UPSC ESE 2027: exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply
The Engineering Services Examination (ESE, often called IES) is how the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recruits engineers for Group A services such as the Central Engineering Service, the Indian Railway Management Service and the Indian Defence Service of Engineers. The 2027 cycle is already under way: the notice came out on 16 September 2026, applications closed on 6 October 2026, and the ESE 2027 preliminary examination is on Sunday 31 January 2027, with the main examination on 18 June 2027 (checked 20 October 2026). This guide covers the dates, eligibility, the three stages and a plan for the roughly 14 weeks left.
UPSC ESE at a glance
| Conducting body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| What it is for | Group A engineering services and posts of the Government of India |
| Categories | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunication (one only) |
| Stages | Prelims (objective), Mains (conventional), personality test |
| Prelims mode | Pen and paper, OMR sheet, two papers on one day |
| Prelims papers | Paper I: 100 questions, 2 hours; Paper II: 150 questions, 3 hours |
| Marking | One-third of a question's marks taken away for a wrong answer |
| Language | English |
| How often | Once a year |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC ESE 2027 exam date
From UPSC's own pages, read on 20 October 2026:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG | 16 September 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 6 October 2026 (closed) |
| ESE 2027 preliminary examination | Sunday 31 January 2027 (one day) |
| ESE 2027 main examination | Friday 18 June 2027 |
Sources: the ESE (Preliminary) 2027 examination page and UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 (PDF). The e-admit card is put on upsconline.nic.in before the exam. Our ESE exam-dates page has the same dates.
How to apply for UPSC ESE
The 2027 window has closed. If you missed it, the date of the next notice will appear in UPSC's annual calendar; watch the UPSC exam calendar. The process, from the 2027 notice:
- Apply only at upsconline.nic.in. Create an account.
- Get your Universal Registration Number (URN), made once in a lifetime and used for every UPSC exam.
- Fill in the Common Application Form, with an uploaded photograph and a live photograph. UPSC strongly advises Aadhaar as the ID document.
- Fill in the ESE form within the notice's dates: one engineering category, your centre (allotted first-apply-first-allot) and the fee.
The fee in the 2027 notice is ₹200, paid online; female, SC, ST and PwBD candidates are exempt (read on 20 October 2026). An application cannot be withdrawn after submission.
Eligibility (2027 notice): an engineering degree or one of the equivalents the notice lists; age at least 21 and below 30 on 1 January 2027, that is born between 2 January 1997 and 1 January 2006, with relaxations, including up to 35 for certain government servants. The notice expected about 480 vacancies, a figure it says can change.
UPSC ESE exam pattern
| Stage | Paper | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims | Paper I: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (common) | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
| Prelims | Paper II: your engineering discipline | 150 | 300 | 3 hours |
| Mains | Two conventional papers in your discipline | — | 300 each | 3 hours each |
| Personality test | Board interview | — | 200 | — |
- In Prelims, each question is 2 marks; a wrong answer, or more than one answer, costs one-third (0.67). A blank costs nothing. The question counts are from the 2026 booklets; the 2027 notice gives marks and time.
- No calculator in Prelims; a battery pocket calculator is allowed in Mains.
- About six to seven times the vacancies go to Mains. Prelims marks count in the final merit, out of 1,300 (500 + 600 + 200).
- Illegible handwriting in Mains can cost up to 5% of the written marks.
UPSC ESE syllabus
Paper I has ten topics, each worth 5% to 15% of the paper: current issues, engineering aptitude, engineering mathematics and numerical analysis, design, drawing and safety, standards and quality, energy and environment, project management, material science, ICT in engineering, and ethics in engineering.
Paper II is your discipline. For Civil: building materials, solid mechanics, structural analysis, steel, concrete and masonry design, construction management, fluid mechanics and hydropower, hydrology, environmental, geotechnical, surveying and transportation engineering. The same syllabus, split in two, is used for the Mains papers. See our ESE syllabus page.
A plan for the 14 weeks to 31 January
- Weeks 1 to 6 (to early December): finish one pass of Paper II, two subjects a week, with 40 timed questions per subject at the end of each week. Spend 45 minutes a day on Paper I.
- Weeks 7 to 10 (December): a full Paper I and a full Paper II ESE mock test every week, on the same day with a break, as in the exam. List every subject where you lose marks to wrong answers.
- Weeks 11 to 13 (January): revise formulas and standard results; take two full mocks a week. Paper I topics such as ethics, standards and project management reward short notes read often.
- Week 14: light revision, sleep, and the admit card.
Start Mains answer-writing practice right after Prelims; there are under five months between them. Our mock test analysis guide and negative-marking article will help you set your attempt strategy.
Useful links
- UPSC application portal (upsconline.nic.in)
- ESE 2027 notice with the scheme and syllabus (PDF)
- ESE (Preliminary) 2027 page
- Free UPSC ESE mock tests
- UPSC ESE syllabus
- UPSC ESE exam dates
- How to use mock tests
Frequently asked questions
When is the UPSC ESE 2027 prelims exam date?
Sunday 31 January 2027, according to UPSC's examination page and its Annual Calendar 2027 (checked 20 October 2026). The main examination is on 18 June 2027.
Can I still apply for ESE 2027?
No. Applications closed on 6 October 2026. The next chance is the ESE 2028 notice, whose date will be in UPSC's annual calendar.
Is there negative marking in UPSC ESE?
Yes, in the objective Prelims papers: one-third of the question's marks, 0.67 on a 2-mark question. The notice does not describe negative marking for the conventional Mains answers.
Do Prelims marks count in the final ESE merit?
Yes. Unlike the Civil Services exam, ESE adds Prelims (500), Mains (600) and the personality test (200), out of 1,300.
Can final-year engineering students apply for ESE?
Yes. The 2027 notice lets candidates who have appeared, or intend to appear, at the qualifying exam apply provisionally. Those who reach the personality test must upload proof of passing within 10 days of the Mains result.