AIBE Syllabus 2026: Subject-Wise Questions and Topics for AIBE XXII

The AIBE syllabus covers 19 law subjects across a single 100-question paper set by the Bar Council of India. For AIBE XXII, to be held on 29 November 2026, the BCI published the syllabus on 13 October 2026. It keeps the same subjects and question split as AIBE XXI, with criminal law subjects listing both the old codes and the new Bharatiya codes.

This page sets out every subject, the number of questions it carries, the topics worth covering and the order in which to study them. One point matters before you start. The official syllabus names subjects and question counts but does not publish a topic-wise list. The topic lists below are built from the bare acts and from questions asked in recent AIBE papers. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list.

Table of Contents

• AIBE Syllabus at a Glance

• Key Changes to Know

• High-Weight Subjects (8 to 10 Questions)

• Medium-Weight Subjects (3 to 5 Questions)

• Low-Weight Subjects (2 Questions)

• Old and New Criminal Code Section Map

• How AIBE Questions Are Framed

• Bare Acts to Carry for Each Subject

• How to Cover the AIBE Syllabus

AIBE Syllabus at a Glance

The full paper has 100 multiple-choice questions of 1 mark each, with no negative marking. The table below follows the official subject order for AIBE XXII.

Official syllabus and notices: https://www.allindiabarexamination.com/

Key Changes to Know

• Dual criminal codes: Since 2024, the syllabus pairs the IPC with the BNS, the CrPC with the BNSS and the Evidence Act with the BSA. Questions may quote either the old or the new section number, so learn both.

• No change in weightage: The AIBE XXII split matches AIBE XXI. Pages that still show a different count per subject are using an older syllabus.

• Withdrawn questions happen: In AIBE XX, five questions were withdrawn and the paper was marked out of 95. Ambiguity is usually in drafting, not in topic choice, so the syllabus stays reliable as a guide.

High-Weight Subjects (8 to 10 Questions)

Seven subjects carry 62 of the 100 questions. Cover these first and revise them twice.

Constitutional Law (10 questions)

• Preamble and basic structure: Kesavananda Bharati and the doctrine that followed.

• Fundamental Rights: Articles 12 to 35, with focus on Articles 14, 19, 21, 32 and the writs.

• Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties: Their relationship with Fundamental Rights.

• Union and State: President, Governor, Parliament, ordinance power, Centre-State relations and emergency provisions.

• Judiciary: Supreme Court and High Court jurisdiction, Article 226 and Article 136, and amendment under Article 368.

CrPC and BNSS (10 questions)

• Pre-trial stage: FIR, investigation, arrest, rights of the arrested person and police custody limits.

• Bail: Bailable and non-bailable offences, anticipatory bail and default bail.

• Trial procedure: Sessions, warrant and summons trials, summary trials and charge framing.

• Post-trial: Appeals, revision, inherent powers of the High Court and maintenance provisions.

Code of Civil Procedure (10 questions)

• Jurisdiction and bars: Res sub judice, res judicata and place of suing.

• Pleadings and parties: Plaint, written statement, set-off, counter-claim and amendment.

• Interim relief: Temporary injunctions, receivers and commissions.

• Decree to execution: Judgment, decree, execution, appeals, review, reference and revision.

• Limitation: Core periods under the Limitation Act often appear with CPC questions.

IPC and BNS (8 questions)

• General principles: General exceptions, private defence, abetment, criminal conspiracy and attempt.

• Offences against the body: Culpable homicide, murder, hurt and kidnapping.

• Offences against property: Theft, extortion, robbery, dacoity, cheating and criminal breach of trust.

• New provisions in BNS: Organised crime, terrorist act and community service as a punishment.

Evidence Act and BSA (8 questions)

• Relevancy: Res gestae, admissions, confessions and dying declarations.

• Proof: Burden of proof, presumptions and estoppel.

• Documents and electronic records: Primary and secondary evidence and the certificate for electronic evidence.

• Witnesses: Competency, privileged communications, examination-in-chief, cross-examination and leading questions.

Family Law (8 questions)

• Hindu law: Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act and Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act.

