TARGET FOR IQ
JUDICIARY • PRELIMS • MAINS • VIVA-VOCE
DELHI JUDICIARY
COMPLETE EXAMINATION GUIDE
Delhi Judicial Service (DJS) | 2026–27 Preparation Edition
UPDATED RULES • 09 FEB 2026 | REVIEWED • 21 OCT 2026 |
Eligibility • Vacancy Status • Prelims Pattern • All Four Mains Papers • Interview • Previous Recruitment • Study Plan • Frequently Asked Questions
Important 2026 legal and recruitment update This guide covers the entry-level Delhi Judicial Service (DJS), not the separate Delhi Higher Judicial Service (DHJS). A fresh DJS recruitment advertisement and vacancy count could not be verified on the official portal as at 21 October 2026; do not treat older vacancies or exam dates as current. ALSO IMPORTANT: the Supreme Court judgment dated 21 August 2026 modified the three-year practice eligibility stated in the earlier February 2026 DJS Rules. The applicable date-based position is explained in Section 3. [1, 3, 4, 9, 10] |
Particular | Official / verified information |
Conducting authority | High Court of Delhi |
Exam / service | Delhi Judicial Service Examination (DJS) |
Recruitment level | Civil Judge (Junior Division) / Judicial Magistrate of the First Class |
Governing law | Delhi Judicial Service Rules (09 February 2026 text), read with binding Supreme Court directions (21 August 2026) |
Experience: notices through 31 March 2027 | Law graduates eligible without prior three-year practice, subject to other criteria |
Selection process | Preliminary Examination → Mains Written Examination → Viva-Voce |
Preliminary Examination | One objective screening paper • 200 marks • 25% negative marking |
Mains Written Examination | Four descriptive papers • total 850 marks |
Viva-Voce | 150 marks; included in final ranking |
Final merit basis | Mains (850) + Viva-Voce (150) = 1,000 marks |
Entry-level basic pay scale | ₹77,840–₹1,36,520 (J-1 scale under the Rules) |
Latest DJS advertisement status | A new 2026 DJS recruitment advertisement was not verified as of 21 October 2026 |
Official website | delhihighcourt.nic.in |
The Delhi Judicial Service Examination recruits for the subordinate judiciary in Delhi. It tests statutory knowledge, legal interpretation, reasoning, written legal analysis, language skills and suitability for judicial office. Use the amended February 2026 Rules for the examination scheme and subjects, but read the eligibility provisions alongside the Supreme Court directions issued on 21 August 2026. [1, 2, 10]
Item | Status / historical reference |
2026–27 DJS recruitment notification | Not verified on the official DJS recruitment listings reviewed on 21 October 2026 |
2026–27 DJS vacancies | To be announced in a separate official DJS advertisement |
Online application dates and fee | To be announced; do not reuse the application window or fee from 2023 |
Prelims / Mains / Viva-Voce dates | To be announced for the next DJS cycle |
Last verified open DJS recruitment advertisement | Delhi Judicial Service Examination – 2023; 53 advertised vacancies (historical) |
Previous DJS Preliminary Examination | 17 December 2023 (historical) |
2023 Prelims revised shortlist | Notice dated 21 March 2024 (historical) |
2023 examination final result | Published on 04 March 2025 (historical) |
Separate recruitment to avoid confusion | Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination – 2026 was advertised on 01 July 2026; it is not DJS |
How to check whether a new recruitment has started Open the Delhi High Court website → Public Notices → Recruitment → Job Openings. Confirm that the heading explicitly says “Delhi Judicial Service Examination” (DJS). A “Delhi Higher Judicial Service” (DHJS) notice must not be treated as a notification for Civil Judge (Junior Division). [3, 4, 9] |
Recruitment notification / advertisement issued | Governing practice requirement |
After 20 May 2025 and up to 31 March 2027 (transitional period) | All law graduates may apply notwithstanding the earlier three-year practice rule, subject to other applicable eligibility conditions. A separate practice certificate is NOT required for the one-year period deemed under the judgment. [10] |
On or after 01 April 2027 | At least ONE YEAR of actual practice in District Courts is required, supported by a verified Certificate of Practice under the mechanism prescribed by the High Courts. [10] |
Older DJS Rules text dated 09 February 2026 | Rule 14 stated not less than three years as an advocate. This is historical wording for comparison and is NOT the standalone test for notifications falling under the later Supreme Court directions. [1, 10] |
Which rule applies if DJS is advertised in late 2026? For a Delhi Civil Judge (Junior Division) recruitment advertisement issued during the Supreme Court transitional window ending on 31 March 2027, law graduates are eligible to apply without showing three years of prior practice. Other notified conditions—including age, recognised legal qualification, reservation and supporting documents—must still be satisfied. [10] |
Under paragraphs 73 and 74 of the Supreme Court judgment, both transitional and post-transitional selections have a structured training requirement BEFORE regular independent judicial posting. [10]
