AIBE XXI Syllabus 2026
The AIBE XXI Syllabus 2026 has been released by the Bar Council of India Trust for the All India Bar Examination XXI. The syllabus covers 19 subjects, with a total of 100 questions distributed across constitutional law, criminal law, civil procedure, evidence, family law, professional ethics and other areas of legal practice.
AIBE XXI Syllabus 2026
The AIBE XXI syllabus includes both foundational law subjects and areas that lawyers commonly encounter in practice. It also reflects the transition from older criminal and evidence laws to their new statutory counterparts.
For example, the syllabus covers the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Evidence Act and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
The syllabus also includes subjects such as constitutional law, CPC, family law, arbitration, professional ethics, company law, environmental law, cyber law, taxation and intellectual property law.
Subject-Wise Number of Questions
The AIBE XXI Syllabus 2026 assigns a specific number of questions to each of the 19 subjects. Candidates can use this distribution to understand which subjects carry greater weight in the examination.
| Sr. No. | Subject | Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Constitutional Law | 10 |
| 2 | I.P.C. (Indian Penal Code) & (New) Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita | 8 |
| 3 | Cr.P.C. (Criminal Procedure Code) & (New) Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita | 10 |
| 4 | C.P.C. (Code of Civil Procedure) | 10 |
| 5 | Evidence Act & (New) Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam | 8 |
| 6 | Alternative Dispute Redressal including Arbitration Act | 4 |
| 7 | Family Law | 8 |
| 8 | Public Interest Litigation | 4 |
| 9 | Administration Law | 3 |
| 10 | Professional Ethics & Cases of Professional Misconduct under Bar Council of India Rules | 4 |
| 11 | Company Law | 2 |
| 12 | Environmental Law | 2 |
| 13 | Cyber Law | 2 |
| 14 | Labour & 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 highest weightage goes to Constitutional Law, CrPC/BNSS and CPC, with 10 questions each. IPC/BNS, Evidence/BSA, Family Law and the combined Contract, Specific Relief, Property Laws and Negotiable Instruments Act section carry 8 questions each.
AIBE XXI Exam Syllabus: Key Subjects
Constitutional Law
Constitutional Law carries 10 questions, making it one of the highest-weighted subjects in the AIBE XXI syllabus. Candidates should therefore give this subject significant attention during preparation.
IPC and BNS
The syllabus includes the Indian Penal Code and the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with 8 questions assigned to the subject. Candidates preparing under the current criminal law framework should study the two statutes as covered by the official syllabus.
CrPC and BNSS
The Criminal Procedure Code and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita section carries 10 questions. This makes criminal procedure one of the most important areas in terms of question weightage.
Civil Procedure Code
The Code of Civil Procedure also carries 10 questions. Therefore, candidates should include CPC among their priority subjects while preparing for AIBE XXI.
Evidence Act and BSA
The syllabus assigns 8 questions to the Evidence Act and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. Students should prepare this area alongside the applicable new evidence law.
Family Law
Family Law carries 8 questions. It forms another important component of the examination and should receive adequate preparation time.
Contract, Specific Relief, Property and Negotiable Instruments
The combined section covering Contract, Specific Relief, Property Laws and the Negotiable Instruments Act carries 8 questions. Since several areas fall within this section, candidates should plan their preparation across each component.
Other Subjects
The remaining subjects carry between 2 and 5 questions each. These include Alternative Dispute Resolution and Arbitration, Public Interest Litigation, Administrative Law, Professional Ethics, Company Law, Environmental Law, Cyber Law, Labour and Industrial Law, Torts, Taxation, Land Acquisition and Intellectual Property Laws.
Candidates should not ignore these subjects simply because they carry fewer questions. Together, they account for a substantial portion of the 100-question AIBE XXI paper.
The official syllabus issued by the Bar Council of India Trust provides the complete subject-wise distribution. Candidates should use this distribution to organise their preparation and give additional time to subjects carrying higher weightage.
