If you're a graduate in UP looking for a job that pays well and doesn't need you to leave the state, the Allahabad High Court RO/ARO exam deserves a serious look. It fills over five hundred posts in one shot, the pay is genuinely good for a state-level exam, and the competition, while heavy, is nowhere near as brutal as UPSC or even UPPSC PCS.
This cycle is already live. The court released its 2026 notification for Review Officer, Assistant Review Officer and Computer Assistant posts through NTA, and lakhs of candidates across UP have already applied. This post walks you through everything you need — the dates, the eligibility, the exam pattern, the syllabus, and how to actually prepare without burning months on the wrong books.
Latest Notification and Important Dates
The Allahabad High Court RO/ARO & Computer Assistant 2026 notification was released on June 1, 2026, and the exam is being conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), not the court itself. This is new — earlier cycles were handled differently, so if you're used to old patterns, note that NTA is now running the show.
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification released | June 1, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Application start | June 1, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Application end | June 21, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Fee payment last date | June 22, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Correction window | Mid-to-late June 2026 (public notice issued June 16) | Confirmed |
| Prelims exam date | Not announced yet | Tentative |
| Admit card | Usually 7-10 days before exam | Tentative |
| Result / Mains exam | To be announced | Tentative |
As of writing this in August 2026, the application window has already closed and candidates are waiting on the prelims exam date. Keep checking the official NTA portal at exams.nta.nic.in/allhcre and the court's own site at allahabadhighcourt.in — don't trust random WhatsApp forwards for exam dates. You can also track updates on pareeksha.in exam news.
What the Job Actually Is
Review Officer and Assistant Review Officer are supervisory and administrative posts inside the High Court's registry and judicial administration setup. An RO or ARO doesn't sit in a courtroom taking dictation — the work is about scrutinising case files, checking that petitions and appeals are in proper legal format, maintaining court records, drafting official notes, and coordinating between different sections of the registry. It's a desk job, but a responsible one — a mistake in file scrutiny can delay a case by months.
ARO is one step below RO in the hierarchy and reports into the RO's section. Both posts need sharp attention to detail and comfort with legal-administrative language in both Hindi and English.
Computer Assistant is a different kind of role — more IT-support and data-entry focused. You'll manage digital case records, work on the court's case management software, help digitise old files, and support other departments with basic tech troubleshooting. It's a smaller cadre (only 25 posts this cycle) but the entry bar on computer knowledge is naturally higher.
All three posts are based at the Allahabad High Court and its Lucknow bench. It's a stable, pensionable state government job with predictable working hours compared to a courtroom-facing role.
Vacancy Details / Post Breakdown
The 2026 notification carries a total of 543 vacancies across three posts.
| Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Review Officer (RO) | 138 |
| Assistant Review Officer (ARO) | 380 |
| Computer Assistant | 25 |
| Total | 543 |
ARO makes up the bulk of the vacancies, so most applicants will be targeting that post. RO needs slightly more seniority in the merit and is the smaller of the two administrative cadres.
Eligibility
Age Limit
| Post | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|
| Review Officer | 21 years | 35 years |
| Assistant Review Officer | 21 years | 35 years |
| Computer Assistant | 18 years | 35 years |
Age is calculated as on July 1, 2026. Age relaxation follows standard UP government norms.
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC (UP domicile) | 3 years |
| SC/ST (UP domicile) | 5 years |
| PwD | Additional relaxation as per UP govt rules |
| Ex-servicemen | As per applicable rules |
| Women (UP domicile) | 5 years, category-specific rules apply |
Educational Qualification
For RO and ARO, you need a bachelor's degree from a recognised university, along with proof of basic computer knowledge — either a diploma or degree in computer science/applications, or a certificate like NIELIT 'O' Level, or DOEACC 'CCC' from a recognised institute. For Computer Assistant, the computer qualification requirement is naturally stricter and closer to a formal computer science background — check the detailed notification PDF for the exact clause since this varies by cycle.
Domicile
Candidates from anywhere in India can apply. But reservation benefits (SC, ST, OBC, EWS) apply only to candidates who are permanent residents of Uttar Pradesh. If you're from outside UP, you'll be considered in the unreserved category regardless of your caste category back home.
Application Process and Fee
Applications went through the NTA portal this cycle, not the court's own recruitment page — that's a change from earlier years, so bookmark the right site.
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | Rs. 1200 |
| SC / ST (UP domicile) | Rs. 1000 |
How to apply (for reference, in case a correction window reopens or you're prepping for the next cycle):
- Go to the official NTA portal for Allahabad High Court exams.
- Register with a valid mobile number and email ID.
- Fill in personal, educational and category details carefully.
- Upload photo, signature and required certificates in the specified format.
- Pay the fee online through the payment gateway.
- Download and save the confirmation page for your records.
Always double-check your category and post preference before final submission — corrections are allowed only in a short window and not every field can be edited later.
