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Law & Judiciary
StateGovt2026 cycle

Judicial Service Examination (HJS)

High Courts & State Public Service Commissions

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Domain
Law & Judiciary
Level
State
Type
Govt
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Exam snapshot

Overview

Conducting body

High Courts & State Public Service Commissions

What you get

Civil Judge (Junior Division) / Judicial Magistrate posts

Latest content cycle

2026

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Worth preparing alongside

We cannot line Judicial Service Examination (HJS) up against other exams yet

This does not mean Judicial Service Examination (HJS) shares nothing with the exams you are preparing for — only that we have not loaded a chapter-by-chapter syllabus we can compare against, so we will not guess. We compare 0 exams whose official syllabus we have traced to the conducting body, and this one is not among them yet.

Plan with confidence

Complete exam guide

Eligibility, pattern, syllabus, dates and official resources in one structured view.

Eligibility
Official source'DELHI HIGHER JUDICIAL SERVICE EXAMINATION - 2026' advertisement, qualifications clause, and the 'Instructions for Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination-2026', both issued by the High Court of Delhi ↗
Exam pattern

Qualification pathway

Clear each applicable stage in order

Final selection or admission still depends on the published cutoff or merit list and any applicable counselling, document, medical, preference and vacancy rules.

Selection sequence

  1. 1

    Preliminary Examination

    Required

    Preliminary Exam Date: 2026-07-26

  2. 2

    Mains Examination (Written)

    Required
  3. 3

    Viva-voce / Interview

    Required

Paper and stage details

What each stage contains

3 records

Preliminary Examination

Questions

Not stated

Maximum marks

Not stated

Duration

Not stated

Mains Examination (Written)

Questions

Not stated

Maximum marks

Not stated

Duration

Not stated

Viva-voce / Interview

Questions

Not stated

Maximum marks

Not stated

Duration

Not stated

Official source'Instructions for Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination-2026' issued by the Registrar General, High Court of Delhi, for the Delhi figures; the recruitment and result pages of the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana and Madras High Courts for the stage names used in those states ↗
Syllabus

Showing all 9 topics, across all 5 subjects and 72 chapters.

DHJS Preliminary Examination36 chapters · 0 trackable topics

  • General Knowledge

    0 topics

  • Current Affairs

    0 topics

  • English Language

    0 topics

  • The Constitution of India

    0 topics

  • The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam,2023

    0 topics

  • The Limitation Act, 1963

    0 topics

  • The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908

    0 topics

  • The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

    0 topics

  • The Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

    0 topics

  • The Indian Contract Act, 1872

    0 topics

  • The Indian Partnership Act, 1932

    0 topics

  • The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996

    0 topics

  • The Specific Relief Act, 1963

    0 topics

  • The Transfer of Property Act, 1882

    0 topics

  • The Sale of Goods Act, 1930

    0 topics

  • The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

    0 topics

  • The Indian Succession Act, 1925

    0 topics

  • The Hindu Succession Act, 1956

    0 topics

  • The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

    0 topics

  • The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012

    0 topics

  • The Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act (DRT Act), 1993

    0 topics

  • The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (SARFAESI Act), 2002

    0 topics

  • The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

    0 topics

  • The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

    0 topics

  • The Payment of Wages Act, 1936

    0 topics

  • The Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923

    0 topics

  • The Minimum Wages Act, 1948

    0 topics

  • The Factories Act, 1948

    0 topics

  • The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972

    0 topics

  • The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015

    0 topics

  • The Commercial Courts Act, 2015

    0 topics

  • The Provident Funds Act, 1925

    0 topics

  • The Information Technology Act (IT Act), 2000

    0 topics

  • The Trade Marks Act, 1999

    0 topics

  • The Copyright Act, 1957

    0 topics

  • The Patents Act, 1970 and The Designs Act, 2000

    0 topics

General Knowledge & Language0 chapters · 0 trackable topics

Topics pending official syllabus normalization.

