ESIC Exam Pattern 2026: UDC, Steno and MTS

The ESIC exam pattern has two online objective phases for UDC and MTS, and one longer online paper for Stenographer, followed by practical skill tests for UDC and Stenographer. Knowing how marks, time and penalties work is as important as knowing the syllabus, because a 200-question paper rewards planning more than raw knowledge.

The figures below come from the notification of 28 December 2021 and the exams held in 2022, which is the latest full UDC, Stenographer and MTS cycle we could verify. We found no newer notice as of 29 October 2026, so use this as your working pattern and confirm it when ESIC publishes the next advertisement.

Table of Contents

ESIC Exam Pattern at a Glance

All objective papers are computer-based multiple-choice tests. There is no interview in the Group C selection process as reported for the 2022 cycle.

How the Three Posts Differ

Many candidates apply for more than one post, so it helps to see where the paths split.

If you are eligible for both UDC and MTS, the written pattern is identical, so a single preparation plan covers both. The difference is the computer test and the competition you face in each merit list.

Phase I Pattern for UDC and MTS

Phase I is a short screening test. It decides whether you move to Phase II, but its marks do not add to your final score.

Each question in Phase I carries 2 marks. Sectional timing was not reported for this phase, so you can move between the four sections within the 60 minutes.

Phase II Pattern for UDC and MTS

Phase II uses the same four subjects with double the questions, and its marks decide your merit rank.

Each Phase II question carries 1 mark. The marks you earn here are used to prepare the region-wise and category-wise merit list.

Phase I and Phase II Compared

The time per question is the same in both phases, but a mistake in Phase I costs twice as much. This is why a calm, accuracy-first approach works better in the first phase, while Phase II rewards raw pace.

Stenographer Exam Pattern

The Stenographer exam is a single online paper with sectional timing, followed by a skill test.

Online exam

The English section is half the paper, so a strong English score can carry the rest. Time is allotted per section, which means unused minutes in one section do not roll over.

Stenography test

• Dictation: One passage dictated for 10 minutes at 80 words per minute, in English or Hindi as chosen in the application.

• Transcription: Typed on a computer, with 50 minutes for English and 65 minutes for Hindi. Candidates with benchmark disabilities were given 70 and 90 minutes.

• Computer test: A basic computer skill test is also part of this stage. Its detailed format was not available to us from a reliable source, so check the notice.

Computer Skill Test for UDC

UDC candidates who qualify Phase II take a 30-minute practical worth 50 marks.

MTS candidates have no computer skill test in this pattern.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

Correct answers earn full marks for that question. Wrong answers carry a negative mark of one-fourth of the marks assigned to the question. Unattempted questions are not penalised.

A few secondary sources are unclear about whether Phase I carried the penalty. Most state that it did, so prepare as if it does, and confirm in the notice.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Phase I questions are worth double: Each is worth 2 marks, and a wrong guess costs 0.5. Guess only when you can remove at least two options.

• Phase II is a speed test: 200 questions in 120 minutes leaves about 36 seconds per question. You will not solve every item, so choose which to skip.

• Stenographers should front-load English: With 100 of 200 marks in English, a weak English score is hard to recover elsewhere.

• Sectional timing is strict in the Stenographer paper: Each section has its own clock, so an overlong stay on one question cannot be repaid from the next section. Plan the minutes per question in advance: about 42 seconds in English, 42 seconds in Reasoning and 30 seconds in General Awareness.

Qualifying Marks and Shortlisting

Phase I has minimum qualifying marks by category. In the 2022 cycle these were reported as follows, as a percentage of the 200 marks.

Clearing the minimum is not enough. ESIC shortlists roughly ten candidates per vacancy in each category and region for Phase II, in order of Phase I performance. In practice, the actual cut-off is far above the minimum, as the ESIC cut off page shows.

Final Merit Calculation

For UDC and MTS, the final merit list is based on Phase II marks. The Computer Skill Test for UDC is qualifying and is not added. For Stenographer, the online exam marks decide merit among those who qualify the stenography and computer tests.

Here is a worked example for Phase II. Suppose you attempt 170 questions, get 150 right and 20 wrong. Your score is 150 minus (20 x 0.25), which is 145 out of 200. Attempting 190 questions with 155 right and 35 wrong gives 155 minus 8.75, or 146.25. The extra 20 attempts added only 1.25 marks, which shows why accuracy matters as much as attempts.

A Phase I example works the same way, with bigger swings. If you attempt 90 questions with 75 right and 15 wrong, your score is 150 minus 7.5, or 142.5 out of 200. That is comfortably above the unreserved minimum of 90, but the 2022 shortlisting cut-offs for many regions were much higher.

Section-Wise Approach

Reasoning

Start with series, coding-decoding and direction questions, which can be solved in 20 to 30 seconds. Leave long puzzles for the end of the section. Non-verbal figures are quick if you know the patterns and a time sink if you do not.

General Awareness

This section is a recall test, so you either know a question or you do not. Spend little time on each item, mark what you are unsure about, and avoid guessing on questions where you cannot eliminate options.

Quantitative Aptitude

Do simplification, percentages and averages first. Skip calculation-heavy items such as long time-and-work chains until the rest is done. Use approximation wherever the options are far apart.

English

Read the passage questions before the passage, so that you read with a purpose. Do error spotting and fill-in-the-blank items first, since they take the least time per mark.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

1. Start with your strongest section: Clear General Awareness and Reasoning first, since they need the least calculation. Return to Quantitative Aptitude with the time left.

2. Set a per-section target: For Phase I, give each section about 13 to 15 minutes. For Phase II, aim for roughly 25 minutes on each of Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and English, and 15 to 20 on General Awareness, leaving a short revision buffer.

3. Skip and mark: If a question takes more than a minute without a clear path, mark it and move on.

4. Protect accuracy: Stop guessing once your wrong-answer count in a section passes your comfort level, since each error also costs the mark you might have earned.

5. Practise the real format: Take full-length papers on a computer, with the same timing. You can attempt ESIC online tests on Testkart in the Phase I and Phase II formats and compare sectional accuracy over time. Our ESIC mock test guide explains how to schedule them.

Older Pages and the Official Source

Older pages may still show a different format, and some pages mix patterns from other recruiters. Follow the official notification for any new cycle, because ESIC can revise the number of phases, marks or timing. Check the official recruitments page: https://esic.gov.in/recruitments