UPSC ESE 2027 Notification: Complete Guide
The UPSC ESE 2027 notification is out: about 480 vacancies, Prelims on 31 January 2027 and Mains on 18 June 2027. Exam scheme, syllabus, eligibility and how to prepare.
The UPSC Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2027 notification is out. UPSC will fill about 480 posts, including 19 for persons with benchmark disabilities, through Examination Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG. The Preliminary exam is on 31 January 2027 and the Main exam on 18 June 2027.
The application window opened on 16 September 2026 and closed on 6 October 2026 at 6:00 PM. If you applied, this guide covers what comes next: the exam scheme, syllabus, services on offer and how to plan your preparation. If you missed the window, it will help you plan for the next cycle.
UPSC ESE 2027 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Conducting body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam | Engineering Services Examination (ESE), 2027 |
| Notice number | 02/2027-ENGG. |
| Notification date | 16 September 2026 |
| Vacancies | About 480 (including 19 for PwBD), liable to change |
| Engineering categories | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunication |
| Application mode | Online only, at upsconline.nic.in |
| Application fee | Rs. 200 (women, SC, ST and PwBD exempt) |
| Age limit | 21 to 30 years as on 1 January 2027 |
| Prelims date | 31 January 2027 |
| Mains date | 18 June 2027 |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC ESE 2027 Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 16 September 2026 |
| Application opens | 16 September 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 6 October 2026, 6:00 PM |
| e-Admit Card | Last working day of the week before the exam |
| Prelims (Stage I) | 31 January 2027 |
| Representation on question paper and provisional answer key | From the 3rd day to 6:00 PM of the 7th day after the exam |
| Mains (Stage II) | 18 June 2027 |
| Personality Test | To be announced |
The application window is now closed, and the Prelims is the next fixed date. UPSC may change the centres and exam dates at its discretion, so keep checking the official website.
UPSC ESE 2027 Vacancies and Services
UPSC expects about 480 vacancies, including 19 for persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD). The 19 PwBD posts break down as 11 for locomotor disability (including leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy), 6 for hard of hearing, 1 for low vision and 1 for SLD and MD. The number is liable to change.
You can apply in only one of four categories, and the posts in each include the services below.
| Category | Services and posts (examples) |
|---|---|
| Civil Engineering | Central Engineering Service, Central Engineering Service (Roads), Survey of India Group A, Border Roads Engineering Service, MES Surveyor Cadre, Central Water Engineering Service, Indian Railway Management Service (Civil), Indian Defence Service of Engineers |
| Mechanical Engineering | Indian Naval Material Management Service, Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service, Indian Railway Management Service (Mechanical), Indian Naval Armament Service, Central Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Service, Central Power Engineering Service |
| Electrical Engineering | Central Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Service, Indian Naval Material Management Service, Central Power Engineering Service, Indian Railway Management Service (Electrical), Indian Defence Service of Engineers |
| Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | Indian Radio Regulatory Service, Indian Telecommunications Service, Junior Telecom Officer Group B, Indian Railway Management Service (Signal and Telecommunication), Central Power Engineering Service |
The Indian Skill Development Service is open across all four categories. Allotment to services follows your merit rank, your preferences, the number of vacancies and medical fitness.
UPSC ESE 2027 Eligibility Criteria
You need to meet the nationality, age and education conditions below. Admission at every stage is provisional until UPSC verifies your documents after you qualify for the Personality Test.
Nationality. You must be a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 to settle, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from specified countries to settle in India. Candidates in the last three groups need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India.
Age limit. You must be between 21 and 30 years on 1 January 2027, which means born between 2 January 1997 and 1 January 2006. The upper limit is relaxed as follows.
| Category | Upper age relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | Up to 5 years |
| OBC (eligible for reservation) | Up to 3 years |
| PwBD (specified disabilities) | Up to 10 years |
| Ex-servicemen, including ECOs and SSCOs with 5 years of service | Up to 5 years |
| Defence personnel disabled in operations | Up to 3 years |
| Eligible government servants (departmental candidates) | Up to 35 years |
Education. You need an engineering degree from a recognised university or deemed university. Other accepted routes are Sections A and B of the Institution of Engineers (India) exams, a recognised foreign degree or diploma, and the Graduate Membership exams of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (India) or the Institution of Electronics and Radio Engineers, London. Final-year students who are awaiting results can apply provisionally, and must send proof of passing within the window UPSC gives after the Mains result. Degrees from the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (India) and the Aeronautical Society of India taken after 31 May 2013 are not admissible.
Medical and physical standards. Finally recommended candidates must clear a medical examination under the rules published in the Gazette of India dated 16 September 2026.
How to Apply and Application Fee
UPSC accepts applications online only, at upsconline.nic.in, and the window closed on 6 October 2026 at 6:00 PM. The process works like this.
- Register on the portal to get a Universal Registration Number (URN). You do this once in your lifetime.
- Fill in the Common Application Form (CAF), upload your photo, capture a live photo and upload three signatures in black ink on plain white paper.
- Complete the Examination Specific Module: choose your engineering category, centre and service preferences, and pay the fee.
- Submit the form. You cannot withdraw it or edit any field after submission.
Keep scanned copies ready of your age certificate, educational qualification certificate and any category, age or fee concession certificates. Carry one photo ID, and UPSC recommends Aadhaar. EWS candidates need an income and asset certificate for FY 2025-26, and OBC candidates need a non-creamy layer certificate, both issued on or after 1 April 2026.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | Rs. 200 |
| Exempt from fee | Women, SC, ST and PwBD candidates |
| Payment modes | Net banking, Visa, Master or RuPay card, UPI |
| Refund | None under any circumstances |
| Helpline | 011-24041001 / 011-40303444, 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM on working days |
| Helpdesk email | upscsoap@nic.in |
OBC and EWS candidates get no fee exemption and pay the full amount. You can apply for only one of the four engineering categories, and you cannot change your centre later. Centres are allotted on a first-apply-first-allot basis, with caps at Chennai, Dispur, Kolkata and Nagpur.
