Odisha · Civil Judge, Odisha Judicial Service (Law Department, Government of Odisha)

Odisha Civil Judge 2026: Syllabus, Previous Year Papers & Bare Acts

Odisha Judicial Service Examination (Civil Judge)

3
Stages
19
Past papers
25
Acts in syllabus
425
Mains questions
Yes
Negative marking
57
Posts (2022)

The Odisha Public Service Commission recruits Civil Judges in the Odisha Judicial Service through a competitive examination of three parts: a preliminary written examination, a main written examination and an interview, under the Odisha Superior Judicial Service and Odisha Judicial Service Rules, 2007. The preliminary test is objective and acts as a screening step. The main examination has two compulsory papers and three optional papers.

Conducted by
Odisha Public Service Commission
Official website
opsc.gov.in
Language
Candidates answer the main papers in English unless otherwise directed; the translation section is between English and Odia.
Negative marking
25% of the marks allotted to a question are deducted for every wrong answer in the preliminary examination.
Final selection
Final merit list is prepared on main written examination marks plus interview marks, equal in number to the advertised vacancies; the interview minimum is 40%. Ties are broken by written examination marks, then LL.B. marks, then age (older first).
Last advertisement
2022: 57 posts · Pay scale Rs. 77,840-1,36,520. Vacancies: Unreserved 25, SEBC 6, SC 9, SC/ST and women sub-quotas as printed, ST 13, persons with benchmark disability 4 (2 carried forward from OJS-2021); 18 posts reserved for women overall. Fee not located in the extracted text. (per Advertisement 2022.pdf (Advertisement No. 19 of 2022-23); the next cycle may differ)

Official website and notifications

Exam pattern and stages

  1. Preliminary written examination: One objective multiple-choice paper of 100 marks and 90 minutes, with OMR answer sheets; candidates must score at least 40% (35% for SC/ST) to be called for the main examination.
    PaperQuestionsMarksDuration
    Preliminary paper 1 mark per question; 25% negative marking for each wrong answer1001001 hour 30 minutes
  2. Main written examination: Two compulsory papers of 150 marks each (2 hours 30 minutes) and three optional papers of 150 marks each (3 hours); standard of LL.B. course (degree course for Paper 1).
    PaperQuestionsMarksDuration
    Compulsory Paper 1: General English1502 hours 30 minutes
    Compulsory Paper 2: Procedural Laws1502 hours 30 minutes
    Optional papers (any three of five) Optional subjects chosen in the online application are final; for the interview a candidate needs 45% aggregate and 33% in each paper150 each3 hours
  3. Interview: 100 marks; at least 40% required to be included in the merit list; candidates called are not more than three times the advertised vacancies in each category, in order of merit.

Syllabus

Paper by paper, as the official syllabus lists it.

Preliminary examination (100 marks)

  • Constitution of India · Read the act
  • Code of Civil Procedure · Read the act
  • Code of Criminal Procedure · Read the act
  • Evidence Act
  • Indian Penal Code
  • Limitation Act · Read the act
  • Transfer of Property Act
  • Contract Act
  • Law of Succession (Indian Succession Act and Hindu Succession Act)
  • Specific Relief Act · Read the act
  • Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and any other relevant law(s) the High Court may specify · Read the act

Main examination: Compulsory Paper 1: General English (150 marks)

  • Translation and retranslation of ten lines each (English to Odia and Odia to English)
  • Short essay of about 150 words
  • Precis writing of 300 words
  • One passage of about 500 words with 5 questions

Main examination: Compulsory Paper 2: Procedural Laws (150 marks)

Main examination: Optional papers (choose any three; 150 marks each)

  • Law of Crime and Law of Torts
  • Personal Law: Hindu Law and Mohammedan Law
  • Law of Property: Transfer of Property Act, 1882; Specific Relief Act, 1963; Indian Limitation Act, 1963 · Read the act
  • Law of Contract: Indian Contract Act, 1872; Sale of Goods Act, 1930; Partnership Act, 1932; Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 · Read the act
  • Jurisprudence and Constitution of India · Read the act

Bare Acts for this exam

25 acts tagged for Odisha Civil Judge. Each opens section by section, free to read.

