The High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati has released Notification No. 118/2026-RC for the recruitment of Civil Judge (Junior Division) in the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial Service.

A total of 119 vacancies are available, including 96 posts through Direct Recruitment and 23 posts through Recruitment by Transfer.

The online application process has started from October 1, 2026, and eligible candidates can apply through the official website until October 26, 2026, at 11:59 PM. The selection process includes a Screening Test, Written Examination, Viva Voce and Document Verification.

AP High Court Civil Judge Recruitment 2026

Notification No. 118/2026-RC — 119 Posts | Screening Test + Written Exam + Viva | Apply Online till 26 October 2026

1. Recruitment at a Glance

The High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati has opened a big opportunity for law graduates. This is for the post of Civil Judge (Junior Division) in the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial Service — one of the most respected government law jobs. Total 119 posts are open, and online applications started from 1 October 2026.

Conducting Body	High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati
Notification Number	118/2026-RC, dated 25.09.2026
Post Name	Civil Judge (Junior Division)
Service Name	Andhra Pradesh State Judicial Service
Total Vacancies	119 (96 Direct Recruitment + 23 Recruitment by Transfer)
Pay Scale (After Training)	₹77,840 – ₹1,36,520 per month
Selection Stages	Screening Test → Written Exam (3 papers) → Viva Voce → Document Verification
Mode of Application	Online Only
Last Date to Apply	26 October 2026, 11:59 PM
Official Website	aphc.gov.in

2. Two Ways to Get This Job — Direct Recruitment vs Recruitment by Transfer

This recruitment is not a single simple exam for everyone. There are two separate routes, and the eligibility, process and competition level are different for each. Fresh law graduates and existing court/law-department staff should read this section carefully to know which route applies to them.

Route	Posts	Who Can Apply
Direct Recruitment	96	Any eligible law graduate who is NOT currently in government service — this is the open route for fresh and practising law graduates
Recruitment by Transfer	23	Confirmed staff or approved probationers already working in the AP High Court, District Judiciary, AP Prosecution Services, Law Department or Legislature Department, who also hold a law degree
Total	119	—

3. Category-Wise Vacancy Breakup

Direct Recruitment — 96 Posts (30 reserved for women)

Category	Total Posts	Reserved for Women
Open Competition (OC)	39	13
EWS	9	3
BC-A	7	2
BC-B	10	3
BC-C	1	–
BC-D	6	2
BC-E	4	1
SC Group-I	1	–
SC Group-II	7	2
SC Group-III	6	2
ST	6	2
Total	96	30

Within the 39 Open Competition posts, 4 seats are set aside for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities — one each for blindness/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, locomotor disability, and autism/intellectual disability/mental illness. Also note: selection against the BC-E vacancy depends on the result of a pending Supreme Court case (Civil Appeal Nos. 2628–2637/2010), so this category could see changes.

Recruitment by Transfer Category	Posts
Open Competition	18
SC Group-I	1
SC Group-III	1
ST	3
Total	23

4. Eligibility — Who Can Apply

For Direct Recruitment:

You must hold a law degree. As per a recent Supreme Court judgment (Bhumika Trust vs Union of India, dated 21.08.2026) and pending changes to the AP rules, candidates who got their law degree in the one year preceding the notification date are also eligible — this is a helpful relaxation for very recent graduates, so don’t assume you’re out of the race if you graduated just this year.
You must be of good character, with no condition that makes you unfit for the post of judge.
This route is only for people who are not currently in government service, whether Central or State.

For Recruitment by Transfer:

You need a law degree from a university recognised in India.
You must already be a confirmed employee or an approved probationer in roles like Section Officer, Court Officer, Stenographer, Assistant Public Prosecutor, Law Department Section Officer, and similar posts within the AP judiciary and law machinery.
You must not be facing any pending disciplinary case or punishment.

Who Cannot Apply (Disqualification):

Anyone dismissed or compulsorily retired from government/judicial service
Anyone convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude
Anyone debarred by the High Court, UPSC or any State Public Service Commission
Anyone found to be of doubtful integrity, or involved in a bigamous marriage

5. Age Limit (as on 01.09.2026)

Category	Maximum Age
Direct Recruitment — Open Competition	Below 35 years
Direct Recruitment — SC / ST / BC / EWS	Below 40 years (5-year relaxation)
Direct Recruitment — PwBD	Below 45 years (10-year relaxation)
Recruitment by Transfer	Below 48 years

Good news for ex-servicemen applying through Direct Recruitment: the time you spent in defence service is not counted when calculating your age for this exam — so you effectively get extra room above the normal limit.

