Chhattisgarh Judicial Service Examination

Judicial Service Examination in India open doors for Law students who desire to pursue their career as a Judge. In Chhattisgarh, which is known as the ''Land of Thirty Six Forts'',  the Judicial Service Examination for the recruitment of Civil Judge is conducted by the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission. This Article aims to shed light on the syllabus, exam pattern and important preparation strategies which an aspirant may find it valuable and adhere to it for a positive outcome. 

At first, the Prelim's syllabus and marking scheme

Question paper for Preliminary Examination is of 100 marks and consists 100 objective type questions and the duration of the paper is 2 hours. The language of question paper of Preliminary Examination is in English and Hindi, therefore, students of both English and Hindi medium can appear in Chhattisgarh Exam. 

The objective type questions will be from the following subjects-

1. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

2. Code of Civil Procedure 

3. The Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

4. The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 

5. Constitution of India

6. Transfer of Property Act

7. Contract Act

8. Limitation Act

9. The Chhattisgarh Rent Control Act, 2011

10. Court Fees Act

11. Specific Relief Act

12. Registration Act

13. Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code

14. The Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881

15. The Chhattisgarh Excise Act, 1915

16. General Knowledge of Chhattisgarh

Syllabus for Main Examination (written)

The Chhattisgarh Main Examination is different from any other State's Judiciary, as it only covers the Judgment writing and Translation. The duration of the Exam is 3 Hours and is of 100 Marks. The Marking scheme is-

1. Framing of issues and Judgment writing in Civil cases- 40 Marks

2. Framing of issues and Judgment writing in Criminal cases- 40 Marks

3. Translation-

English to Hindi- 10 Marks

Hindi to English- 10 Marks

Exam pattern in Chhattisgarh is ever evolving 

• Analyzing Previous Years' Questions is necessary, however, one should not solely depend upon it. The Chhattisgarh Judiciary Exam seem to have no fixed pattern, though considering the increase in number of competition, the difficulty level of the Exam keeps getting challenging. Minor Acts including case laws plays an important role in Chhattisgarh Prelims. Candidates targeting Chhattisgarh Judiciary should make sure to focus equally on Minor Acts to achieve a favorable result. One important syllabus update in Chhattisgarh is the addition of State Specific General Knowledge and therefore candidates are advised to dedicate appropriate time out their schedule to prepare for the same. 

Role a mentorship plays 

• Coaching and mentoring plays a crucial role throughout the preparation and at all the stages of examination. It is important to bring up that having a good mentor will foster skill development and improvement in one's performance. 

• Seeking mentorship also keeps your preparation under check as mentors can provide feedback and correct mistakes in aspirants' preparation. They can review the aspirant's work, provide feedback, and suggest areas of improvement. 

• Mentors can provide aspirants with motivation and inspiration to keep going, especially during difficult times and phases of the preparation. Having a mentor also gets important because it will keep you in sync with evolving patterns of the Exam. 

Preparation Strategy

• The foremost thing one must do is to identify the subjects, topics, and their weightage in the exam and understand the type of questions, marking scheme, and the overall structure of the exam (prelims, mains, and interview). 

• Create a timetable that allocates sufficient time for each subject, based on its weightage and your learning pace. Break down the syllabus into smaller, manageable chunks and set daily and weekly targets to cover specific portions. Schedule regular revision sessions to reinforce your understanding of the concepts. 

• Solving previous year papers to understand the exam pattern, question types, and difficulty level. One should simulate the exam environment by attempting mock tests regularly to assess his/her preparation level and identify areas for improvement. Besides, analyzing PYQs, observing the evolving patterns of questions asked in the exam, one must be prepared and adaptive of different types of questions that can be asked. 

• Bare acts are the foundation of law and understanding them is crucial for success in the judiciary exam. One must make it a habit to read bare acts daily to improve the understanding of legal concepts. Being well versed with the Bare Acts, will give you an edge not only with the provisions but the better linking ability. 

• The Chhattisgarh Mains examination is crucial because it is only Judgment based and no subject specific paper is there, however,  through revision and a command over law subjects is must as a good judgment writing can only be achieved if a candidate has conceptual clarity of subjects. Therefore, Judgment writing must be understood and practiced well before the Mains Exam and here, a role of coaching and mentorship for good guidance gets important. You can also include relevant case laws and examples for reference in order to justify the grounds of your Judgment. 