Law - I10 chapters · 0 trackable topics

  • The Constitution of India

    0 topics

  • The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908

    0 topics

  • The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam,2023

    0 topics

  • The Limitation Act, 1963

    0 topics

  • The Registration Act, 1908

    0 topics

  • The Commercial Courts Act, 2015

    0 topics

  • The Court Fees Act, 1870

    0 topics

  • The Trade Marks Act, 1999

    0 topics

  • The Copyright Act, 1957

    0 topics

  • The Patents Act, 1970andThe Designs Act, 2000

    0 topics

Law - II15 chapters · 9 trackable topics

  • The Transfer of Property Act, 1882

    0 topics

  • The Indian Contract Act, 1872

    0 topics

  • The Sale of Goods Act, 1930

    0 topics

  • The Indian Partnership Act, 1932

    0 topics

  • The Specific Relief Act, 1963

    0 topics

  • Arbitration Law

    1 topics

    • The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996

  • Personal Laws

    8 topics

    • The Indian Succession Act, 1925
    • The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
    • The Special Marriage Act, 1954
    • The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956
    • The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890
    • The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019
    • The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986
    • The Divorce Act, 1869

  • The Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act (DRT Act), 1993

    0 topics

  • The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (SARFAESI Act), 2002

    0 topics

  • The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

    0 topics

  • The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

    0 topics

  • The Payment of Wages Act, 1936

    0 topics

  • The Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923

    0 topics

  • The Minimum Wages Act, 1948

    0 topics

  • The Factories Act, 1948

    0 topics

Law - III11 chapters · 0 trackable topics

  • The Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

    0 topics

  • The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

    0 topics

  • The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam,2023

    0 topics

  • The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

    0 topics

  • The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012

    0 topics

  • The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015

    0 topics

  • The Information Technology Act, 2000

    0 topics

  • The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

    0 topics

  • The Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002

    0 topics

  • The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

    0 topics

  • The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961

    0 topics

Official source"DELHI HIGHER JUDICIAL SERVICE EXAMINATION - 2026 / INSTRUCTIONS" issued by the Registrar General, High Court of Delhi — PART-II clause II "SYLLABUS OF PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION" (pages 7-8) and clause V, the "MAINS EXAMINATION (WRITTEN)" four-paper table (pages 8-9) ↗
Important dates

2026 cycle

Latest confirmed cycle has concluded

Preliminary Exam Date: 2026-07-26

Concluded

Next examination date has not yet been published in StudyBddy's verified official record. The date above is historical—not an upcoming deadline.

Full published timeline3 completed · 0 awaiting dates⌄

Preliminary Exam Date

Completed

2026-07-26

Online Application Closes

Completed

2026-07-15

Online Application Opens

Completed

2026-07-01

Official sourceJob Openings page of the High Court of Delhi, carrying the dated Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination-2026 notices, read with the advertisement itself and with the recruitment pages of the Punjab and Haryana, Rajasthan and Madras High Courts ↗
Job profile & salary

Notes

This is one state's notification. Post, pay and vacancies in every other state are set by that state's own High Court advertisement and are different. HJS recruitment is at District Judge level, the senior tier of the district judiciary.

PostEmployerServicePay ScaleVacancies AdvertisedVacancy Break Up
Member of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service, by way of direct recruitmentHigh Court of DelhiDelhi Higher Judicial Service, governed by the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1970 as amended up to dateThe scale of pay of the members of Delhi Higher Judicial Service is (J-5) Rs.144840-194660.27Existing: 24 · Anticipated: 3 · Anticipated Until: 2027-06-30 · General: Existing: 14 · Anticipated: 3 · Total: 17 · Sc: Existing: 5 · Anticipated: Not stated · Total: 5 · Note: 03 out of 05 vacancies reserved for SC category are backlog vacancies. · St: Existing: 5 · Anticipated: Not stated · Total: 5 · Note: 04 out of 05 vacancies reserved for ST category are backlog vacancies. · Total: 27
Cutoffs
Official cutoff records have not been loaded yet.
Previous-year papers
AuthorityDescriptionIndex UrlSample Url
High Court of Madhya Pradesh, JabalpurThe High Court publishes Higher Judicial Service main examination question papers on its recruitment and results page, including the four papers of HJS Bar Main-2023 and of earlier direct recruitment cycles.Open ↗Open ↗
High Court of DelhiThe High Court's recruitment menu carries a 'Previous Years Question Papers' section alongside Job Openings and Recruitment Results.Open ↗Not stated
Books & study sources
Book recommendations have not been reviewed yet.
Official & trusted free resources
TitleUrlPublisher
High Court of Delhi - Job Openings (Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination-2026 notices)Open ↗High Court of Delhi
Advertisement for Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination-2026Open ↗High Court of Delhi
Instructions for Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination-2026 (pattern, syllabus, qualifying marks)Open ↗High Court of Delhi
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad - Recruitment notices (UPHJS)Open ↗High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
High Court of Madhya Pradesh - Recruitment and results (M.P.H.J.S. District Judge Entry Level)Open ↗High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur
Rajasthan High Court - Recruitment (District Judge Cadre)Open ↗Rajasthan High Court, Jodhpur
Rajasthan High Court - District Judge Cadre, 2024 noticesOpen ↗Rajasthan High Court, Jodhpur
Punjab and Haryana High Court - Recruitment of Judicial Officers (Punjab / Haryana Superior Judicial Service)Open ↗Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh
Punjab and Haryana High Court - Archive of judicial officer recruitmentsOpen ↗Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh
Madras High Court - Recruitment portal (District Judge Entry Level, Tamil Nadu State Judicial Service)Open ↗Madras High Court
How to apply
Open official application page
  1. 1Decide which state's Higher Judicial Service you want to enter. There is no common application and no common form.
  2. 2Open that state High Court's own recruitment or job openings page - the conductingBodies list in the overview gives the pages that were reachable when this record was written.
  3. 3Find the current advertisement for Higher Judicial Service, Superior Judicial Service or District Judge (Entry Level) direct recruitment from the Bar, and read its qualifications clause and its instructions document before anything else.
  4. 4Check the years of practice and the age band on the last date of receipt of applications, because that date - not the exam date - is the cut-off in the notifications read here.
  5. 5Apply online in the format that High Court prescribes and pay its fee through the channel it names.
  6. 6Track the same page for the admit card, answer key and result notices; each High Court publishes these on its own site.
  7. 7Worked example - Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination-2026: applications were online only, in the prescribed format, through the official website of the High Court of Delhi. The fee was Rs.2,000 for General Category candidates and Rs.500 for reserved category candidates, paid by Debit Card, Credit Card, Internet Banking or UPI. Candidates could print the application form for their own reference and were told not to send the printout to the High Court. The online application form had to be filled in English language only.
FAQs
Is there one national HJS exam I can apply for?

