RJS Previous Year Paper Analysis: Topic-Wise Patterns, High-Frequency Provisions and What Actually Repeats
Every RJS preparation article — on Jyoti Judiciary’s website and everywhere else — tells you to solve previous year papers. Almost none of them tell you what you will actually find when you do. Which provisions have appeared across multiple cycles? Which CPC topics are asked as MCQs versus as judgment writing problems? What changed in the criminal law paper after BNS, BNSS, and BSA replaced the old codes? Which Order under CPC has been tested in virtually every RJS Mains in the last decade?
What follows draws from the RJS Prelims and Mains papers from 2015 to 2024 — nine complete cycles. The goal is not to hand you a PDF and tell you to solve it. The goal is to show you the pattern behind the papers: the topics that keep returning, the question types that dominate, and the areas where the 2026 RJS paper will likely be different from anything that came before it — because the new criminal codes changed the question structure, not just the section numbers.
RJS Prelims Previous Year Paper Analysis — Topic-Wise Patterns That Repeat
The RJS Prelims is 100 questions — 70% Law (70 questions) and 30% Language (30 questions). No negative marking. Minimum 40% for General category to qualify. Within the 70 law questions, the distribution across subjects has been broadly consistent across cycles, with some shifts worth noting.
Subject-Wise Distribution in RJS Prelims — Pattern Across Cycles
| Subject | Approx. Questions Per Cycle | High-Frequency Topics |
| Constitution of India | 12-15 questions | Fundamental Rights (Articles 12-35), DPSPs, Amendment procedure, President’s powers, Emergency provisions, Judicial review |
| Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) | 10-14 questions | Order I (parties), Order VII (plaint), Order VIII (written statement), Order XIV (framing of issues), Order XX (judgment), Order XXXIX (injunctions), Section 9 (civil court jurisdiction) |
| Indian Contract Act + Specific Relief | 8-10 questions | Formation, void agreements, breach and remedies, Section 10, Section 73, specific performance under Specific Relief Act |
| Transfer of Property Act | 6-8 questions | Section 54 (sale), Section 58 (mortgage types), Section 105 (lease), Section 122 (gift), actionable claims |
| Hindu Law + Muslim Law | 5-7 questions | Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Muslim marriage, mehr, divorce, maintenance |
| Criminal Law (IPC/BNS) | 8-10 questions | Homicide provisions, theft/robbery/dacoity distinction, offences against women, common intention |
| Evidence Law (IEA/BSA) | 5-7 questions | Dying declaration, confession rules, expert opinion, burden of proof, electronic evidence |
| Language — Hindi | 15 questions | Grammar, comprehension, essay vocabulary — not testable by topic analysis |
| Language — English | 15 questions | Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension — not testable by topic analysis |
| The 3 Topics That Appear in Almost Every RJS Prelims: 1. CPC Order XIV — Framing of Issues: Tested in Prelims MCQ form and in Mains judgment writing. Know the distinction between issues of fact, law, and mixed questions. Which party bears the burden on each issue. 2. Constitutional Articles 19, 21, 32, 226: Every cycle. Test the distinction between Article 32 (Supreme Court) and Article 226 (High Courts). The scope of Article 21 post-Maneka Gandhi has produced MCQs in multiple cycles. 3. TPA Section 58 — Mortgage Types: Simple mortgage, mortgage by conditional sale, usufructuary, English, equitable. Distinguish between them on specific facts. This appears as a one-liner MCQ and as a problem question in Mains. |
RJS Mains Previous Year Paper Analysis — Topic-Wise Breakdown of Law Paper I
Law Paper I covers civil law — CPC, Contract Act, TPA, Specific Relief, Hindu Law, Muslim Law, Limitation Act, and the Rajasthan-specific legislation added in the 2026 syllabus. The paper is 100 marks, 3 hours, descriptive. Minimum 35% required independently.
CPC — The Dominant Subject in RJS Mains Law Paper I
CPC carries the most marks in Law Paper I across every cycle. The pattern within CPC is not random. Specific Orders have appeared so frequently that missing them in your preparation is a direct risk.
