Haryana Civil Service (Judicial Branch) · HPSC
Haryana punishes a wrong guess harder than any state — 0.8 marks gone, every time.
125 prelims MCQs with the steepest negative marking in the country. We map where the marks sit subject-by-subject from six prelims and five mains papers, the Haryana-only law, and the shift to the new criminal codes.
- Conducting body HPSC, Panchkula
- Post Civil Judge (Junior Division) — HCS (Judicial Branch)
- Eligibility LLB recognised by the Bar Council of India
- Age 21–42 (up to 47 with relaxation)
- Stages Prelims → Mains → Viva-voce
- Language Mains in English; one Hindi (Devnagri) paper
Three stages, and only two of them count toward your rank.
Prelims is a pure filter — its marks are never added in. Your entire merit is built in the five Mains papers and the viva-voce.
Stage A · Screening
Preliminary Exam
Objective · 125 MCQs
One paper. Marks do NOT count toward the final result — it only short-lists ~10× the vacancies for Mains.
- Format
- 125 Qs · 0.1 mark each · 2 hr
- Negative marking
- 0.8 mark off per wrong answer
- Five options (A–E)
- Darken ‘E’ if not attempting
Stage B · Selection
Main (Written) Exam
Descriptive · 5 papers · 900 marks
Three law papers carry 600 marks; English (200) and Hindi (100) are full papers too. Each paper is 3 hours.
- 3 law papers
- 200 marks each · 600 total
- English + Hindi
- 200 + 100 marks
- Qualifying bar
- 33% per paper · 50% aggregate
Stage C · Final
Viva-voce
Personality + general outlook
Called ~3× the vacancies on Mains marks. Final merit = Mains (written) + Viva-voce.
- Basis of call
- Mains written score
- Merit
- Written + Viva-voce
- Prelims weight in merit
- Zero (screening only)
Can you apply? Check this before anything else.
Qualification
A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a university recognised by the Bar Council of India, held by the closing date — a degree that entitles you to enrol as an advocate.
Age
21–42 years on the cut-off date. Relaxation for SC/BC, PwBD, ex-servicemen and other Haryana categories, but the upper limit cannot exceed 47 after relaxation.
Bar enrolment
Not required — fresh law graduates may apply. The degree need only entitle you to enrolment under the Advocates Act, 1961.
Nationality
Citizen of India (or a subject of Nepal/Bhutan, a pre-1962 Tibetan refugee, or a person of Indian origin with the required eligibility certificate).
Language
Mains Paper-V is Hindi in Devnagri script (translation, explanation, composition) — working comfort with Hindi is essential.
Attempts
No attempt limit specified in the notification — only the age ceiling applies.
The full syllabus, paper by paper.
Prelims screens you on one objective paper; Mains tests five papers, three of which are the law papers that build your rank.
Prelims
Objective MCQs drawn from the Mains syllabus, expecting a general overview of the main subjects, current events of national and international importance, Indian legal and constitutional history and governance, plus reasoning and aptitude.
125 questions · 0.1 mark each · 2 hours · five options (A–E). Negative marking is 0.8 mark per wrong answer; ‘E’ is darkened when not attempting, and leaving more than 13 questions blank disqualifies. Law-graduate standard.
Mains — 5 papers
- Paper-I · Civil Law-I (CPC, Punjab Courts Act, Contract, Partnership, Sale of Goods, Specific Relief, Evidence, Haryana Rent Act)200
- Paper-II · Civil Law-II (Hindu Law, Mohammadan & Customary Law, Registration, Limitation)200
- Paper-III · Criminal Law (IPC, CrPC, Evidence)200
- Paper-IV · English (Essay, Precis, Words & Phrases, Comprehension, Corrections)200
- Paper-V · Language — Hindi in Devnagri (Translation, Explanation, Composition)100
The six subjects that decide prelims — and feed the Mains law papers.
Share of the 750 classified questions across the 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2021 prelims. These same subjects make up the three 200-mark Mains law papers — so this is your map for both stages.
Code of Civil Procedure (CPC)
13.5%Heaviest subject in prelims
Res judicata, jurisdiction & place of suing, decree vs order, execution, appeals/review/revision, pleadings, injunctions. ~17 Qs/yr; spiked to 25 in 2011. Also dominates Mains Paper-I.
Indian Penal Code (→ BNS)
12.9%Consistent second
General Exceptions, private defence, abetment & criminal conspiracy, homicide vs culpable homicide, property offences. ~16 Qs/yr. Core of Mains Criminal Law (Paper-III).
Indian Evidence Act (→ BSA)
11.7%Tested in TWO Mains papers
Admissions/confessions, dying declaration, documentary & electronic evidence, burden of proof, presumptions, estoppel. Examined in BOTH Mains Paper-I and Paper-III — the highest-leverage subject.
Code of Criminal Procedure (→ BNSS)
11.3%Most stable (12–16 every year)
Arrest & bail, cognizance, charge, investigation, trial procedure, magistrate powers. Remarkably predictable. Joins IPC + Evidence in Mains Paper-III.
Constitution of India
9.9%Substantial — but declining
Fundamental Rights, writs, Union judiciary & executive, DPSP, amendments, landmark cases. Drifting down (16–18 → 10–11 per paper) — still a big scoring block.
