JPTJudiciary Prep Tool
Andhra Pradesh State Judicial Service · ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్

Andhra Pradesh Civil Judge 2026: pattern, syllabus and eligibility

The High Court of Andhra Pradesh is recruiting 119 Civil Judges (Junior Division). A computer-based screening test shortlists you; two law papers and a 50-mark viva decide your rank. Everything below is from the official notification.

Applications open: 01.10.2026 to 26.10.2026 (11:59 pm)Apply online only, at aphc.gov.in. The screening test date will be notified; hall tickets come about a week before it.
119posts: 96 direct recruitment, 23 by transfer
250marks decide your rank (Papers I + II + viva)
2 hrsscreening test, 100 questions, 40% to qualify
₹77,840start of the pay scale (to ₹1,36,520)
Start a free APCJ mockAP notes

Checked against High Court of Andhra Pradesh Notification No. 118/2026-RC dated 25.09.2026, on 16 October 2026. Always confirm with aphc.gov.in.

Fresh graduates can apply this year
  • The notification makes law graduates who obtained their degree in the year preceding the notification date eligible, citing the Supreme Court's judgment in Bhumika Trust v. Union of India (W.P.(C) No. 1110/2025, 21.08.2026) and pending amendments to the AP rules.
  • If selected, you are a Trainee Judicial Officer: one year of training at the Judicial Academy, then one year of law clerkship (six months under a District Judge, six months under a High Court Judge), at half the Civil Judge pay. Regular pay starts after a satisfactory evaluation.
  • Both the IPC/CrPC/Evidence Act and the BNS/BNSS/BSA are in the syllabus, so study both with the section mapping.
Selection process

Screening test, written exam, viva: only two count for rank

STAGE 1

Screening test

100Shortlisting only
  • 100 multiple-choice questions, computer-based
  • 2 hours
  • 40% to qualify; shortlisted up to 10× the vacancies
  • No negative marking is mentioned in the notification
STAGE 2

Written exam

200Papers I and II count
  • Paper I Civil Laws, Paper II Criminal Laws: 100 marks, 3 hours each
  • Paper III English (translation and essay): qualifying only
  • Answer in English, except the translation
STAGE 3

Viva-voce

50Counts for rank
  • Called in a 1:3 ratio to vacancies in each category
  • Absence means disqualification

Final merit = Paper I (100) + Paper II (100) + Viva-voce (50) = 250 marks. Screening test and Paper III marks are not counted.

Minimum marks

CategoryPapers I and II (each)Written aggregateWritten + viva, for selection
Open competition, EWS55%60%60%
Backward Classes50%55%55%
SC, ST, persons with benchmark disabilities45%50%50%
Recruitment by transfer55%60%60%

Screening test: 40% for everyone. Paper III: 40% in each part (translation, essay). Ties go to the older candidate, then higher qualification, then higher marks in that qualification.

Eligibility

Can you apply?

Direct recruitment (96 posts)

  • Law graduates who obtained their degree in the year preceding the notification date.
  • Indian citizen, of good character and free of any infirmity that makes you unfit.
  • Not for people already in Government of India or State service.
  • Disqualified if dismissed or removed from service, convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude, debarred by a High Court or Public Service Commission, or caught copying in the exam.

Recruitment by transfer (23 posts)

  • Law degree, and a confirmed member or approved probationer in an eligible post.
  • Eligible posts include High Court staff (Section Officers, Court Masters, Assistants, Typists and others), district judiciary staff, Assistant and Additional Public Prosecutors, and Section Officers in the Law and Legislature Departments.
  • No pending disciplinary charges or punishment.

Age limits (as on 01.09.2026)

ApplicantMust not have completed
Direct recruitment: general35 years
Direct recruitment: SC, ST, BC, EWS40 years (35 + 5)
Direct recruitment: persons with benchmark disabilities45 years (35 + 10)
Recruitment by transfer48 years

Service in the Defence forces is not counted towards age for direct recruitment. BC applicants need a 2025 or 2026 non-creamy-layer certificate, and EWS applicants a 2025 or 2026 certificate showing family income below ₹8,00,000, or they are treated as open category.

Vacancies

Direct recruitmentPostsFor women
Open competition3913
EWS93
BC Group A72
BC Group B103
BC Group C1–
BC Group D62
BC Group E41
SC Group I1–
SC Group II72
SC Group III62
ST62
Total96

Of the open competition posts, four are for persons with benchmark disabilities (one each for blindness or low vision; deaf and hard of hearing; locomotor disability; autism, intellectual disability, mental illness and multiple disabilities). Recruitment by transfer: 23 posts (open 18, SC Group I 1, SC Group III 1, ST 3). Selection against the BC-E vacancy is subject to the Supreme Court's decision in Civil Appeal Nos. 2628–2637/2010.

