & Syllabus
A comprehensive guide to the Delhi Judicial Service Examination covering eligibility, Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, subject-wise syllabus, qualifying criteria and Viva-Voce.
Delhi Judicial Service Examination
The Delhi Judicial Service Examination is conducted by the High Court of Delhi for recruitment to the Delhi Judicial Service.
Delhi Judicial Service
The Delhi Judicial Service is a competitive judicial service examination conducted by the High Court of Delhi, subject to the applicable Delhi Judicial Service Rules and recruitment notification.
The competitive examination comprises a Preliminary Objective Examination, Main Written Examination and Viva-Voce.
Three-Stage Selection Process
Delhi Judiciary Exam Highlights
Delhi Judiciary Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility requirements are prescribed under the Delhi Judicial Service Rules and the applicable recruitment notification.
Indian Citizen
A candidate must be a citizen of India.
Advocate Practice
The candidate must have not less than three years of practice as an Advocate as on the last date prescribed for submission of applications.
Age Limit
The candidate must not be more than 32 years of age on the 1st day of January of the year in which applications for appointment are invited.
Practice Proof
Candidates are required to produce the prescribed certificate or documentation establishing the required period of practice.
The current Delhi Judicial Service Rules specify three years of practice as an Advocate and a maximum age of 32 years. Category-wise relaxations and other conditions should be checked in the latest recruitment advertisement.
Delhi Judiciary Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Examination is an objective-type screening examination. Its marks are not counted for determining the final order of merit.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Objective / Multiple Choice Questions |
| Total Marks | 200 Marks |
| Negative Marking | 25% of the marks assigned to the question for each wrong answer |
| General Category Qualifying Marks | 60% |
| Reserved Category Qualifying Marks | 55% |
| Purpose | Screening for Main Examination |
| Final Merit | Prelims marks are not counted |
Candidates qualifying the Preliminary Examination are shortlisted for the Main Examination. The number admitted to Mains is ordinarily not more than ten times the total number of vacancies in each category, subject to the applicable tie rule.
Preliminary Examination Syllabus
The Preliminary Examination tests general legal knowledge, aptitude, expression, English and objective legal problem solving.
Delhi Judiciary Main Examination
The Main Examination consists of four written papers carrying a total of 850 marks.
General Legal Knowledge & Language
Section I — General Legal Knowledge
100 MarksTests the candidate's knowledge of current legal affairs and related legal developments.
Section II — Language
150 MarksEssay, translation and precis writing. Translation includes one English passage into Hindi in Devanagari script and one Hindi passage into English.
Civil Law-I
Civil Law-II
Criminal Law
The current Delhi Judicial Service Rules expressly refer to both the traditional criminal statutes and the newer criminal-law framework.
Qualification for Viva-Voce
Minimum 40% marks in each written paper and 50% aggregate in Mains.
Minimum 35% marks in each written paper and 45% aggregate in Mains.
Delhi Judiciary Viva-Voce
Viva-Voce is the final stage of the Delhi Judicial Service Examination.
Viva-Voce marks are added to the Main Examination marks for determining the final order of merit.
Minimum 50% marks in Viva-Voce for being recommended for appointment.
Minimum 45% marks in Viva-Voce for being recommended for appointment.
Viva-Voce marks are added to Mains marks to determine the candidate's position.
Final merit is based on the aggregate of Mains Written Examination and Viva-Voce.
Delhi Judiciary Final Merit
Preliminary Examination is only a screening stage. Final merit is determined using Mains and Viva-Voce.
Preliminary Examination
ScreeningPrelims marks are not counted in final merit.
Main Examination
850 MarksFour descriptive written papers.
Viva-Voce
150 MarksAdded to Mains marks for final merit.
How to Prepare for Delhi Judiciary
Delhi Judiciary preparation requires strong command over core laws, Delhi-specific laws, current legal developments, language and descriptive answer writing.
Master the Bare Acts
Build strong command over statutory provisions, definitions, exceptions and important procedural requirements.
Focus on Delhi Laws
Give special attention to the Delhi Rent Control Act, NDMC Act, Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and other Delhi-specific legislation.
Practise Mains Writing
Regularly practise descriptive legal answers with proper structure, statutory provisions and legal reasoning.
Strengthen Language
Practise essay writing, précis and Hindi-English translation regularly.
Follow Legal Current Affairs
Track important Supreme Court and High Court judgments, legislative developments and current legal affairs.
Attempt Regular Tests
Combine Prelims MCQs with Mains answer writing and full-length tests to improve accuracy and presentation.
Important Notification Disclaimer
Examination pattern, syllabus, eligibility, qualifying marks, vacancies and selection conditions may be amended by the competent authorities from time to time.
This page is intended for educational and informational purposes. Candidates should always verify the latest Delhi High Court notification and the Delhi Judicial Service Rules applicable to the relevant examination cycle before applying.
Preparing for Delhi Judiciary?
Build your preparation around the current Delhi Judicial Service syllabus, Bare Acts, Delhi-specific laws, answer writing and regular testing.
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