Supreme Court Court Master (Shorthand) Recruitment 2026 Online Form

About the Court Master (Shorthand) 2026 recruitment

The Supreme Court of India has released Advertisement No. F.6/11/CM(S)/2026-SC (RC), dated 15 October 2026, to build a panel for 20 tentative vacancies of Court Master (Shorthand). This is a gazetted post in Level 11 of the pay matrix in the Registry of the Supreme Court. Court Masters work in the courtroom with the judges, taking down orders and judgments in shorthand, so the job can involve odd hours and holidays. Selected candidates must give an undertaking to accept that.

Who can apply

This is not an entry-level post. You need all of the following on 1 October 2026:

• A bachelor's degree from a recognised Indian university.
• English shorthand at 120 words per minute.
• Computer typing at 40 words per minute.
• At least 5 years of regular service as a Private Secretary, Senior PA, PA or Senior Stenographer in a government department, PSU or statutory body.

Age: 30 to 45 years on 1 October 2026. The usual relaxation applies to SC, ST, OBC (non-creamy layer) and ex-servicemen, and dependants of freedom fighters get up to five more years. Candidates already working in other government departments, PSUs, statutory bodies or banks get no age relaxation for being in service. Departmental candidates of the Supreme Court Registry have no upper age limit. Serving employees must produce a No Objection Certificate from their employer at document verification.

Salary

Level 11: ₹67,700 to ₹2,08,700, with an initial basic pay of ₹67,700 plus admissible allowances.

Exam pattern

Stage	Details	Marks	Qualifying
1. Objective test (1½ hours)	25 General English, 25 General Knowledge, 25 Judiciary provisions of the Constitution, 15 Supreme Court Rules 2013, 10 Computer knowledge	100	50
2. Shorthand test	7 minutes dictation at 120 wpm, 45 minutes to transcribe; up to 5% mistakes allowed	Graded	–
3. Typing test	10 minutes on computer at 40 wpm minimum; up to 2% mistakes allowed	20	10
4. Interview	Online or in Delhi	30	15

• There is no negative marking in the objective test.
• The objective test is tentatively on 7 December 2026. The answer key is expected on 8 December, with objections allowed until 9 December (₹100 per objection, refunded if the objection is accepted).
• If many candidates score 50 or more, up to 10 candidates per vacancy are called to the shorthand and typing tests, which are held in Delhi/NCR. Up to 3 per vacancy go to the interview.
• The shorthand test is graded by accuracy: no mistakes = 100%, then 10% less for each 1% of mistakes, down to 50% at 5% mistakes.

Preparation tips

The Constitution and Supreme Court Rules questions (40 of 100) are what separate this paper from a normal stenographer exam. Read Part V Chapter IV (the Union Judiciary) and Part VI Chapter V (High Courts) of the Constitution and the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, both available free online. In the shorthand test a full stop counts as half a mistake, as does a capital/small letter error, so practise transcribing legal dictation with correct punctuation.