Syllabus

Syllabus for the screening test and written exam

Civil laws · Paper I

  • The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
  • The Indian Contract Act, 1872
  • The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
  • The Hindu Succession Act, 1956
  • The Indian Easements Act, 1882
  • The Specific Relief Act, 1963
  • The Limitation Act, 1963
  • The Transfer of Property Act, 1882
  • The Civil Rules of Practice
  • The Registration Act, 1908 and the Indian Stamp Act, 1899
  • The A.P. Land Encroachment Act, 1905 AP law
  • The Indian Evidence Act, 1872
  • The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023

Criminal laws · Paper II

  • The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
  • The Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
  • The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
  • The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
  • The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
  • The Criminal Rules of Practice
  • The A.P. Excise Act, 1968 AP law
  • The A.P. Gaming Act, 1974 AP law
  • The A.P. Forest Act, 1967 AP law
  • The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
  • The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
  • The Information Technology Act, 2000
  • The POCSO Act, 2012

English · Paper III (qualifying)

  • Part I (40 marks): translation from English to తెలుగు Telugu and from Telugu to English
  • Part II (60 marks): essay writing on legal subjects
The Andhra Pradesh edge

Where AP differs from other states

High cut-offs in the written exam

Open category candidates need 55% in each law paper and 60% overall just to reach the viva. Write full, structured answers to every question rather than aiming to scrape through.

Four AP local Acts plus Rules of Practice

Land Encroachment, Excise, Gaming and Forest Acts, and the Civil and Criminal Rules of Practice, are short and high-yield. Learn their key sections and offences.

Old and new codes side by side

The syllabus lists IPC with BNS, CrPC with BNSS and the Evidence Act with BSA. Expect questions that test the mapping between them.

Telugu translation still matters

Paper III doesn't count for rank, but you must score 40% in translation and in the essay, or your law papers won't take you to the viva.

Important dates

2026 timeline

25.09.2026Notification issued
01.10.2026Online applications open
26.10.2026Last date to apply (11:59 pm)
To be notifiedScreening test (computer based); hall tickets about one week before
Within a week of the testQuestion paper and preliminary key published for objections

Fees and centres

CategoryApplication and exam fee
Open category, EWS, BC₹1,500
SC, ST (communities recognised in AP), persons with benchmark disabilities₹750

Paid online. Fees are not refunded, even if an application is rejected or the notification is cancelled.

Screening test centres (choose three in order of preference)

GunturKurnoolRajahmundryTirupatiVijayawadaVisakhapatnam
Practise on JPT

Prepare for APCJ

APCJ mocksTimed, computer-based like the screening test, with subject-wise scores. Chapter-wise notesCentral Acts now; AP local Acts are being added. Current affairsJudgments and amendments linked to the sections they change. PlansStart free. Every Pro feature is free during launch.

Quick answers

Is there negative marking in the AP Civil Judge screening test?

The notification does not mention any negative marking for the screening test. Check the hall ticket instructions when they are published.

Do screening test marks count in the final AP merit list?

No. The screening test only shortlists candidates. Final merit is Paper I and Paper II of the written exam (200 marks) plus the viva-voce (50 marks). Paper III is qualifying only.

Can fresh law graduates apply for AP Civil Judge 2026?

Yes. Under Notification 118/2026, law graduates who obtained their degree in the year preceding the notification date are eligible, citing the Supreme Court's judgment in Bhumika Trust v. Union of India (21.08.2026). Selected candidates do one year of Judicial Academy training and one year of law clerkship before regular appointment.

What is the age limit for AP Civil Judge (Junior Division)?

For direct recruitment, candidates must not have completed 35 years on 01.09.2026, relaxed by 5 years for SC, ST, BC and EWS and by 10 years for persons with benchmark disabilities. Recruitment by transfer has a limit of 48 years.

Which Andhra Pradesh local laws are in the syllabus?

The A.P. Land Encroachment Act, 1905, the A.P. Excise Act, 1968, the A.P. Gaming Act, 1974, the A.P. Forest Act, 1967, and the Civil and Criminal Rules of Practice.

Applications close on 26 October.

Start practising for the screening test today. No sign-up needed.

Start a free mock
Sources
  1. High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati, Notification No. 118/2026-RC dated 25.09.2026: Civil Judge (Junior Division). aphc.gov.in
  2. Bhumika Trust v. Union of India, W.P.(C) No. 1110/2025, 2026 INSC 904 (Supreme Court of India, 21 August 2026), as cited in the notification.

JPT is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with the High Court of Andhra Pradesh.