The All India Bar Examination XXI is scheduled for 7 June 2026. This page is a working syllabus for candidates — all 19 subjects, the closed-book format, passing marks, and the preparation strategy that actually fits a 100-question paper.
The All India Bar Examination is the national qualifying test conducted by the Bar Council of India under the Advocates Act, 1961. AIBE 21 — written officially as AIBE XXI — is the twenty-first edition of the examination and is being held on 7 June 2026. Every law graduate enrolled with a State Bar Council after 2010 must clear AIBE to obtain the Certificate of Practice (CoP), without which an advocate cannot appear before any court in India.
The exam matters more in 2026 than it has at any point since the Bar Council v. Bonnie Foi judgment. The Supreme Court's recent reinstatement of the three-year mandatory practice requirement for judicial services entry has made the CoP a gatekeeper to the lower judiciary — and not just to private practice. Candidates who treat AIBE as a routine formality risk pushing back their judicial services eligibility by an entire cycle.
On this page you will find the verified AIBE 21 syllabus, the exam pattern, the official date sheet from the BCI Trust notification dated 10 February 2026, and a preparation strategy that reflects how the paper has actually been set since the closed-book format returned in 2021. For the BCI's full notification and a downloadable syllabus copy, see the AIBE XXI information guide and the detailed syllabus page.
The pattern has been stable since AIBE XVI. There is no negative marking, the mode is offline OMR, and the paper is available in eleven Indian languages.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 100 multiple-choice questions |
| Total marks | 100 (1 mark per correct answer) |
| Duration | 3 hours 30 minutes |
| Negative marking | None |
| Mode | Offline — pen and paper, OMR sheet |
| Languages | 11 (English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Punjabi) |
| Format | Closed-book; only unmarked Bare Acts permitted |
The Bar Council of India prescribes nineteen subjects for AIBE 21 and, unusually, publishes an exact per-subject question count in its official syllabus document dated 2 March 2026. The nineteen counts total 100. Procedural laws (CPC, CrPC/BNSS, Evidence/BSA) plus the Constitution and IPC/BNS together account for 54 of the 100 questions — more than half the paper.
The numbered list below shows the official question count for each subject alongside the high-yield Bare Acts and the topical clusters most often tested.
Tests Parts III, IV and IVA, fundamental rights and the writ jurisdiction under Articles 32 and 226, the basic structure doctrine, Centre–State relations, and the amendment process. Questions lean on landmark Supreme Court rulings, so candidates should study the Bare Act alongside Kesavananda Bharati, Maneka Gandhi and Indra Sawhney lines of cases.
Covers general principles of criminal liability, exceptions, abetment and conspiracy, offences against the body, property and the state. Candidates must be familiar with both the IPC and the BNS, 2023, since the AIBE 21 syllabus continues to reference both regimes until older offences fully phase out.
Procedure for cognizable and non-cognizable offences, arrest, bail, FIR, investigation, charge, trial, judgment and appeals. The BNSS, 2023 has replaced the CrPC for proceedings initiated after 1 July 2024; questions may be drawn from either regime, so the side-by-side section mapping is essential.
Jurisdiction, pleadings, summons, discovery, interim relief, execution, appeals, reference, review and inherent powers under Section 151. Procedural shortcuts and time limits are favourite question areas; the schedule of Order numbers should be memorised through the Bare Act.
Relevancy, admissions and confessions, documentary and oral evidence, burden of proof, presumptions, estoppel and witness examination. The BSA, 2023 modernises the framework for electronic records; expect questions on both the old and new section numbering.
Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (with amendments), the Mediation Act, 2023, Section 89 of the CPC, and the Lok Adalat scheme under the Legal Services Authorities Act. Candidates should know the difference between domestic and international commercial arbitration and the grounds for setting aside an award.
Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Muslim Personal Law (marriage, divorce, maintenance), Special Marriage Act, Indian Divorce Act, adoption and guardianship statutes. The 2005 amendment to the Hindu Succession Act and recent rulings on maintenance under Section 125 CrPC / Section 144 BNSS are high-yield.
Doctrine, locus standi, scope of relief under Articles 32 and 226, and the procedural framework laid down by the Supreme Court for entertaining PILs. Familiarity with PIL guidelines from SP Gupta and subsequent rulings, and the abuse-of-process safeguards, is enough for most questions.
Doctrines of natural justice, judicial review, writs, delegated legislation, administrative tribunals, and the ombudsman framework. Candidates should be able to distinguish quasi-judicial from administrative action and recall the standard grounds of judicial review.
Advocates Act, 1961; the BCI Rules on Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette; disciplinary proceedings; duties to client, court and colleague. Past papers draw heavily on Section 35 of the Advocates Act and reported misconduct cases — these are scoring if read once carefully.