Exam Pattern
Selection happens in three stages: Preliminary exam, Main exam, and a Computer Typing Test.
Stage 1: Preliminary Exam
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Objective, multiple choice (OMR/CBT) |
| Total marks | 200 |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Negative marking | None |
| Medium | Bilingual (Hindi and English), except language-specific sections |
The prelims paper covers general knowledge, general Hindi, general English, general aptitude and elementary computer knowledge in one combined paper. This is a screening round — it decides who moves to mains, and marks here are usually not counted in final merit (check the latest notification for the exact rule on this cycle).
Stage 2: Main Exam
| Component | Marks |
|---|---|
| Essay writing (English) | 30 |
| Precis writing (English) | 30 |
| Translation (English to Hindi and Hindi to English) | 50 |
| Comprehension (English passage) | 40 |
| Total | 150 |
Mains is subjective, pen-and-paper, and lasts about 2 hours. You need a minimum of 50 out of 150 to qualify — this is not a small bar, and a lot of candidates who clear prelims comfortably stumble here because they never practised precis and translation seriously.
Stage 3: Computer Typing Test
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | Computer-based |
| Task | Type a 500-word English passage |
| Duration | 20 minutes |
| Minimum speed required | 25 WPM |
| Total marks | 50 |
| Qualifying marks | 25 out of 50 |
This is qualifying in nature for most posts, though for Computer Assistant, computer skills get tested more thoroughly. Practice typing daily — 25 WPM sounds easy until you're doing it under exam pressure with unfamiliar keyboard software.
Detailed Syllabus
General Knowledge (Prelims)
- Indian history and freedom movement
- Indian polity, constitution and governance
- Indian economy basics
- Geography of India and the world
- Environment and ecology
- Current national and international affairs
- Uttar Pradesh-specific GK — culture, heritage, festivals, industries, government schemes
- General science (physics, chemistry, biology at graduate level)
- Agriculture, commerce and trade basics
- Population, urbanization and related social issues
Use current affairs on pareeksha.in for the last 6-8 months of news, and lean on the General Awareness guide for static portions.
General Aptitude
- Number system, percentage, ratio, average, profit-loss
- Time-speed-distance, time and work
- Simplification, simple and compound interest
- Data interpretation basics
- Reasoning: series, coding-decoding, blood relations, syllogism, direction sense
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
The Quantitative Aptitude guide and Reasoning guide on pareeksha.in cover exactly this ground with practice questions.
General Hindi
- Sandhi, samas, ras, alankar
- Muhavare aur lokoktiyan
- Shudh-ashudh vakya
- Paryayvachi, vilom shabd
- Anuchhed lekhan (comprehension)
- Hindi vyakaran basics used at graduation level
General English
- Grammar — tenses, voice, narration, articles, prepositions
- Vocabulary — synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution
- Comprehension passages
- Error spotting and sentence correction
- Precis and essay writing skills (directly useful for mains too)
Elementary Computer Knowledge
- Computer fundamentals — hardware, software, input-output devices
- MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) basics
- Internet and email basics
- Operating systems overview
- Basic networking terms
- Cyber security basics
For Computer Assistant aspirants, go deeper — database basics, common programming logic, and government e-office/digital record systems are worth extra revision since this post has a technical edge over RO/ARO.
For structured daily practice across all these subjects, use topic-wise practice sets and take free mock tests regularly to build exam-day speed.
Salary, Pay Scale and Career Growth
| Post | Pay Level | Pay Scale (approx monthly range) |
|---|---|---|
| Review Officer | Level 8 | Rs. 47,600 – Rs. 1,51,100 |
| Assistant Review Officer | Level 7 | Rs. 44,900 – Rs. 1,42,400 |
| Computer Assistant | Level 4 | Rs. 26,600 – Rs. 81,100 |
On top of basic pay, you get dearness allowance, house rent allowance and other standard state government allowances. In-hand salary for a fresh RO typically works out somewhere around Rs. 55,000-65,000 a month depending on posting city and applicable HRA slab. ARO's in-hand is a notch lower, and Computer Assistant starts more modestly but still comfortably above most private-sector entry jobs in UP.
Career growth in the court's administrative cadre is steady — ARO can be promoted to RO over time based on seniority and vacancy, and RO officers can move further up into senior administrative roles within the registry. It's not a fast-track ladder, but it's stable and pension-backed under the new pension scheme rules applicable to UP state employees.
Previous Year Cut-off
The court hasn't released the current cycle's cut-off yet since the exam itself hasn't happened. Here's the last available prelims and mains cut-off data from the previous completed RO/ARO cycle, useful as a rough benchmark — don't treat it as exact, since vacancy numbers and difficulty shift the cut-off every year.
| Category | Prelims Cut-off (out of 200) | Mains Cut-off (out of 150+50) |
|---|---|---|
| General/Unreserved | 166.8 | 190.3 |
| OBC | 158.3 | 182.1 |
| SC | 150.8 | 171.3 |
| ST | 127.2 | 153.7 |
| PwD | 155.5 | 162.9 |
| Women | 159.6 | 178.7 |
| Ex-servicemen | 128.0 | 169.7 |
With 543 vacancies this time against a much bigger cadre than earlier cycles, the cut-off could actually move lower in relative terms if the applicant pool spreads across more posts — but don't count on that. Prepare for the general category cut-off regardless of your own category, that's always the safer target.
