Judiciary prelims criminal law MCQ practice now means BNS, BNSS and BSA questions, usually with the old IPC, CrPC or Evidence Act number as a distractor. The three new codes came into force on 1 July 2024: the BNS has 358 sections, the BNSS 531 and the BSA 170. This page gives a high-yield section table and 15 original MCQs with answers and one-line reasons, set the way State judicial service prelims ask them.
| Point | Position |
|---|---|
| Codes tested | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), all from 1 July 2024 |
| Size | BNS 358 sections in 20 chapters; BNSS 531 sections; BSA 170 sections |
| Typical question types | Section number, ingredient of an offence, exception, time limit, old to new mapping |
| Negative marking | Varies by State; Delhi Judicial Service prelims deducts 25% per wrong answer |
| Prelims marks in final merit | Usually screening only (for example UP PCS (J) and DJS); check your advertisement |
| Pending cases | Offences before 1 July 2024 still run under IPC and CrPC, so old numbers stay relevant |
High-yield sections for judiciary prelims criminal law MCQ
| Topic | Old law | New law |
|---|---|---|
| Common intention | IPC 34 | BNS 3(5) |
| Child under seven; unsound mind | IPC 82, 84 | BNS 20, 22 |
| Private defence (begins) | IPC 96 | BNS 34 |
| Attempt; criminal conspiracy | IPC 511, 120B | BNS 62, 61(2) |
| Murder defined; punished; mob lynching | IPC 300, 302; none | BNS 101, 103(1), 103(2) |
| Dowry death; cruelty by husband | IPC 304B, 498A | BNS 80, 85 (cruelty defined in 86) |
| Organised crime; terrorist act; snatching | None | BNS 111, 113, 304 |
| FIR; zero FIR | CrPC 154 | BNSS 173 |
| Police custody remand | CrPC 167 | BNSS 187 |
| Anticipatory bail; undertrial release | CrPC 438, 436A | BNSS 482, 479 |
| Confession to police; discovery proviso | IEA 25, 26, 27 | BSA 23 |
| Dying declaration; electronic record certificate | IEA 32(1), 65B | BSA 26(a), 63 |
BNS MCQ for judiciary (Q1 to Q6)
Q1. Common intention, earlier Section 34 IPC, is now found in:
- Section 34 BNS
- Section 3(5) BNS
- Section 61 BNS
- Section 190 BNS
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 3(5) BNS. Section 34 BNS now begins private defence.
Q2. Murder by a group of five or more on the ground of race, caste, community, sex, place of birth, language or personal belief is punished under:
- Section 101 BNS
- Section 103(1) BNS
- Section 103(2) BNS
- Section 111 BNS
Show answer
Answer: C. Section 103(2) is the new mob lynching provision; each member is liable to death or life imprisonment and fine.
Q3. Which of these is NOT among the offences for which the BNS provides community service as a punishment?
- Petty theft under Section 303(2) by a first offender, property below ₹5,000, returned
- Defamation under Section 356(2)
- Snatching under Section 304
- Drunken misconduct in public under Section 355
Show answer
Answer: C. Community service, a new punishment under Section 4(f), applies to six offences: ss.202, 209, 226, 303(2), 355 and 356(2). Snatching carries imprisonment up to 3 years and fine.
Q4. Ravi obtains sexual intercourse with Meena on a promise of marriage he never meant to keep. The specific BNS provision is:
- Section 63
- Section 64
- Section 69
- Section 85
Show answer
Answer: C. Section 69 BNS (sexual intercourse by deceitful means, including a false promise of marriage or employment) carries up to 10 years and fine.
Q5. The general offence of attempt to commit suicide (Section 309 IPC):
- Is retained as Section 226 BNS without change
- Is dropped; Section 226 BNS covers only an attempt made to compel or restrain a public servant
- Is now Section 62 BNS
- Is punishable with community service in every case
Show answer
Answer: B. The BNS has no general attempt-to-suicide offence. Section 226 targets attempts aimed at compelling or restraining a public servant’s lawful duty.
Q6. Under Section 41 BNS, private defence of property extends to causing death in house-breaking committed:
- By night
- After sunset and before sunrise
- Between 10 pm and 6 am
- At any time
Show answer
Answer: B. The BNS replaced “by night” in old Section 103 IPC with “after sunset and before sunrise”.
Practise this in exam conditions. The Judiciary and AIBE Pack gives you 300 explained MCQs, 30 judiciary mains model answers on BNS, BNSS and BSA, the Supreme Court judgments digest and the new criminal laws guide in one set. Judiciary and AIBE Pack, ₹499. If you only need the conversion tables, take the New Criminal Laws Guide, ₹149.
