UPSC Engineering Services Exam 2025 Syllabus, Eligibility, Exam Pattern , Selection Process for 232 Posts
UPSC ESE Syllabus Details: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Engineering Services Exam Syllabus is given below…
1.Category I : Civil Engineering
2.Category II: Mechanical Engineering
3.Category III: Electrical Engineering
4.Category IV: Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
Category I: Civil Engineering (Group-A Services/Posts)
(i) Central Engineering Service (Civil)
(ii) Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group-A (Civil Engineering Posts).
(iii) Survey of India Group ‘A’ Service.
(iv) *AEE (Civil) in Border Roads Engineering Service.
(v) Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
(vi) AEE (QS&C) in MES Surveyor Cadre.
(vii) Indian Skill Development Service.
(viii) Central Water Engineering (Group ‘A’) Service.
Category II: Mechanical Engineering (Group-A/B Services/Posts)
(i) Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
(ii) Indian Naval Armament Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts).
(iii) Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A'(Mechanical Engineering Posts)
(iv) Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO-II (Mechanical).
(v) AEE ( Elect & Mech) in Border Roads Engineering Service.
(vi) Indian Naval Material Management Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts)
(vii) Indian Skill Development Service
Category III: Electrical Engineering (Group-A/B Services/Posts)
(i) Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
(ii) Indian Naval Material Management Service (Electrical Engineering Posts)
(iii) Indian Naval Armament Service (Electrical Engineering Posts)
(iv) Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO-II (Electrical).
(v) Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ (Electrical Engineering Posts).
(vi) Indian Skill Development Service.
(vii) IEDS/Assistant Director Grade-I (IEDS) Electrical Trade
(viii) IEDS/Assistant Director Grade-II (IEDS) Electrical Trade
Category IV: Electronics And Telecommunication Engineering (Group-A/B Services/Posts)
(i) Indian Telecommunication Service Gr ‘A’.
(ii) Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ (Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering Posts).
(iii) Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics and Telecom Engineering Posts).
(iv) Indian Naval Material Management Service (Electronics and Telecom Engineering Posts)
(v) Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO-II (Electronics & Tele).
(vi ) Indian Skill Development Service.
(vii ) Indian Radio Regulatory Service Gr ‘A’
(viii ) IEDS/Assistant Director Grade-I(IEDS) Electronics Trade.
(ix ) IEDS/Assistant Director Grade-II(IEDS) Electronics Trade
Eligibility
UPSC ESE Eligibility Criteria: Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) Engineering Service Examination eligibility details are given below….
UPSC ESE Eligibility:
I. Nationality: A Candidate must be either
i. a citizen of India, or
ii. a subject of Nepal, or
iii. a subject of Bhutan, or
iv.a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 01 January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
v. a Person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakisthan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African countires of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawim Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently setting in India.
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
II. Age Limit: A candidate for this examination must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on the 1st January, 2025 i.e., he/she must have been born not earlier than 2nd January, 1995 and not later than 1st January,
2004.
Upper Age Limit Relaxation:
(i) Up to maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe.
(ii) Up to maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail
of reservation applicable to such candidates.
(iii) Up to maximum of three years, in the case of Defence Services personnel, disabled in operations during hostilities
with any foreign country or in a disturbed area, and released as a consequence thereof.
(iv) Up to maximum of five years in the case of Ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and Emergency
Commissioned Officers (ECOs) / Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs), who have rendered at least five years Military
Service as on 1st January, 2025 and have been released (i) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is
due) to be completed within one year from 1st January, 2025 otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of
misconduct or inefficiency, or (ii) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service, or (iii) on invalidment.
(v) Up to maximum of five years in the case of ECOs/ SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five
years of Military Service as on 1st January, 2025 and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose
case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and they will be released on three
months’ notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment.
