CGPSC Civil Judge Syllabus 2026: Prelims and Mains Topics

The CGPSC Civil Judge syllabus is a law syllabus, and it is tested in two very different ways. The preliminary exam checks how precisely you know statutes. The main exam checks whether you can apply them by framing issues, framing charges and writing judgments. Both stages are covered below, along with a simple plan to finish the syllabus without leaving the writing skills for last.

A detailed topic-by-topic syllabus was not available from an official source we could check. The topic lists on this page are a working checklist compiled from statutes commonly listed in earlier CGPSC advertisements and secondary sources, and from the nature of the questions. They are a study guide and not an official list, so compare them with the advertisement for your cycle on psc.cg.gov.in.

Table of Contents

Syllabus at a glance

Key changes to know

• New criminal statutes: India's criminal law moved to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam in July 2024. Older study material still lists the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act. Check which statutes the current advertisement names, and keep a comparison table of old and new provisions.

• Older pages can mislead: Some pages still show the earlier statute list. Follow the official advertisement if a page and the notification disagree.

• State laws count: Chhattisgarh Acts are named separately in the prelims list, and they are often under-prepared because few standard books cover them.

Prelims syllabus

The prelims paper has 100 objective questions. The statutes below are commonly listed in earlier advertisements and secondary sources, and are not an official list. The table groups them so you can plan study blocks.

Questions in a prelims paper of this kind usually reward section-level precision, such as the limitation period for a suit, the essentials of a valid transfer or the stage at which a document becomes admissible. Procedure and evidence tend to carry heavy weight because they connect to everything in the main exam. Treat them as your anchor subjects.

Mains syllabus

The main exam is written and has three components. It is the stage that decides your rank, so it needs the most careful preparation.

Civil judgment writing and framing of issues (40 marks)

• Framing issues: Identify the questions that actually arise from the pleadings, including issues of law and fact, and frame them in the correct order.

• Burden and standard of proof: Decide on whom the burden lies for each issue and assess the evidence accordingly.

• Findings issue by issue: Give a reasoned finding on every issue with reference to oral and documentary evidence.

• Relief and decree: Grant the proper relief, costs and interest, and state the operative order clearly.

• Subject law behind the facts: Typical fact patterns come from property, contract, specific performance, tenancy and recovery suits.

Criminal judgment writing and framing of charges (40 marks)

• Framing charges: Draft precise charges from the allegations and the material on record, including alternative and joint charges where required.

• Appreciation of evidence: Weigh prosecution and defence evidence, discuss contradictions and decide whether the case is proved beyond reasonable doubt.

• Conviction or acquittal: Write findings offence by offence, then the order on sentence where the accused is convicted.

• Fact patterns: Expect offences against the body, property offences, public servants, and cases involving special laws that the facts point to.

Translation (10 + 10 marks)

You translate a passage from English to Hindi and another from Hindi to English. The passages are normally legal or administrative in tone. Accuracy of legal terms and natural, grammatical language are what the marks reward. A glossary of common legal terms in both languages is worth building early.

Overlap between prelims and mains

A large part of the preparation serves both stages. The table shows what to study once and how to use it twice.

Interview

The interview carries 15 marks. We did not find a published topic list for it. Prepare for questions on your academic background, basic legal principles, recent landmark judgments, the role of a judge and the state you wish to serve in. Clear, calm answers matter more than long ones.

How to cover the syllabus

1. Weeks 1 to 8: Complete the Constitution, CPC, evidence and criminal law from the bare acts with one reliable textbook for each. Make short notes and a table of changes between old and new criminal statutes.

2. Weeks 6 to 10: Add Contract, Transfer of Property, Specific Relief, Limitation, Registration, Court Fees and Negotiable Instruments. Begin the Chhattisgarh Acts and start topic-wise objective questions.

3. From week 8: Start writing. Draft issues from sample facts, then short judgments, then full ones. Do a translation exercise every day.

4. Final phase: Attempt full-length prelims tests under timed conditions, review each mistake the same day and revise from an error log. Keep two timed writing sessions a week.