ESE/IES

Overview

The Engineering Services Examination (ESE), also called the Indian Engineering Services (IES) exam, is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit engineers into Group A and Group B engineering posts under the Government of India, across four categories: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering. For the 2027 exam (Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG.), UPSC expects to fill approximately 480 vacancies, including 19 reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities. This is UPSC's tentative figure and may change.

Who can apply

For the 2027 exam, a candidate must be at least 21 and not more than 30 years old on 1 January 2027, i.e. born between 2 January 1997 and 1 January 2006. The upper age limit is relaxable up to 35 years for specified categories under government rules. Candidates need a recognised engineering degree relevant to the category applied for; those awaiting final results may also apply, subject to producing proof of the qualification later.

Selection process

ESE has three stages: the Preliminary (Stage-I) Examination, the Main (Stage-II) Examination, and a Personality Test/Interview (Stage-III). Only candidates who clear the Preliminary stage are admitted to the Main examination, and only those who clear both written stages are called for the interview.

Exam pattern

Roughly six to seven times the number of vacancies are called to the Main examination based on Preliminary marks; about twice the number of vacancies are called to the interview. Preliminary marks count towards the final merit along with Main and interview marks.

Marking

Preliminary papers carry negative marking: one-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer, and multiple answers to a question are treated as wrong. Unattempted questions carry no penalty. In the Main examination, writing anything unrelated to the question, or anything that could reveal the candidate's identity, can result in a deduction of marks or the answer script not being evaluated.

Important dates

For the 2027 exam, UPSC issued the notification on 16 September 2026, with the application window open until 6 October 2026. The Preliminary Examination is scheduled for 31 January 2027, and the Main Examination for 18 June 2027.

Fees

For the 2027 exam, the fee is Rs 200, payable by net banking or Visa/Master/RuPay card/UPI. Female, SC, ST and PwBD candidates are exempt from the fee. Fees, once paid, are not refunded.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online at upsconline.nic.in, through account creation, Universal Registration, the Common Application Form, and the exam-specific module for ESE, including fee payment and centre choice.

After selection

Candidates who clear all three stages are allotted to engineering services and posts in various government departments and organisations based on merit, category and preference expressed in the application.

Preparation tips

Since Preliminary marks carry forward into the final merit, treat both Preliminary papers as scoring opportunities rather than just a qualifying hurdle. Because the Main examination is conventional (descriptive) and discipline-specific, practising full-length answers within the 3-hour time limit for your engineering discipline matters as much as covering the syllabus.