Engineering Services Examination

The Engineering Services Examination (ESE), often still called the IES exam, is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit Group A and Group B engineering officers for the Railways, Central Public Works, Military Engineer Services, Border Roads, Central Water and Power Engineering services, defence and telecom departments. UPSC ESE 2027 is now under way, with recruitment open in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering.

The UPSC ESE 2027 notification was released in September 2026 with around 480 provisional vacancies, and the Preliminary Examination is scheduled for 31 January 2027. This page brings together everything you need for the current cycle: dates, vacancies, eligibility, fee, the three-stage exam pattern, a syllabus summary, salary and a stage-wise preparation plan.

UPSC ESE 2027 at a Glance

UPSC ESE 2027 Notification Overview

UPSC released the ESE 2027 notification on 16 September 2026, in line with its annual exam calendar. Online applications were accepted on the UPSC online portal until 6 October 2026, 6 PM. The structure of the exam has not changed from last year: the same three stages, the same papers and the same 1,300-mark total.

Two points are worth noting for this cycle. First, the vacancy count is provisional and UPSC can revise it before the final result. Second, UPSC does not normally allow edits once the form is submitted. If the Commission opens a correction window, it is announced on the official website, so keep checking it and your registered email.

UPSC ESE 2027 Important Dates

Tentative dates come from the UPSC exam schedule and can change. Track the Examination Notices section on upsc.gov.in and your registered email for the e-admit card and any revised dates.

UPSC ESE Vacancy 2027

UPSC has notified about 480 vacancies for ESE 2027. Of these, 19 are reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities: 11 for locomotor disability, 6 for hard of hearing, 1 for low vision and 1 for specific learning or multiple disabilities.

Stream-wise figures are indicative and some websites show a different break-up. The vacancies are provisional and can change, so confirm the final numbers for your stream in the official notification.

Services and Posts Offered Through ESE

ESE fills engineering posts across central ministries and departments. The exact list changes slightly every year, but the main employers include:

• Indian Railways: Engineering posts under the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) in the civil, mechanical, electrical and signal and telecom streams.

• Public works and infrastructure: Central Engineering Service (CPWD), Central Engineering Service (Roads), Survey of India and the Border Roads Engineering Service.

• Defence: Indian Defence Service of Engineers under the Military Engineer Services, Indian Naval Armament Service and engineering posts in the Ministry of Defence.

• Water, power and telecom: Central Water Engineering Service, Central Power Engineering Service, Indian Radio Regulatory Service and telecom engineering posts.

You choose your service preferences at the Main stage. Your final allotment depends on your rank, your preference order, your category and medical fitness.

UPSC ESE Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Candidates must hold one of the following:

• Engineering degree: A degree in engineering from a university established by an Act of Parliament or a State Legislature, or an institution recognised by UGC.

• Professional body exams: Sections A and B of the Institution of Engineers (India) examination, or other equivalent memberships listed in the notification.

• Foreign degree: An engineering degree or diploma from a foreign university or institution recognised by the Government of India.

• M.Sc. route for select posts: An M.Sc. with wireless communication, electronics, radio physics or radio engineering as a special subject is accepted for certain posts such as the Indian Radio Regulatory Service and some Naval Armament Service posts.

Final-year students can apply for the Preliminary Examination. If they qualify, they must submit proof of passing the degree within the deadline UPSC sets for the Main stage.

Age Limit

Candidates must be between 21 and 30 years of age as on 1 January 2027. In other words, you must be born not earlier than 2 January 1997 and not later than 1 January 2006. There is no fixed limit on the number of attempts, so you can appear as many times as you like within the age limit.

EWS candidates do not get any age relaxation. Relaxations are cumulative only in the specific cases the notification allows.

Nationality

A candidate must be a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from specified countries with the intention of settling permanently in India. Candidates in the last three groups need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India.

