The Bar Council of India (BCI) has introduced new rules for the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). The AIBE XXI exam will now be conducted twice a year, and final year students are now permitted to appear for the exam. This new development was made as a writ petition was filed in 2024, as final year students were not allowed to appear for the AIBE exam.
The AIBE XXI is scheduled to be held on June 7, 2026. This is a certification exam that is mandatory for law graduates to practice in India. The AIBE 21 exam will be conducted in an offline, OMR-based format across 56 cities. This article discusses the updates introduced by BCI on the AIBE XXI exam.
AIBE XXI eligibility criteria have been updated as the Supreme Court of India has passed a judgment to allow final-year law students to register and appear for the AIBE exam. Final year students must pass all of the subjects in their law program. Candidates with a backlog from previous semesters will not be eligible for the AIBE 21 exam. The table below details the AIBE XXI eligibility criteria.
Particulars | Details |
Educational qualification |
|
Minimum passing marks | No minimum AIBE eligibility marks |
Enrolment | Candidates without an enrolment certificate can also register for AIBE |
Age limit | No age limit |
The AIBE exam generally occurs once a year. However, it has been conducted twice in previous years. With the new development introduced by BCI, the AIBE exam will now regularly be conducted twice a year. The table below details the past years' schedule for the AIBE exam.
AIBE Session | Examination Date |
AIBE XXI (21) | June 7, 2026 (Upcoming) |
November 30, 2025 | |
AIBE 19 | December 22, 2024 |
AIBE 18 | December 10, 2023 |
AIBE 17 | February 5, 2023 |
AIBE 16 | October 31, 2021 |
AIBE 15 | January 24, 2021 |
AIBE 14 | September 15, 2019 |
These new developments will result in a reduction in career delays and increase the opportunities for law graduates and final year students to qualify for their professional careers.
On Question asked by student community
Hi,
You can access and download all preparation ebooks for AIBE 2026 here .
Hi,
You can download the AIBE previous year question papers PDF in Hindi language here .
Hi
Please refer to the link given below to get the AIBE Question paper.
https://law.careers360.com/articles/aibe-previous-year-question-papers
Hi,
You can download the AIBE exam paper by following these steps:
You can download the AIBE 17 question paper with answer key from here - AIBE 17 Question Paper with Answer Key & Detailed Solutions
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
NAAC A++ Grade | Approved by The Bar Council of India | Member of AIU & ACU
Ranked #1 Law School in India & South Asia by QS- World University Rankings | Merit cum means scholarships | Applications Closing Soon
NAAC A+ Accredited | Among top 2% Universities Globally (QS World University Rankings 2026)
Admissions open for B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) and LL.B Program (3 Years) | School of Law, MRU ranked No. 1 in Law Schools of Excellence in India by GHRDC (2023)
Law at SCSVMV | NAAC 'A' Grade | AICTE, BCI & UGC Aproved | 100% Placement Support | Merit-based Scholarships