AP High Court Civil Judge (Junior Division) Recruitment 2026

AP High Court Civil Judge (Junior Division) Recruitment 2026 — 119 posts

The High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati has invited online applications for 119 posts of Civil Judge (Junior Division) under Notification No. 118/2026-RC, dated 25 September 2026 — 96 posts by Direct Recruitment and 23 by Recruitment by Transfer. The pay scale is ₹77,840–₹1,36,520 per month. During the 1-year training at the Judicial Academy and the further 1-year Law Clerkship, selected candidates are designated 'Trainee Judicial Officers' and paid a fixed emolument equal to one-half of the remuneration of a Civil Judge (Junior Division).

Who can apply

Direct Recruitment is for candidates not in Government of India or State service, who hold a Law Degree obtained in the year preceding the date of the notification — a condition tied to the Supreme Court judgment in Bhumika Trust Vs. Union of India, WP (Civil) No. 1110/2025 dated 21 August 2026, and pending amendments to the A.P. State Judicial (Service & Cadre) Rules, 2026. Candidates must be of good character and an Indian citizen, and must not have been dismissed, removed or compulsorily retired from service, convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude, permanently debarred or disqualified by any High Court, UPSC or State PSC, or in a bigamous marriage. Recruitment by Transfer is for confirmed members or approved probationers in the listed categories of High Court of Andhra Pradesh staff, District Judiciary staff, Assistant Public Prosecutors, and Section Officers of the Law and Legislature Departments and the offices of the Advocate General, Government Pleaders and Public Prosecutors, among others, holding a Law Degree from a University established by law in India.

Age limit and fee

For Direct Recruitment, a candidate shall not complete 35 years as on 1 September 2026, relaxable by 5 years for SC, ST, BC and EWS candidates and by 10 years for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities; defence service period is excluded from age computation. For Recruitment by Transfer, a candidate shall not complete 48 years. No minimum age is stated in the notification. The application fee, payable online and non-refundable, is ₹1,500 for OC, EWS and BC candidates and ₹750 for SC, ST and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities — the concessional fee applies only to applicants belonging to a community recognised as SC or ST in the State of Andhra Pradesh.

Selection and dates

Selection has three stages. First, a Screening Test (Computer Based Test) of 100 marks with 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours; candidates scoring 40% and above are shortlisted in a 1:10 ratio for the written examination, and screening marks do not count for final merit. Second, a Written Examination of 3 papers of 100 marks each, 3 hours each: Paper-I Civil Laws, Paper-II Criminal Laws, and Paper-III English (Translation 40 marks and Essay Writing 60 marks; 40% required in each part of Paper-III). Paper-III marks do not count for Viva Voce or selection — only Papers I and II and the Viva Voce count. Third, a Viva Voce of 50 marks; absence means disqualification, and the merit list for Viva Voce is drawn in a 1:3 ratio. Qualifying marks for Viva Voce are 55% in each of Papers I and II and 60% aggregate for OC and EWS, 50% and 55% for BC, 45% and 50% for SC, ST and PwBD, and 55% and 60% for Transfer candidates. The Screening Test will be held at Guntur, Kurnool, Rajahmundry (Rajamahendravaram), Tirupati, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, with applicants opting for any 3 centres in order of preference. Online applications opened on 1 October 2026 and the last date is 30 November 2026, 11:59 PM — extended twice, first to 10 November 2026 and then to 30 November 2026 by Notification ROC.No.118/2026-RC dated 6 November 2026. Selection against the BC-E vacancy is subject to the outcome of Civil Appeal Nos. 2628-2637/2010 pending before the Supreme Court, and the High Court reserves the right to increase or decrease vacancies or cancel the notification at any stage. No TA/DA is payable for the Screening Test, Written Examination or Viva Voce.