Supreme Court Personal Assistant Exam Pattern 2026: Stages and Marks
The Supreme Court Personal Assistant exam pattern has five parts: a typing speed test on computer, an English shorthand test at 100 words per minute, an objective written test, a computer knowledge test and an interview. The Recruitment Cell of the Supreme Court of India sets minimum qualifying marks for every stage, so a single weak test can end your attempt regardless of how well you did elsewhere.
This page explains each stage as per the last Personal Assistant advertisement (No. F.6/2024-SC (RC), dated 3 December 2024), shows how the newer 2026 Senior Personal Assistant format differs, and turns the numbers into a practical time and accuracy plan. As of 28 October 2026, no fresh Personal Assistant notice has been released, so treat the 2024 scheme as the latest confirmed PA pattern.
Table of Contents
Exam Pattern
Stage | Format | Maximum marks | Qualifying marks (General) | Qualifying marks (Reserved) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Typing speed test | 40 w.p.m. on computer, 10 minutes | 10 | 5 | Not separately stated |
Shorthand (English) test | Dictation at 100 w.p.m., 45 minutes transcription | 100 | 50 | Not separately stated |
Objective written test | 100 MCQs | 100 | 50 | 45 |
Computer knowledge test | Objective questions | 10 | 5 | 4.5 |
Interview | Personal or video interview | 30 | 15 | 13.5 |
Total | All stages | 250 | Each stage must be cleared | Each stage must be cleared |
Reserved categories include PwD candidates for the relaxed marks listed above, as per the 2024 notice.
Order of Stages
In the 2024 to 2025 cycle, the Supreme Court followed this order:
Typing speed test: Held first, on 21 January 2025. Only qualifiers moved on.
Shorthand, written and computer knowledge tests: Held on 1 May 2025 for typing qualifiers.
Consolidated result: Published on 13 August 2025, showing marks in all four tests.
Interview: Held by video conferencing from 18 to 22 August 2025 for 134 candidates.
Panel: 126 candidates provisionally empanelled, valid from 16 September 2025.
The 2026 Senior PA notice reverses this order and starts with the objective test, then shorthand and typing, then interview. The next PA notice may do the same, so check the order once it is out.
Typing Speed Test on Computer
Particular | Details (2024 PA notice) |
|---|---|
Language | English |
Minimum speed | 40 words per minute |
Duration | 10 minutes |
Mistakes allowed | 3% of the total words to be typed |
Maximum marks | 10 |
Qualifying marks | 5 |
At 40 w.p.m. for 10 minutes, the target is about 400 words. A 3% limit means roughly 12 mistakes in total, so accuracy matters as much as speed.
Shorthand (English) Test
The shorthand test carries the most marks of any single stage and is usually the toughest filter.
Particular | Details (2024 PA notice) |
|---|---|
Dictation speed | 100 words per minute |
Dictation length | 7 minutes (about 700 words) |
Transcription time | 45 minutes |
Maximum mistakes | 5% of the total words dictated |
Maximum marks | 100 |
Qualifying marks | 50 |
How Shorthand Marks Are Graded
Mistakes (as % of words dictated) | Marks awarded |
|---|---|
No mistakes | 100% (100 marks) |
Up to 1% | 90% (90 marks) |
Up to 2% | 80% (80 marks) |
Up to 3% | 70% (70 marks) |
Up to 4% | 60% (60 marks) |
Up to 5% | 50% (50 marks) |
Above 5% | Not qualified |
In a 700-word passage, 1% is about 7 mistakes. That means every 7 extra mistakes cost you 10 marks, and around 35 mistakes put you out of the race.
Objective Written Test and Computer Knowledge Test
Objective Written Test
Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
General English | 50 | 50 |
General Aptitude (logical reasoning, excluding arithmetic) | 25 | 25 |
General Knowledge | 25 | 25 |
Total | 100 | 100 |
Computer Knowledge Test
The computer knowledge test is a separate objective test with 10 maximum marks and 5 qualifying marks (4.5 for reserved categories). It covers practical computer operation: MS Office, operating system basics, internet and email.
The 2024 notice lists a duration of 1 hour 45 minutes against the written tests. The layout of the notice does not make it fully clear whether this covers the computer knowledge test as well, so check your admit card for the exact timing.
Marking Scheme and Negative Marking
Marks per question: Each MCQ in the written test carries 1 mark (100 questions for 100 marks).
Negative marking: The 2024 Personal Assistant notice does not mention negative marking. The 2026 Senior PA notice states clearly that there is no negative marking in its objective test.
Blank answers: With no stated penalty, an unanswered question simply earns zero, so a reasoned guess is better than a blank, unless the new notice adds a penalty.