Application Fee and How to Apply

The fee can be paid in cash at any SBI branch or online through net banking, debit or credit card, or UPI. Applications are filled on the UPSC online portal in four steps:

1. Create an account on upsconline.nic.in with a valid email ID and mobile number.

2. Complete Universal Registration to generate your Universal Registration Number (URN).

3. Fill the Common Application Form with your personal, educational and category details, and upload your photograph, signature and photo ID.

4. Fill the ESE-specific form, choose your stream and exam centre, pay the fee and submit. Save the final PDF and note your URN and application number.

Common reasons for rejection include a mismatch between the photo ID details and the form, a blurred or outdated photograph, choosing the wrong engineering stream and an unpaid fee. Check every page before submitting, because changes are not normally allowed afterwards.

UPSC ESE Exam Pattern

ESE has three stages. Marks from all three are added to prepare the final merit list, which makes the exam different from many other UPSC recruitments where the first stage is only a screening test.

Stage 1: Preliminary Examination (Objective)

Each question carries 2 marks. For every wrong answer, one-third of the marks for that question is deducted, which is about 0.66 marks. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.

Stage 2: Main Examination (Conventional)

Stage 3: Personality Test

The Personality Test carries 200 marks. The interview board assesses your suitability for a career in engineering services, including clarity of thought, technical understanding, awareness and leadership qualities.

What This Means for You

• Prelims marks travel with you: The 500 Prelims marks are part of the 1,300-mark total, so a strong Prelims score directly improves your final rank and service allotment.

• Guessing has a real cost: Three wrong answers cancel out one correct answer. Attempt a question when you can eliminate at least two options.

• Paper II is the heavyweight: The technical paper carries 300 of the 500 Prelims marks and covers both Mains papers of your stream, so core subjects deserve most of your time.

• Mains needs writing practice: Mains answers are graded on method, diagrams and units, not just the final number.

Older pages may still show outdated negative marking figures or old section names, so follow the official notification. You can read the full stage-wise breakdown on our ESE exam pattern page.

UPSC ESE Syllabus Summary

Each topic in the General Studies paper carries between 5% and 15% of that paper's marks. For the full topic-wise list with sub-topics

UPSC ESE Selection Process

1. Preliminary Examination: Candidates who clear the minimum qualifying marks fixed by UPSC are shortlisted for the Main Examination, roughly six to seven times the number of vacancies.

2. Main Examination: Prelims and Mains marks are combined (out of 1,100), and candidates above the cut-off are called for the Personality Test.

3. Personality Test: Candidates face an interview of 200 marks, usually about twice the number of vacancies.

4. Final merit: The final list is drawn on the total of all three stages (out of 1,300).

5. Medical examination and document verification: Recommended candidates must meet the medical standards for their allotted service, which are stricter for some posts, such as those in the Railways.

UPSC ESE Salary and Career Growth

Officers recruited to Group A services join in the Junior Time Scale at Level 10 of the 7th Central Pay Commission pay matrix.

On top of basic pay, officers receive Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance or government accommodation, Transport Allowance, medical benefits and pension under the applicable scheme. A starting in-hand salary is often quoted at around Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 90,000 a month. This is not an official figure, and it varies with the current DA rate, city of posting and deductions. Promotion timelines also differ by service.

How to Prepare for UPSC ESE 2027

With Prelims in late January and Mains in June, the gap between the two stages is short. The most efficient plan is to prepare for both together and switch to objective practice only in the final weeks before Prelims.

For Prelims

• Start with your core subjects: Paper II carries 60% of Prelims marks. Finish the high-weight subjects of your stream first, then move to the rest.

• Treat GS as scoring, not optional: Engineering mathematics, material science, aptitude and project management overlap with what you studied in college and reward short daily revision.

• Solve previous year questions after every topic: They show the depth UPSC expects and which concepts repeat.

For Mains

• Write, do not just read: Practise full derivations and numericals in a fixed time, with neat diagrams and correct units.

• Keep a formula and error log: Note every mistake you make in tests and revise the log weekly.

UPSC ESE Cut-Off

UPSC sets separate cut-offs for each stream and category at the Prelims, Mains and final stage. The Commission publishes the official marks of all stages after the final result is declared. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last year's figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass.