Bihar Judiciary 2026 (33rd BJSE): 173 Posts, Exam Status, Pattern, Syllabus and Eligibility

BPSC advertised 173 Civil Judge (Junior Division) posts in the 33rd Bihar Judicial Services Competitive Examination on 23 February 2026, but the preliminary exam fixed for 3 June 2026 was postponed and no new date has been announced. The postponement followed a Supreme Court interim order in the case on the practice requirement for judicial service. That case was decided on 21 August 2026, and the judgment says advertisements issued after May 2025, like this one, are to follow its new eligibility directions. Here is where things stand, and the full pattern and syllabus so you can keep preparing.

Current status (as of 24 October 2026)

The Supreme Court gave states and High Courts three months from 21 August 2026 to amend their rules. Expect BPSC to issue a revised notice on eligibility and the prelims date after that. Keep an eye on bpsc.bihar.gov.in.

Vacancies: 173 posts

Women have 35 percent horizontal reservation, and 2 posts are reserved for orthopaedically disabled candidates. Reservation benefits are available only to Bihar domiciles; candidates from other states can apply in the unreserved category.

Eligibility

Practice: what the advertisement said, and what has changed

The advertisement required at least 3 years of practice as an advocate on 23 February 2026, following the Supreme Court’s May 2025 ruling. On 21 August 2026, in Bhumika Trust v. Union of India, the Court modified that ruling. For advertisements issued after the May 2025 judgment and up to 31 March 2027, every law graduate may apply and is deemed to have one year of practice, and the Court said advertisements already issued are to be governed by these directions. Selected candidates then undergo one year of academy training and one year of clerkship. BPSC has not yet announced how it will apply this to Advertisement 12/2026, for example whether it will reopen applications. Read our full explainer: the practice rule after Bhumika Trust.

Other conditions in the advertisement

• Degree: a law degree from a university or institution recognised by the Bar Council of India.
• Age: over 22 years on 1 August 2025, and under 35 years on 1 August 2022. The upper limit is 40 years for reserved categories, women and disabled candidates. Note the two different reckoning dates.
• Attempts: candidates outside the reserved categories (and other than women and disabled candidates) get a maximum of 5 attempts.
• Fee: Rs 100.

Exam pattern

Preliminary exam (objective, qualifying)

• Minimum qualifying marks: 45 percent (unreserved), 40 percent (reserved).
• Up to 10 times the vacancies are called for mains. Prelims marks do not count in the final merit.
• Under BPSC’s notice of 1 May 2026 for its MCQ exams, each question has five options, with option E meaning “not attempted”. A question left completely blank costs one-third of a mark, so always mark an option, including E.

Mains (descriptive, 3 hours per paper)

The five optional papers are: Constitutional and Administrative Law; Hindu Law and Muhammadan Law; Transfer of Property and Principles of Equity, including Trusts and Specific Relief; Contracts and Torts; and Commercial Law. The two language papers are qualifying only, so the papers that count total 850 marks.

Interview

100 marks, with candidates called at three times the vacancies. The qualifying mark is 35 percent. The final merit is mains plus interview.

Syllabus highlights

• Law of Evidence and Procedure now covers the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the CPC, the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and the Provincial Small Cause Courts Act, 1887, under the 2026 amendment to the Bihar rules quoted in the advertisement. Older syllabus copies still list the Evidence Act and CrPC; follow the advertisement.
• Constitutional Law: the whole Constitution, Articles 1 to 395 and the Schedules. Administrative Law: delegated legislation, natural justice, judicial review, writs, PIL, tortious liability of the State, promissory estoppel, legitimate expectation and proportionality.
• Hindu and Muslim law: marriage, adoption, joint family and partition, succession, wills and gifts, endowments, waqf, dower, pre-emption and guardianship.
• Commercial Law: sale of goods, negotiable instruments, company law and partnership.
• General Hindi: matriculation level, with essay, syntax and grammar.

How to use the waiting time

• Learn the new criminal laws thoroughly. They are now named in the Evidence and Procedure paper.
• Choose your three optional papers now, and start writing answers for mains while prelims is pending.
• Build a General Science and General Knowledge base; both count in mains.

Prepare with Lexfolio

Every state paper now tests the new criminal laws alongside, or in place of, the old codes. Our New Criminal Laws Guide maps the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act to the BNS, BNSS and BSA section by section, and the judiciary packs add model answers and judgment digests for mains. Read the practice rule after Bhumika Trust to check whether you can apply in the next cycle.

Sources

• Bihar Public Service Commission, Advertisement No. 12/2026 (33rd Bihar Judicial Services Competitive Examination), 23 February 2026
• BPSC notices of 18 March 2026 (extension), 13 May 2026 (exam programme), 25 May 2026 (postponement) and 1 May 2026 (five-option answer sheets)
• BPSC syllabus for the Judicial Services Examination
• Supreme Court of India, Bhumika Trust v. Union of India, W.P.(C) 1110/2025, judgment of 21 August 2026

Last checked: 24 October 2026.