In order for law graduates to be appointed as members of the subordinate judiciary, they must pass the PCS (J)-Provincial Civil Service-Judicial Examination, which is the entry-level exam for selected members of the provincial civil service. Each state government appoints its members under the supervision of its high court.
Read this blog to know about the PCS (J) Exam, its eligibility criteria, exam pattern, application process etc.
Full Form | Provincial Civil Service – Judicial Examination |
2023 Exam Dates | To be announced |
Mode of exam | Offline |
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PCS (J) Exam 2023 Eligibility Criteria
Exams are offered at two levels, with the following requirements and age criteria:
Lower Judiciary Services
Fresh graduates apply through a state public service commission exam (UP, MP, Rajasthan, etc.) or high court exam (Delhi). These exams include law subjects in addition to general knowledge, English, and the local language of the state. The syllabus can be found on the website of the commissions. The advantage of entering through this route is that you will be able to secure employment early on in your career and be rewarded with time-based promotions
Qualification:
- Candidates must hold an LL.B. degree.
- A candidate must have been enrolled or qualified to be enrolled as an Advocate under the Advocates’ Act of 1961
Experience: It is open to candidates without experience as well as students in their final year of study.
Age: The age limit varies from 21 to 35 depending on the state.
Nationality: The candidate must be an Indian citizen.
Higher Judiciary Services
Qualification:
- An LLB degree from a recognized institution is required.
Experience: Candidate must have a minimum of seven years of litigating experience.
Age: The candidate should be between 21 and 35 years old.
Nationality: Applicants must be Indian citizens.
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PCS (J) Exam 2023 Important Dates
Events | Exam Dates |
Pre Exam Date | To be announced |
Mains Exam Date | To be announced |
Interview Schedule | To be announced |
PCS (J) Exam Application Process 2023
To apply for the 2023 Judiciary exams in India, candidates can follow the following steps.
- Each state’s official website will have the form.
- Enter your email and password on the ‘New Candidate Registration’ page
- The online application must be filled out
- Scan the photograph and upload it
- Scan and upload the signature
- Your application needs to be submitted.
- For future reference, print out the application form.
Note: Please read the instructions carefully before filling out the application.
PCS (J) Exam Pattern 2023
Exams for the Judicial Services are divided into three phases:
- The preliminary examination
- The mains examination
- An interview
Preliminary Examination
On the exam, you will be asked objective-type questions. Only candidates who pass this exam will be able to appear for the main examination. In the final selection process, candidates’ marks in this section are not taken into account.
Minimum qualifying percentages by category:
Category | Qualifying percentage |
General | 60% |
Reserved categories | 55% |
Mains Examination
Examinees are required to answer subjective questions in this section. It usually consists of three or four papers. It is important to note that the final selection process takes into account these scores.
Personal Interview
The final step in the selection process is this. This is the time when candidates’ interest in the position, their intelligence, and their personalities are assessed.
PCS (J) Exam Syllabus 2023
Each state has a different syllabus for the judiciary exam. Broadly speaking, it consists of
- Civil law
- Criminal Law
- Language paper
Language papers are given a weightage of 20% to 35%. Law constitutes almost 70% of the questions in the main examination, which consists of six to seven papers.
How to Study for the PCS (J) Exam?
If you are interested in becoming a judge, you have to be motivated, consistent, and follow a proper preparation strategy.
- The syllabus is vast, so starting your preparation early is a good idea.
- Plan your study schedule carefully and follow it.
- Keep the state-specific syllabus in mind when planning each day’s activities.
- Each subject should be given at least 2 hours. Try to study four subjects per day, depending on your convenience.
- A preparation reverse is an essential first step to starting civil judge exam preparation. Preparing for the Mains will automatically prepare you for the prelims as well.
- Answer as many of the previous year’s questions as you can.
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Job Opportunities Through Judicial Services
For those who aim to serve the public with high social standing, the Judicial Services Exam is an excellent choice. Besides offering a comfortable compensation package, it provides a secure and safe career path.
As part of the Judicial Services Examination, there will be a variety of posts available, such as:
- Magistrate
- District and Sessions Judge
- Sub-Magistrate
- Public Prosecutor
- Attorney General
- Solicitors
- Advocate General
- Notary
- Oath Commissioner
FAQs
For the judiciary exam, all states in India have the same eligibility criteria.
Annually, nearly 50,000-60,000 candidates apply for judiciary exams.
It is estimated that less than 15% to 20% of the applicants will be qualified every year.
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