UPSC ESE 2027 Selection Process and Exam Pattern
The ESE has three stages worth 1,300 marks in total: Prelims (500), Mains (600) and the Personality Test (200). Your final rank comes from the marks in all three, and UPSC allots services by rank and your preferences.
| Stage | Mode | Papers | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage I: Prelims | Objective (MCQ) | Paper I: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude | 2 hours | 200 |
| Stage I: Prelims | Objective (MCQ) | Paper II: your engineering discipline | 3 hours | 300 |
| Stage II: Mains | Conventional (descriptive) | Paper I: your engineering discipline | 3 hours | 300 |
| Stage II: Mains | Conventional (descriptive) | Paper II: your engineering discipline | 3 hours | 300 |
| Stage III: Personality Test | Interview | N/A | N/A | 200 |
A few rules to remember:
- Negative marking: Each wrong answer in the Prelims costs one-third of that question's marks. Leaving a question blank carries no penalty, and marking more than one answer counts as wrong.
- Prelims cut-off: UPSC sets minimum qualifying marks in Paper I and Paper II, and admits about six to seven times the number of vacancies to the Mains.
- Prelims marks count: They are added to your Mains and interview marks for the final merit list.
- Mains language: Question papers are in English only, and you must answer in English.
- Calculators: Battery-operated pocket calculators are allowed in the conventional papers only, not in the objective papers.
- Personality Test: About twice the number of vacancies are called. It carries 200 marks with no minimum qualifying marks, and tests leadership, initiative, intellectual curiosity and integrity.
- Tie-breaking: UPSC first compares marks in the three engineering papers plus the interview, then marks in the three engineering papers alone, then age, with the older candidate ranking higher.
UPSC ESE 2027 Syllabus
The General Studies paper is set at the level of an engineering or science graduate. The discipline papers are at the level of an Indian engineering degree exam, and there is no practical exam.
Paper I (Prelims), common to all. The paper has ten topics, each carrying 5% to 15% of the marks: current issues of national and international importance; engineering aptitude (logical reasoning and analytical ability); engineering mathematics and numerical analysis; principles of design, drawing and safety; standards and quality practices; basics of energy and environment; basics of project management; basics of material science; ICT tools in engineering; and ethics and values in the engineering profession.
Discipline syllabus. One syllabus covers both Prelims Paper II and the two Mains papers. The topic groups are below.
| Discipline | Paper I topics | Paper II topics |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering | Building materials, solid mechanics, structural analysis, design of steel structures, design of concrete and masonry structures, construction practice, planning and management | Fluid flow and hydraulic machines, hydrology and water resources, environmental engineering, geotechnical and foundation engineering, surveying and geology, transportation engineering |
| Mechanical Engineering | Fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and heat transfer, IC engines, refrigeration and air conditioning, turbo machinery, power plant engineering, renewable energy | Engineering mechanics, engineering materials, mechanisms and machines, design of machine elements, manufacturing, industrial and maintenance engineering, mechatronics and robotics |
| Electrical Engineering | Engineering mathematics, electrical materials, electric circuits and fields, electrical and electronic measurements, computer fundamentals, basic electronics | Analog and digital electronics, systems and signal processing, control systems, electrical machines, power systems, power electronics and drives |
| Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | Basic electronics, basic electrical engineering, materials science, electronic measurements and instrumentation, network theory, analog and digital circuits | Analog and digital communication systems, control systems, computer organisation and architecture, electromagnetics, advanced electronics topics, advanced communication topics |
The official notification carries the full topic-wise syllabus for each paper.
UPSC ESE Salary and Career Growth
The notification does not list pay, so treat these figures as general guidance and confirm them with the recruiting department. Group A engineering officers typically start at Level 10 of the 7th Pay Commission matrix, with a basic pay of about Rs. 56,100. Some Group B posts, such as Junior Telecom Officer, start at a lower level.
Beyond basic pay, officers receive dearness allowance, house rent allowance, transport allowance and other benefits that vary by service and posting. Group A officers move up through promotions to senior and apex-level technical and management posts in their service, in departments such as railways, defence engineering, public works, telecom and water resources.
After the final result, candidates also face a medical examination run by the Department of Telecommunications. Carry a government photo ID, three passport photos and three sets of the Medical Board Report form.
UPSC ESE 2027 Preparation Tips
With Prelims on 31 January 2027, you have a little under four months, and the Mains is about five months after that. Here is a plan that fits the scheme.
- Start with your discipline. Paper II of the Prelims carries 300 of the 500 marks, and the same syllabus returns in both Mains papers. Finish the core subjects first.
- Give Paper I steady time. Its ten topics each carry 5% to 15% of the marks, so no topic can be skipped. Practise reasoning, engineering maths and current affairs a little every day.
- Practise with the penalty in mind. Wrong answers cost one-third of a question's marks, so attempt a question only when you can rule out at least one option.
- Solve previous papers. Time yourself on a full 2-hour and 3-hour paper to build speed without a calculator.
- Build writing skills early. Mains papers are descriptive and in English only, so practise clear steps, neat diagrams and SI units.
- Revise on a cycle. Revise each subject within a week of finishing it, then again each month.
Source: UPSC Engineering Services Examination 2027 notification (Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG.), dated 16 September 2026. Always confirm details on upsc.gov.in.