BNSS MCQ (Q7 to Q10)
Q7. An e-FIR given by electronic communication is taken on record once the informant signs it within:
- 24 hours
- Three days
- Seven days
- Fourteen days
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 173(1)(ii) BNSS: three days.
Q8. For an offence punishable with 3 years or more but less than 7 years, a preliminary enquiry before registering an FIR must be completed within:
- 7 days
- 14 days
- 30 days
- No time limit
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 173(3) BNSS: 14 days, with permission of an officer not below the rank of DSP.
Q9. Under Section 187 BNSS, police custody of up to 15 days:
- Must be taken only in the first 15 days after arrest
- May be taken in whole or in parts during the first 40 or 60 days of the detention period
- Is abolished
- Needs Sessions Court approval
Show answer
Answer: B. This is the key change from Section 167 CrPC.
Q10. A first-time undertrial may be released on bond under Section 479 BNSS after serving:
- One-half of the maximum sentence
- One-third of the maximum sentence
- One-fourth of the maximum sentence
- Two years in every case
Show answer
Answer: B. One-third for first-time offenders; otherwise one-half, as under old Section 436A CrPC.
BSA MCQ (Q11 and Q12)
Q11. The rule that a confession to a police officer cannot be proved against the accused, and the proviso on discovery of a fact, are now in:
- Section 22 BSA
- Section 23 BSA
- Section 26 BSA
- Section 63 BSA
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 23 BSA merges old Evidence Act Sections 25, 26 and 27.
Q12. The presumption as to dowry death, earlier Section 113B of the Evidence Act, is now:
- Section 117 BSA
- Section 118 BSA
- Section 119 BSA
- Section 120 BSA
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 118 BSA. Section 117 is the presumption on abetment of suicide by a married woman (old 113A).
How to use these MCQs in judiciary prelims preparation
- Learn in pairs. Every new section with its old number. Examiners put the old number as option A and the new one as option C.
- Mark the traps. BNS 34 (private defence, not common intention), BNSS 144 (maintenance, not prohibitory orders, which are now 163), BSA 23 (confessions).
- Use negative marking sensibly. Where a State deducts marks, answer when you can eliminate two options; leave pure guesses.
- Keep a mistakes sheet of one-line rules and revise it before each mock.
For mains, the same sections must be argued, not just recognised. The Judiciary Mains Model Answers (Criminal Law), ₹249 gives 30 original model answers, 15 theory and 15 problem, with old IPC references.
Frequently asked questions
Are judiciary prelims criminal law MCQ questions now only on BNS?
No. Most current papers set questions on the BNS, BNSS and BSA, but trials for offences committed before 1 July 2024 continue under the IPC and CrPC. Learn both numbers for each important provision.
How many sections are there in the BNS, BNSS and BSA?
The BNS has 358 sections in 20 chapters, the BNSS 531 and the BSA 170. The IPC had 511, the CrPC 484 and the Evidence Act 167.
Which BNSS sections are most asked in judiciary prelims?
Section 173 (FIR, zero FIR, e-FIR, preliminary enquiry), Section 35 (arrest and notice of appearance), Section 187 (police custody), Sections 478 to 483 (bail) and Section 356 (trial in absentia of a proclaimed offender) are the core.
Is there negative marking in judiciary prelims?
It depends on the State. Delhi Judicial Service prelims, for example, deducts 25% of the marks for each wrong answer. Check your current advertisement.
Quick quiz
Q1. Maintenance of wives, children and parents (old Section 125 CrPC) is now:
- Section 125 BNSS
- Section 144 BNSS
- Section 163 BNSS
- Section 187 BNSS
Show answer
Answer: B. Section 144 BNSS; prohibitory orders (old 144 CrPC) moved to Section 163.
Q2. For an offence punishable with 7 years or more, Section 176(3) BNSS requires:
- A Magistrate’s visit
- A forensic expert’s visit to the crime scene, with videography
- A DSP’s prior sanction
- Transfer to the CBI
Show answer
Answer: B. Forensic experts must visit the scene to collect evidence, and the process is videographed.
Q3. The certificate for admitting an electronic record (old Section 65B) is now required under:
- Section 61 BSA
- Section 62 BSA
- Section 63 BSA
- Section 39 BSA
Show answer
Answer: C. Section 63 BSA, with the certificate format in the Schedule (Parts A and B).
Sources
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, ss.3(5), 4(f), 20, 22, 34, 41, 61, 62, 63, 69, 80, 85, 86, 101, 103, 111, 113, 226, 304
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, ss.35, 144, 163, 173, 176(3), 187, 356, 478 to 483
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, ss.22, 23, 26, 63, 117, 118
- Indian Penal Code, 1860; Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973; Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (for corresponding old sections)
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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