UPSC Engineering Services Examination (ESE / IES) 2026: Complete Exam Guide

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Engineering Services Examination (ESE), 2026 [Notice No. 01/2026-ENGG.] to recruit engineers into premier Group 'A' and Group 'B' technical services of the Government of India, including Central Engineering Service (Roads/CPWD), Indian Naval Armament Service, Central Power Engineering Service, and Indian Defence Service of Engineers.

As of September 11, 2026, the examination is in the Personality Test (Interview) stage. UPSC declared the Stage-II Main examination results on July 24, 2026, released the detailed interview schedule on September 7, 2026, and the Commission has scheduled the Stage-III Personality Tests (Interviews) to run from September 21, 2026 to October 30, 2026 at Dholpur House, New Delhi.

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1. UPSC ESE 2026 Official Timeline & Stage Status

Feature	Official Details
Exam Name	Engineering Services Examination, 2026 (UPSC ESE / IES 2026)
Conducting Authority	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Notification Notice No.	01/2026-ENGG.
Notification Release Date	September 17, 2025
Online Application Period	September 17, 2025 to October 7, 2025
Stage-I Preliminary Exam	February 8, 2026 (Sunday)
Prelims Result Declaration	February 26, 2026
Stage-II Main Exam	June 21, 2026 (Sunday)
Mains Result Declaration	July 24, 2026 (Declared)
Interview Schedule Released	September 7, 2026
Stage-III Personality Test	September 21, 2026 to October 30, 2026
Current Stage / Status	Mains Result Declared / Personality Test Stage (Interviews starting Sep 21)
Official Portals	upsc.gov.in & upsconline.nic.in

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2. Engineering Disciplines Covered

UPSC ESE is conducted across four core engineering disciplines:

1. Civil Engineering (CPWD, Military Engineer Services, Central Water Commission, Border Roads)
2. Mechanical Engineering (Indian Naval Material Organisation, Geological Survey of India, MES)
3. Electrical Engineering (Central Power Engineering Service, MES, Naval Armament)
4. Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering (Indian Radio Regulatory Service, Central Power)

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3. Rigorous Eligibility Criteria

A. Educational Qualifications

• A candidate must have obtained a Degree in Engineering (B.E. / B.Tech) from a recognized University or Institution incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature, OR
• Passed Sections A and B of the Institution Examinations of the Institution of Engineers (India), OR
• Passed Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution 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.
• Note: Candidates appearing at the qualifying degree examination were permitted to appear in the Preliminary Examination provisionally.

B. Age Limits & Cutoff Benchmark

• Candidates must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on January 1, 2026 (i.e., born not earlier than January 2, 1996 and not later than January 1, 2005).
• Government Servant Relaxation: Up to 35 years for civilian central government employees serving in departments notified by the Commission.
• Standard Category Relaxations:
  • SC / ST: Up to 5 years (Max 35 years).
  • OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): Up to 3 years (Max 33 years).
  • Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD): Up to 10 years.

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4. Distinct Three-Stage Examination Architecture (1300 Marks Total)

The selection system for UPSC ESE evaluates candidates across three rigorous, sequential stages:

Stage	Examination Stage	Marks Allocation	Pattern & Details
Stage-I	Preliminary Examination • Paper I: General Studies & Engineering Aptitude (200 M) • Paper II: Discipline Engineering (300 M)	500 Marks	Objective OMR with 1/3 negative marking; Marks count towards final merit (Held 8 Feb 2026)
Stage-II	Main Examination • Paper I: Discipline Conventional (300 M) • Paper II: Discipline Conventional (300 M)	600 Marks	Conventional descriptive technical papers (Held 21 June 2026)
Stage-III	Personality Test / Interview Interview board at UPSC Dholpur House, New Delhi	200 Marks	Evaluates technical depth, leadership traits, and problem-solving (21 Sep to 30 Oct 2026)
Final Merit	Final Aggregate Merit Score Stage-I (500) + Stage-II (600) + Stage-III (200)	1300 Marks	Cadre allotment across Group 'A' and 'B' engineering services

Stage-by-Stage Progression Flow

1. Stage-I Prelims (500 Marks): Objective filtering round; marks contribute directly to the final merit score.
2. Stage-II Mains (600 Marks): Rigorous conventional engineering examination testing in-depth theoretical and numerical proficiency.
3. Stage-III Personality Test (200 Marks): Face-to-face interaction evaluating executive competence, technical clarity, and social adaptability.