(vi) Up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of candidates belonging to Person with Benchmark Disability viz. Low vision,
deaf and Hard of Hearing, Locomotor Disability including Leprosy cured, Dwarfism, Acid Attack victims, Muscular Dystrophy,
Specific Learning Disability and Mental Illness
III. Minimum Educational Qualification: Candidates must have:
(a) obtained a degree in Engineering from a University incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India
or other Educational Institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as Universities under Section 3
of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956; or
(b) passed Sections A and B of the Institution Examinations of the Institution of Engineers (India); or
(c) obtained a degree/diploma in Engineering from such foreign University/College/Institution and under such
conditions as may be recognised by the Government for the purpose from time to time, or
(d) passed Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (India);
or
(e) passed Associate Membership Examination Parts II and III/Sections A and B of the Aeronautical Society of India; or
(f) passed Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics and Radio Engineers, London held after
November, 1959.
Provided that a candidate for the post of Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics Engineering Posts) and Indian Radio
Regulatory Service Group ‘A’ may possess any of the above qualifications or the qualification mentioned below namely:-
For Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics Engg. Posts) – M.Sc. degree or its equivalent with Wireless
Communication Electronics, Radio Physics or Radio Engineering as a special subject.
For Indian Radio Regulatory Service Group ‘A’– M.Sc. degree or its equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics,
Radio Physics or Radio Engineering as a subject or Master’s Degree in Science with Physics and Radio Communication or
Electronics or Telecommunication as a special subject.
(IV). Physical Standards: Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to Engineering Services Examination 2025.
Exam Pattern
UPSC ESE Exam Pattern: Engineering Services Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is consists of two sections of written examination and Personality Test. Exam pattern of Engineering Services Examination are given below…
UPSC ESE Exam Pattern:
Engineering Services Examination comprises of two stages:
1. Written Examination
2. Personality Test
I. Written Examination: The written Examination will comprise of three stages.
(i) Stage-I: Engineering Services (Preliminary/ Stage-I) Examination (Objective Type Papers) for the selection of candidates for the Stage-II: Engineering Services (Mains/ Stage-II) Examination.
(ii) Stage-II: Engineering Services (Mains/ Stage-II) Examination (Conventional Type Papers) and
(iii) Stage-III : Personality Test
2. The Engineering Services (Preliminary/ Stage-I) Examination will consist of two objective type (multiple choices) questions papers and carrying a maximum of 500 marks (Paper 1 – 200 Marks & Paper II – 300 Marks). Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Preliminary/ Stage-I Examination in the year will be eligible for admission to the Mains/ Stage-II Examination of that year provided they are otherwise eligible for admission to the Mains/ Stage-II Examination. The Marks obtained in Preliminary/ Stage-I Examination by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Mains/ Stage-II Examination will be counted for determining their final order of merit. The number of candidates to be admitted to the Mains/ Stage-II Examination will be about six to seven time the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year through this examination.
Note I : The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be qualified for Engineering Services (Mains/Stage-II) Examination based on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks in General Studies and Engineering Aptitude Paper (Paper-I) and Engineering Discipline specific paper (Paper-II) of Preliminary/Stage-I Examination.
Note II: There will be penalty (Negative Marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the objective type question papers.
(i) There are four alternative for the answers to every question. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.
(ii) If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers happen to be correct and there will be same penalty as above for that question.
(iii) If a question is left blank i.e. no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
3.1 The Engineering Services (Mains/stage-II) Examination will consist two conventional type papers in Engineering Discipline specific with duration of three hours and maximum marks of 600 (300 Marks in each paper).
3.2 The Stage-III will consist of Personality Test carrying 200 Marks.
4.1 Candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the Stage-I: Engineering Services (Preliminary/Stage-I) and StageII: Engineering Services (Mains/Stage-II) Examination as may be fixed by the Commission as per its discretion, shall be summoned bythem for Stage-III (Personality Test). The number of candidates to be summoned for Personality Test will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. The Personality Test will carry 200 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks).
4.2 Marks obtained by the candidates in the Stage-I:(Preliminary/Stage-I) Examination, Stage-II:(Mains/Stage-II) Examination and Stage-III (Personality Test) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various services keeping in viewtheir ranks in the examination and the preference expressed by them for the various services/posts.
