The Union Public Service Commission has released the official ESE syllabus 2027 for Civil Engineering. The syllabus covers the common General Studies and Engineering Aptitude paper along with the complete Civil Engineering technical syllabus.
The technical topics listed by UPSC apply collectively to the Civil Engineering paper in the Preliminary Examination and separately to Paper I and Paper II of the Main Examination.
The technical papers are approximately at the level of an Engineering degree examination conducted by an Indian university. UPSC has also confirmed that there will be no practical examination.
ESE Syllabus 2027: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude
The General Studies and Engineering Aptitude syllabus is common to candidates from all engineering disciplines.
Questions will be asked from all ten areas listed below. Each topic may carry approximately 5% to 15% of the total marks in the paper.
1. Current Issues
Current national and international issues related to social, economic and industrial development.
2. Engineering Aptitude
Logical reasoning, analytical ability and problem-solving skills expected from an engineering graduate.
3. Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis
Basic mathematical and numerical concepts used in engineering applications.
4. Design, Drawing and Safety
General principles of engineering design and drawing, along with the importance of safety in engineering works.
5. Standards and Quality Practices
Standards and quality-control practices followed in production, construction, maintenance and engineering services.
6. Energy and Environment
Energy conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, climate change and environmental impact assessment.
7. Project Management
Fundamental concepts and practices used in planning, scheduling and managing engineering projects.
8. Material Science and Engineering
Basic properties, behaviour and engineering applications of different materials.
9. Information and Communication Technology
ICT-based engineering tools and their applications, including networking, e-governance and technology-based education.
10. Ethics and Values in Engineering
Professional ethics, responsibilities and values expected from engineers.
UPSC specifies that the common paper will test knowledge normally expected from an engineering graduate without requiring specialised study in each topic.
ESE Civil Engineering Syllabus 2027
The Civil Engineering technical syllabus is divided into Paper I and Paper II subject groups.
Civil Engineering Paper I
1. Building Materials
Stone, lime, glass and plastics
Steel and fibre-reinforced polymers
Ceramics and aluminium
Fly ash and basic admixtures
Timber, bricks and aggregates
Classification, properties and selection of materials
Types and composition of cement
Properties, uses and specifications of cement
Tests conducted on cement
Lime and cement mortars
Properties and testing of concrete
Proportioning of aggregates
Methods of concrete mix design
2. Solid Mechanics
Elastic constants
Stress and strain
Plane stress and plane strain
Mohr’s circles for stress and strain
Principal stresses
Elastic theories of failure
Bending
Shear
Torsion
3. Structural Analysis
Fundamentals of strength of materials
Types of stresses and strains
Shear-force and bending-moment diagrams
Bending and shear stresses
Determinate and indeterminate structures
Analysis of trusses, beams and plane frames
Rolling loads
Influence lines
Unit-load method and other analysis methods
Free and forced vibrations
Single- and multi-degree-of-freedom systems
Suspended cables
Computer-aided design concepts
4. Design of Steel Structures
Principles of working-stress design
Design of tension members
Design of compression members
Design of beams
Beam-column connections
Built-up sections
Girders
Industrial roofs
Principles of ultimate-load design
5. Design of Concrete and Masonry Structures
Limit-state design for bending and shear
Axial compression and combined forces
Design of beams and slabs
Design of lintels and staircases
Design of foundations
Retaining walls
Water tanks
Materials and methods used in prestressed concrete
Principles of prestressed concrete design
Earthquake-resistant design
Design of masonry structures
6. Construction Practice, Planning and Management
Construction planning
Construction equipment
Site investigation
Estimation of different types of works
Construction-site management
Project-management tools
Network analysis
Rate analysis
Tendering process
Contract management
Quality control
Productivity
Operating costs
Land acquisition
Labour safety and welfare
Civil Engineering Paper II
1. Fluid Mechanics, Hydraulic Machines and Hydropower
Fluid Mechanics, Pipe Flow and Open-Channel Flow
Properties of fluids
Dimensional analysis and modelling
Fluid kinematics
Fluid-flow measurement
Fluid dynamics
Flow nets
Viscosity
Boundary-layer concepts and control
Drag and lift
Pipe flow
Pipe networks
Open-channel flow
Flow controls
Hydraulic jumps
Surges
Hydraulic Machines and Hydropower
Different types of pumps
Air vessels
Classification of hydraulic turbines
Performance parameters of turbines
Pelton, Francis and Kaplan turbines
Classification and layout of powerhouses
Storage and pondage
Control of water supply
2. Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering
Hydrological cycle
Groundwater hydrology
Well hydrology
Hydrological data analysis
Streams and stream gauging
River morphology
Floods and droughts
Flood and drought management
Capacity of reservoirs
Multipurpose uses of water
River basins and their potential
Irrigation systems
Assessment of water demand
Water-resource storage and yield
Waterlogging
Canal and drainage design
Gravity dams
Falls and weirs
Energy dissipators
Barrages
Distribution works
Cross-drainage works
Headworks
Canal design, construction and maintenance
River-training works
Rainfall measurement and analysis
3. Environmental Engineering
Water Supply Engineering
Sources of water
Estimation of water demand
Water-quality standards
Testing and treatment of water
Rural water supply
Institutional and industrial water supply
Physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water
Water pollutants and their effects
Drinking-water standards
Water-treatment plants
Water-distribution networks
Wastewater Engineering
Planning and design of domestic wastewater systems
Collection and disposal of sewage
Plumbing systems
Components and layout of sewerage systems
Domestic wastewater disposal
Sludge treatment and management
Disposal and reuse of treated effluent
Industrial wastewater
Effluent-treatment plants
Institutional and industrial sewage management
Solid Waste Management
Sources and classification of solid waste
Planning and design of solid-waste management systems
Solid-waste disposal systems
Beneficial use of waste
Application of waste materials in civil engineering
Air Pollution, Noise Pollution and Ecology
Fundamental concepts
General pollution-control methodology
Basic principles of ecology
4. Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Planning and methods of soil exploration
Properties and classification of soils
Soil tests and interrelationships
Permeability and seepage
Compressibility
Consolidation
Shear strength of soil
Earth-pressure theories
Stress distribution in soil
Properties and applications of geosynthetics
Foundation Engineering
Types and selection of foundations
Bearing capacity
Settlement analysis
Design and testing of shallow foundations
Design and testing of deep foundations
Slope-stability analysis
Earthen embankments
Earth dams
Earth-retaining structures
Ground-modification principles
5. Surveying and Geology
Surveying
Classification of surveys
Surveying methods and instruments
Measurement of distances
Measurement of elevations and directions
Analysis of surveying measurements
Field astronomy
Global Positioning System
Map preparation
Photogrammetry
Remote-sensing concepts
Survey layout for culverts and canals
Survey layout for bridges
Road and railway alignment
Building layout
Setting out curves
Geology
Fundamentals of engineering geology
Application of engineering geology in civil engineering projects
6. Transportation Engineering
Highways
Highway planning
Construction methods
Highway alignment
Geometric design
Traffic surveys
Traffic control
Flexible pavement design
Rigid pavement design
Tunnelling
Tunnel alignment
Methods of construction
Disposal of muck
Tunnel drainage
Lighting and ventilation
Railways
Railway terminology
Planning and design
Maintenance practices
Track modernisation
Harbours
Harbour terminology
Layout and planning
Airports
Airport layout
Airport planning
Airport design
How to Prepare Using the ESE Syllabus 2027
Civil Engineering candidates can use the syllabus more effectively by dividing their preparation into three parts:
Common aptitude preparation: Study General Studies and Engineering Aptitude regularly instead of postponing it until the final stage.
Technical concept building: Complete the Paper I and Paper II Civil Engineering subjects with standard concepts, formulae, derivations and numerical applications.
Question practice: Practise objective questions for the Preliminary Examination and conventional answer writing for the Main Examination from the same technical topics.
Maintain separate tracking for:
Topics studied
Topics revised
Objective questions practised
Conventional problems completed
Weak areas requiring another revision
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Civil Engineering ESE syllabus include General Studies?
Yes. Civil Engineering candidates must prepare the common General Studies and Engineering Aptitude syllabus along with the technical Civil Engineering syllabus.
Is the Civil Engineering syllabus different for Prelims and Mains?
UPSC provides a combined technical syllabus. The topics listed under Paper I and Paper II together apply to the Civil Engineering objective paper in Prelims and separately to the two conventional Civil Engineering papers in Mains.
Does ESE 2027 have a practical examination?
No. The official notification states that there will be no practical examination in any subject.
What is the standard of the Civil Engineering technical papers?
The standard is approximately equivalent to an Engineering degree examination conducted by an Indian university.
💡 Final Thoughts
The ESE syllabus 2027 for Civil Engineering covers the complete range of structural, environmental, geotechnical, hydraulic, transportation, construction and surveying subjects. Candidates should use the official Paper I and Paper II division to organise preparation and combine conceptual learning with consistent objective and conventional question practice.
ESE 2027 Helpdesk
During the application window, candidates can contact the UPSC helpdesk for assistance with fee payment, document uploads or other application issues:
Phone: 011-24041001 / 011-40303444
Email: upscsoap@nic.in
Working hours: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM on working days from 16 September to 6 October 2026
