AP JCJ Exam Pattern 2026: Screening Test, Mains Papers and Qualifying Marks

Sep 26

3 min read

Aravind Rao’s Judicial Academy | Hyderabad

Notification No. 118/2026-RC follows the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial (Service and Cadre) Rules, 2026. There is no separate prelims syllabus and mains syllabus. One list of Acts is used for the screening test and the written examination.

Stage 1 — Screening test (CBT)

100 multiple-choice questions, 100 marks, 2 hours, English.
Minimum 40% to be considered for shortlisting.
Shortlist in the ratio of 1:10 against vacancies, category-wise. Ties at the cut-off are all called.
Marks in the screening test do not enter the final merit list.

Hall tickets issue about one week before the test. Question paper and preliminary key are published within one week, for objections. Date is still to be notified on aphc.gov.in.

Stage 2 — Written examination (three papers)

Paper-I Civil Laws — 100 marks, 3 hours.
Paper-II Criminal Laws — 100 marks, 3 hours.
Paper-III English (Translation and Essay Writing) — 100 marks, 3 hours.
Answers in English except the translation test.

Paper-III is split into Part-I Translation (40 marks) — English to Telugu and Telugu to English — and Part-II Legal Essay (60 marks). Candidates must secure 40% in each part. Paper-III marks are not counted for viva eligibility or for merit. Absence from any written paper is elimination.

What sits on each law paper (2026 list)

Civil: CPC 1908, Contract Act 1872, Hindu Marriage Act 1955, Hindu Succession Act 1956, Easements Act 1882, Specific Relief Act 1963, Limitation Act 1963, Transfer of Property Act 1882, Civil Rules of Practice, Registration Act 1908 and Stamp Act 1899, A.P. Land Encroachment Act 1905, Evidence Act 1872, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023.

Criminal: CrPC 1973, Evidence Act 1872, IPC 1860, BNSS 2023, BSA 2023, BNS 2023, Negotiable Instruments Act 1881, PWDVA 2005, Criminal Rules of Practice, A.P. Excise Act 1968, A.P. Gaming Act 1974, JJ Act 2015, FSSA 2006, IT Act 2000, POCSO 2012, A.P. Forest Act 1967.

AP therefore writes both the old codes and the new codes. Telangana’s last written syllabus (ROC 87/2024-RC / 2025 cycle) still names IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act and adds State / special Acts that AP does not list. If you write both States, keep two statute stacks.

Qualifying marks to reach viva — Direct Recruitment

OC / EWS: not less than 55% in Paper-I and in Paper-II, and not less than 60% in the aggregate of those two papers.
BC: not less than 50% in each of Paper-I and Paper-II, and not less than 55% in aggregate.
SC / ST / PwBD: not less than 45% in each, and not less than 50% in aggregate.

Qualifying marks to reach viva — Recruitment by Transfer

OC / BC: 55% in each of Paper-I and Paper-II, 60% aggregate.
SC / ST: 45% in each, 50% aggregate.

Stage 3 — Viva-voce

50 marks.
Called in the ratio of 1:3 of vacancies, category-wise, after the written result.
Absence from viva is disqualification.
Final ranking: Paper-I + Paper-II + viva. Paper-III stays out.
On a tie in written + viva, the older candidate is preferred; then higher educational qualification; then higher marks in the prescribed educational qualification.

Selection after viva (written + viva combined)

OC / EWS: 60%.
BC (direct): 55% (the notification cites K. Shravan Raju and Shaik Nishad Naaz, 2021 SCC OnLine AP 3025).
SC / ST / PwBD (direct) and SC / ST (transfer): 50%.

How to use this pattern in study

Screening is a filter. Do not build a year of work around MCQ tricks. Build Paper-I and Paper-II answers, then use MCQs as revision. Translation and the legal essay are gates: 40% in each part of Paper-III is enough to stay in, and extra marks there do not raise rank. Viva is 50 marks on a 250-mark merit total — enough to reorder a list, not enough to rescue a weak written paper.

Related: AP JCJ 2026 notification; AP JCJ syllabus 2026; AP vs Telangana JCJ syllabus comparison.