Karnataka Judicial Service · High Court of Karnataka
Karnataka leaves the deepest paper trail in the country — fifteen papers, plus the Kannada gate.
Eight prelims and seven mains papers, decoded from 800 real questions. We map where the marks sit subject-by-subject, the Karnataka-only law, the Kannada paper, and the shift to the new criminal codes.
- Conducting body High Court of Karnataka, Bengaluru
- Post Civil Judge (Junior Division)
- Eligibility Law degree + enrolled as an Advocate
- Age 35 general · 38 OBC · 40 SC/ST/Cat-I
- Stages Prelims → Mains → Viva-voce
- Language Kannada translation paper · answers allowed in Kannada
Three stages, and only two of them count toward your rank.
Prelims is a pure filter. Your entire merit is built in the four Mains papers and the viva — plan your time accordingly.
Stage 1 · Screening
Preliminary Exam
Objective · single paper
One 100-mark paper. The marks count only for eligibility — they are NOT carried into your Mains or final total.
- Single objective paper
- 100 marks · 100 Qs
- Pass mark
- 60% general · 50% SC/ST/PwBD
- Called to Mains
- 10× the vacancies
Stage 2 · Selection
Main (Written) Exam
Descriptive · 4 papers · 400 marks
A Translation paper plus three Law papers, 100 each. You must clear every paper separately (50% general · 40% SC/ST/PwBD).
- Translation (English↔Kannada)
- 100 marks
- Law Paper I
- 100 marks
- Law Papers II & III
- 100 + 100 marks
Stage 3 · Final
Viva-voce
Personality + law · 100 marks
Tests GK, grasp of legal principles and suitability. Called at 3× the vacancies. A separate 25-mark Computer Test runs but is NOT added to the total.
- Viva-voce
- 100 marks
- Called for viva
- 3× the vacancies
- Prelims weight in merit
- Zero (screening only)
Can you apply? Check this before anything else.
Qualification
A Law degree from a University established by law in India, AND enrolment as an Advocate (for direct recruitment). In-service candidates need only the law degree.
Age
Must not have completed 35 years (general); 38 for OBC II(A)/II(B)/III(A)/III(B); 40 for SC/ST/OBC Category-I. Relaxed by 3 years for ex-servicemen.
Bar enrolment
Required for direct recruits — you must be enrolled as an Advocate. Fresh graduates who are not enrolled cannot apply through the direct stream.
Nationality
Citizen of India, per the Karnataka Judicial Service (Recruitment) Rules, 2004.
Language
Kannada is essential — Mains has a 100-mark English↔Kannada Translation paper, and you may answer the Mains and viva in Kannada.
Attempts
No attempt limit specified in the notification — only the age ceiling applies.
The full syllabus, paper by paper.
Prelims screens you on a single objective paper; Mains tests four written papers that build your rank.
Prelims
Code of Civil Procedure 1908, Negotiable Instruments Act 1881, Transfer of Property Act 1882, Indian Contract Act 1872, Specific Relief Act 1963, Constitution of India and the Karnataka Rent Act 1999.
CrPC 1973 & BNSS 2023, IPC 1860 & BNS 2023, Indian Evidence Act 1872 & BSA 2023.
General Knowledge and a test of reasoning and mental ability.
Mains — 4 papers + viva
- Translation Paper (English↔Kannada)100
- Law Paper I — CPC, CrPC/BNSS, Evidence/BSA, Pleading, Constitution100
- Law Paper II — Framing of Issues & Judgments (Civil)100
- Law Paper III — Framing of Charges & Judgments (Criminal)100
- Viva-voce100
- Computer Test (not aggregated)25
The prelims subjects, ranked by how hard the paper actually tests them.
Share of the 800 classified questions across 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. The big procedural subjects map straight onto Mains Law Paper I — so this is your map for both stages.
TPA · Contract · SRA · NI Act (civil four)
24%All examined every year
TPA mortgages, gift (s.122), part-performance (s.53A), perpetuity · Contract void/voidable, guarantee, agency, free consent · SRA s.6 possession, s.34 declaration, injunctions · NI Act s.138, s.118/139 presumptions.
Code of Civil Procedure (+ Pleading)
20%Make-or-break subject
Orders VII–XXI, rule numbers, rejection/return of plaint, set-off & counter-claim, framing of issues, temporary injunction, execution, res judicata. Risen to 22–26% in every recent paper.
Code of Criminal Procedure (now + BNSS)
14%The steady second pillar
Warrant vs summons case, cognizance & complaints (s.190, 200), bail (s.437/438/439, statutory s.167), limitation (s.468), investigation (s.161/162/164/173), arrest, proclamation (s.82/83).
Indian Penal Code (now + BNS)
12%Stable mid-weight scorer
Definitional offences (theft, extortion, robbery, hurt), unlawful assembly & conspiracy minimum-numbers, abetment, attempt (s.511), dowry death, and the 2013-amendment offences (acid attack, stalking, voyeurism).
Constitution of India
10%High-yield, low-effort
Fundamental Rights vs DPSP, Art. 141, Art. 233/234 (judicial appointments), writs, emergency, citizenship, President/Governor powers. Mostly direct article-recall — clean marks.
Indian Evidence Act (now + BSA)
9%Steady, with a spike
Primary/secondary evidence, presumptions (s.90, 112, 113A), admissions & confessions, expert opinion, burden of proof, competency and examination of witnesses, electronic records.
What to study first, and what gives the most marks per hour.
- Do first CPC + Pleading
~20% of prelims and 22–26% in every recent paper — the single make-or-break subject. It is also all of Mains Paper I Part I. Master Orders and rule numbers cold.
- Core block CrPC · IPC · Evidence
Together with CPC these four procedural/penal subjects carry ~55% of the prelims paper. Procedure dominates Karnataka. Prepare the BNS/BNSS/BSA mappings here.
- High return Constitution
~10% of the paper and rising to 13%. Mostly direct article-recall, so it is the best marks-per-hour subject in the prelims.
- None optional TPA · Contract · SRA · NI Act
The four civil subjects add ~24% combined and are examined every single year. NI Act is small but concentrated on s.138 — easy marks.
- State-specific Karnataka Rent Act 1999
3–4 guaranteed questions in every paper for very little effort. Do not skip the only local statute.
The state-specific edge most all-India material skips.
Karnataka Rent Act, 1999
The only state-specific statute in the prelims syllabus, and it appears in every paper — 3–4 guaranteed questions since 2017. Focus s.27 grounds of eviction, s.5 devolution of tenancy, "immediate possession" (s.28–31), applicability thresholds and s.50 bar of civil-court jurisdiction. Cheap, certain marks.
The Kannada language requirement
Mains has a full 100-mark Translation paper — English↔Kannada passages from depositions, judgments and deeds — and you may answer the whole Mains and viva in Kannada. No PYQ exists for this paper, so it is a blind spot: build bilingual legal-translation practice independently.
Study the new codes — BNS, BNSS, BSA
The current syllabus pairs CrPC with BNSS 2023, IPC with BNS 2023 and the Evidence Act with BSA 2023. All eight analysed PYQs (2014–2022) still use the old codes — re-map section numbers, since ~35% of prelims rides on these three. The topic patterns hold; only the code names and numbers change.
Everything you need to practise Karnataka Judiciary — free.
Past Karnataka prelims papers (2014–2022), solved and arranged like the real objective exam.
Open Mains Mains Questions & SolutionsKarnataka mains papers (2016–2022) with model answers for the Law papers.
Open Notes Free Notes & LecturesSubject-wise notes — CPC, CrPC, Evidence, Constitution, TPA, Contract and more.
OpenRead the actual Karnataka 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 eight prelims papers (800 total) and seven mains files was read and classified by legal subject — not inferred from headings. The 2014 and 2016 prelims are identical (a re-used paper), so the distinct pool is seven; and the Mains files cover Law Paper I fully but omit the Translation paper and Law Paper III — treat those as data gaps.
Karnataka Judiciary — quick answers.
Who conducts the Karnataka Judiciary exam?
The High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru recruits Civil Judges (Junior Division) under the Karnataka Judicial Service (Recruitment) Rules, 2004.
What is the eligibility for Karnataka Judiciary?
A law degree from a recognised Indian university and enrolment as an Advocate, with age below 35 (general), 38 (OBC) or 40 (SC/ST/Category-I). Unlike some states, fresh graduates who are not enrolled advocates cannot apply through direct recruitment.
Is Kannada compulsory for Karnataka Judiciary?
Effectively yes. The Mains includes a 100-mark English↔Kannada Translation paper, and candidates may answer the Mains and viva in Kannada — so working command of Kannada is essential.
Does the Prelims score count in the final merit?
No. The Preliminary Examination is purely for eligibility to the Mains — its marks are not carried into the final total of Mains plus viva-voce.
What is the Prelims cut-off?
You must score at least 60% (general categories) or 50% (SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability) to pass the objective Preliminary paper.
How many papers are in the Mains?
Four written papers of 100 marks each — a Translation paper plus Law Papers I, II and III — followed by a 100-mark viva-voce. A separate 25-mark Computer Test is held but is not added to the total.
Should I study IPC/CrPC or the new criminal codes?
The current syllabus pairs CrPC with the BNSS 2023, IPC with the BNS 2023 and the Evidence Act with the BSA 2023. Study the new codes and re-map old previous-year section numbers.
What is the Translation paper about?
It tests translation of passages between English and Kannada — drawn from depositions, judgments and documents — for 100 marks. No PYQ exists for it, so build bilingual legal-translation practice independently.
Practise on questions built to this exact weightage.
Free mock series modelled on the High Court of Karnataka pattern — the 100-mark prelims, the four Mains papers, the Karnataka Rent Act and BNS/BNSS/BSA-mapped questions.