5. Candidates are advised to read carefully special instructions to candidates for conventional type tests and objective type tests given in Appendix-III (Part A and Part B) including the procedure regarding filing in the Answer Sheet of objective type tests in the Examination Hall uploaded on the Commission’s website (www.upsc.gov.in) on 07.04.2021.
6. In the Personality Test special attention will be paid to assessing the candidate’s capacity for leadership, initiative and intellectual curiosity, tact and other social qualities, mental and physical energy, powers of practical application and integrity of character.
7. Conventional papers must be answered in English. Question paper will be set in English only.
8. Details of the syllabi for Stage-I: (Preliminary/stage-I) and Stage-II :(Mains/Stage-II) are at Section III
A. Stage-I (Preliminary/ Stage-I) Examination:
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-I Civil Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) | 2 hrs | 200 |
| Paper-II (Civil Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Total | 500 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-II Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) | 2 hrs | 200 |
| Paper-II (Mechanical Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Total | 500 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-III Electrical Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) | 2 hrs | 200 |
| Paper-II (Electrical Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Total | 500 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-IV Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) | 2 hrs | 200 |
| Paper-II ( Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Total | 500 | |
B. Stage-II(Mains/Stage-II) Examination:-
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-I Civil Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (Civil Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Paper-II (Civil Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Total | 600 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-II Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (Mechanical Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Paper-II (Mechanical Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Total | 600 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-III Electrical Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (Electrical Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Paper-II (Electrical Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Total | 600 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-IV Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Paper-II (Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering) | 3 hrs | 300 |
| Total | 600 | |
(C) Stage-III (Personality Test) – 200 Marks.
Note: Candidates must write the papers in their own hand. In no circumstances will they be allowed the help of a scribe to write the answers for them. However, blind candidates and candidates with Locomotor Disability and Cerebral Palsy where dominant (writing) extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance of function (minimum of 40% impairment) will be allowed to write Engineering Services Examination with the help of a scribe.
1. Compensatory time of twenty minutes per hour shall be permitted for the blind candidates and candidates with Locomotor Disability and Cerebral Palsy where dominant (writing) extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance of function (minimum of 40% impairment) will also be allowed in the Engineering Services Examination.
2. The Commission have discretion to fix minimum qualifying marks in any or all the papers of the examination.
3. Marks will not be allotted for mere superficial knowledge.
4. Deduction upto five per cent of the maximum marks for the written papers will be made for illegible handwriting.
5. Credit will be given for orderly, effective and exact expression combined with due economy of words in the conventional papers of the examination.
6. In the question papers, wherever required, SI units will be used. Note.—Candidates will be supplied with standard tables/charts in SI units in the Examination hall for reference purpose, wherever considered necessary.
7. Candidates are permitted to bring and use battery operated pocket calculators for conventional (essay) type papers only. Loaning or inter-changing of calculators in the Examination Hall is not permitted. It is also important to note that candidates are not permitted to use calculators for answering objective type papers (Test booklets). They should not therefore, bring the same inside the Examination Hall.
8.Candidates should use only International form of Indian numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc.) while answering question papers.
Selection Process Details
UPSC ESE Selection Process Details: The candidates applying for the Engineering Services Examination should ensure that they fulfill all the eligibility conditions for admission to the Examination. The selection process for the Engineering Services Examination are given below….
UPSC ESE Selection Process:
Selection process will be done in three stages
(i) Stage-I: Engineering Services (Preliminary/Stage-I) Examination (Objective Type Papers) for the selection of candidates for the Stage-II: Engineering Services (Main/Stage-II) Examination;
(ii) Stage-II: Engineering Services (Main/Stage-II) Examination (Conventional Type Papers) and
(iii) Stage-III : Personality Test
I. Written Examination: The Engineering Services (Preliminary/Stage-I) Examination will consist of two objective type (multiple choices) questions papers and carrying a maximum of 500 marks (Paper 1 – 200 Marks & Paper II – 300 Marks). Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Preliminary/Stage-I Examination in the year will be eligible for admission to the Main/Stage-II Examination of that year provided they are otherwise eligible for admission to the Main/StageII Examination. The Marks obtained in Preliminary/Stage-I Examination by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Main/Stage-II Examination will be counted for determining their final order of merit. The number of candidates to be admitted to the Main/Stage-II Examination will be about six to seven time the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year through this examination.