| CPC Provision | Frequency in Mains (2015-2024) | Question Type |
| Order XIV — Framing of Issues | Every cycle — 8-10 marks | Problem question: given a plaint and written statement, frame the issues |
| Order XX — Judgment and Decree | Every cycle — judgment writing question | Full civil judgment writing — mandatory step format |
| Order XXXIX — Temporary Injunctions | 8 of 9 cycles | Test for grant: prima facie case, balance of convenience, irreparable harm |
| Order VII — Plaint Requirements | 7 of 9 cycles | What must a plaint contain? Reject on which grounds? |
| Section 9 — Civil Court Jurisdiction | 7 of 9 cycles | Which suits are excluded? Test of civil nature. |
| Order XXIII — Withdrawal and Compromise | 6 of 9 cycles | Conditions for compromise decree — when binding on non-parties |
| Section 100 — Second Appeal | 5 of 9 cycles | Substantial question of law — distinguish from first appeal |
| Order I — Parties to Suit | 5 of 9 cycles | Joinder of parties, representative suits, misjoinder |
| Section 144 — Restitution | 4 of 9 cycles | When does restitution apply? Distinguished from decree execution |
Contract Act + Specific Relief — What Gets Asked
The Indian Contract Act is tested through problem questions in the Mains — a scenario is given and you must identify whether a contract was validly formed, whether it is void or voidable, and what remedy is available. The Specific Relief Act questions typically ask when specific performance can be granted versus when only damages are available.
- Section 10 ICA — Essentials of a valid contract: appears as a fact-checking MCQ in Prelims and as the first issue in contract-based Mains problems.
- Sections 14-16 — Consent and free consent: coercion, undue influence, fraud, misrepresentation — frequently tested together in one problem where multiple vitiating factors are present.
- Section 73 — Compensation for breach: the measure of damages is a recurring Mains short-note question. Know the remoteness doctrine from Hadley v. Baxendale and how Indian courts apply it.
- Section 10 SRA — When specific performance is not granted: discretionary nature of the remedy, cases where it would be unfair, hardship clause.
TPA — The High-Value Short Notes
Transfer of Property Act questions appear as short notes and one-liner MCQs more than as extended problem questions. The high-frequency provisions are the same ones that appear in Prelims — Section 54 (sale), Section 58 (mortgage types), Section 105 (lease), Section 122 (gift). The twist in Mains is that TPA questions are often paired with facts to test application, not just definition.
RJS Mains Previous Year Paper Analysis — Topic-Wise Breakdown of Law Paper II
Law Paper II is where the 2026 RJS paper will look structurally different from every paper before 2024. BNS, BNSS, and BSA replaced IPC, CrPC, and the Indian Evidence Act from 1 July 2024. The question types and the analytical skills tested will be the same. The section numbers, the code names, and the specific provisions will be different.
Criminal Law — What Got Tested Under Old Codes (and What the BNS Equivalent Is)
| Topic Tested in Previous Papers | Old Code / Section | BNS / BNSS / BSA Section | Still Tested in 2026? |
| Murder and culpable homicide distinction | IPC Section 299, 300 | BNS Section 99, 100 | Yes — identical distinction, new section numbers |
| Bail provisions — regular and anticipatory | CrPC Sections 436-438 | BNSS Sections 478-482 | Yes — BNSS adds 7-day timeline for bail decision |
| Police custody and remand | CrPC Section 167 | BNSS Section 187 | Yes — major change: staggered custody up to 60/90 days |
| Dying declaration | IEA Section 32(1) | BSA Section 26 | Yes — BSA adds video dying declaration |
| Electronic evidence certificate | IEA Section 65B | BSA Section 63 | Yes — BSA adds hash value + two-signature requirement |
| Zero FIR | Not in CrPC | BNSS Section 173 | New question type — Zero FIR mechanics and 15-day transfer |
| Confession to police | IPC Section 25, 27 | BNSS Section 23 | Yes — consolidated into one section under BNSS |
| Mandatory forensic investigation | Not in CrPC | BNSS Section 176(3) | New question type — for offences 7+ years |
| Expert opinion | IEA Section 45 | BSA Section 39 | Yes — BSA expands to DNA and cyber forensics |
| Offences against women | IPC Sections 354, 376 | BNS Sections 74, 64 | Yes — BNS restructures significantly |
| Critical Point for RJS 2026 Law Paper II: The examiners will test BNS, BNSS, and BSA as primary law — not as ‘updates’ to IPC, CrPC, and IEA. A candidate who writes ‘Section 302 IPC’ instead of ‘Section 103 BNS’ in a 2026 criminal judgment writing answer is citing an outdated code — and under step marking, that is a section-citation error. Know the section numbers in the new codes by heart. Know which provisions have no equivalent in the old codes (Zero FIR, mandatory forensic investigation, staggered custody, video dying declaration, trials in absentia). These new provisions will produce fresh question types that have never appeared in any RJS previous year paper — because the codes did not exist before July 2024. |
The 5 Mains Question Types That Appear Every Cycle
Across nine RJS Mains cycles reviewed at Jyoti Judiciary Coaching by Jyoti Saxena, five question types appear with such regularity that not preparing specifically for each one is a preparation error. These are not subject-specific — they are format-specific. A candidate who knows the law but has not practised these specific formats will underperform on questions they could otherwise answer.
