AIBE XXII Bare Acts: What You Can Carry and Which Acts to Take (2026)

For AIBE XXII on 29 November 2026 you can carry printed Bare Acts that contain only the text of the law, without notes, comments or commentary. Everything else, including guides, handwritten notes and annotated editions, stays outside the hall. The rule has been in force since AIBE XVI in 2021, when the Bar Council of India notified that no books, notes or study material would be allowed and that candidates could carry only Bare Acts without notes. This guide tells you exactly which Acts to pack for each of the 19 subjects and how to avoid losing them at the gate.

The rule in one line

Plain Bare Acts in, everything else out. The BCI does not cap the number of Bare Acts, so the limit is practical: how much you can carry and how fast you can find a section in a 3.5 hour paper with 100 questions.

What is allowed and what is not

The grey zone: highlighting, tabs and photocopies

This is where most confiscations happen. Different coaching sources say different things about highlighting, sticky tabs and photocopied Acts, because the decision is made by the invigilator at your centre, not by a fixed list. The safe course is simple:

• Carry clean, published editions. Do not write in them.
• Do not stick paper tabs or flags. If you want speed, learn the page ranges instead (see the drill below).
• Avoid photocopies and printouts where you can. A bound publisher’s edition is the hardest copy to object to.
• Check the cover. Editions marked “with short notes” or “with comments” are the ones most often refused.

When the AIBE XXII examination guidelines are released with the admit card on 14 November 2026, read the permitted-material clause once more. If it differs from this page, the official guideline governs.

Subject-wise list: which Bare Acts to carry

AIBE tests 19 subjects. You do not need a separate book for every one of them. Carry the Acts where section numbers and exact wording decide the answer, and rely on memory for subjects that are mostly concepts.

Old codes or new Sanhitas?

Questions in recent papers have used the new criminal laws, and some still refer to the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act by their old section numbers. If you can, carry editions of the BNS, BNSS and BSA that print the corresponding old section alongside the new one as part of the published text. Do not carry a separate printed comparison chart: a loose chart looks like notes and is likely to be taken away.

The 10-minute drill that makes Bare Acts useful

A Bare Act helps only if you can reach a section in under a minute. Most candidates cannot, which is why the open-book advantage is smaller than it looks. From now until the exam, do this once a day:

1. Pick five sections at random from a mock test explanation.
2. Time yourself finding each one in your exam copy, without any tabs.
3. Note the rough page range of every Part or Chapter you keep returning to.
4. By exam day you should know, for example, roughly where Fundamental Rights, the Directive Principles and the emergency provisions sit in your copy of the Constitution.

Then set a rule for the paper itself: if a question would take more than a minute of searching, mark your best answer and move on. There is no negative marking in AIBE, so no question should be left blank.

Packing checklist for 29 November

• Printed admit card (released 14 November 2026)
• Original photo ID
• Pens as instructed on the admit card
• Bare Acts from the must-carry and high rows above, clean and unmarked
• Nothing else: leave your phone, watch and bag outside the centre

FAQs

Is AIBE still an open-book exam?

Partly. Since AIBE XVI the BCI allows only Bare Acts without notes. Books, guides and notes are no longer permitted, so it is better described as a Bare Act-permitted exam.

How many Bare Acts can I carry?

There is no fixed number. Carry what you can use quickly; the must-carry list above is enough for most of the paper.

Can I carry a Bare Act with short notes?

Do not risk it. Notes and comments are what the rule excludes, and such editions are the ones most often refused at the gate.

Can I underline or highlight sections?

Sources disagree and the invigilator decides. Clean copies are the only option that carries no risk.

Practise with your Bare Acts open

The fastest way to learn your Bare Acts is to sit a timed paper with them on the desk. Lexfolio’s AIBE XXII mock tests give five full papers with explanations that cite the exact section, so every wrong answer becomes a lookup drill. For dates, syllabus and passing marks, see the AIBE XXII 2026 complete guide, and for practice questions from earlier papers, try the 50 solved AIBE previous year MCQs.

Sources

• Bar Council of India, AIBE XXII schedule announced 18 July 2026 (exam on 29 November 2026; admit card from 14 November 2026)
• Bar Council of India notification for AIBE XVI (2021) restricting permitted material to Bare Acts without notes
• AIBE Examination Guidelines for AIBE XXI, official AIBE portal

Last checked: 24 October 2026.