Stage-I: Preliminary Examination (500 Marks)

• Paper I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude): 2 Hours, 200 Marks (100 questions of 2 marks each). Common to all disciplines. Topics include Engineering Ethics, Project Management, Environmental Pollution, Quality Standards, Engineering Drawing & Mathematics, and ICT basics.
• Paper II (Engineering Discipline): 3 Hours, 300 Marks (150 questions of 2 marks each). Discipline-specific objective multiple choice questions.
• Negative Marking: Deducts one-third (⅓) of the marks assigned to that question (0.66 marks deducted for each incorrect response in both Paper I and Paper II).
• Note: Stage-I marks are counted towards the final order of merit.

Stage-II: Main Examination (600 Marks)

• Paper I (Discipline Conventional): 3 Hours, 300 Marks.
• Paper II (Discipline Conventional): 3 Hours, 300 Marks.
• Both papers consist of subjective, descriptive technical engineering problems.

Stage-III: Personality Test / Interview (200 Marks)

• Assesses candidates' leadership capabilities, intellectual curiosity, mental alertness, integrity, and grasp of technical and modern engineering challenges.

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5. Personality Test Schedule & DAF Submission (Active Stage)

Candidates shortlisted from the Stage-II Main Examination:

1. Completed the online Detailed Application Form (DAF) in August 2026.
2. Can download their e-Summon Letter for the Personality Test from upsc.gov.in.
3. Must report to the Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi on their allotted date and session (Forenoon session: 09:00 AM, Afternoon session: 01:00 PM).
4. Must produce original engineering degree certificates, matriculation certificates, and caste/category proofs.

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6. Official Resources & Verified Links

Resource	Direct Official Link
Official Portal (UPSC)	upsc.gov.in
DAF Portal & E-Summon Download	upsconline.nic.in
UPSC ESE Mains Written Results	UPSC Written Results
Official ESE 2026 Examination Notice	UPSC ESE 2026 Notification
Previous Question Papers Archive	UPSC Previous Question Papers

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7. Frequently Asked Questions (English & हिन्दी)

Q1. When was the UPSC ESE 2026 Mains result declared?

The UPSC declared the Stage-II Main examination results of ESE 2026 on July 24, 2026 on upsc.gov.in. Shortlisted candidates have been invited for the Stage-III Personality Test.

Q2. What is the date of the UPSC ESE 2026 Personality Test?

The Stage-III Personality Tests (Interviews) for UPSC ESE 2026 are scheduled to commence from September 21, 2026 and will continue through late October 2026 at UPSC Dholpur House, New Delhi.

Q3. यूपीएससी ईएसई 2026 मेन्स का परिणाम कब जारी हुआ?

यूपीएससी ने इंजीनियरिंग सेवा (मुख्य) परीक्षा 2026 का परिणाम 24 जुलाई 2026 को घोषित किया। सफल अभियंताओं के साक्षात्कार 21 सितंबर 2026 से आयोजित किए जा रहे हैं।

Q4. यूपीएससी ईएसई में कुल कितने अंक होते हैं?

यूपीएससी ईएसई में अंतिम मेरिट कुल 1300 अंकों पर बनती है:

• स्टेज-1 (प्रारंभिक परीक्षा - वस्तुनिष्ठ): 500 अंक
• स्टेज-2 (मुख्य परीक्षा - विवरणात्मक): 600 अंक
• स्टेज-3 (व्यक्तित्व परीक्षण / साक्षात्कार): 200 अंक

Q5. क्या ईएसई प्रारंभिक परीक्षा के अंक अंतिम मेरिट में जुड़ते हैं?

हाँ, सिविल सेवा परीक्षा के विपरीत, इंजीनियरिंग सेवा परीक्षा (ESE) में प्रारंभिक परीक्षा (Stage-I) के 500 अंक अंतिम चयन सूची और मेरिट में जोड़े जाते हैं।