If you can take dictation in Hindi shorthand and type it back clean, MP High Court Stenographer is one of the better-paying court jobs in Madhya Pradesh. The work is steady, the posting is inside a court building, and the promotion ladder actually moves.
But here's the honest part. This post does not open every year. The last big drive was for 324 Stenographer posts, and since then the High Court has mostly advertised smaller cadres like Data Processing Assistant and Junior Judicial Assistant. So treat this as a "keep your shorthand speed ready" exam, not a "form is coming next month" exam.
Latest notification and important dates
As of 30 July 2026, the High Court of Madhya Pradesh has not released a fresh Stenographer advertisement. Nothing is live on mphc.gov.in for this post right now. A lot of coaching sites are running "MP High Court Stenographer Vacancy 2026" pages with dates on them. Those dates are recycled from the old cycle. Don't plan your year around them.
Here's the last confirmed cycle, for reference only.
| Event | Last cycle (reference) | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification released | November 2021 | Not out yet |
| Online application starts | 30 November | Awaited |
| Last date to apply | 30 December | Awaited |
| Admit card | About 10-15 days before exam | Awaited |
| Preliminary exam | Announced separately | Awaited |
| Main exam (shorthand + typing) | After prelims result | Awaited |
Whenever a new advertisement comes, it will appear first on the official recruitment page. Check it yourself instead of trusting screenshots on Telegram. We also post verified alerts on our exam news page.
Official sources to bookmark:
What the job actually is
A High Court Stenographer sits attached to a judge or a senior officer. Your day is dictation, transcription and file work. A judge dictates an order or a judgment, you take it down in Hindi shorthand, then you type it out on the computer, format it, proofread it and hand it back for signature.
Beyond that you handle cause lists, note down proceedings and keep the judge's daily papers in order. Postings are at Jabalpur (principal seat), Indore and Gwalior benches, and district courts across MP depending on the advertisement.
The pressure is real on judgment days. But it's clean office work, no field duty, and court holidays are generous compared with most state jobs.
Vacancy details
The last full drive had 324 posts split between two grades.
| Post | Grade pay | Rough share of posts |
|---|---|---|
| Stenographer Grade-II | Rs 2,800 | Smaller share |
| Stenographer Grade-III | Rs 2,400 | Larger share |
Grade-II needs a higher shorthand speed, so the competition there is thinner. If you can push your speed up, aim for Grade-II. The pay difference compounds over a career.
Eligibility
Age limit
Age is counted as on 1 January of the recruitment year (confirm in the actual notification).
| Category | Upper age limit |
|---|---|
| General (MP resident) | 40 years |
| SC / ST / OBC (MP resident) | 45 years |
| Female candidates (MP resident) | 45 years |
| Candidates from outside MP | 40 years, no relaxation |
| Ex-servicemen / PwD | As per MP government rules |
Minimum age is 18. One thing catches outsiders every time: if you're not an MP resident, you apply as General category and you get no age or fee relaxation. That's the rule, not a mistake.
Education and skill
- Graduation in any stream from a recognised university
- Hindi shorthand at 100 words per minute for Grade-II, 80 words per minute for Grade-III
- CPCT score card, or an equivalent IT qualification (one-year diploma in computer application, PGDCA, or similar as listed in the notification)
The degree is the easy part. The shorthand speed is where most people fall out. Also note that Hindi shorthand is the requirement here, not English. If you've been training on English steno for SSC, you'll need to switch tracks.
Domicile
MP domicile is not required to apply, but it decides your fee, your age relaxation and your reservation benefit. Employment exchange registration in MP has been asked for in earlier cycles, so keep that ready.
Application process and fee
| Category | Fee (last cycle) |
|---|---|
| Unreserved / outside MP candidates | Rs 777 (approx, including portal charge) |
| SC / ST / OBC / PwD of MP | Rs 577 (approx, including portal charge) |
Steps to apply once the form opens:
- Go to mphc.gov.in and open the recruitment section.
- Read the full advertisement PDF before you touch the form. Speed requirement and cut-off date for age are in there.
- Register with your mobile number and email, then fill personal, education and category details.
- Upload photo and signature in the exact size mentioned.
- Pay online through the given gateway.
- Save the final PDF and the transaction receipt. You will need them at document verification.
Exam pattern
Stage 1: Preliminary exam (objective, screening)
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge including GK of Madhya Pradesh | 30 | 30 |
| Mathematics and Reasoning | 20 | 20 |
| General Hindi | 10 | 10 |
| English | 20 | 20 |
| Computer Knowledge | 20 | 20 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Duration is 2 hours. No negative marking in the prelims. Qualifying marks have been 45% for unreserved and 40% for reserved categories. The prelims is only a screening filter, so marks here typically don't carry to the final merit. Confirm this in the fresh notification.
Stage 2: Main exam (shorthand and typing)
| Component | Detail | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Hindi shorthand dictation | About 400 words, 5 minutes | 100 |
| Transcription on computer | 30 minutes | Included above |
Deductions apply for spelling and punctuation errors (around 0.2 marks per error in the last cycle). Then comes document verification and the final merit list.
Detailed syllabus
General Knowledge and MP GK. Indian history with focus on the freedom struggle, geography of India and MP, Indian polity and the Constitution, economy basics, science of everyday life, sports, awards. For the MP part: districts, rivers, national parks, tribes, folk dances, festivals, major schemes, current CM and Governor, recent state news. Our General Awareness guide covers the national portion, and daily current affairs updates handle the rest.
