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Punjab PCS-J study materials
Punjab PCS-J study resources

Punjab PCS-J: Preliminary Examination (Objective Screening)

Punjab PCS-J · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Preliminary Examination (Objective Screening)

What the screening paper is for

The Punjab PCS-J preliminary examination is the objective filter for the Civil Judge (Junior Division) recruitment run by the Punjab Public Service Commission. Candidates who clear it proceed to the mains; the preliminary marks are normally not carried into final merit. It samples the same legal fields as the written papers but rewards exact statutory recall and fast issue-spotting.

Core rules to internalise

  • Bare Act first. CPC 1908, Indian Contract Act 1872, Transfer of Property Act 1882, Specific Relief Act 1963, Limitation Act 1963, and the criminal trio: IPC 1860/BNS 2023, CrPC 1973/BNSS 2023, Evidence Act 1872/BSA 2023. Add Punjab statutes such as the Punjab Courts Act 1918, Punjab Land Revenue Act 1887 and Punjab Tenancy Act 1887.
  • Jurisdiction and limitation are repeat areas: Sections 15–20 CPC, Order VII Rule 11 rejection of plaints, and limitation articles such as Article 65.
  • Transition trap. If the notification adopts the BNS, BNSS and BSA, map old section numbers to the new ones and do not mix the two schemes in one answer.

Worked example

A money suit is filed at Ludhiana against a defendant residing at Amritsar, but the contract was made and payment was due at Jalandhar. Which court has territorial jurisdiction? Under Section 20 CPC, a suit may be instituted where the defendant resides or where the cause of action arises. The contract was made at Jalandhar and payment was due there, so Jalandhar has jurisdiction. Ludhiana does not become proper merely because the plaintiff lives there.

Traps that cost marks

Confusing “shall” with “may”; ignoring Punjab-specific statutes; using old IPC numbers when the paper is set on the BNS; misreading “except” or “not” stems; and guessing instead of eliminating options by provision.

Key points

  • Preliminary is a screening stage; confirm current marks and cut-off rules in the PPSC notification.
  • Statute-first preparation: CPC, Contract, TPA, Specific Relief, Limitation, criminal codes and Punjab local statutes.
  • Jurisdiction under Sections 15–20 CPC and limitation articles are high-yield.
  • Map IPC/CrPC/Evidence to BNS/BNSS/BSA only if the notification so requires.
  • Watch “except/not” stems and state amendments.