Companies Act, 2013 — incorporation, share capital, board governance, related-party transactions, oppression and mismanagement, winding up and the NCLT/NCLAT framework. The IBC, 2016 is increasingly referenced for corporate insolvency and is worth a quick read.
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; Air and Water Acts; Wildlife Protection Act; Forest Conservation Act; and the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. Landmark rulings — MC Mehta line of cases, polluter-pays and precautionary principles — frequently appear in MCQ form.
Information Technology Act, 2000, with emphasis on offences under Sections 65–74, intermediary liability under Section 79, electronic records, digital signatures, and adjudication. Recent jurisprudence after the Shreya Singhal ruling and the IT Rules, 2021 are testable.
Industrial Disputes Act, Factories Act, Minimum Wages Act, Trade Unions Act, Workmen's Compensation Act, and the four consolidated Labour Codes (Wages, Social Security, OSH, IR). Candidates should know which Code subsumes which earlier statute, as transitional questions are common.
General principles — duty, breach, damage, vicarious liability, strict and absolute liability — together with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Chapters X–XII) and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The shift from a District Forum to a District Commission and the new pecuniary limits are testable.
Income Tax Act, 1961 (heads of income, residential status, assessment), and the GST framework — CGST, SGST, IGST, place of supply, input tax credit. Pure number-crunching is rare; questions usually test definitions and the appellate hierarchy.
Indian Contract Act, 1872 (offer, acceptance, consideration, free consent, performance, breach, damages); Specific Relief Act, 1963 (post-2018 amendments); Transfer of Property Act, 1882; Sale of Goods Act; Partnership Act; and Negotiable Instruments Act (especially Section 138 dishonour of cheque).
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, which has replaced the colonial 1894 Act. Focus on the social impact assessment process, consent thresholds, and the compensation and R&R framework in the Second and Third Schedules.
Trade Marks Act, 1999; Copyright Act, 1957 (with the 2012 amendments); Patents Act, 1970; and the Designs Act, 2000. Standard testable areas are registrability, infringement, fair dealing, compulsory licensing under Section 84 of the Patents Act, and term/duration of each right.
Source: Syllabus for All India Bar Exam-XXI, Bar Council of India Trust, dated 2 March 2026.
| # | Subject | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Constitutional Law | 10 |
| 2 | Indian Penal Code (IPC) / Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) | 8 |
| 3 | Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) / Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) | 10 |
| 4 | Civil Procedure Code (CPC) | 10 |
| 5 | Indian Evidence Act / Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) | 8 |
| 6 | Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), including Arbitration Act | 4 |
| 7 | Family Law | 8 |
| 8 | Public Interest Litigation | 4 |
| 9 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| 10 | Professional Ethics and Cases of Professional Misconduct | 4 |
| 11 | Company Law | 2 |
| 12 | Environmental Law | 2 |
| 13 | Cyber Law | 2 |
| 14 | Labour and Industrial Law | 4 |
| 15 | Law of Tort, including Motor Vehicle Act and Consumer Protection Law | 5 |
| 16 | Law related to Taxation | 4 |
| 17 | Law of Contract, Specific Relief, Property Laws, Negotiable Instrument Act | 8 |
| 18 | Land Acquisition Act | 2 |
| 19 | Intellectual Property Laws | 2 |
| Total | 100 |
The official AIBE XXI syllabus PDF (BCI Trust, 2 March 2026) is hosted on this site for offline reference — download the official syllabus (PDF).
Dates below are taken directly from the BCI Trust notification BCIT:D:0014/2026 dated 10 February 2026. Anything not in that notification is marked [VERIFY].
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online registration opens | 11 February 2026 |
| Online registration closes | 30 April 2026 |
| Last date of online payment | 1 May 2026 |
| Last date of form correction | 3 May 2026 |
| Admit card released from | 22 May 2026 |
| Examination date | 7 June 2026 |
| Result declaration | [VERIFY] Typically 8–12 weeks after the exam; BCI announces separately |
AIBE 21 is open to two groups. First, final-year students of three-year and five-year LL.B. programmes at BCI-recognised institutions, provided they have no pending backlogs at the time of application. Second, law graduates from BCI-recognised universities who have either already enrolled with a State Bar Council or are eligible to do so.
There is no upper age limit and no cap on the number of attempts. A candidate may register for successive AIBE editions until the paper is cleared. Once the Certificate of Practice is granted, it does not lapse — it remains valid for as long as the enrolment with the State Bar Council is in force.