Stage | Court-directed requirement |
Year 1 | One year of intensive training at the relevant Judicial Academy as a Trainee Judicial Officer. |
Next 6 months | Law Clerkship under a Principal District/District and Sessions Judge or a member of the Higher Judicial Service. |
Final 6 months | Law Clerkship under a sitting Judge of the relevant High Court; satisfactory assessment before regular judicial posting. |
Trainee emoluments | During Academy training and Law Clerkship, the fixed emolument prescribed by the Court is equivalent to one-half of the remuneration payable to a Judicial Magistrate First Class; regular scale applies upon satisfactory induction into regular service. |
Under Rule 14 of the published Delhi Rules, the base maximum age is 32 years on 1 January of the year in which applications for appointment are invited. The next recruitment advertisement, relevant amendments and governing legal directions control category-specific age relaxations. The 21 August 2026 judgment changed practice eligibility, not the base age wording quoted here. [1, 10]
Condition | Details |
Base maximum age | 32 years under published Rule 14 |
Relevant reference date | 1 January of the year applications are invited |
Age relaxation | Only as specified in the actual recruitment notice / governing orders |
Law graduates without prior practice | Eligible in the transitional recruitment window ending 31 March 2027, subject to other requirements [10] |
The current examination scheme specifies qualifying thresholds for the general category and reserved categories identified as SC, ST and eligible categories of persons with disabilities. The next official vacancy advertisement will control actual category-wise vacancies, age concessions, certificate formats and other benefits. Do not import OBC/EWS assumptions from unrelated recruitments. [1]
Remember the qualifying vs selection distinction A minimum qualifying percentage is not the same as a guaranteed selection or cut-off. Vacancy-based shortlisting can make the actual effective cut-off higher. [1] |
Component | Details |
Mode | Objective / multiple-choice screening paper |
Maximum marks | 200 |
Negative marking | 25% of the marks assigned to an incorrect response; for a 1-mark question, deduction is 0.25 |
General category minimum | 60% = 120/200 |
Specified reserved category minimum | 55% = 110/200 (SC/ST and eligible PwD categories under the scheme) |
Shortlisting cap | Ordinarily not more than ten times advertised vacancies in each category; tied candidates at the boundary are also included |
Prelims marks in final ranking | Excluded; qualifying / screening purpose only |
Exam duration | Not prescribed in the 2026 Rules Appendix; confirm from the next examination notice |
Questions may test general legal knowledge, legal aptitude, power of expression, flair in English, and objective legal problems with solutions. The following legal subjects are expressly listed in the 2026 Appendix. [1]
Important 2026 syllabus update Both the legacy criminal laws and their new counterparts are specifically mentioned in the official syllabus where listed (IPC/BNS, CrPC/BNSS and Evidence Act/BSA). Do not prepare the new criminal laws alone and assume that the older provisions have been removed. [1] |
Mains Paper | Maximum marks |
Paper I: General Legal Knowledge & Language | 250 |
Paper II: Civil Law I | 200 |
Paper III: Civil Law II | 200 |
Paper IV: Criminal Law | 200 |
TOTAL MAINS | 850 |
The Mains Examination is descriptive and demands legal reasoning, clear issue framing, accurate use of statutory provisions, application to facts, and structured conclusions. The following subject lists follow the February 2026 Appendix. [1]
Section I: General Legal Knowledge — 100 marks
Current legal affairs, developments in legislation and judicial decisions, and other general legal-knowledge issues. This is not a prescribed list of individual news topics; candidates should connect important legal events with constitutional and statutory concepts.
Section II: Language — 150 marks
The official Rules warn that poor expression, faulty grammar and misuse of words can lead to deduction of marks. While this guide is written entirely in English, Hindi-to-English and English-to-Hindi translation remain part of the actual exam. [1]
Study emphasis: offer and acceptance, free consent, breach and remedies; sale and passing of property; transfers, mortgages and leases; specific performance and injunctions; personal-law problem questions; tortious liability; rent-control provisions and the statutory framework of Delhi local bodies. These are preparation themes, not additional subjects inserted into the official list.
Study emphasis: pleadings, jurisdiction, interim relief, execution, appeal, review and revision; admissibility and evidentiary presumptions; limitation periods; registration and its legal effects; arbitration agreements and awards; and foundations of trade mark/copyright rights and remedies.
Study emphasis: offences and defences, criminal procedure stages, bail and remand, trial, appreciation of evidence, presumptions and burden of proof, domestic violence remedies, cheque dishonour, workplace harassment process and juvenile justice principles.