No. HJS means Higher Judicial Service, the District Judge level of a state's judiciary, and each High Court advertises and conducts its own examination for its own state under that state's rules. When this record was written, the High Court of Delhi was running the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination-2026, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had declared the final result of the Punjab/Haryana Superior Judicial Service Examination 2025-26, and the Rajasthan High Court's District Judge Cadre 2024 recruitment had reached the interview stage. Three different states, three different examinations, three different calendars.

I have just finished my LL.B. Can I sit for HJS?

Not on the notifications read here. The Delhi advertisement requires an advocate to have been continuously practising for not less than seven years as on the last date of receipt of applications, and to have attained the age of 35 years and not attained the age of 45 years on that date. HJS is the District Judge tier. A fresh law graduate's entry point is the Civil Judge (Junior Division) examination in their own state.

What does the examination look like?

Every High Court notification reached here runs three successive stages - a Preliminary Examination, a Mains Examination (Written) and a viva-voce or interview. The numbers differ by state. In Delhi's 2026 cycle the Preliminary is a qualifying screening test of 150 objective questions for 150 marks in 2 hours with 25% negative marking; the Mains has four papers - General Knowledge & Language for 150 marks in 2 hours, and Law-I, Law-II and Law-III for 200 marks each in 3 hours each; and the viva-voce carries 250 marks. Preliminary marks are not counted in the final merit.

Is the exam called the same thing everywhere?

No, and the name is a common source of confusion. It is the Higher Judicial Service in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh; the Superior Judicial Service in Punjab and in Haryana, both recruited by the Punjab and Haryana High Court; the District Judge Cadre in Rajasthan; and District Judge (Entry Level) in Madhya Pradesh and in the Tamil Nadu State Judicial Service. Search your High Court's site for the District Judge post rather than for the letters HJS.

Is there a route for serving judicial officers?

Yes, and it is separate from the direct recruitment from the Bar. The Allahabad High Court's notices distinguish Direct Recruitment from LDCE for UPHJS. The Madhya Pradesh High Court runs a Limited Competitive Examination under Rule 5(1)(b) and a Suitability Test under Rule 5(1)(a) of its Higher Judicial Service Rules, 2017, alongside direct recruitment from the Bar. The Rajasthan High Court runs a Limited Competitive Examination in the Cadre of District Judge alongside direct recruitment.

Where do I find my own state's notification?

On your own High Court's website, under Recruitment or Job Openings. There is no central portal that aggregates every state's HJS notification, and this record deliberately does not invent one. The overview lists the High Court pages that were reachable when it was written; several other High Courts, including Bombay, Karnataka, Calcutta, Patna, Gujarat, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Kerala, also recruit their own judicial officers, but their pages could not be reached here so nothing is claimed about them.

Final eligibility and dates are always subject to the latest official notification. Content marked “Pending verification” is not presented as verified advice.