Civil services examination / UPSC Exams

IES Indian Engineering Services

Indian Engineering Services (IES) or Engineering Services Examination (ESE) comprise of engineers who work under the government of India and designated as Class – 1 officer. They administer a large segment of the public sector economy, which constitutes of Indian Railways, Power, Telecommunications, Central Water engineering, Defence service of Engineers, Central Engineering Service, namely.

The nature of work performed by these bureaucrats largely depends on their engineering branch and the service or cadre they are recruited in. The career progression goes smoothly attaining high esteem. The first position offered is that of Asst. Executive engineer and the hierarchy ends at the position of Chairman/ Managing Director.

Minimum Educational Requirement : B.E. or B.Tech From A Recognised University

Age Limit : 21-30 Years

Application Fee Except ST/SC/Female Candidates : Rs. 200/-

IES Exam Details

Exam	Engineering Services Examination (ESE)
Conducted by	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam level	National
Frequency	Once in a year
Educational qualifications	Engineering
Age limit	21-30 years
Number of vacancies	495
Selection process	Preliminary, Main Exam & Interview
Preliminary exam	Objective-type
Main exam	Conventional
Admit card availability	3 weeks before the exam
Withdrawal of application	Yes
Application fee	Rs 200
Official website	www.upsc.gov.in

ESE Exam Group-A Services/Posts

A combined competitive examination is conducted by the UPSC for recruitment to the Indian Engineering Services. The recruitment of qualified candidates is made under the following categories:

§ Electrical Engineering

§ Mechanical Engineering

§ Civil Engineering

§ Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering

Category

Group-A Services/Posts

Category I

Civil Engineering

1. Indian Railway Service of Engineers

2. Indian Railway Stores Service (Civil Engineering Posts)

3. Central Engineering Service

4. Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group-A (Civil Engineering Posts)

5. Survey of India Group ‘A’ Service

6. AEE (Civil) in Border Road Engineering Service

7. Indian Defence Service of Engineers

8. AEE (QS&C) in MES Surveyor Cadre

9. Central Water Engineering (Group 'A') Service.

10. Indian Skill Development Service.

Category II

Mechanical Engineering

1. Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers

2. Indian Railway Stores Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts)

3. AEE in GSI Engineering Service Gr ‘A’

4. Indian Defence Service of Engineers.

5. Indian Naval Armament Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts)

6. Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade-I (Mechanical Engineering Posts) in Indian Navy

7. AEE (Elec & Mech) in Border Roads Engineering Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts).

8. Central Water Engineering (Group 'A') Service.

9. Central Power Engineering Service Gr 'A' (Mechanical Engineering Posts).

10. Indian Skill Development Service.

11. Central Power Engineering Service Gr 'B' (Mechanical Engineering Posts).

Category III

Electrical Engineering

1. Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers

2. Indian Railway Stores Service (Electrical Engineering Posts)

3. Central Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Service (Electrical Engineering Posts)

4. Indian Defence Service of Engineers

5. Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade-I (Electrical Engineering Posts) in Indian Navy.

6. Central Power Engineering Service Gr 'A' (Electrical Engineering Posts).

7. Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO-II (Electrical).

8. Indian Skill Development Service.

9. Central Power Engineering Service Gr 'B' (Electrical Engineering Posts).

Category IV

Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering

1. Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers

2. Indian Railway Stores Service (Telecommunication/Electronics Engineering Posts)

3. Indian Radio Regulatory Service Gr ‘A’

4. Indian Telecommunication Service Gr 'A'

5. Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics and Telecom Engineering Posts)

6. Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade-I(Electronics and Telecom Engg. Posts) in Indian Navy.

7. Central Power Engineering Service Gr 'A' (Electronics & Telecom Engineeering Posts).

8. Indian Skill Development Service.

9. Junior Telecom Officer Gr ‘B’ .

10. Central Power Engineering Service Gr 'B' (Electronics & Telecom Engineering posts).

IES Application Fee

Candidates are required to pay Rs 200 as application fee to successfully submit the application form. One can pay IES application either by depositing the money in any SBI branch by cash or through an online payment. Female/ SC/ ST/ PH candidates are exempted from the payment of IES application fee.

Note: In the case of withdrawal of the application, the fees will not be refunded.

ESE Exam Pattern

Aspirants should ensure that they fulfil the eligibility criteria and admission at all the stages of the examination. Candidates are advised to check the complete details about IES Exam Pattern before kick-starting the application form and preparation. The examination shall be conducted according to the following plan:

1. Stage-I: Engineering Services (Preliminary/Stage-I) Examination (Objective Type Papers) for the selection of candidates for the Main Exam

2. Stage-II: Engineering Services (Main/Stage-II) Examination (Conventional Type Papers)

3. Stage-III: Personality Test.

IES Preliminary Exam Pattern

Paper	Subject	Question-type	Marks	Duration
Paper I	General Studies And Engineering Aptitude	Objective	200	2 hours
Paper II	Engineering (Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Electronics and Telecommunication)	Objective	300	3 hours
Total			500	5 hours

IES Main Exam Pattern

Paper	Subject	Question-type	Marks	Duration
Paper I	Engineering (Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Electronics and Telecommunication)	Descriptive	300	3 hours
Paper II	Engineering (Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Electronics and Telecommunication)	Descriptive	300	3 hours
Total			600	6 hours

Eligibility Criteria

1. Physical Criteria

1. Medical Examination

1. Candidates finally recommended by the Commission on the basis of Engineering Services Examination, 2021 shall be required to undergo a medical examination.