Note I : The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be qualified for Engineering Services (Main/Stage-II) Examination based on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks in General Studies and Engineering Aptitude Paper (Paper-I) and Engineering Discipline specific paper (Paper-II) of Preliminary/Stage-I Examination.
Note II: There will be penalty (Negative Marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the objective type question paper
(i) There are four alternative for the answers to every question. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third (1/3rd) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.
(ii) If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers happen to be correct and there will be same penalty as above for that question.
(iii) If a question is left blank i.e. no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
3. Candidates should note that if any irrelevant matter/signages/marks etc. are found written in the answer script(s), which would not be related to any question/answer and/or would be having the potential to disclose the candidate’s identity, the Commission will impose a penalty of deduction of marks from the total marks otherwise accruing to the candidate or will not evaluate the said script(s) on this account.
4.1 The Engineering Services (Main/stage-II) Examination will consist two conventional type papers in Engineering Discipline specific with duration of three hours and maximum marks of 600 (300 Marks in each paper).
4.2 The Stage-III will consist of Personality Test carrying 200 Marks.
5.1 Candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the Stage-I: Engineering Services (Preliminary/Stage-I) and Stage-II: Engineering Services (Main/Stage-II) Examination as may be fixed by the Commission as per its discretion, shall be summoned by them for Stage-III (Personality Test). The number of candidates to be summoned for Personality Test will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. The Personality Test will carry 200 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks).
5.2 Marks obtained by the candidates in the Stage-I:(Preliminary/Stage-I) Examination, Stage-II:(Main/Stage-II) Examination and Stage-III (Personality Test) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and the preference expressed by them for the various services/posts.
6. Candidates are advised to read carefully special instructions to candidates for conventional type tests and objective type tests given in Appendix-III (Part A and Part B) including the procedure regarding filing in the Answer Sheet of objective type tests in the Examination Notice uploaded on the Commission’s website (www.upsc.gov.in)
7. In the Personality Test special attention will be paid to assessing the candidate’s capacity for leadership, initiative and intellectual curiosity, tact and other social qualities, mental and physical energy, powers of practical application and integrity of character.
8. Conventional papers must be answered in English. Question paper will be set in English only.
9. Details of the syllabi for Stage-I: (Preliminary/stage-I) and Stage-II :(Main/Stage-II) are at Section III.
Section-II
Stage-I(Preliminary/Stage-I) Examination :-
The Examination shall comprise of two papers.
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-I Civil Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) | 2 hrs. | 200 |
| Paper-II (Civil Engineering) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 500 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-II Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) | 2 hrs. | 200 |
| Paper-II (Mechanical Engineering) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 500 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-III Electrical Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) | 2 hrs. | 200 |
| Paper-II (Electrical Engineering) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 500 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-IV Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | ||
| Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) | 2 hrs. | 200 |
| Paper-II (Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 500 | |
(iii) Details of the syllabi are indicated in Section III.
B. Stage-II(Main/Stage-II) Examination:-
The Examination shall comprise of two papers.
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-I Civil Engineering | ||
| Paper-I ( Civil Engineering) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Paper-II (Electrical Engineering) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 600 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-II Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Paper-I ( Mechanical Engineering ) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Paper-II (Mechanical Engineering) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 600 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-III Electrical Engineering | ||
| Paper-I ( Electrical Engineering ) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Paper-II (Electrical Engineering) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 600 | |
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Category-IV Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | ||
| Paper-I ( Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering ) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Paper-II (Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 600 | |
III. Personality Test: Stage-III Personality test carrying a maximum of 200 marks of such of the candidates who qualify on the basis of the written examination.