UPSC Engineering Services Examination 2026
The Engineering Services Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to engineering services and posts under the Central Government. The examination covers Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering disciplines and is conducted through Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and Personality Test stages.
Exam Information
UPSC Engineering Services Examination 2026 Overview
Conducting Body
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Type
government
Exam Level
national
Category
UPSC
Qualification
Engineering Degree in the relevant discipline as prescribed by UPSC
Exam Mode
both
Latest Cycle
ESE Cycle
Year
2026
Notification Date
26/09/2025
Application Start Date
26/09/2025
Application Last Date
16/10/2025
Exam Date
02 Aug 2026
Admit Card Date
30/01/2026
Result Date
24/07/2026
Status
Personality Test Scheduled
Important Dates
ESE Important Dates
Label
ESE 2026 Notification
Date
26/09/2025
Description
UPSC released the notification for the Engineering Services Examination 2026.
Label
Preliminary Examination
Date
02 Aug 2026
Description
The Engineering Services Preliminary Examination 2026 was conducted by UPSC.
Label
Preliminary Result
Date
26/02/2026
Description
UPSC released the result of the Preliminary Examination and shortlisted candidates for the Main Examination.
Label
Main Examination
Date
21/06/2026
Description
The Engineering Services Main Examination 2026 was conducted on 21 June 2026.
Label
Main Written Result
Date
24/07/2026
Description
UPSC released the written result of the Engineering Services Main Examination 2026.
Label
Personality Test Schedule
Date
09 Jul 2026
Description
UPSC uploaded the Personality Test interview schedule for Engineering Services (Main) Examination 2026.
Label
Personality Test Begins
Date
21/09/2026
Description
The Personality Tests for shortlisted candidates are scheduled to begin from 21 September 2026.
Label
Personality Test Schedule Ends
Date
30/10/2026
Description
The currently published interview schedule includes Personality Tests up to 30 October 2026.
Vacancy
ESE Vacancy Details
Post
Civil Engineering Services
Total
As per UPSC vacancy details
Description
Engineering services and posts available under the Civil Engineering discipline.
Post
Mechanical Engineering Services
Total
As per UPSC vacancy details
Description
Mechanical Engineering
Post
Electrical Engineering Services
Total
As per UPSC vacancy details
Description
Electrical Engineering
Post
Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering Services
Total
As per UPSC vacancy details
Description
Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
Eligibility
ESE Eligibility
Educational Qualification
Candidates must possess the engineering qualification prescribed under the Engineering Services Examination rules for the relevant engineering discipline.
Age Limit
The prescribed age limit applies as specified in the Engineering Services Examination rules. Candidates should check the applicable cut-off date and category-wise relaxation in the official UPSC notification.
Age Relaxation
Age relaxation is available to eligible candidates according to the rules applicable to the Engineering Services Examination.
Nationality
Candidates must satisfy the nationality or citizenship conditions prescribed in the Engineering Services Examination rules.
Other Requirements
Candidates must satisfy the educational, age, medical and other conditions prescribed for the service and engineering discipline for which they are being considered.
Application
ESE Application Details
Application Start Date
26/09/2025
Application Last Date
16/10/2025
Fee Payment Last Date
16/10/2025
Fee Exemption
As prescribed by UPSC in the ESE 2026 notification.
Application Mode
Online
Instructions
Candidates must follow the application instructions issued by UPSC and provide accurate personal, educational and other required information. Candidates should retain the submitted application details and important documents for future reference.
Selection Process
ESE Selection Process
Stage
Engineering Services Preliminary Examination
Description
The Preliminary Examination is the first competitive stage and consists of objective-type papers covering General Studies and Engineering Aptitude and the relevant engineering discipline.
Stage
Engineering Services Main Examination
Description
Candidates qualifying in the Preliminary Examination appear for the Main Examination, which consists of conventional engineering papers in the relevant discipline.
Stage
Personality Test
Description
Candidates qualifying in the written part of the Main Examination are called for the Personality Test conducted by UPSC.
Stage
Final Selection
Description
Final selection is made according to the Engineering Services Examination rules, merit, vacancies, service preferences and applicable conditions.
Exam Pattern
ESE Exam Pattern
Total Questions
Preliminary Examination: Objective-type papers Main Examination: Conventional engineering papers
Total Marks
Preliminary Examination: 500 marks Main Examination: 600 marks Personality Test: 200 marks
Duration
Preliminary Examination: 5 hours in total Main Examination: 6 hours in total
Negative Marking
Negative marking applies to objective-type questions in the Preliminary Examination as prescribed by UPSC.