Best Books and Preparation Strategy
You don't need twenty books for this exam. You need three or four good ones and consistent daily practice.
- General Knowledge/GS: Lucent's General Knowledge, plus a UP-specific GK booklet since UP-related questions show up reliably in prelims.
- Aptitude and Reasoning: R.S. Aggarwal for both quantitative aptitude and reasoning — standard, well-explained, enough practice volume.
- English: Wren & Martin for grammar basics, plus any UPSC-level precis and essay practice book for mains prep.
- Hindi: A standard graduation-level Hindi vyakaran book (Lucent's or similar).
- Computer Knowledge: Any basic computer awareness book covering MS Office, internet basics and hardware fundamentals.
A rough month-wise plan if you're starting today:
- Month 1-2: Build the base — go subject by subject through GK, aptitude formulas, Hindi grammar rules and English grammar. Don't rush.
- Month 3: Start daily mixed-subject mock tests. Time yourself strictly — 3 hours for 200 questions means roughly 54 seconds per question.
- Month 4: Shift focus toward mains-specific skills — essay writing, precis, translation practice. These are skills you build through repetition, not last-minute cramming.
- Final 3-4 weeks before prelims: Pure revision and mock tests. Stop learning new topics. Focus on speed and accuracy on what you already know.
If you're also eyeing other state-level exams alongside this one, the prep overlaps heavily with SSC CGL and SSC CHSL style papers for aptitude and reasoning — practising those question banks won't hurt you here. Build a realistic study plan instead of randomly switching between books every week.
Common Mistakes and Honest Advice
The biggest mistake candidates make is treating mains as an afterthought. Prelims is objective and forgiving — you can guess your way through some questions with no negative marking. Mains is subjective, and essay-precis-translation skills need weeks of practice, not a night before the exam. Start mains prep the moment you're done with prelims syllabus, don't wait for the prelims result.
Second mistake: ignoring the typing test until the very end. 25 WPM is not hard, but exam-day nerves plus an unfamiliar keyboard layout trip up people who never practised on an actual computer, only on their phone or by hand.
Third: not tracking UP-specific current affairs closely enough. A chunk of GK questions lean toward Uttar Pradesh government schemes, culture and history — general national-level GK prep alone leaves gaps here.
And don't wait for the "perfect" notification date to start studying. The syllabus barely changes cycle to cycle. Start now with the last cycle's pattern, and adjust once the fresh dates are out.
FAQ
1. Is the Allahabad High Court RO/ARO 2026 notification out? Yes. It was released on June 1, 2026, with applications closed on June 21, 2026. The prelims exam date hasn't been announced yet as of August 2026.
2. How many total vacancies are there in this cycle? 543 — split as 138 Review Officer, 380 Assistant Review Officer, and 25 Computer Assistant posts.
3. Who conducts this exam now? The National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting the exam on behalf of the Allahabad High Court for this cycle.
4. What is the age limit? 21 to 35 years for RO and ARO, and 18 to 35 years for Computer Assistant, calculated as on July 1, 2026.
5. Is there negative marking in prelims? No, there's no negative marking in the preliminary exam.
6. What's the minimum qualifying marks in mains? 50 out of 150.
7. Do candidates from outside UP get reservation benefits? No. Reservation applies only to candidates with UP domicile. Outside-state candidates compete under the unreserved category.
8. What typing speed is required? A minimum of 25 words per minute in the computer typing test.
9. Is this exam tougher than UPSSSC-level exams? The prelims difficulty is comparable to other UP graduate-level exams, but the mains stage (essay, precis, translation) makes this tougher overall than a pure objective exam like UPSSSC PET.
10. What is the in-hand salary for a Review Officer? Roughly Rs. 55,000-65,000 a month depending on city and HRA slab, on a Pay Level 8 scale.
Related reads on Pareeksha
- Allahabad High Court Group C recruitment guide
- UPPSC RO/ARO exam guide
- UP Lekhpal recruitment guide
- UPPSC PCS exam guide
Final Word
This is a solid exam for any UP graduate who wants a government job without the multi-year grind of UPSC. The pay is good, the job is stable, and 543 vacancies in one cycle is a real opportunity — this cadre doesn't open up every year. The syllabus isn't scary if you break it into GK, aptitude, language and computer basics and work through each steadily.
Don't wait for the exam date to start. Use the time now to build your base, take mock tests regularly, and keep an eye on pareeksha.in exam guides for the moment the prelims date drops. The candidates who start early and stay consistent are the ones who make it through three stages, not the ones who cram in the last month.
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