Category group | Each written paper | Mains aggregate |
General | At least 40% | At least 50% of 850 = 425 |
Specified reserved (SC / ST / eligible PwD) | At least 35% | At least 45% of 850 = 382.5 |
Candidates meeting the minimum written-paper and aggregate thresholds are considered for shortlisting to the Viva-Voce. Ordinarily, not more than three times the number of advertised vacancies in each category are called; candidates tied with the last shortlisted candidate may also be included. The formal requirement is the combination of qualifying scores AND the shortlisting process. [1]
Component | Rule / interpretation |
Maximum interview marks | 150 |
Minimum for general category | 50% = 75/150 |
Minimum for specified reserved categories | 45% = 67.5/150 |
Role in final selection | Added to Mains Written marks |
Total final merit marks | 1,000 |
Areas to prepare for the interview
These suggested themes are preparation guidance; the Rules prescribe the Viva-Voce marks and qualifying thresholds but do not publish a fixed question bank. [1]
Issue | What the 2026 Rules provide |
Final merit formula | Mains 850 + Viva-Voce 150 = 1,000; Prelims excluded |
Junior Division pay scale | J-1: ₹77,840–₹1,36,520; applicable allowances governed by service rules |
Mandatory training after selection | One year of Judicial Academy training PLUS one year of structured Law Clerkship under the Supreme Court directions dated 21 August 2026 [10] |
Trainee pay before regular posting | Fixed emoluments equivalent to half the remuneration of a Judicial Magistrate First Class, during Academy training and clerkship [10] |
Probation | Two years; possible extension subject to the Rules (not more than three years in all) |
Joining | Ordinarily within one month of appointment notification, subject to legally permitted extensions |
Prohibition on re-evaluation | The Appendix states there is no re-evaluation of Prelims or Mains answer sheets |
No rounding off | Rounding-off of marks at any examination stage is not permitted |
Historical event | Verified detail |
Delhi Judicial Service Exam 2023 notification | Published 06 November 2023 |
Originally advertised vacancies | 53 in total (44 existing + 9 anticipated) |
Preliminary examination date | 17 December 2023 |
Revised prelims result / shortlist | 21 March 2024 |
Prelims marks after 2023 question deletion | Official revised shortlist displayed scores out of 195; this was specific to that cycle |
2023 recruitment final result | 04 March 2025 |
2023 final result score format | Mains out of 850 + Viva-Voce out of 150 = 1,000 |
About previous-year cut-offs The 2023 preliminary recruitment results were revised after disputes and question deletion; the court’s later shortlist displayed scores out of 195. It is misleading to publish a cut-off from an earlier, superseded result as the final 2023 cut-off or to compare it directly with an undisturbed 200-mark paper. Consult the official revised shortlist and the final result rather than relying on predicted category cut-offs. [6, 7] |
The Delhi High Court hosts authentic DJS Prelims and Mains papers for the 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018 and 2017 cycles. Use these papers to understand the judicial-service style of questions, legal problem-solving and expected depth. [5]
Priority | Recommended sequence |
Core foundations | Constitution, CPC, Contract, Evidence Act/BSA, CrPC/BNSS, IPC/BNS |
Civil-law expansion | Transfer of Property, Specific Relief, Limitation, Sale of Goods, personal laws |
Delhi and special laws | Delhi Rent Control, NDMC, DMC, Commercial Courts, LLP, Arbitration, Registration |
Remaining statutes | NI Act, PWDVA, workplace harassment, JJ Act, POCSO, trade marks, copyright |
Language + current law | Daily English grammar/essay/precis/translation + weekly legal-current-affairs notes |
Tests | Prelims MCQ sets + four-paper Mains answer-writing rotation + PYQs |
Phase | Targets |
Weeks 1–4: Core laws | Build Bare Act notes; cover Constitution, Contract, CPC, IPC/BNS, CrPC/BNSS, Evidence/BSA. Write two answers a week. |
Weeks 5–8: Civil laws | TPA, Specific Relief, Sale of Goods, personal laws, limitation, registration; start local Delhi laws and weekly Mains mini-tests. |
Weeks 9–12: Special statutes | Delhi Rent Control, NDMC, DMC, LLP, Arbitration, Commercial Courts, IP statutes; finish remaining criminal/special Acts. |
Weeks 13–16: PYQ consolidation | Topic-wise Prelims practice, one full mock weekly; Mains answer-writing 4 days/week, plus essays and translations. |
Weeks 17–20: Exam simulation | Frequent timed Prelims mocks, review of error notebook, Mains four-paper practice and current case-law summaries. |
Weeks 21–24: Revision | Three revision cycles; provisions and exceptions; full mock analysis; interview awareness and legal-current-affairs recap. |
Do not use the expired 2023 application link or assume that its application fee, last date, online-portal process, previous syllabus, or previous vacancy category break-up will apply unchanged in the next cycle.
Q1. Who conducts the Delhi Judicial Service Examination?
