Overview & Examination Schedule The Supreme Court of India, through the Board of Examiners, has issued official notification F. No. AOR Exam. /Dec./2026 dated 25th September, 2026 regarding the forthcoming Advocates-on-Record (AOR) Examination.
Under Rules 5(i) and (ii) of Order IV of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, read with Regulation 2 of the Regulations regarding Advocates-on-Record Examination, the examination is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 19th, 20th, 22nd, and 23rd December, 2026. The examination will be conducted strictly through Pen & Paper mode.
This examination cycle is specifically declared for candidate advocates who are eligible to re-appear under Regulation 11(i) or Regulation 11(ii) arising out of the results of the AOR Examination held in June 2025 or earlier examinations.
Key Takeaway: The December 2026 examination is intended for eligible re-appear candidates under Regulation 11(i)/11(ii), with applications accepted physically from 01st October to 15th October, 2026 (until 5:00 p.m.).
Candidate Eligibility & Regulations
1. Option to Re-appear
Candidates permitted to re-appear under Regulation 11(i) or 11(ii) have the choice to either:
- Appear in one paper only (the paper in which they are eligible to re-appear).
- Appear in the entire examination afresh.
This option must be finally exercised at the time of submitting the proforma application form and is final and binding.
2. Permissible Attempts & Five-Chance Rule
- Under Regulation 11(iv), a candidate is allowed a maximum of five chances to appear in the examination.
- Appearance in even a single paper constitutes a chance. Candidates who have already exhausted five chances are not eligible to apply.
- One-Time Exemption: Pursuant to Circular F. No. 17/AOR Exam. dated 17.05.2024, the AOR Examination held in December 2021 is excluded from counting towards the five permissible chances. Candidates obtain a one-time relaxation chance on the basis of their result in the last examination attended.
3. Absence and Failure Consequences
- Absence: Candidates assigned roll numbers who absent themselves will be deemed "not sufficiently prepared" under Regulation 5(b) and will not be allowed to sit in subsequent examinations without express permission from the Board of Examiners.
- Failure in All Papers: A candidate who fails in all papers cannot appear in the immediate next examination under Regulation 11(iii).
- Partial Failure: Candidates who do not appear in all papers and fail in any paper appeared for will be treated as having failed in all papers.
- No Re-evaluation: Under Regulation 12, no applications for re-evaluation of answer sheets are entertained. Non-re-evaluation representations must be made within 30 days of result declaration.
Application Submission & Fee Payment Procedure
Step 1: Online Fee Payment via IOPS / Bharatkosh
Applicants must deposit an examination fee of ₹ 750/- online prior to physical application submission.
- Visit the Integrated Online Payment System (IOPS) portal via Supreme Court IOPS Portal.
- Navigate: `https://www.sci.gov.in/` \\(\rightarrow\\) `e-Services` \\(\rightarrow\\) `Integrated Online Payment System`.
- Select the tab AOR Registration/Exam Fee and choose Fees for AOR Examinations from the drop-down menu.
- The portal redirects to Bharatkosh, where Pay & Accounts Office details are auto-populated. Select Depositor Category (`Individual`), enter the amount (₹ 750), and submit.
- Complete payment via NEFT/RTGS/NetBanking and download the official payment receipt.
Step 2: Submission of Application Form
Physical copies of the completed application packet must reach the AOR Examination Cell, Room No. 308, 3rd Floor, B-Block, Administrative Buildings Complex, Supreme Court of India, New Delhi-110001 between 01st October and 15th October, 2026 (by 5:00 p.m.).
Required enclosures:
- Duly filled and signed Application Form (Annexure-'A') with recent passport-size photograph.
- Self-attested copy of Bar Council Enrolment Certificate.
- Official online payment receipt of ₹ 750/-.
Step 3: Guidelines for Scribe Facility (PwBD Candidates)
- Eligible PwBD candidates (blindness, locomotor disability affecting both arms, cerebral palsy, or physical limitations in writing certified under Annexure-B/B1) may arrange a scribe at their own cost.
- The scribe must not be a law graduate or pursuing law, and must hold qualifications one level below the candidate.
- Scribe declaration (Annexure-B2) and medical certificates must be submitted at least 15 days prior to the examination. Compensatory time of 20 minutes per hour is allowed.
Detailed Examination Syllabus
Under Regulation 4(a), the Advocates-on-Record Examination consists of four distinct papers:
Paper I: Practice & Procedure of the Supreme Court
Covers the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, constitutional jurisdiction, appellate and original practice, court procedures, fee structures, and registry workflows.
Paper II: Drafting (Notice - I Clarification)
The syllabus for Paper II encompasses drafting of:
- Petitions for Special Leave to Appeal (SLP) and Statements of Cases.
- Appeals, Writs, Decrees, and Orders.
- Plaints and Written Statements in Original Suits under Article 131 of the Constitution of India.
- Review Petitions under Article 137 of the Constitution.
- Transfer Petitions under Section 25 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, Article 139 of the Constitution, and Section 446 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) (corresponding to Section 406 CrPC, 1973).
- Contempt Petitions under Article 129 of the Constitution.
- Interlocutory Applications (IAs) including applications for bail, condonation of delay, exemption from surrendering, and revocation of special leave.
Paper III: Advocacy and Professional Ethics (Notice - II)
Covers fundamental ethical duties and standards, including:
- Nature and concepts of legal profession, "Seven Lamps of Advocacy", Public Trust Doctrine, and exclusive right to practice.
- History of legal profession in India and relevant statutory frameworks.
- Misconduct and punishment under Sections 35 and 24(A) of the Advocates Act, 1961.
- Bar Council of India Rules (Chapter II: Standard of Professional Conduct and Etiquette).
- Lawyer-client confidentiality and privilege under Section 132 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA) (corresponding to Section 126 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872).
- Prosecutorial ethics, amicus curiae ethics, mediation, contempt of court, and supervisory role of the Supreme Court over Advocates-on-Record.
Paper IV: Leading Cases (Notice - III)
Bound volumes of official Head Notes for all prescribed leading cases are provided by the Registry in the Examination Hall during the exam and must be returned immediately thereafter.
Official List of All 86 Leading Cases (Paper IV)
Below is the complete, official list of 86 leading cases prescribed by the Supreme Court Registry for Paper IV:
| S.No. | Cause Title | SCR Citation | Equivalent Citation in Other Journals | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | His Holiness Kesavananda Bharati Sripadagalavaru v. State of Kerala | Suppl. SCR 1 | (1973) 4 SCC 225 | | 2 | Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India | 2 SCR 621 | (1978) 1 SCC 248 | | 3 | Minerva Mills Ltd. & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors. | 1 SCR 206 | (1980) 3 SCC 625 | | 4 | Sharad Birdhi Chand Sarda v. State of Maharashtra | 1 SCR 88 | (1984) 4 SCC 116 | | 5 | A.R. Antulay v. R.S. Nayak & Anr. | 1 Suppl. SCR 1 | (1988) 2 SCC 602 | | 6 | Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu and Others | 1 SCR 686 | (1992) Supp 2 SCC 651 | | 7 | Indra Sawhney and Ors. Etc. Etc. v. Union of India and Ors. Etc. Etc. | 2 Suppl. SCR 454 | 1992 Supp (3) SCC 217 | | 8 | S.R. Bommai and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors. | 2 SCR 644 | (1994) 3 SCC 1 | | 9 | L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India and Others | 6 Suppl. SCR 261 | (1995) 1 SCC 400 | | 10 | Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v. Union of India and Ors. | 5 Suppl. SCR 241 | (1996) 5 SCC 647 | | 11 | D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal | 10 Suppl. SCR 284 | (1997) 1 SCC 416 | | 12 | Mafatlal Industries Ltd. Etc. Etc. v. Union of India Etc. Etc. | 10 Suppl. SCR 585 | (1997) 5 SCC 536 | | 13 | Vishaka and Ors. v. State of Rajasthan and Ors. | 3 Suppl. SCR 404 | (1997) 6 SCC 241 | | 14 | Githa Hariharan and Anr. v. Reserve Bank of India and Anr. | 1 SCR 669 | (1999) 