| Conducting body | Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Civil Judge |
| Qualification | A degree in law recognised by the Bar Council of India, held by the last date of application. |
| Age limit | 22–35 years on 5 January 2025 (last date of the 2024 application) (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Preliminary exam: three objective law papers (screening) → Main exam: five written papers (candidates up to 20 times the vacancies) → Viva-voce of 150 marks |
| Latest notification | Advertisement No. 31/12-2024: H.P. Judicial Service Competitive Examination-2024 · 21 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About HP Civil Judge (HPJS)
HPPSC holds the H.P. Judicial Service exam to recruit Civil Judges for the state's subordinate courts. The 2024 advertisement (No. 31/12-2024) was for 21 posts in pay Level J-1 (Rs. 77,840 to 1,36,520), including anticipated vacancies. Selection runs through a law-only prelim, a five-paper main exam and a viva-voce.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 22–35 years, counted on 5 January 2025 (last date of the 2024 application).
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 3 years
- ST: 3 years
- 3 years for SC, ST and OBC candidates of Himachal Pradesh; no age relaxation for other reserved categories
Qualification
A degree in law recognised by the Bar Council of India, held by the last date of application.
Other conditions
- Knowledge of the customs, manners and dialects of Himachal Pradesh is a desirable qualification.
Selection process
- Preliminary exam: three objective law papers (screening)
- Main exam: five written papers (candidates up to 20 times the vacancies)
- Viva-voce of 150 marks
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam
Mode: Objective MCQ, all three papers on one day · Duration: 1 hour per paper · Negative marking: None
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Law I | 50 | 100 |
| Civil Law II | 50 | 100 |
| Criminal Law | 50 | 100 |
Main exam
Mode: Descriptive · Duration: 3 hours per paper
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Paper I: Civil Law I | 200 |
| Paper II: Civil Law II | 200 |
| Paper III: Criminal Law | 200 |
| Paper IV: English composition (essay and Hindi to English translation) | 150 |
| Paper V: Hindi (translation and essay) | 100 |
Viva-voce
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Interview | 150 |
HP Civil Judge (HPJS) syllabus
Civil Law I
- Code of Civil Procedure
- Indian Evidence Act
- Indian Stamp Act
- Himachal Pradesh Courts Act, 1976
- Specific Relief Act
Civil Law II
- Indian Contract Act
- Hindu Law
- Indian Limitation Act
- Transfer of Property Act
- H.P. Urban Rent Control Act
Criminal Law
- Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code
- Sections 138 to 143 of the Negotiable Instruments Act
- H.P. Excise Act, 2011
- Wild Life Protection Act and Indian Forest Act
- Module on judicial sensitivity to sexual offences, including POCSO, the Juvenile Justice Act, the Domestic Violence Act, the PCPNDT Act and the POSH Act
English and Hindi
- Essay in English on one of three general topics
- Translation of a Hindi passage into English
- Translation of an English passage into Hindi
- Essay in Hindi
What they ask
The prelim is three one-hour papers of 50 questions each, with 2 marks a question and no negative marking. Its syllabus is the same as the three law papers of the main exam. The main exam adds an English composition paper and a Hindi paper, and the Criminal Law paper includes a module on judicial sensitivity in sexual offence cases. The viva-voce carries 150 marks.
How to prepare
- Read the bare Acts for the state laws in the syllabus: the H.P. Courts Act, the H.P. Urban Rent Control Act and the H.P. Excise Act.
- Answer every prelim question you can make a reasoned guess on; the advertisement says there is no negative marking.
- Prepare the sexual offences sensitivity module as a separate topic with Supreme Court guidelines on bail and the listed Acts.
- Practise Hindi to English and English to Hindi translation of legal passages, since the two language papers carry 250 marks together.
Practise HP Civil Judge (HPJS) syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Previous papers and answer keys
HP Civil Judge (HPJS) FAQs
22 to 35 years on the last date of application (5 January 2025 for the 2024 exam). SC, ST and OBC candidates of Himachal Pradesh get 3 more years.
Sources
- HPPSC Advertisement No. 31/12-2024, H.P. Judicial Service Competitive Examination-2024 ↗ (official, checked )
- HPPSC advertisements list ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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