The High Court of Delhi conducts the competitive selection under the Delhi Judicial Service Rules.
Q2. Is Delhi Judiciary 2026 notification out?
During the 21 October 2026 official website review, a new advertisement for the entry-level Delhi Judicial Service Examination could not be verified. A separate Delhi Higher Judicial Service 2026 notice exists, but that is a different examination.
Q3. How many vacancies are there for DJS 2026?
A fresh DJS 2026 vacancy count was not verified. The 53 vacancies often cited online belonged to the 2023 DJS recruitment, not a newly announced 2026 recruitment.
Q4. How many stages are there in Delhi Judiciary?
Three assessment stages: Prelims, Mains Written and Viva-Voce. The rules describe Prelims and Mains as successive examination stages, followed by the interview.
Q5. What is the latest Delhi Judiciary Prelims pattern?
One 200-mark objective paper with 25% negative marking, with marks excluded from final merit.
Q6. What is the qualifying score in Prelims?
60% for the general category and 55% for the specified reserved categories, subject to category-wise shortlisting limits.
Q7. What is the Mains total?
850 marks across four papers: 250 + 200 + 200 + 200.
Q8. How many marks is the interview?
150 marks; Mains and Viva-Voce together contribute 1,000 merit marks.
Q9. Can fresh law graduates apply for Delhi Judiciary without three years of practice?
Yes, for entry-level judicial-service recruitment advertisements issued after 20 May 2025 and up to 31 March 2027, the Supreme Court allowed law graduates to apply without the earlier three-year practice requirement. Other eligibility conditions still apply. For notices issued on or after 01 April 2027, one year of certified actual District Court practice is required.
Q10. Is training compulsory after Delhi Judiciary selection?
Yes. Under the Supreme Court directions of 21 August 2026, trainees must complete one year at the Judicial Academy followed by six months of District/Higher Judicial Service clerkship and six months under a High Court Judge, with assessment before regular posting.
Q11. What is the age limit?
The base rule is not more than 32 years on 1 January of the year applications are invited; check the applicable relaxation provisions in the actual notice.
Q12. Are the BNS, BNSS and BSA in the Delhi Judiciary syllabus?
Yes. The 2026 amended Rules specifically include them together with legacy criminal law statutes where stated.
Q13. Is Hindi part of Delhi Judiciary Mains?
The official language paper involves English-to-Hindi and Hindi-to-English translation, although the exam guide and other paper preparation can be in English.
Q14. Are Delhi Judiciary and Delhi Higher Judiciary the same?
No. DJS is the entry-level subordinate judicial service; DHJS is a separate higher judicial service recruitment with different rules and qualifications.
Q15. Where can candidates find authentic previous papers?
On the Delhi High Court website under Previous Years Question Papers → Delhi Judicial Service.
Q16. Can a candidate request re-evaluation?
The February 2026 Appendix states that re-evaluation of Preliminary and Mains answer sheets is not available.
Q17. What is the salary scale?
The Rules show a Junior Division J-1 scale of ₹77,840–₹1,36,520, with applicable benefits governed by service rules.
The examination scheme and subject lists are taken from the Delhi High Court Rules dated 09 February 2026. Current entry-level practice eligibility and induction training are updated in light of the later Supreme Court ruling of 21 August 2026 (especially paragraphs 73–76). Prior recruitment information is explicitly labelled historical. [1, 10]
[1] Official Delhi Judicial Service Rules, 1970 (updated as on 09 February 2026), including Appendix: syllabus and scheme — Open official source
[2] High Court of Delhi: Delhi Judicial Service Rules document page — Open official source
[3] High Court of Delhi: Job Openings — Open official source
[4] High Court of Delhi: Job Openings Archive (2023 DJS advertisement) — Open official source
[5] High Court of Delhi: Previous Delhi Judicial Service Question Papers — Open official source
[6] High Court of Delhi: Revised 2023 DJS Preliminary shortlist (21 March 2024) — Open official source
[7] High Court of Delhi: Delhi Judicial Service 2023 final result (04 March 2025) — Open official source
[8] High Court of Delhi: Recruitment Results — Open official source
[9] High Court of Delhi: Separate Delhi Higher Judicial Service 2026 advertisement (not DJS) — Open official source
[10] Supreme Court of India: Bhumika Trust v. Union of India (21 August 2026), judgment on entry-level judicial service eligibility and training, paragraphs 73–76 — Open official source
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Editorial disclaimer This independently prepared Target for IQ guide is not an official recruitment notice. The High Court of Delhi’s new advertisement, latest amendments, corrigenda and binding Supreme Court orders prevail over summaries. In particular, the 21 August 2026 directions modify the earlier practice requirement appearing in the February 2026 Delhi Rules. Historical details from the 2023 cycle are not 2026–27 application instructions. [1, 10] |
