UPSC IES Eligibility 2027: Age Limit, Qualification and Relaxation

UPSC IES eligibility for the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2027 is defined in the notification the Union Public Service Commission issued on 16 September 2026, based on the ESE Rules notified by the Department of Telecommunications. To apply, you need an engineering degree or an accepted equivalent, must be 21 to 30 years old as on 1 January 2027, and must meet the nationality conditions.

This page explains each condition in plain terms: the qualification rules and their exceptions, the age window and category relaxations, nationality, medical standards, and the common reasons candidates turn out to be ineligible. UPSC checks eligibility against original documents only after the main exam result, so an admit card does not confirm that you are eligible.

Table of Contents

• UPSC IES eligibility at a glance

• Educational qualification

• Age limit and relaxation

• Nationality

• Other conditions

• Who is not eligible

• Fee and documents

UPSC IES eligibility

Educational qualification for UPSC IES

You must have one of the following:

• Engineering degree: From a university set up by an Act of the Central or State Legislature, an institution set up by an Act of Parliament, or a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.

• Institution of Engineers (India): Passed Sections A and B of the Institution Examinations.

• Foreign qualification: A degree or diploma in engineering from a foreign university or institution, under conditions recognised by the Government for this purpose.

• IETE: Passed the Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (India).

• Aeronautical Society of India: Passed the Associate Membership Examination Parts II and III or Sections A and B.

• IERE, London: Passed the Graduate Membership Examination held after November 1959.

Exceptions for two posts

For Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics Engineering Posts) and Indian Radio Regulatory Service Group A, an M.Sc. or equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics, Radio Physics or Radio Engineering is also accepted. For the Indian Radio Regulatory Service, a master's degree in science with Physics and Radio Communication, Electronics or Telecommunication as a special subject also qualifies. Candidates admitted on these qualifications are considered only for these posts.

Admissions after 31 May 2013

Following a Delhi High Court judgement, degrees or certificates from IETE and the Aeronautical Society of India where admission was taken after 31 May 2013 are not accepted for ESE 2027. For the Institution of Engineers (India), eligibility of candidates admitted after that date depends on a pending Government decision. If this applies to you, read Note 1 under the qualification rules in the notification.

Final-year students

If you have appeared or will appear in your qualifying exam, you can apply. If you qualify for the personality test, UPSC gives a 10-day window after the main result to upload proof of passing. Without it, you cannot appear in the interview.

UPSC IES age limit and relaxation

You must have turned 21 and must not have turned 30 on 1 January 2027. In other words, your date of birth must fall between 2 January 1997 and 1 January 2006. UPSC accepts only the date of birth recorded in your matriculation or secondary school certificate, or an equivalent certificate, and does not allow changes later.

The "born on or after" column is worked out from the 30-year limit and the relaxation; check your own case against the notification. Relaxations are cumulative for SC, ST and OBC candidates who are also ex-servicemen or PwBD.

Departmental candidates

Government servants can apply up to 35 years if they work in a listed department and apply for that department's services. This covers, among others, CPWD, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Department of Telecommunications, the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance, Survey of India, Border Roads Organisation, the Indian Navy, Military Engineer Services, the Central Water Commission, the Central Electricity Authority, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the Geological Survey of India and the Ministry of Railways. You must hold a permanent post substantively or have at least 3 years of continuous regular temporary service there as on 1 January 2027.

Nationality

A candidate must be one of the following:

• Indian citizen

• Subject of Nepal or Bhutan

• Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 to settle permanently

• Person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam to settle permanently in India

Candidates in every category except Indian citizens need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India before an offer of appointment.

Other conditions

• One discipline: You apply in one category only and must write the exam in the discipline and at the centre shown on your e-admit card.

• Medical examination: Candidates finally recommended must pass a medical examination as decided by the Department of Telecommunications.

• Physical standards: Candidates must meet the physical standards in Appendix II of the ESE 2027 Rules.

• Attempts: The notification does not set a limit on the number of attempts. The age limit is the practical cap.

• Reservation certificates: OBC (non-creamy layer) and EWS certificates must be based on the income rules in the notification and issued on or after 1 April 2026, but not later than 6 October 2026.

• Persons with Benchmark Disabilities: No vacancies are identified for candidates with blindness. Candidates with low vision should apply only for services listed as suitable for them.

Who is not eligible

• Outside the age window: Born before 2 January 1997 or after 1 January 2006, without an applicable relaxation.

• Unaccepted qualification: A polytechnic diploma from India, or an IETE or Aeronautical Society of India qualification with admission after 31 May 2013.

• No proof of passing in time: Final-year candidates who cannot upload proof of their degree in the window after the main result.

• Wrong or late certificates: Category claims without a valid certificate issued within the dates in the notification.

Fee and documents

The fee is Rs. 200, paid online by net banking, card or UPI. Female, SC, ST and PwBD candidates are exempt, while OBC and EWS candidates pay the full fee. Keep scanned copies of your age proof, qualification certificate, category certificate and disability certificate, where applicable, ready for the application. Originals are checked at the personality test.

Always confirm your case against the official ESE 2027 notification.