• Since in Mains examination it is important to keep a good track of speed and time, one should plan time effectively in order to complete all the questions/papers within the allotted time. It is essential to allocate time for each question and stick to the time limit.

• Revision is the key and one should review his/her notes regularly to reinforce the understanding of the concepts and take mock tests to assess the preparation level and identify areas for improvement. Staying positive and motivated throughout your preparation is vital. 

How to cover Chhattisgarh General Knowledge 

For Chhattisgarh General Knowledge, one must focus on the History, Geography, Economy, Culture and State Politics. Besides this, one should also be aware of the major schemes, policies and developmental activities of the State. One can refer to the detailed analysis as to important points for the preparation below-

Tips to prepare for General Knowledge-

• After thoroughly understanding of the GK syllabus and pattern one must alongside studying, make notes of the same. Note making will help not only from the point of view of having a material but also at the time of revision, especially last minute revision. One can highlight important points from Prelims point of view. 

• Reading newspapers and magazines (weekly/monthly basis), can boost one's preparation and confidence. For Chhattisgarh Judiciary, one can extract Chhattisgarh specific news and make notes of the same. 

• Solving PYQs and Mock test always gives a candidate an edge as it prepares you for every type of questions that could come in the Exam. One should be regular with taking the tests in order to keep a track of his/her preparation.

• Resources could be either offline or online. These days, there are many websites that provide daily updates of current events and there are also news related or Gk quiz are available, and one can practice daily. 

Viva-Voce-

According to the Notification of the year 2025, relatively more meritorious candidates from among those who appeared in the Main Examination in the ratio of 1:3 having regard to the number of vacancies, shall be called for viva-voce to be conducted. The maximum marks for Viva-voce would be 15. 

A candidate belonging to unreserved category has to secure minimum 33% marks in the viva-voce and those belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes shall be required to secure minimum 25% marks in the viva-voce.

SIGNIFICANCE OF MOCK INTERVIEWS

Mock interviews replicate the real interview environment which helps candidates to have a fair experience before the interview day. Making it easier for a candidate, we have a detailed analysis of how Mock interviews are important as follows-

• Interviews are not the test of your knowledge but the test of your personality. Personality is a prime factor for Judiciary interviews and to excel, one should showcase a positive and adaptable personality, highlighting traits like honesty and integrity.

• In Judiciary, when a candidate reaches an interview stage, he/she may be asked questions related to Major laws, Minor laws, Local laws, General Knowledge or domain based questions. Since there is an addition of Chhattisgarh specific GK in the syllabus, one must be prepared for such questions. The interview panel is mainly interested in knowing whether a candidate is well versed with certain legal aspects and how well she/he manages to appear composed. The candidates are often asked questions about their practice/litigation, areas of interest in law, research areas, publications (if any), etc., thereby, making it difficult to think of a limit to the nature of questions. A candidate ought to be thoroughly prepared.

• Since the trend is evolving, we see that the more questions been asked from landmark as well as ongoing legal developments, so it becomes important for a candidate to be updated and on point. Mock interviews can help candidates test their knowledge of legal concepts, constitutional provisions, landmark judgments, and current legal issues. They can also help candidates stay updated on recent developments and amendments in the law. By practicing with mock interview questions, candidates can ensure they are well-prepared for the interview's legal content. 

• Mock interviews offer an opportunity to receive constructive feedback from experienced individuals, such as legal experts or mentors. The feedback helps candidates identify areas where they need to improve, such as their legal knowledge, communication skills, or overall approach to the interview. By addressing these areas, candidates can significantly enhance their chances of success in the actual interview. 

• Mock interviews provide insights into the selection committee's expectations and assessment criteria. They help candidates to understand what the panel is looking for in a potential judge, such as demeanor, legal acumen, and ethical values. This knowledge allows candidates to tailor their preparation and approach to the interview accordingly. 

The Judiciary exam in India, which is known for its high level of competition, is considered to be one of the most difficult exams of the country. Therefore, it often gets challenging for candidates to keep up with the preparations and not to lose the hope and enthusiasm, for which there is a quote by A.A Milne, which says 'You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think'. Though the quote is short, it gives immense strength to endure the challenges throughout the journey of your preparation and gives confidence to achieve your dreams.