The BCI Trust notification dated 10 February 2026 sets the AIBE 21 passing percentages at:
The 45% threshold has applied since AIBE XX. Earlier editions used a 40%/35% cut-off — older preparation material that quotes those numbers is out of date.
AIBE has been a closed-book examination since AIBE XVI in 2021. Candidates are no longer permitted to bring textbooks, commentaries, study notes, photocopies or printouts of any kind into the hall. The only material allowed at the desk is the unmarked Bare Act — the official statutory text of the relevant law.
"Unmarked" is read strictly by the invigilators. A Bare Act will be confiscated at the door if it shows any of the following:
The safest approach is to buy a fresh, unbound publisher's Bare Act of each major statute — IPC/BNS, CrPC/BNSS, Evidence/BSA, CPC, Contract Act, Constitution, Advocates Act — and not open them at all until exam day. Familiarity with the structure of each Act has to come from mock tests, not from annotation.
The honest truth about AIBE preparation is that it rewards familiarity, not depth. The paper is wide rather than deep — 100 questions across 19 subjects means an average of five questions per subject. A candidate who knows the structure of every Bare Act and can locate a section quickly will outscore a candidate who knows three subjects very well and is shaky on the rest.
Start with the high-volume subjects. Procedural laws (CPC, CrPC/BNSS, Evidence/BSA) and the IPC/BNS are reliably the largest blocks of the paper. The Constitution and Professional Ethics together usually account for another twelve to fifteen questions. Get these five subjects to the point where every question feels familiar before you spend serious time on Tax, IPR or Land Acquisition.
Read the Bare Act, then test yourself. Pure reading is a trap on AIBE — it produces a feeling of preparedness that doesn't survive the exam hall. The fastest way to learn an Act is to attempt a topic-wise set of MCQs, get half of them wrong, and then go back to the Bare Act to fix the misconceptions. Repeat that loop two or three times per subject. You can — the platform tracks which subjects you keep losing marks on.
Mock-test under exam conditions at least three times. Three and a half hours is longer than most LL.B. examinations and the attention curve is unforgiving in the third hour. Sit a full-length AIBE 21 mock test in one stretch, with a real OMR sheet and only your Bare Acts on the desk. The first time will feel slow; by the third sitting you will have a working personal order — which subjects to attempt first, which Bare Acts to keep open on the desk and which to put back in the bag.
Two minutes per question is the right pace. Three and a half hours over 100 questions gives just over two minutes per MCQ. Beyond that average, the paper starts to consume time that should be spent on review. The questions that take longest are usually procedural — a CrPC/BNSS section number, a CPC order, a limitation period — and these are the questions where the Bare Act on the desk pays for itself. Train the lookup reflex during mock tests, not in the hall.
Don't leave the OMR blank on anything. There is no negative marking. A guess on a question you genuinely could not solve is free expected value. In the last fifteen minutes, fill every remaining bubble before submitting. Candidates who finish the paper neatly and leave six blanks are giving away six marks for no reason.
Take a free, full-length AIBE 21 mock test. Timed, subject-tagged, with explanations after each question.
For a deeper preparation roadmap, see the AIBE 21 preparation guide and the Certificate of Practice explainer.
The list of nineteen subjects remains the same as AIBE XX. The substantive content has shifted because the BNS, BNSS and BSA have replaced the IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act for proceedings initiated after 1 July 2024, so candidates should prepare both regimes side by side until the BCI explicitly retires one.
AIBE 21 is a 100-question multiple-choice paper held over 3 hours 30 minutes. Each correct answer carries one mark and there is no negative marking.
No. Since AIBE XVI in 2021 the examination has been closed-book. Candidates may carry only clean, unmarked Bare Acts into the hall — no notes, no commentary, no highlighting and no photocopies.
As per the BCI Trust notification dated 10 February 2026, the passing percentage is 45 percent for General and OBC candidates and 40 percent for SC, ST and Specially abled candidates.
Yes. Final-year students of three-year and five-year LL.B. programmes at BCI-recognised institutions are permitted to register, provided they have no pending backlogs at the time of application.
The Bar Council of India publishes the official syllabus on the AIBE portal. A locally hosted copy is available on this site for offline reading. For the most current version, candidates should always cross-check against allindiabarexamination.com.
There is no cap on attempts. Candidates may appear in successive AIBE editions until they qualify; there is also no upper age limit prescribed by the BCI.
The Certificate of Practice issued on qualifying AIBE has no expiry. Once granted, it remains valid for the duration of the advocate's enrolment with the State Bar Council.
More questions are answered in the full AIBE FAQ.
Sources: Bar Council of India Trust notification BCIT:D:0014/2026 dated 10 February 2026; AIBE XXI syllabus published by the Bar Council of India. Last reviewed: 13 May 2026.