6. Application Fee

Category	Fee
Open Category / EWS / BC	₹1,500
SC / ST / PwBD	₹750

Fee must be paid online — no other payment mode is accepted. The reduced ₹750 fee for SC/ST candidates applies only if your community is officially recognised as SC/ST within Andhra Pradesh. Remember: the fee is non-refundable, even if your application gets rejected later or the exam gets cancelled for any reason.

7. Selection Process — Full Breakdown

This is a 4-stage process, and it’s important to understand which stages actually count toward your final rank and which are only “pass/fail” qualifying stages.

Stage	Details	Marks	Duration	Counts Toward Final Merit?
Stage 1: Screening Test	100 Objective MCQs (Computer Based Test)	100	2 hours	No — only shortlists candidates at a 1:10 ratio to vacancies (minimum 40% required to pass)
Stage 2: Written Exam — Paper I	Civil Laws (Descriptive)	100	3 hours	Yes
Stage 2: Written Exam — Paper II	Criminal Laws (Descriptive)	100	3 hours	Yes
Stage 2: Written Exam — Paper III	English — Translation (40 marks) + Essay (60 marks)	100	3 hours	No — qualifying only (40% needed in each part)
Stage 3: Viva Voce	Interview; candidates called at 1:3 ratio per category	50	–	Yes
Stage 4: Document Verification	Originals verified, followed by antecedent/background verification	–	–	Qualifying

So the real final merit score is out of 250 marks: Paper I (100) + Paper II (100) + Viva Voce (50). Paper III (English) is a hurdle you must clear, but once cleared, it does not add to your rank — so don’t over-invest preparation time there at the cost of Civil and Criminal Law.

Missing the Viva Voce after being called means automatic disqualification, even if your written marks were excellent — so block that date the moment it is announced.

8. Minimum Qualifying Marks (Category-Wise)

Category	Each Paper I & II (to be called for Viva)	Written Aggregate	Final Selection (Written + Viva)
OC / EWS	55%	60%	60%
BC	50%	55%	55%
SC / ST / PwBD	45%	50%	50%
Recruitment by Transfer	55%	60%	60%

If two candidates end up tied on final marks, the older candidate gets preference first, then the one with a higher qualification, then the one with higher marks in their qualifying law degree.

9. Complete Syllabus — Civil Laws & Criminal Laws

Good news for preparation: the same syllabus applies to both the Screening Test and the Written Exam, so whatever you study now will help you at both stages. The syllabus has been updated to include the new criminal law codes — BNS, BNSS and BSA — which replaced the old IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act framework, so make sure your study material is updated and not based on outdated law books.

Paper I: Civil Laws

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
Indian Contract Act, 1872
Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
Hindu Succession Act, 1956
Indian Easements Act, 1882
Specific Relief Act, 1963
Limitation Act, 1963
Transfer of Property Act, 1882
Civil Rules of Practice
Registration Act, 1908 and Indian Stamp Act, 1899
A.P. Land Encroachment Act, 1905
Indian Evidence Act, 1872
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA)

Paper II: Criminal Laws

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
Indian Evidence Act, 1872
Indian Penal Code, 1860
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS)
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA)
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS)
Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
Criminal Rules of Practice
A.P. Excise Act, 1968
A.P. Gaming Act, 1974
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
Information Technology Act, 2000
POCSO Act, 2012
A.P. Forest Act, 1967

Paper III: English

Part I — Translation (40 marks): Passages to translate from English to Telugu, and from Telugu to English
Part II — Essay (60 marks): An essay on a given legal subject, tests your legal writing and language skill together

⚠ Preparation Tip: Since Paper I and Paper II alone decide 200 of your 250 final marks, split your study time so that Civil and Criminal laws get the most attention. Treat Paper III purely as a “clear the cutoff” subject — strong enough to pass comfortably, but not worth over-preparing beyond that.

10. Salary, Training Period & Career Path

Selection does not mean an immediate full salary — there is a structured 2-year training period first:

Year 1 — Judicial Academy Training: You join as a Trainee Judicial Officer for one year of compulsory training, paid a fixed amount equal to half of a regular Civil Judge’s remuneration.
Year 2 — Law Clerkship: Six months working under a Principal District/District & Sessions Judge or a Higher Judicial Service officer, followed by six months under a High Court Judge — still at the half-pay rate.
Regular Appointment: Once you clear a satisfactory evaluation after this 2-year period, you are appointed as a regular Civil Judge with the full pay scale of ₹77,840 – ₹1,36,520 and all standard government benefits.

This 2-year “earn while you train” structure is common across most state judicial services in India — so budget your first two years’ finances accordingly rather than expecting the full pay scale from day one.

11. Exam Centres

While filling the online form, you must choose three centres in order of preference for the Screening Test out of: Guntur, Kurnool, Rajahmundry (Rajamahendravaram), Tirupati, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. The High Court may allot you a different centre than your choice if seats run out — and once allotted, change requests are not accepted, so choose carefully and don’t assume you’ll always get your first preference. Written exam venues will be announced only after the screening result is declared.

12. How to Apply Online — Step by Step

Visit the official website aphc.gov.in and go to the recruitment/notifications section.
Open and read Notification No. 118/2026-RC for Civil Judge (Junior Division) fully before starting your application.
Register with your basic details and create your application login.
Fill in the online application form carefully with your personal, educational and category details.
Select your three preferred Screening Test centres, in order.
Upload all required documents in the correct format and size (see checklist below).
Pay the application fee online — ₹1,500 (OC/EWS/BC) or ₹750 (SC/ST/PwBD).
Review every field carefully — once submitted, your documents and centre choices cannot be changed.
Submit the form and download/save a copy of the completed application for your own records.

13. Documents You Need to Upload

For Direct Recruitment candidates:

Date of birth proof / SSC certificate
Law degree certificate
Community certificate (for SC/ST/BC, showing your specific BC group)
BC candidates: a latest Non-Creamy Layer certificate issued in 2025 or 2026 — without this, you will be treated as Open Category
EWS candidates: an income certificate issued in 2025 or 2026 by the Tahsildar, showing family income below ₹8 lakh
PwBD candidates: Medical Board certificate stating the nature and percentage of disability
Ex-servicemen: discharge certificate

For Recruitment by Transfer candidates:

Date of birth proof, law degree and community certificate (SC/ST)
Proof of declaration of probation in your current post
Your employer’s written permission to have pursued the law degree while in service
Latest Service and Conduct Certificate
No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from your current employer, needed at the verification stage

Important: you must produce all original certificates on the date fixed by the High Court — if you fail to do so, your candidature will simply be rejected, no matter how well you performed in the exam.

14. Important Dates

Notification Release	25 September 2026
Online Application Start	1 October 2026
Application Last Date	26 October 2026, 11:59 PM
Age Reckoning Date	1 September 2026
Hall Ticket Download	One week before the Screening Test
Screening Test (CBT)	To be announced on the official website
Answer Key Release	Within one week of the Screening Test

⚠ Important: The application window is nearly a month long, which is quite generous — use this time to prepare your documents carefully rather than rushing at the last moment. However, the exact Screening Test date has not been announced yet, so keep checking aphc.gov.in regularly, since any changes will be posted only on the official website.

15. FAQs

Q1. How many total vacancies are there in AP High Court Civil Judge Recruitment 2026?
There are 119 posts in total — 96 through Direct Recruitment and 23 through Recruitment by Transfer.Q2. What is the last date to apply online?
26 October 2026, up to 11:59 PM. Only online applications are accepted.Q3. Can a fresh law graduate apply this year?
Yes. Following a Supreme Court judgment, law graduates who completed their degree in the one year before the notification date are also considered eligible — check the official notification for the exact wording of this condition.Q4. What is the age limit?
Below 35 years for Direct Recruitment (Open Category), with relaxation up to 40 for SC/ST/BC/EWS and 45 for PwBD candidates. Recruitment by Transfer candidates must be below 48 years. All ages are calculated as on 1 September 2026.Q5. What is the application fee?
₹1,500 for OC/EWS/BC candidates, and ₹750 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates — paid online only, and non-refundable.Q6. How is the final merit list prepared?
Out of 250 marks: Paper I — Civil Laws (100) + Paper II — Criminal Laws (100) + Viva Voce (50). The Screening Test and Paper III (English) are qualifying stages only and do not add to your final merit score.Q7. Is there negative marking in the Screening Test?
The official notification does not mention any negative marking for the 100-question, 100-mark Screening Test.Q8. What is the salary after selection?
The regular pay scale is ₹77,840 – ₹1,36,520, but selected candidates first undergo 2 years of training and clerkship at half this remuneration before getting the full scale.Q9. Where are the Screening Test exam centres?
Guntur, Kurnool, Rajahmundry (Rajamahendravaram), Tirupati, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam — you choose 3 in order of preference while applying.

Important Links

Apply Online: Direct Application Link

Download Official Notification PDF: Notification No. 118/2026-RC

Official Website: aphc.gov.in

Join our Telegram / WhatsApp channel for latest updates.

AP High Court Civil Judge Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 119 Posts, Eligibility, Fee & Last Date