Judiciary prelims constitution MCQ questions in State civil judge exams come from a short list of areas: Articles 14 to 22, the writ powers under Articles 32 and 226, the basic structure doctrine, the Article 21 cases since Maneka Gandhi (1978) and the Constitution’s own chapter on subordinate courts, Articles 233 to 237. This page gives a quick-reference table and 12 original MCQs with answers, framed the way PCS (J) papers frame them.
| Point | Position |
|---|---|
| Chapter on subordinate courts | Part VI, Chapter VI: Articles 233 to 237 |
| Appointment of district judges | Article 233: the Governor, in consultation with the High Court |
| Control over subordinate courts | Article 235: vested in the High Court |
| Writ jurisdiction | Article 32 (Supreme Court, fundamental rights); Article 226 (High Courts, fundamental rights and “any other purpose”) |
| Basic structure | Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) |
| Article 21 test | Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978): procedure must be just, fair and reasonable |
| Negative marking | Differs by State; read your advertisement |
Judiciary prelims constitution MCQ: Q1 to Q6
Q1. Under Article 233, district judges in a State are appointed by:
- The President, after consulting the Chief Justice of India
- The Governor, in consultation with the High Court
- The Chief Minister, on the advice of the State Public Service Commission
- The Chief Justice of the High Court alone
Show answer
Answer: B. Article 233(1) gives the power to the Governor, in consultation with the High Court.
Q2. A person not already in the service of the Union or the State can be appointed a district judge under Article 233(2) if he has been an advocate or pleader for not less than:
- Three years
- Five years
- Seven years
- Ten years
Show answer
Answer: C. Seven years, and he must also be recommended by the High Court.
Q3. Control over district courts and courts below them, including posting and promotion of judicial officers below the rank of district judge, is vested in the High Court by:
- Article 227
- Article 233
- Article 235
- Article 236
Show answer
Answer: C. Article 235. Article 227 is a different power: superintendence over all courts and tribunals in the High Court’s territory.
Q4. Which Article allows a High Court to issue writs “for any other purpose”, beyond enforcing fundamental rights?
- Article 32
- Article 226
- Article 227
- Article 228
Show answer
Answer: B. Article 226(1). Article 32 is confined to enforcement of fundamental rights.
Q5. Protection against being compelled to be a witness against oneself is guaranteed by:
- Article 20(1)
- Article 20(2)
- Article 20(3)
- Article 22(1)
Show answer
Answer: C. Article 20(3). Article 20(1) bars retrospective penal laws and Article 20(2) bars double jeopardy.
Q6. Today the right to property is:
- A fundamental right under Article 19(1)(f)
- A fundamental right under Article 31
- A constitutional right under Article 300A
- Only a statutory right
Show answer
Answer: C. The 44th Amendment (1978) removed it from the fundamental rights and placed it in Article 300A: no person can be deprived of property “save by authority of law”.
Practise this in exam conditions. The Judiciary and AIBE Pack gives you 300 AIBE MCQs with explanations, 30 judiciary mains model answers, the Supreme Court judgments digest and the new criminal laws guide in one set. Judiciary and AIBE Pack, ₹499. For leading Supreme Court rulings alone, take the Landmark Judgments Digest, ₹199.
Constitution MCQ for civil judge exam: Q7 to Q12
Q7. Which decision held that laws placed in the Ninth Schedule after 24 April 1973 can be tested against the basic structure?
- Golak Nath v. State of Punjab
- Minerva Mills v. Union of India
- I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007)
- Shankari Prasad v. Union of India
Show answer
Answer: C. 24 April 1973 is the date of Kesavananda Bharati. Coelho made later Ninth Schedule laws reviewable.
Q8. After Maneka Gandhi (1978), “procedure established by law” in Article 21 means a procedure that is:
- Merely enacted by the legislature
- Just, fair and reasonable, read with Articles 14 and 19
- Identical to the American due process clause
- Prescribed only in the Code of Criminal Procedure
Show answer
Answer: B. The Court rejected the narrow reading of A.K. Gopalan (1950).
