This syllabus sets the subject-wise question distribution only. The pass criterion, exam pattern rules, and any later addenda are governed by separate BCI notifications; candidates should check the official AIBE portal for updates.
- Issuer
- Bar Council of India Trust (PEARL-FIRST), created by the Bar Council of India
- Exam
- All India Bar Examination – XXII
- Cycle
- 2026
- Notice
- AIBE XXII examination
- Registration closes
- As of
- Status
- Official syllabus notification for AIBE XXII issued by the Bar Council of India Trust (PEARL-FIRST).
What the BCI has released
The Bar Council of India Trust (PEARL-FIRST), created by the Bar Council of India, has published the syllabus for the All India Bar Examination – XXII, dated 13 October 2026 and signed by its Officiating Secretary Ashok Kumar Pandey.
The notification sets a subject-wise question distribution for the examination scheduled on 29 November 2026: 100 questions across 19 subjects.
The question distribution
The three heaviest subjects — Constitutional law, Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C. and the new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita), and the Code of Civil Procedure — carry 10 questions each. Substantive criminal law (I.P.C. and the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), Evidence (Evidence Act and the new Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam), Family Law, and the Contract cluster (Contract, Specific Relief, Property Laws, Negotiable Instruments Act) carry 8 questions each.
The remaining eleven subjects range from 2 to 5 questions: ADR including the Arbitration Act (4), Public Interest Litigation (4), Professional Ethics and misconduct cases (4), Labour and Industrial Law (4), Law of Tort including Motor Vehicles and Consumer Protection (5), Taxation (4), Administration Law (3), and Company Law, Environmental Law, Cyber Law, Land Acquisition and Intellectual Property Laws (2 each). The table totals exactly 100 questions.
Old codes paired with the new criminal statutes
Notably, the three criminal-law rows pair the repealed statutes with their replacements: 'I. P. C. (Indian Penal Code) & (New) Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita' (8), 'Cr. P. C. (Criminal Procedure Code) & (New) Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita' (10), and 'Evidence Act & (New) Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam' (8). The pairing signals that the examination will test the new-code framework alongside — and against — the old terminology candidates know from older materials.
Where this fits in the AIBE XXII timeline
The syllabus lands in the registration window: AIBE XXII registration closes on 27 October 2026, with the examination on 29 November 2026. Candidates registering now get the definitive weightage before the deadline, rather than after.
BANTHRY ANALYSISFor law students: what the pairing means
If your preparation notes are still built around section numbers of the old codes, convert them now. The syllabus does not say the old codes alone will do — each criminal row names the new statute alongside the old one, so a question can legitimately test a BNS, BNSS or BSA provision by its new number.
The weightage also tells you where the paper is won: the three 10-question subjects plus the four 8-question subjects account for 62 of 100 questions. Constitutional law, CPC, CrPC/BNSS, IPC/BNS, Evidence/BSA, Family Law and the Contract cluster are the core; the 2-question subjects (Company, Environment, Cyber, Land Acquisition, IPR) reward breadth, not depth.
READING PROMPTSQuestions for a closer reading
- How many questions does the AIBE XXII syllabus allocate to criminal law subjects taken together, and which statutes are paired with the new codes?
- Which three subjects carry the highest question counts, and how many questions does each carry?
- Why might candidates who prepared only under the old IPC/CrPC/IEA framework need to adjust their preparation?