Question Type 1 — Civil Judgment Writing (Appears Every Mains Cycle)
A complete civil judgment in Order 20 CPC format is mandatory in Law Paper I every cycle — typically 15 to 20 marks. The format has twelve steps: court header, parties, nature of suit, statement of case, framing of issues, recording of evidence, summary of arguments, findings per issue with case law, decree, costs, date and seal. Every step carries independent marks under step marking. Missing the operative part — the decree — is the most common step that costs marks.
Question Type 2 — Criminal Judgment Writing and Charge Framing
Law Paper II requires either a complete criminal judgment (BNSS format for 2026) or a charge framing exercise. The charge must include: court, case number, FIR details, BNS offence with section number, date, place, manner of commission, and accused’s plea. In the criminal judgment, the sentence order — quantum of punishment, fine, set-off under Section 479 BNSS — is a separate step. Missing it is a separate mark loss.
Question Type 3 — Issue Framing Under CPC Order XIV
Given a plaint and written statement, frame the issues. This question appears in the Prelims as an MCQ (‘which of these is correctly framed as an issue?’) and in the Mains as a problem exercise. The format matters: an issue is a specific legal question arising from the pleadings, not a topic. ‘Whether the defendant is liable’ is a topic. ‘Whether the oral modification of the written agreement is valid under Section 62 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, and what its effect is on the plaintiff’s right to claim damages’ is a properly framed issue.
Question Type 4 — Distinguish Between Two Closely Related Provisions
CPC Order XX decree versus Order XXIII compromise decree. Murder versus culpable homicide under BNS. Simple mortgage versus mortgage by conditional sale under TPA Section 58. Void versus voidable contract under ICA. These distinction questions appear in both Prelims (MCQ form) and Mains (short note or problem form). The Mains version typically gives a fact situation and asks which of the two applies.
Question Type 5 — Case Law Application
A legal principle from a case is stated in the question and you are asked to either identify the case, explain the principle, or apply it to the given facts. High-frequency case laws across RJS previous year papers: Kesavananda Bharati (basic structure), Maneka Gandhi (Article 21 natural justice), Arnesh Kumar (arrest guidelines — now codified in Section 35 BNSS), Satender Kumar Antil (bail as rule), Anvar P.V. / Shafhi Mohammad (electronic evidence — now replaced by Section 63 BSA), and Sharad Birdhi Chand Sarda (circumstantial evidence five principles).
RJS Previous Year Paper Pattern — Year-Wise Shift
Three clear shifts are visible across the nine cycles — including which high-frequency provisions disappeared and which new ones entered.
| Period | Key Pattern Shift |
| 2015 to 2018 | Heavier IPC and CrPC MCQ volume in Prelims. Mains problems focused on established CPC provisions. Fewer questions on evidence law. |
| 2019 to 2022 | Increased constitutional law weight — Article 21 expansions, public interest questions. More complex problem questions requiring multi-issue analysis. Electronic evidence (Section 65B IEA) begins appearing in Prelims. |
| 2023 to 2024 (last IPC/CrPC cycles) | Transition awareness questions appear — examiners begin testing knowledge of the upcoming new codes alongside existing law. Language paper difficulty increases. Judgment writing step-marking becomes more granular. |
| 2026 (projected) | First cycle entirely under BNS, BNSS, BSA. New question types: Zero FIR (BNSS Section 173), mandatory forensic investigation (BNSS Section 176(3)), video dying declaration (BSA Section 26), Section 63 BSA certificate requirements. Old IPC/CrPC sections cited only as comparison references, not as primary law. |
How to Use RJS Previous Year Papers in Preparation — What Actually Works
Solving a paper under timed conditions once and reviewing your score is the minimum. There are more productive ways to use RJS previous year papers that most candidates skip.
For the Prelims Paper
- After solving, categorise every wrong answer by subject and by type of error (knowledge gap, reading error, section confusion). Revisit the bare act provision — not a note, the actual provision — for every knowledge-gap error.
- Map which subjects your wrong answers cluster in. If 6 of your 10 wrong answers are in CPC, you have identified your Prelims weak area precisely — not generically.
- The language section (30 questions) is where most candidates leave marks they should not. Grammar and comprehension questions can be answered quickly with practice. Time spent on language section is high-return compared to adding one more CPC provision to memory.
For the Mains Papers
- Do not just solve them — solve them in the exact format the question demands. A judgment writing question solved in essay format gives you no feedback on whether you know the twelve steps of a civil judgment. Write it in format, then compare your answer step by step against the required structure.
