MP Civil Judge Exam: Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility and Age Limit (Junior Division, Entry Level)

The Madhya Pradesh High Court recruits Civil Judges through the Civil Judge, Junior Division (Entry Level) exam, and the last cycle, the 2022 exam advertised in November 2023, ended with 47 candidates selected on 12 November 2025. No new advertisement has been issued as of October 2026. The exam has a 150-question online prelims, four 100-mark mains papers including a full judgment-writing paper, and a 50-mark interview. This guide sets out the pattern and syllabus from the last official advertisement.

Last cycle: Exam 2022

The gap between mains and the final result was caused by litigation over the eligibility rule introduced in 2023, which went up to the Supreme Court. The post carries pay level J-1, Rs 77,840 to 1,36,520.

Eligibility

The practice and merit condition

In June 2023 MP amended its rules to require either 3 years of continuous practice, or an “outstanding” LL.B. record (all exams passed at the first attempt with at least 70 percent, or 50 percent for SC and ST). The Supreme Court declined to interfere with that rule in 2024. Since then, the Supreme Court’s August 2026 judgment in Bhumika Trust has set a national position: advertisements issued by 31 March 2027 are open to all law graduates, and later ones require one year of certified practice. MP’s next advertisement will have to follow this, so check its eligibility clause closely. See the practice rule after Bhumika Trust.

Age (2022 cycle)

21 to 35 years as on 1 January 2024, with 3 years’ relaxation for SC, ST, OBC and persons with disabilities, and up to 38 years for government servants. A one-time relaxation of 1 year was given because no exam was advertised in 2022. Candidates from outside MP are treated as unreserved.

Language

Papers are set in Hindi and English. You may answer the mains in either language, but must use one language throughout.

Service bond

Selected candidates must execute a bond of Rs 10 lakh to serve for at least 5 years.

Exam pattern

Online preliminary exam (screening)

• 150 multiple-choice questions, 150 marks, 120 minutes, bilingual.
• No negative marking was stated in the 2022 advertisement.
• Up to 10 times the posts are called for mains. Prelims marks do not count in the merit.

Mains: 4 papers, 100 marks each, 3 hours each

Interview: 50 marks

Up to three times the posts are called. The final merit is out of 450 (mains 400 plus interview 50). Minimum qualifying marks in each stage are set in the advertisement; they were changed for the last cycle and may change again, so check the next advertisement.

Prelims syllabus (2022 advertisement)

Questions may be based on Supreme Court and MP High Court Full Bench judgments.

New criminal laws

The 2022 advertisement was issued in November 2023, before the BNS, BNSS and BSA came into force on 1 July 2024, so it lists the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act. The next advertisement is expected to move to the new laws. Prepare the new laws as the main text, and keep the old section numbers alongside.

Mains syllabus highlights

• Paper I: Constitution, CPC, Transfer of Property Act, Contract Act, Specific Relief Act and Limitation Act.
• Paper III: criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence, the NI Act (Chapters 13 and 17), the MP Land Revenue Code, 1959 and the MP Accommodation Control Act, 1961.
• Candidates are also expected to know the MP Civil Courts Act, 1958, the MP Civil Court Rules, 1961 and the MP Rules and Orders (Criminal).

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

• High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Advertisement for Civil Judge Junior Division (Entry Level) Exam 2022, dated 17 November 2023
• High Court of Madhya Pradesh, interview schedule and final result notice for Civil Judge Exam 2022 (12 November 2025)
• Supreme Court of India, Garima Khare v. High Court of Madhya Pradesh (order of 26 April 2024), as reported by LiveLaw
• Supreme Court of India, Bhumika Trust v. Union of India, judgment of 21 August 2026

Last checked: 24 October 2026.