Mathematics and Reasoning. Number system, simplification, percentage, ratio and proportion, average, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, time speed distance, data interpretation. Reasoning brings series, analogy, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogism, Venn diagrams and non-verbal patterns. Level is class 10. Practice from the Quantitative Aptitude guide and the Reasoning guide.
General Hindi. Sandhi, samas, upsarg-pratyay, paryayvachi, vilom, muhavare and lokoktiyan, vakya shuddhi, ashuddh vakya sudhar, tatsam-tadbhav, apathit gadyansh. Only 10 questions, but they're the easiest 10 on the paper.
English. Synonyms, antonyms, one word substitution, spotting errors, sentence improvement, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech, articles, prepositions, tenses, comprehension passage.
Computer Knowledge. Worth 20 marks and directly linked to CPCT prep. Input and output devices, memory types, Windows basics, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet and email, shortcut keys, network basics, cyber safety, and Hindi typing tools like Mangal font and Remington/Inscript layouts.
Salary and career growth
| Grade | Pay scale | Grade pay |
|---|---|---|
| Stenographer Grade-II | Rs 5,200 - 20,200 | Rs 2,800 |
| Stenographer Grade-III | Rs 5,200 - 20,200 | Rs 2,400 |
With DA, HRA, medical and travel allowance, in-hand for Grade-III lands roughly in the Rs 28,000 to Rs 34,000 range, and Grade-II a few thousand higher. Exact figures depend on the current DA rate and your posting city. There's a probation period with fixed remuneration before you're confirmed.
Promotion moves Grade-III to Grade-II to Grade-I, and then to Personal Assistant or Private Secretary attached to senior judges. Some cadres also open a route to Senior Munsarim after about five years of service plus a departmental exam. Court jobs are slow but the ladder is real, and pension and medical cover are solid.
Previous year cut-off
MP High Court does not publish a neat category-wise cut-off table for this post the way SSC does. What's officially known is the qualifying bar in prelims: 45% for unreserved and 40% for reserved categories. Selection is finally decided by main exam performance, which means your shorthand accuracy, not your GK score, is what gets you the job. Ignore any site showing exact cut-off numbers with confidence. They're guessing.
Books and preparation strategy
Shorthand is a daily habit, not a subject you revise. Everything else is secondary.
Months 1-2. Fix your shorthand base. Take dictation at 60-70 wpm daily and transcribe every single take. Alongside, do 30 minutes of Hindi typing on Mangal font. Start CPCT-oriented computer notes.
Months 3-4. Push dictation to 80 wpm with under 5% error. Add one hour a day for prelims subjects: maths and reasoning on alternate days using topic-wise practice sets, plus a daily current affairs read. Clear your CPCT if you haven't.
Month 5 onward. Target 100 wpm if you're going for Grade-II. Take a full mock test every week and analyse the mistakes properly. Build MP GK notes from a state-specific book.
Useful books: Lucent for General Knowledge, an MP GK book by a Hindi publisher, RS Aggarwal for quant and reasoning, and a Hindi shorthand practice book with graded dictation passages. Free material is in the Reading Room, and a ready schedule is on our study plan page.
Common mistakes
Practising shorthand without transcribing is the biggest one. Your outlines may look fine, but if you can't read them back under a clock, they're worthless. Transcribe every take.
People also skip the computer section even though it's 20 easy marks that overlap with CPCT. Some train on English shorthand out of habit, then discover the requirement is Hindi. And applicants from outside MP often apply expecting reservation benefits, then get rejected at verification.
Don't sit idle waiting for this notification either. Keep other exam guides open in parallel, like SSC CHSL and RRB NTPC, which use the same GK, quant and reasoning base.
Related reads on Pareeksha
- MP Patwari complete guide
- MP Police Constable exam guide
- MPESB Group 4 Assistant Grade 3 and Steno
- MP High Court Assistant Grade 3
FAQ
Is the MP High Court Stenographer 2026 notification out? No. As of July 2026 there is no live advertisement for this post on mphc.gov.in.
How many posts came last time? 324 posts across Stenographer Grade-II and Grade-III.
What shorthand speed do I need? 100 wpm in Hindi for Grade-II and 80 wpm for Grade-III.
Is English shorthand accepted? No. The requirement is Hindi shorthand.
Is CPCT compulsory? A CPCT score card or an equivalent IT qualification listed in the notification is required. Clear CPCT early, it stays valid and saves you a scramble.
Can candidates from outside MP apply? Yes, but under the General category with no age or fee relaxation.
Is there negative marking? Not in the prelims. In the main exam, marks are deducted for spelling and punctuation errors during transcription.
What is the in-hand salary? Roughly Rs 28,000 to Rs 34,000 for Grade-III, a bit more for Grade-II, depending on DA and posting.
Do prelims marks count in the final merit? In the last cycle prelims worked as a screening test. Confirm this in the fresh notification when it comes.
How many attempts do I get? No attempt limit. You can apply until you cross the upper age limit.
Final word
This post rewards one specific skill. If your Hindi shorthand is solid and your typing is clean, you're already ahead of most applicants, because the written paper is basic and thousands who clear it still fail the dictation round.
So build the speed now, while there's no notification and no deadline breathing down your neck. Keep an hour a day for the objective subjects with free mock tests, and the day the advertisement drops you'll be filling the form as a candidate who's ready, not one who's starting.
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