- For every Mains problem question, write out the issues you would frame before writing any analysis. Issue framing is a separate, marks-bearing step in the RJS Mains. Practise it separately.
- Build a running list of case laws that appear across multiple cycles. If Arnesh Kumar appears in 2019, 2021, and 2023 Prelims papers, it is telling you something. Know its ratio, know that it is now codified in Section 35 BNSS, and know how to apply it to fresh facts.
- For the language papers, practice writing timed essays on socio-legal topics. The Hindi and English essays are 50 marks each with a 35% minimum — that minimum is harder to hit than it sounds if you have not written a structured essay under time pressure before.
Frequently Asked Questions — RJS Previous Year Papers
How many years of RJS previous year papers should I solve?
Solve the last five complete cycles — Prelims plus Mains. That covers the most recent question types, the transition from IPC/CrPC to BNS/BNSS/BSA (which begins to be reflected in 2023-24 papers), and gives you enough data to see which topics repeat. Papers before 2015 are less directly relevant because the syllabus structure has changed, but if you have time after the last five cycles, the CPC and constitutional law questions from older papers still carry preparation value.
Do questions repeat in RJS previous year papers?
Provisions repeat — specific questions rarely repeat word for word, but the same provisions, the same distinctions, and the same fact patterns appear across multiple cycles in different phrasings. Order XIV issue framing has appeared in some form in every RJS Mains cycle in the last decade. TPA Section 58 mortgage types appear in virtually every Prelims. The pattern is consistent enough that identifying the high-frequency provisions and preparing them deeply is more valuable than attempting to cover the entire syllabus uniformly.
Are RJS previous year papers available on the official website?
The Rajasthan High Court’s official website (hcraj.nic.in) is the primary official source for RJS previous year papers. Some cycles’ papers are available for direct download from the examination section of the website. The accuracy of papers circulated through coaching institutes or third-party websites varies — always verify against the official source where possible.
What is the difference between RJS Prelims and Mains previous year paper analysis?
The Prelims papers are useful for identifying which provisions get tested as MCQs — and specifically which one-liners and definitions are commonly asked. The Mains papers show you the question format, the level of detail required in judgment writing, and the complexity of problem questions. Both are needed for complete preparation — Prelims papers alone will not prepare you for the Mains format, and Mains papers alone will not show you the MCQ pattern in the Prelims.
How does the shift to BNS, BNSS, BSA affect RJS previous year paper analysis?
It affects Law Paper II directly. Criminal law questions from all cycles before 2024 cite IPC, CrPC, and the Indian Evidence Act. For RJS 2026, those section numbers are outdated as primary citations. The analytical skills tested — distinguishing provisions, applying law to facts, writing criminal judgments — are the same. But every section number in criminal law answers must come from BNS, BNSS, and BSA. Previous year papers on criminal law are still valuable for understanding question types and analytical patterns — just not for copying section numbers into your 2026 answers.
Related Articles — RJS Preparation
→ RJS Mains Answer Writing: Format, Word Limit and Mistakes to Avoid — Civil judgment 10-step format, step marking, word limit calculator
→ BNSS vs CrPC: Complete Section-Wise Comparison for Judiciary Exam — Section mapping, Zero FIR, staggered custody — essential for Law Paper II 2026
→ BSA vs Indian Evidence Act: Complete Comparison for Judiciary Exam — Section 63 BSA, dying declaration, expert opinion — Supreme Court May 2026
→ RJS Cut Off 2026: Year-Wise Category-Wise Analysis — 2017 to 2025 data — what to target to clear Mains
→ RJS Prelims Cut Off Trend Analysis 2017 to 2026 — Why 2025 cut off hit 78, 239 OMR disqualifications
→ Why Most Students Fail RJS in the First Attempt — 10 patterns — judgment writing timing, language paper mistakes
→ Rajasthan Civil Judge Salary 2026 — Verified Rs. 77,840 basic pay — why most sites show wrong figures
All the best — from Jyoti Judiciary Coaching
Written by Advocate Jyoti Saxena — LLB, LLM, CS, Bar Council of Rajasthan, practising at Jaipur Family Court, Jaipur District Court, and the Rajasthan High Court. The topic-frequency analysis in this article is drawn from reviewing RJS Prelims and Mains papers from 2015 to 2024 alongside twelve years of preparing candidates for each cycle at Jyoti Judiciary Coaching, Jaipur. Contact: +91 99290 96546 | jyotijudiciary.com
RJS previous year papers are available at hcraj.nic.in. Section references for Law Paper II use BNS 2023, BNSS 2023, and BSA 2023 as in force from 1 July 2024. Always verify from official sources before examination.