Old law → new law tables: IPC → BNS · CrPC → BNSS · Evidence Act → BSA

Previous year papers

11 prelims and 8 mains papers, 2011 to 2024. All Odisha Civil Judge papers by year

2024

2023

2021

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

Mains questions

425 mains questions with model answers for Odisha and all-India judiciary mains. Open the mains question bank

Eligibility

Graduate in Law of a recognised university or institution recognised by the Government. Departmental candidates (High Court / subordinate court superintendents and ministerial officers, Law Department assistant law officers or translators) need approved service of at least 7 years and the appointing authority's recommendation. 23 to 35 years on 1 August of the recruitment year (per the 2022 advertisement); maximum age relaxed by 5 years for SC, ST, SEBC, women, ex-servicemen and commissioned/SSC officers, by a further 10 years for persons with benchmark disability; departmental candidates up to 39 years. Citizen of India Good character and sound health Able to speak, read and write Odia fluently and must have passed an Odia language examination of Middle English School (Class VII) standard Candidate with more than one living spouse is not eligible unless exempted by the State Government Government servants must give the employer written intimation and furnish a No Objection Certificate

Relaxations, attempts and category rules are in each cycle's notification.

Odisha Civil Judge: frequently asked questions

What is the pattern of the Odisha Civil Judge exam?
Odisha Judicial Service Examination (Civil Judge) has 3 stages. Preliminary written examination: One objective multiple-choice paper of 100 marks and 90 minutes, with OMR answer sheets; candidates must score at least 40% (35% for SC/ST) to be called for the main examination. Papers: Preliminary paper: 100 questions, 100 marks, 1 hour 30 minutes. Main written examination: Two compulsory papers of 150 marks each (2 hours 30 minutes) and three optional papers of 150 marks each (3 hours); standard of LL.B. course (degree course for Paper 1). Papers: Compulsory Paper 1: General English: 150 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes; Compulsory Paper 2: Procedural Laws: 150 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes; Optional papers (any three of five): 150 each marks, 3 hours. Interview: 100 marks; at least 40% required to be included in the merit list; candidates called are not more than three times the advertised vacancies in each category, in order of merit.
Is there negative marking in Odisha Civil Judge?
25% of the marks allotted to a question are deducted for every wrong answer in the preliminary examination.
In which language is the Odisha Civil Judge exam held?
Candidates answer the main papers in English unless otherwise directed; the translation section is between English and Odia.
Who is eligible for Odisha Civil Judge?
Graduate in Law of a recognised university or institution recognised by the Government. Departmental candidates (High Court / subordinate court superintendents and ministerial officers, Law Department assistant law officers or translators) need approved service of at least 7 years and the appointing authority's recommendation. 23 to 35 years on 1 August of the recruitment year (per the 2022 advertisement); maximum age relaxed by 5 years for SC, ST, SEBC, women, ex-servicemen and commissioned/SSC officers, by a further 10 years for persons with benchmark disability; departmental candidates up to 39 years. Citizen of India Good character and sound health Able to speak, read and write Odia fluently and must have passed an Odia language examination of Middle English School (Class VII) standard Candidate with more than one living spouse is not eligible unless exempted by the State Government Government servants must give the employer written intimation and furnish a No Objection Certificate The notification for each cycle has the full conditions and relaxations.
Where is the Odisha Civil Judge notification published?
Odisha Public Service Commission publishes the notification, dates and results on its official website, opsc.gov.in. Check it for the current cycle.
Which bare acts are in the Odisha Civil Judge syllabus?
25 acts are tagged for Odisha Civil Judge here, including the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, Constitution of India, Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 and more. Each can be read section by section.

Facts on this page are read from OJS Syllabus, Advertisement 2022 and may change with each notification. Dates, vacancies and cut-offs for the coming cycle are not stated here; the official website has them.