Sections
Subject
General Studies and Engineering Aptitude
Questions
As per UPSC examination scheme
Marks
200
Duration
2 hours
Negative Marking
Applicable as prescribed by UPSC
Description
The paper covers General Studies and Engineering Aptitude areas prescribed in the ESE Preliminary Examination.
Subject
Engineering Discipline
Questions
As per UPSC examination scheme
Marks
300
Duration
3 hours
Negative Marking
Applicable as prescribed by UPSC
Description
The technical paper is based on the engineering discipline selected by the candidate: Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, or Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering.
Description
The Engineering Services Examination is conducted in three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and Personality Test. The Preliminary Examination contains General Studies and Engineering Aptitude along with the discipline-specific paper. The Main Examination consists of two conventional technical papers in the relevant engineering discipline, followed by the Personality Test for candidates who qualify the written stage.
Syllabus
ESE Syllabus
Subject
Civil Engineering
Topics
Structural Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Water Resources Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Transportation Engineering
Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering
Construction Materials and Management
Subject
Mechanical Engineering
Topics
Engineering Mechanics
Mechanics of Materials
Thermodynamics
Fluid Mechanics
Heat Transfer
Theory of Machines
Machine Design
Production Engineering
Subject
Electrical Engineering
Topics
Electrical Circuits
Electrical Machines
Power Systems
Control Systems
Electrical Measurements
Power Electronics
Analog and Digital Electronics
Generation and Transmission
Subject
Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
Topics
Electronic Devices
Circuits and Systems
Signals and Systems
Communication Systems
Control Systems
Digital Electronics
Computer Engineering
Electromagnetics
Physical Requirements
ESE Physical Requirements
Salary & Career
ESE Salary & Job Profile
Pay Level
Level 10 and applicable levels according to the service/post
Pay Scale
As prescribed for the respective Engineering Service and post under the applicable Government pay rules.
Salary
Selected officers receive salary and allowances according to the service, post, place of posting and applicable Government rules.
Allowances
Allowances and benefits are provided according to the applicable service rules and place of posting.
Job Profile
Engineering Services officers perform technical, project, supervisory, planning, inspection, maintenance and administrative responsibilities depending on the service and department.
Career Growth
Career progression depends on the service, department, cadre rules, performance and applicable Government promotion policies.
Official Resources
ESE Important Links
Title
UPSC Official Website
Description
Official website of the Union Public Service Commission for examinations, notices, results and interview schedules.
Title
UPSC ESE 2026 Interview Schedule
Description
Official UPSC page containing the latest interview schedules, including Engineering Services (Main) Examination 2026.
Title
UPSC ESE Main 2026
Description
Official UPSC examination page containing the ESE Main 2026 result, timetable and other examination documents.
FAQs
ESE FAQs
Question
When will the UPSC ESE 2026 interview start?
Answer
The Personality Test for UPSC ESE 2026 is scheduled to begin on 21 September 2026.
Question
How many candidates are shortlisted for UPSC ESE 2026 interview?
Answer
A total of 1,336 candidates have been shortlisted for the Personality Test stage.
Question
What are the UPSC ESE 2026 interview timings?
Answer
The Personality Tests are being conducted in two sessions. The forenoon session begins at 9:00 AM and the afternoon session begins at 1:00 PM.
Question
How can I check my UPSC ESE 2026 interview date?
Answer
The Personality Tests are scheduled at the UPSC Examination Hall, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi.
Question
How can I check my UPSC ESE 2026 interview date?
Answer
Candidates can check the roll-number-wise interview schedule through the official UPSC website and should also download their e-Summon Letter when available.
Question
Can the UPSC ESE interview date or time be changed?
Answer
No. UPSC has stated that requests for a change in the date and time of the Personality Test will not be entertained.
Question
When was the UPSC ESE 2026 Main result released?
Answer
The written result of the Engineering Services (Main) Examination 2026 was released on 24 July 2026.
Question
Which engineering branches are covered under UPSC ESE?
Answer
The Engineering Services Examination covers Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering.
About The Exam
About ESE
The Engineering Services Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to engineering services and posts under the Central Government. The examination covers Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering disciplines and is conducted through Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and Personality Test stages.
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