Hindu Law
8.8%Rising — now core
Marriage & divorce, adoption & maintenance, guardianship, coparcenary, partition, succession (Class I/II heirs, 2005 amendment). Climbed from 6 (2011) to 11–13 since. Dominates Mains Paper-II.
What to study first, and what gives the most marks per hour.
- Do first The big four — CPC, IPC, Evidence, CrPC
Roughly 49% of every prelims paper. Master these four codes or you miss the cut-off — they also carry the three Mains law papers.
- High return Constitution + Hindu Law
Add these and ~68% of prelims is covered by six subjects. Hindu Law is rising; Constitution declining — weight effort accordingly.
- Cluster pickup Contract · Partnership · Sale of Goods · Specific Relief · Limitation · Registration
~17% combined and very consistent post-2013. Low-glamour, high return-on-effort.
- Cheap & state-specific Haryana Rent Act · Punjab Courts Act · Customary/Muslim Law
Tiny but near-guaranteed — 3–5 easy marks every paper. Revise once, bank them.
- Mains-only, do not neglect English (200) + Hindi (100)
Together 300 of 900 Mains marks with NO PYQs in the set. Prepare essay, precis, comprehension, translation and Hindi composition from the notification structure.
The state-specific edge most all-India material skips.
Haryana Urban (Control of Rent and Eviction) Act, 1973
Haryana’s own rent-control law, named in Mains Paper-I. Low volume in prelims (~1.1%, 1–2 Qs/yr) but near-guaranteed: meaning of ‘landlord’, fixation/revision of fair rent, grounds for eviction. Cheap, high-certainty marks once revised.
Punjab Courts Act, 1918 & Punjab Customary Law
The Punjab Courts Act (still in force in Haryana) governs the structure of civil courts and appellate forums — Mains Paper-I. Punjab Customary Law (marriage, custom, Factum Valet, Chadar Andazi) sits in Paper-II. Both are state-specific and lightly but genuinely tested.
Re-map to the new codes — BNS, BNSS, BSA
Every available PYQ tests IPC / CrPC / Evidence Act. From 01.07.2024 these are replaced by Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (2023). Use the old papers for concepts (bail, dying declaration, private defence) and re-map every section number.
Mains is problem-solving, not reproduction
The dominant format across all three law papers is the elaborate fact-scenario — ‘decide / advise / examine liability’. Questions are routinely built around named judgments (Joginder Kumar, Nandini Satpathy, Selvi, Danial Latifi). Maintain a case-law list and practise issue-spotting.
Everything you need to practise Haryana Judiciary — free.
Past Haryana prelims papers (2011–2021), solved and arranged like the real 125-question exam.
Open Mains Mains Questions & SolutionsHaryana mains papers (2010–2022) with model answers for the three law papers.
Open Notes Free Notes & LecturesSubject-wise notes — CPC, Constitution, Evidence, Hindu & Customary Law and more.
OpenRead the actual Haryana papers this analysis is built on.
Start with the distribution files for the big picture, then solve full papers in timed blocks.
Method: every question in six prelims papers (750 total) and five mains papers was read and classified by legal subject — not inferred from headings. The mains files have no English or Hindi (Paper-IV/V) questions, and a few prelims/mains files have truncated or garbled stems, so treat exact counts as well-grounded estimates.
Haryana Judiciary — quick answers.
Who conducts the Haryana Judiciary exam?
The Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), Panchkula, recruits for Civil Judge (Junior Division) in the Haryana Civil Service (Judicial Branch), under the Punjab Civil Services (Judicial Branch) Rules, 1951.
What is the eligibility for Haryana Judiciary?
An LLB recognised by the Bar Council of India and age 21–42 (extendable to 47 with relaxation). Fresh law graduates can apply — bar enrolment is not required.
Is there negative marking in the Haryana prelims?
Yes. Each of the 125 questions carries 0.1 mark and 0.8 mark (one-fifth) is deducted for every wrong answer. Darken option ‘E’ when not attempting; leaving more than 13 questions blank disqualifies you.
Does the prelims score count in the final merit?
No. The Preliminary Examination is only a screening test that short-lists about 10 times the vacancies. Final merit is built from the Mains (written) papers and the viva-voce.
How many papers are in the Haryana Mains?
Five papers of 200/200/200/200/100 marks (900 total): three law papers, an English paper and a Hindi (Devnagri) language paper, each of 3 hours.
What is the qualifying cut-off in the Mains?
You need at least 33% in each written paper, and 50% in the aggregate of all written papers to be called for the viva-voce (45% for SC/ST, Backward Classes, PwBD and ex-servicemen).
Should I study IPC/CrPC or the new criminal codes?
From 01.07.2024 the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act are replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023. Use old papers for concepts and re-map every section number.
Is Hindi compulsory for Haryana Judiciary?
Yes. Mains Paper-V is a 100-mark Hindi paper in Devnagri script — translation, explanation and composition at matriculation standard — so working comfort with Hindi is essential.
Practise on questions built to this exact weightage.
Free mock series modelled on the HPSC pattern — 125-question prelims with negative marking, the three law papers, the Haryana state Acts, and BNS/BNSS/BSA-mapped questions.