• Muslim law: Marriage, dower, divorce and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act.

• Secular statutes: Special Marriage Act and the Guardians and Wards Act.

Contract, Specific Relief, Property and Negotiable Instruments (8 questions)

• Contract Act: Offer, acceptance, consideration, void and voidable agreements, indemnity, guarantee, bailment and agency.

• Specific Relief Act: Specific performance and injunctions.

• Transfer of Property Act: Sale, mortgage, lease, gift and the doctrine of part performance.

• Negotiable Instruments Act: Section 138 cheque dishonour, holder in due course and presumptions.

Medium-Weight Subjects (3 to 5 Questions)

These seven subjects add 28 questions. Questions here are usually direct, so short notes and the bare act are enough.

Professional Ethics deserves more attention than its four questions suggest. It is specific to the AIBE, questions are predictable, and the BCI Rules are short enough to read in full.

Low-Weight Subjects (2 Questions)

Five subjects carry 2 questions each, 10 questions in total. Aim for the definitions, authorities and penalties in each Act rather than case law.

• Company Law: Incorporation, memorandum and articles, types of companies, directors and meetings under the Companies Act, 2013.

• Environmental Law: Environment Protection Act, Water and Air Acts, the National Green Tribunal and the polluter pays principle.

• Cyber Law: Information Technology Act offences, intermediary liability and electronic signatures.

• Land Acquisition Act: The 2013 Act on fair compensation, social impact assessment and rehabilitation.

• Intellectual Property Laws: Copyright, trademark and patent basics, terms of protection and infringement.

Old and New Criminal Code Section Map

Three criminal law subjects carry 26 questions together, and recent papers quote both the old and the new section numbers. A short section map saves time in the exam hall, because you can open the right bare act at the right page. The table below lists commonly tested provisions. Check each one in your own bare act before you rely on it.

Note the trap in the table: Section 482 means inherent powers under the CrPC but anticipatory bail under the BNSS. Read every question for the name of the code before you answer.

How AIBE Questions Are Framed

Knowing the subject list is only half the job. Recent AIBE papers use a small number of question styles again and again, and each style suits a different way of preparing.

• Section-number questions: "Which section of the CPC deals with res judicata?" These are the easiest marks in an open-book paper if you know where to look.

• Case-law questions: The name of a landmark judgment, and the principle it laid down. A bare act will not help here, so keep a one-page list of leading cases per subject.

• Definition and limit questions: Pecuniary limits of consumer commissions, limitation periods, or the meaning of a term such as "workman" or "industry".

• Short applied problems: A two-line fact situation followed by "which remedy is available?" These test procedure, mainly in CPC, CrPC and BNSS, and Arbitration.

• Statement-based questions: Choose the correct or incorrect statement. Read every option fully, because one word often changes the answer.

Bare Acts to Carry for Each Subject

The AIBE allows bare acts without notes or comments. A small, well-chosen set is faster to use than a heavy bag of every statute.

Carry clean copies. Copies with handwritten notes or heavy highlighting can be refused at the centre, and bare acts with brief printed notes are allowed only at the invigilator's discretion.

How to Cover the AIBE Syllabus

A ten-week plan fits most final-semester students and new advocates. Adjust the length to the time you have before the exam.

1. Weeks 1 to 4, core subjects: Constitution, CPC, CrPC with BNSS, IPC with BNS and Evidence with BSA. Read the bare act alongside short notes and build a section map between old and new codes.

2. Weeks 5 and 6, second tier: Family Law, Contract and Property, Torts and Consumer Protection, and Professional Ethics.

3. Week 7, short subjects: Arbitration, PIL, Labour, Taxation, Administrative Law and the five 2-question subjects. One or two sessions each is enough.

4. Weeks 8 and 9, papers and topic tests: Solve recent official question papers and check answers against the final answer key. Add topic-wise tests for the subjects where you score lowest.

5. Week 10, full mocks: Take timed full-length mocks with your bare acts on the table, then revise from your error log. Dates, eligibility and the full exam guide are on the Testkart AIBE exam page.