2 SCC 228 | | 15 | Rupa Ashok Hurra v. Ashok Hurra and Anr. | 2 SCR 1006 | (2002) 4 SCC 388 | | 16 | Pradeep Kumar Biswas and Ors. v. Indian Institute of Chemical Biology and Ors. | 3 SCR 100 | (2002) 5 SCC 111 | | 17 | P. Rama Chandra Rao v. State of Karnataka | 3 SCR 60 | (2002) 4 SCC 578 | | 18 | T.M.A. Pai Foundation and Ors. v. State of Karnataka and Ors. | 3 Suppl. SCR 587 | (2002) 8 SCC 481: AIR 2003 SC 355 | | 19 | P.A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra | — | (2004) 8 SCC 139 | | 20 | Technip SA v. SMS Holding (Pvt.) Ltd. & Ors. | 1 Suppl. SCR 223 | (2005) 5 SCC 465 | | 21 | M/s. S.B.P. and Co. v. M/s. Patel Engineering Ltd. and Anr. | 4 Suppl. SCR 688 | (2005) 8 SCC 618 | | 22 | Rameshwar Prasad & Ors. v. Union of India and Anr. | 1 SCR 562 | (2006) 2 SCC 1 | | 23 | I.R. Coelho (Dead) By LRs. v. State of Tamil Nadu | 1 SCR 706 | (2007) 2 SCC 1 | | 24 | Common Cause (A Regd. Society) v. Union of India & Ors. | 6 SCR 262 | (2008) 5 SCC 511 | | 25 | State of West Bengal & Ors. v. The Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights, West Bengal & Ors. | 2 SCR 979 | (2010) 3 SCC 571 | | 26 | Smt. Selvi & Ors. v. State of Karnataka | 5 SCR 381 | (2010) 7 SCC 263 | | 27 | Re: Special Reference No. 1 of 2012 [Under Article 143(1) of the Constitution of India] | 9 SCR 311 | (2012) 10 SCC 1 | | 28 | Republic of Italy and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors. | 4 SCR 595 | (2013) 4 SCC 721 | | 29 | Novartis AG v. Union of India & Others | 13 SCR 148 | (2013) 6 SCC 1 | | 30 | Dr. Balram Prasad v. Dr. Kunal Saha & Ors. | 12 SCR 30 | (2014) 1 SCC 384 | | 31 | Lalita Kumari v. Govt. of U.P. and Ors. | 14 SCR 713 | (2014) 2 SCC 1 | | 32 | National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and Others | 5 SCR 119 | (2014) 5 SCC 438 | | 33 | Pramati Educational & Cultural Trust ® & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors. | 11 SCR 712 | (2014) 8 SCC 1 | | 34 | M/s. Kailash Nath Associates v. Delhi Development Authority & Anr. | 1 SCR 627 | (2015) 4 SCC 136 | | 35 | Shreya Singhal v. Union of India | 5 SCR 963 | (2015) 5 SCC 01 | | 36 | Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association and Another v. Union of India | 13 SCR 1 | 2016 (5) SCC 1 | | 37 | Union of India v. V. Sriharan @ Murugan & Ors. | 14 SCR 613 | 2016 (7) SCC 1 | | 38 | Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited v. EMCO Limited & Others | 1 SCR 857 | (2016) 11 SCC 182 | | 39 | Mukesh & Anr. v. State for NCT of Delhi & Ors. | 6 SCR 1 | (2017) 6 SCC 1 | | 40 | Excel Crop Care Limited v. Competition Commission of India and Another | 5 SCR 901 | (2017) 8 SCC 47 | | 41 | Common Cause v. Union of India and Ors. | 13 SCR 361 | (2017) 9 SCC 499 | | 42 | Shayara Bano v. Union of India and Others | 9 SCR 797 | (2017) 9 SCC 1 | | 43 | Justice K S Puttaswamy (Retd.), and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors. | 10 SCR 569 | (2017) 10 SCC 1 | | 44 | Common Cause (A Regd. Society) v. Union of India & Another | 6 SCR 1 | 2018 (5) SCC 1 | | 45 | Municipal Corporation, Ujjain and Anr. v. BVG India Limited and Ors. | 6 SCR 861 | [2018 (5) SCC 462] | | 46 | Shakti Vahini v. Union of India & Others | 3 SCR 770 | (2018) 7 SCC 192 | | 47 | Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. v. Union of India Thr. Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice | 7 SCR 379 | (2018) 10 SCC 1 | | 48 | Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. | 8 SCR 1 | (2019) 1 SCC 1 | | 49 | Jarnail Singh & Others v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta & Others | 10 SCR 663 | (2018) 10 SCC-396 | | 50 | Joseph Shine v. Union of India | 11 SCR 765 | (2019) 3 SCC 39 | | 51 | Competition Commission of India v. Bharti Airtel Limited and Others | 14 SCR 489 | (2019) 2 SCC 521 | | 52 | Swiss Ribbons Pvt. Ltd. & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. | 3 SCR 535 | (2019) 4 SCC 17 | | 53 | Ssangyong Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. v. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) | 7 SCR 522 | 2019(15) SCC 131 | | 54 | Dr. Ashwani Kumar v. Union of India and Another | 12 SCR 30 | 2019 SCC Online SC 1144 | | 55 | Rojer Mathew v. South Indian Bank Limited and Ors. | 16 S.C.R. 1 | (2020) 6 SCC 1 | | 56 | Central Public Information Officer Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal | 16 S.C.R. 424 | (2020) 5 SCC 481 | | 57 | Committee of Creditors of Essar Steel India Limited Through Authorised Signatory v. Satish Kumar Gupta and Others | 16 S.C.R. 275 | (2020) 8 SCC 531 | | 58 | M/s Shanti Conductors Private Limited v. Assam State Electricity Board and Others | 16 S.C.R. 252 | (2020) 2 SCC 677 | | 59 | Keisham Meghachandra Singh v. The Hon'ble Speaker Manipur Legislative Assembly & Ors. | 2 S.C.R. 132 | 2020 (2) SCALE 329 | | 60 | Sushila Aggarwal and Others v. State (NCT of Delhi) and Another | 2 S.C.R. 1 | (2020) 5 SCC 1 | | 61 | Dheeraj Mor v. Hon'ble High Court of Delhi | 2 S.C.R. 161 | (2020) 7 SCC 401 | | 62 | Internet and Mobile Association of India v. Reserve Bank of India | 2 S.C.R. 297 | (2020) 10 SCC 274 | | 63 | Indore Development Authority v. Manoharlal and Others Etc. | 3 S.C.R. 1 | (2020) 8 SCC 129 | | 64 | Madras Bar Association v. Union of India & Anr. | 2 S.C.R. 246 | 2020 (13) SCALE 443 | | 65 | Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh | 8 SCR 1028 | (2011) 7 SCC 547 | | 66 | Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar | 8 S.C.R. 128 | (2014) 8 SCC 273 | | 67 | Abhiram Singh v. C.D. Commachen | 1 S.C.R. 158 | (2017) 2 SCC 629 | | 68 | Neeraj Dutta v. State (NCT of Delhi) | 5 SCR 104 | (2023) 4 SCC 731 | | 69 | Sukhpal Singh Khaira v. State of Punjab | 10 S.C.R. 156 | (2023) 1 SCC 289 | | 70 | Satender Kumar Antil v. CBI | 10 S.C.R. 351 | (2022) 10 SCC 51 | | 71 | Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India | 14 S.C.R. 1 | (2023) 5 SCC 1 | | 72 | Shilpa Sailesh v. Varun Sreenivasan | 5 S.C.R. 165 | (2023) 14 SCC 231 | | 73 | Kaushal Kishor v. State of U.P. | 8 S.C.R. 581 | (2023) 4 SCC 1 | | 74 | Subhash Desai v. State of Maharashtra | 8 S.C.R. 857 | (2024) 2 SCC 719 | | 75 | Cox & Kings Ltd. v. SAP India (P) Ltd. | 15 S.C.R. 621 | (2024) 4 SCC 1 | | 76 | Interplay B/w Arbitration Agreements under Arbitration, 1996 & Stamp Act, 1899, In re | 15 S.C.R. 1081 | (2024) 6 SCC 1 | | 77 | Article 370 of the Constitution, In re | 16 S.C.R. 1 | 2023 SCC OnLine SC 1647 | | 78 | Assn. for Democratic Reforms (Electoral Bond Scheme) v. Union of India | 2 S.C.R. 420 | (2024) 5 SCC 1 | | 79 | Kavita Kamboj v. High Court of Punjab & Haryana | 2 S.C.R. 1136 | (2024) 7 SCC 103 | | 80 | Sita Soren v. Union of India | 3 S.C.R. 462 | (2024) 5 SCC 629 | | 81 | State (NCT of Delhi) v. BSK Realtors LLP | 5 S.C.R. 1159 | (2024) 7 SCC 370 | | 82 | Mineral Area Development Authority v. SAIL | 7 S.C.R. 1549 | (2024) 10 SCC 1 | | 83 | State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh | 8 S.C.R. 1321 | (2025) 1 SCC 1 | | 84 | Aligarh Muslim University v. Naresh Agarwal | — | 2024 SCC OnLine SC 3213 | | 85 | Property Owners Association & Ors. v. State of Maharashtra & Ors. | 11 S.C.R. 1 | 2024 SCC OnLine SC 3122 | | 86 | Tej Prakash Pathak v. High Court of Rajasthan | 12 S.C.R. 28 | (2025) 2 SCC 1 |