Q9. Article 21A guarantees free and compulsory education to children aged:
- 3 to 6
- 6 to 14
- 6 to 18
- 14 to 18
Show answer
Answer: B. Inserted by the 86th Amendment (2002) and given effect by the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
Q10. In S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994), the Supreme Court held that a proclamation under Article 356 is:
- Beyond judicial review
- Subject to judicial review
- Valid only with the consent of the Governor
- Valid for any period the President chooses
Show answer
Answer: B. The Court also treated secularism as part of the basic structure.
Q11. The President is bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, though he may ask it to reconsider once, under:
- Article 53
- Article 74(1)
- Article 75(3)
- Article 78
Show answer
Answer: B. Article 74(1), as amended by the 42nd and 44th Amendments.
Q12. An ordinance promulgated by the Governor under Article 213 ceases to operate, unless disapproved earlier, at the expiry of:
- Six weeks from the reassembly of the Legislature
- Six months from promulgation
- Fourteen days from promulgation
- One year from promulgation
Show answer
Answer: A. Article 213(2)(a). The Presidential ordinance under Article 123 follows the same six-week rule.
How to use these MCQs in judiciary prelims preparation
- Learn Article and case together. Examiners pair them: Article 21 with Maneka Gandhi, Article 356 with Bommai, Article 368 with Kesavananda.
- Mark the near-misses. Article 32 versus 226, Article 227 versus 235, Article 20(1) versus 20(2) are the classic traps.
- Revise amendments by number. The 42nd, 44th, 86th and 103rd Amendments produce many questions.
- Keep a mistakes sheet with one line per error and read it before each mock.
Constitution questions in mains are descriptive, so pair this practice with answer writing. The Judiciary Mains Model Answers (Criminal Law), ₹249 shows the structure on BNS, BNSS and BSA questions.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most asked judiciary prelims constitution MCQ topics?
Fundamental rights (especially Articles 14, 19, 20, 21 and 22), writ jurisdiction under Articles 32 and 226, the basic structure doctrine, the President and Governor’s powers including ordinances, emergency provisions and the Articles on subordinate courts, 233 to 237.
Which Articles deal with the appointment of civil judges and district judges?
Article 233 covers district judges. Article 234 covers recruitment of persons other than district judges to the judicial service, by the Governor under rules made after consulting the State Public Service Commission and the High Court. Article 235 gives the High Court control over the subordinate judiciary.
Do I need to remember case years for judiciary prelims?
Yes for the landmark cases. Questions on chronological order or on the year of a decision appear in several State papers, so learn the year with the ratio in one line.
Is the Constitution also tested in judiciary mains?
Generally yes, in descriptive form inside the law papers, although the exact paper structure differs by State. Check the syllabus in your State’s latest advertisement.
Quick quiz
Q1. The doctrine of eclipse, under which a pre-Constitution law inconsistent with a fundamental right is dormant and not dead, was applied in:
- Bhikaji Narain Dhakras v. State of M.P. (1955)
- Maneka Gandhi (1978)
- Bommai (1994)
- Puttaswamy (2017)
Show answer
Answer: A. The law revives if the inconsistency is removed.
Q2. Article 22(2) requires an arrested person to be produced before the nearest Magistrate within:
- 12 hours
- 24 hours, excluding journey time
- 48 hours
- 72 hours
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 58 BNSS repeats the rule.
Q3. Fundamental duties (Article 51A) were added by:
- The 24th Amendment
- The 42nd Amendment
- The 44th Amendment
- The 73rd Amendment
Show answer
Answer: B. The 42nd Amendment, 1976. Clause (k) was added later by the 86th Amendment.
Sources
- Constitution of India, Articles 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 21A, 22, 32, 51A, 74, 123, 213, 226, 227, 233 to 237, 300A, 356
- Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973); Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978); S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994); I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007)
- Bhikaji Narain Dhakras v. State of Madhya Pradesh (1955)
- Constitution (42nd, 44th and 86th Amendment) Acts; Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, s.58
This page is for education and general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Law as on 29 October 2026.
Useful books for this topic
- Bare acts of the new criminal laws (BNS, BNSS, BSA)
- Code of Civil Procedure bare act
- Legal drafting and conveyancing books
- Constitution of India (coat pocket edition)
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