Answer key: A provisional answer key is released with a short online objection window. In 2025, objections were open from 7 May to 9 May for the 1 May test.
Newer Format in the 2026 Senior PA Notice
The Senior PA advertisement dated 12 October 2026 uses a different objective test. If the next Personal Assistant notice adopts it, your preparation mix changes noticeably.
Section | 2024 PA notice (questions or marks) | 2026 Senior PA notice (questions or marks) |
|---|---|---|
General English | 50 | 25 |
General Aptitude (reasoning) | 25 | Not included |
General Knowledge | 25 | 25 |
Provisions relating to the judiciary in the Constitution | Not included | 25 |
Supreme Court Rules, 2013 | Not included | 15 |
Computer operation | Separate 10-mark test | 10 |
Typing test marks | 10 (5 qualifying) | 20 (10 qualifying) |
Shorthand dictation speed and marks | 100 w.p.m., 100 marks | 110 w.p.m., 100 marks |
Interview marks | 30 | 30 |
Objective test duration | 1 hour 45 minutes | 90 minutes |
The 2026 Senior PA notice also shortlists candidates in a 1:10 ratio for skill tests and 1:3 for interview. Older pages may still show the 2024 paper as the only format, so follow the official PA notice when it is released.
What the Pattern Means for You
Every stage is a gate: You must clear the typing test, shorthand, written test, computer test and interview separately. There is no way to make up a failed stage with extra marks elsewhere.
Shorthand decides most outcomes: It carries 100 marks and a 50% bar. Two to three extra mistakes per hundred words can be the difference between qualifying and not.
English is worth double effort: It was half of the 2024 written paper, and good English also cuts transcription errors.
Do not ignore the 10-mark tests: The typing and computer tests are small, but failing either one stops you.
Worked Example: Clearing Every Stage
The table shows two illustrative General category candidates under the 2024 qualifying marks. The scores are examples, not real results.
Stage | Minimum (General) | Candidate A | Candidate B |
|---|---|---|---|
Typing test (out of 10) | 5 | 8 | 9 |
Shorthand test (out of 100) | 50 | 70 (about 3% mistakes) | 40 (above 5% mistakes) |
Written test (out of 100) | 50 | 64 | 82 |
Computer test (out of 10) | 5 | 7 | 9 |
Result | All stages | Called for interview | Not qualified |
Candidate B scores higher overall, yet does not move on because the shorthand transcript crossed the 5% mistake limit. This is why daily dictation matters more than an extra hour of GK.
Interview
The interview carries 30 marks, with 15 needed to qualify (13.5 for reserved categories). In 2025, it was held by video conferencing. Document verification and identity checks are done at this stage, and employed candidates must produce a No Objection Certificate.
Expect questions on your education, stenography experience, your interest in a court job, basic awareness of the Supreme Court and how you would handle confidential work.
Empanelment and Final Merit
Candidates who reach the minimum qualifying marks in the interview are empanelled in order of merit. The notice does not publish a formula for combining stage marks, and placement in the panel does not by itself give a right to appointment.
In the last cycle, the panel of 126 candidates was valid for one year from 16 September 2025, or until exhausted. Appointments are made from the panel as vacancies arise.
Test Centres and Mode of Exam
2024 PA cycle: Tests were held at 23 centres in 16 states, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Patna. Candidates chose any three centres in order of preference.
2026 Senior PA notice: The objective test is held in cities listed in the notice, while shorthand and typing tests are held in Delhi/NCR and the interview is held online or in Delhi.
Admit cards: Admit cards are downloaded online through the link published on the Recruitments page. Candidates who applied for more than one post must bring a separate admit card for each post.
Computer-based skill tests: Typing is done on a computer, and the shorthand transcript is also typed on a computer, so practise transcription on a keyboard rather than by hand.
Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy
Written Test
Start with English: It is the largest section in the 2024 format and usually the fastest to attempt with confidence.
Then reasoning, then GK: Reasoning rewards a fresh mind; GK questions are quick if you know them and pointless to linger on if you do not.
Keep a final review buffer: Leave 10 minutes to revisit marked questions.
Shorthand Test
Plan your 45 minutes: Aim to finish typing the transcript in about 30 to 35 minutes and use the rest to proofread.
Check high-risk errors first: Omitted words, wrong figures, names and legal terms are the costliest mistakes.
For practice under similar timing, you can attempt Supreme Court Personal Assistant online tests on Testkart and use the section-wise analysis to see where time is lost.
Educators who train stenography aspirants can create timed tests on Testkart in the same section structure and share them with their batches.
Official notices: https://www.sci.gov.in/recruitments/
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