| Conducting body | Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Civil Judge (Junior Division) and Judicial Magistrate (First Class) |
| Qualification | A degree in law, plus either at least 3 years of practice as an advocate in the Bombay High Court or its subordinate courts (or 3 years as a public prosecutor or government advocate) as on 30 April 2026, or at least 3 years of service after the law degree as ministerial staff of the Bombay High Court, its subordinate courts, attached Government Pleader offices, or the legal section of the Law and Judiciary Department. |
| Age limit | 21–35 years on 30 April 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Preliminary exam (100 marks, screening only) → Main exam (200 marks) → Interview (50 marks) |
| Latest notification | Advt. No. 013/2026: Civil Judge Junior Division and Judicial Magistrate First Class Preliminary Examination 2024 · 286 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About MPSC Civil Judge JD JMFC
MPSC holds this exam to recruit entry-level judges for the district judiciary in Maharashtra. Advertisement No. 013/2026, which MPSC titles the Civil Judge JD and JMFC Preliminary Examination 2024, has 286 posts. Fresh law graduates cannot apply: you need three years at the Bar or as a prosecutor, or three years as court or law department staff after the law degree. A notice of 7 July 2026 reopened applications from 8 July until further Supreme Court orders and postponed the prelims; MPSC will announce the new date.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 21–35 years, counted on 30 April 2026.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 5 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 5 years
- Advocates, public prosecutors and government advocates: 21 to 35 for open, EWS and orphan candidates; up to 40 for backward class and divyang candidates
- Eligible ministerial staff: 21 to 45 for open, EWS and orphan candidates; up to 50 for backward class and divyang candidates
Qualification
A degree in law, plus either at least 3 years of practice as an advocate in the Bombay High Court or its subordinate courts (or 3 years as a public prosecutor or government advocate) as on 30 April 2026, or at least 3 years of service after the law degree as ministerial staff of the Bombay High Court, its subordinate courts, attached Government Pleader offices, or the legal section of the Law and Judiciary Department.
Other conditions
- You must speak, read and write Marathi well; the government rules allow an appointee without the required Marathi qualification two years to pass the Marathi exam
Selection process
- Preliminary exam (100 marks, screening only)
- Main exam (200 marks)
- Interview (50 marks)
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam
Mode: Objective multiple choice, English medium · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: One-fourth of the marks cut for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Law (13 subjects in the syllabus) | 100 |
Main exam
Mode: Descriptive, Marathi or English medium · Duration: 3 hours per paper
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Paper 1: CPC, Transfer of Property, Specific Relief, Contract, Sale of Goods and Partnership | 100 |
| Paper 2: criminal laws, evidence, SC/ST Atrocities and PCR Acts, legal essay | 100 |
MPSC Civil Judge JD JMFC syllabus
Preliminary exam
- Code of Criminal Procedure
- Civil Procedure Code
- Evidence Act
- Transfer of Property Act
- Specific Relief Act
- Maharashtra Rent Control Act
- Limitation Act
- Constitution of India
- Indian Penal Code
- Law of Contracts, Sale of Goods Act and Partnership Act
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
What they ask
The prelims is one English-medium objective paper on law: the procedure codes, property and contract statutes, the Constitution, and the older criminal laws alongside the three 2023 codes. It only filters candidates for the mains at about ten per post, and its marks do not count at the end. The two 100-mark mains papers are descriptive, and Paper 2 includes an essay of about 800 words on a current legal topic. To reach the interview you need at least 50 marks in each mains paper (45% for backward class and divyang candidates).
How to prepare
- Study the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act side by side with the BNS, BNSS and BSA, because the syllabus lists both sets.
- Give the Maharashtra Rent Control Act and the Limitation Act proper time; both are on the prelims list and are easy to leave for last.
- Read bare acts section by section for CPC and CrPC, since objective questions often turn on the exact provision.
- Practise an 800-word legal essay every week for mains Paper 2.
- Keep your practice certificate and service records ready early, as the 3-year experience is checked as on 30 April 2026.
Practise MPSC Civil Judge JD JMFC syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
MPSC Civil Judge JD JMFC FAQs
Not under Advertisement No. 013/2026. It asks for 3 years of practice or prosecutor service, or 3 years of eligible ministerial service after the law degree.
Sources
- MPSC advertisements list (Advt. No. 013/2026) ↗ (official, checked )
- Advt. No. 013/2026 PDF (MPSC download) ↗ (official, checked )
- Advt. No. 013/2026 notice of 7 July 2026: applications reopened, prelims postponed ↗ (official, checked )
- Civil Judge JD and JMFC scheme of examination (30 April 2026) ↗ (official, checked )
- Civil Judge JD and JMFC preliminary syllabus (6 February 2025) ↗ (official, checked )
- MPSC syllabus page ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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