2. Every candidate, on being finally recommended by Commission will be required to undergo a medical examination as and when so decided by the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) irrespective of the fact that he/she has appeared for such medical examination in the past and found the fit/unfit on the basis of earlier examination.

3. The medical examination will be conducted at various Railway Hospitals under the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board). Other additional instructions for candidates are listed in the official notification of UPSC. The findings of the Railways Medical Board will be taken as final and binding for all allotment purposes

2. Physical standards

4. Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to Engineering Services Examination, 2021 as per guidelines are mentioned in official notification of the Rules for the Engineering Services Examination, 2021 which is going to be published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary.

2. Nationality:

A candidate must be either:

(a) a Citizen of India, or

(b) a subject of Nepal, or

(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India, or

(e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka or East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, and Ethiopia or from Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Note:

1. 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

2. A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him/her by the Government of India

3. Educational Qualification:

A candidate must have:

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
Passed Section A and B of the Institution Examinations of the Institution of Engineers (India) or
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
Passed Graduate Membership Examination of the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (India) or
Passed Associate Membership Examination Parts II and III/Sections A and B of the Aeronautical Society of India or
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 Engineer Group 'A' in Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing/Monitoring Organization) may possess any of the above qualifications or the qualification mentioned below namely: M.Sc. degree or its equivalent with Wireless Communication, Electronics, Radio Physics or Radio Engineering as a special subject
For Indian Radio Regulatory Service - M.Sc. degree or its equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics, Radio Physics or Radio Engineering as a special subject or Master’s Degree in Science with Physics and Radio Communication or Electronics or Telecommunication as a special subject

4. 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, 2020. i.e., he/she must have been born not earlier than 2nd January, 1990 and not later than 1st January, 1999.

The upper age limit of 30 years will be relaxable up to 35 years in the case of Government servants of the following categories, if they are employed in a Department/Office under the control of any of the authorities mentioned in column 1 below and apply for admission to the examination for all or any of the Service(s)/Posts mentioned in column 2, for which they are otherwise eligible.

A candidate who has been continuously in a temporary service on a regular basis in the particular mentioned below Department/Office for at least 3 years on 1st January, 2020.

List of Departments:

Department	Post in Each Department
Ministry of Railways (Railway Board)	I.R.S.E. I.R.S.M.E. I.R.S.E.E. I.R.S.S.E. I.R.S.S.
Central Public Words Department	C.E.S. Group 'A', CE& MES Gr 'A'
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways	Central Engineering Service (Roads) Gr. 'A'.
Ministry of Communication, Deptt. of Telecommunication	Indian Radio Regulatory Service Group 'A' Indian Telecommunication Service Group 'A', J.T.O. (G.C.S. Gr. 'B')
Min of Defence, Deptt. of Defence Production, Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance	Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service (DAQAS) Gr 'A'
Min of Science and Technology, Deptt. of Science and Technology	Survey of Indian Gr 'A' Service
Geological Survey of India	Assistant Executive Engineer Gr 'A'
Border Roads Organisation	BRES Gr. 'A'
Indian Navy	Indian Naval Armament Service, Asstt. Naval Store Officer
Military Engineering Services	Indian Defence Service of Engineer (IDSE) Group 'A' AEE (QS&C) in Military Engineer Service (MES) Surveyor Cadre
Min of Jai Shakti, Deptt of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Central Water Commission	Central Water Engineering Group-A Service.
Central Electricity Authority	CPES Gr 'A' CPES Gr 'B'
MInistry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship	Indian Skill Development Service

Upper Age Limit prescribed above will be further relaxable:

Up to a maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a scheduled caste or a scheduled tribe
Up to a maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to OBC category
Up to a maximum of five years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the state of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from January 1, 1980, to December 31, 1989.
Up to a maximum of three years in the case of defence service personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area, and released as a consequence thereof
Up to a maximum of five years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st Januray, 2020 and have been released (a) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1st January 2020) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency, or (b) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service or (c) on invalidment
Up to a maximum of five years in the case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years of Military Services as on 1st January 2020, 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
Up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons

IES Examination Pattern

Engineering Services Examination 2021 shall be conducted according to the following plan:

The examination shall be conducted according to the following plan:

(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.

1. Stage I (IES Preliminary):

The Engineering Services (Preliminary) 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.

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:

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.
There will be penalty (Negative Marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the objective type question papers.
There are four alternatives 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
If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers happens to be correct and there will be the same penalty as above for that question
If a question is left blank i.e. no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question

2. Stage II (IES Mains):

The Engineering Services (Main/stage-II) Examination will consist of two conventional type papers in Engineering Discipline specific with duration of three hours and maximum marks of 600 (300 Marks in each paper).

3. Stage III (Personality Test):

The Personality Test carrying 200 Marks and 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.

IES Examination Subject Papers, Categories, Duration, and Maximum Marks:

1. Stage I (Preliminary) Examination:

The examination comprises 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
Category-II Mechanical Engineering
Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude)	2 Hrs	200
Paper-II (Mechanical Engineering)	3 Hrs	300
Total		500
Category-III Electrical Engineering
Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude)	2 Hrs	200
Paper-II (Electrical Engineering)	3 Hrs	300
Total		500
Category-IV Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude)	2 Hrs	200
Paper-II (Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering)	3 Hrs	300
Total		500

2. Stage II (Mains) Examination: