UPSC Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025: A Comprehensive Guide
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is expected to release the official notification for the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025 in the first week of September 2024. The notification will provide detailed information about the examination, including the number of vacancies, syllabus, and eligibility criteria. Alongside the official notification, the UPSC ESE 2025 application form will also be made available at upsc.gov.in.
How to Apply
Candidates are required to apply online using the website www.upsconline.nic.in. It is essential for applicants to register first at the One Time Registration (OTR) platform. Candidates should have details of one Photo ID Card viz. Aadhaar Card/Voter Card/PAN Card/Passport/Driving Licence/Any other Photo ID Card issued by the State/Central Government. The details of this Photo ID Card will have to be provided by the candidate while filling up the online application form.
Minimum Educational Qualifications:
For admission to the examination, 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 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:
- For Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics Engg. Posts) – 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 subject or Master’s Degree in Science with Physics and Radio Communication or Electronics or Telecommunication as a special subject.
Recruitment Categories
Recruitment based on the results of this examination will be made to the Services/Posts under the following categories:
- Category I: Civil Engineering
- Category II: Mechanical Engineering
- Category III: Electrical Engineering
- Category IV: Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
Category I—Civil Engineering
Group-A Services/Posts under this category include:
- Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group-A (Civil Engineering Posts)
- AEE (Civil) in Border Roads Engineering Service
- Indian Defence Service of Engineers
- AEE (QS&C) in MES Surveyor Cadre
- Central Water Engineering (Group ‘A’) Service
- Indian Skill Development Service
Plan of Examination
The examination will be conducted according to the following plan:
- 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
- Stage-II: Engineering Services (Main/Stage-II) Examination (Conventional Type Papers)
- Stage-III: Personality Test
The Engineering Services (Preliminary/Stage-I) Examination will consist of two objective type (multiple choices) questions papers and carry 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 of that year provided they are otherwise eligible for admission to the Main/Stage-II Examination.
Stage-I: Preliminary Examination (Objective Papers)
STAGE-I | PAPER TYPE | DURATION | MARKS |
PAPER-I | GENERAL STUDIES AND ENGINEERING APTITUDE | 02 HOURS | 200 |
PAPER-II | CIVIL ENGINEERING | 03 HOURS | 300 |
TOTAL MARKS | 500 | ||
The Engineering Services (Main/stage-II) Examination will consist of two conventional type papers in Engineering Discipline specific with a duration of three hours and maximum marks of 600 (300 Marks in each paper).
Stage-II: Main Examination (Conventional Papers)
STAGE-II | PAPER TYPE | DURATION | MARKS |
PAPER-I | CIVIL ENGINEERING | 03 HOURS | 300 |
PAPER-II | CIVIL ENGINEERING | 03 HOURS | 300 |
TOTAL MARKS (MAIN) | 600 | ||
TOTAL MARKS (MAINS + PRELIM) | 1100 | ||
The Stage-III will consist of a Personality Test carrying 200 Marks.
Stage-III: Personality Test
STAGE-III | MARKS |
Personality Test | 200 |
STAGE-I + STAGE-II + STAGE III | 1300 |
SYLLABUS
General Studies and Engineering Aptitude
(Preliminary Examination/Stage-I, Paper I, Objective type, Common to all Candidates)- Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic and industrial development
- Engineering Aptitude covering Logical reasoning and Analytical ability
- Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis
- General Principles of Design, Drawing, Importance of Safety
- Standards and Quality practices in production, construction, maintenance and services
- Basics of Energy and Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, Climate Change, Environmental impact assessment
- Basics of Project Management
- Basics of Material Science and Engineering
- Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based tools and their applications in Engineering such as networking, e-governance and technology based education.
- Ethics and values in the Engineering profession.
Note: The paper in General Studies and Engineering Aptitude will include Knowledge of relevant topics as may be expected from an engineering graduate, without special study. Questions from all the 10 topics mentioned above shall be set. Marks for each Topic may range from 5% to 15% of the total marks in the paper.
PAPER – I (Civil Engineering)
- Building Materials:
Stone, Lime, Glass, Plastics, Steel, FRP, Ceramics, Aluminum, Fly Ash, Basic Admixtures, Timber, Bricks and Aggregates: Classification, properties and selection criteria; Cement: Types, Composition, Properties, Uses, Specifications and various Tests; Lime & Cement Mortars and Concrete: Properties and various Tests; Design of Concrete Mixes: Proportioning of aggregates and methods of mix design.
- Solid Mechanics:
Elastic constants, Stress, plane stress, Strains, plane strain, Mohr’s circle of stress and strain, Elastic theories of failure, Principal Stresses, Bending, Shear and Torsion.
- Structural Analysis:
Basics of strength of materials, Types of stresses and strains, Bending moments and shear force, concept of bending and shear stresses; Analysis of determinate and indeterminate structures; Trusses, beams, plane frames; Rolling loads, Influence Lines, Unit load method & other methods; Free and Forced vibrations of single degree and multi degree freedom system; Suspended Cables; Concepts and use of Computer Aided Design.
- Design of Steel Structures:
Principles of Working Stress methods, Design of tension and compression members, Design of beams and beam column connections, built-up sections, Girders, Industrial roofs, Principles of Ultimate load design.
- Design of Concrete and Masonry structures:
Limit state design for bending, shear, axial compression and combined forces; Design of beams, Slabs, Lintels, Foundations, Retaining walls, Tanks, Staircases; Principles of prestressed concrete design including materials and methods; Earthquake resistant design of structures; Design of Masonry Structure.
- Construction Practice, Planning and Management: Construction –
Planning, Equipment, Site investigation and Management including Estimation with latest project management tools and network analysis for different Types of works; Analysis of Rates of various types of works; Tendering Process and Contract Management, Quality Control, Productivity, Operation Cost; Land acquisition; Labour safety and welfare.
PAPER – II (Civil Engineering)
- Flow of Fluids, Hydraulic Machines and Hydro Power:
(a) Fluid Mechanics, Open Channel Flow, Pipe Flow: Fluid properties; Dimensional Analysis and Modeling; Fluid dynamics including flow kinematics and measurements; Flow net; Viscosity, Boundary layer and control, Drag, Lift, Principles in open channel flow, Flow controls. Hydraulic jump; Surges; Pipe networks.
(b) Hydraulic Machines and Hydro power – Various pumps, Air vessels, Hydraulic turbines – types, classifications & performance parameters; Power house – classification and layout, storage, pondage, control of supply.
- Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering:
Hydrological cycle, Ground water hydrology, Well hydrology and related data analysis; Streams and their gauging; River morphology; Flood, drought and their management; Capacity of Reservoirs. Water Resources Engineering : Multipurpose uses of Water, River basins and their potential; Irrigation systems, water demand assessment; Resources – storages and their yields; Water logging, canal and drainage design, Gravity dams, falls, weirs, Energy dissipaters, barrage Distribution works, Cross drainage works and head-works and their design; Concepts in canal design, construction & maintenance; River training, measurement and analysis of rainfall.
- Environmental Engineering:
(a) Water Supply Engineering: Sources, Estimation, quality standards and testing of water and their treatment; Rural, Institutional and industrial water supply; Physical, chemical and biological characteristics and sources of water, Pollutants in water and its effects, Estimation of water demand; Drinking water Standards, Water Treatment Plants, Water distribution networks.
(b) Waste Water Engineering: Planning & design of domestic waste water, sewage collection and disposal; Plumbing Systems. Components and layout of sewerage system; Planning & design of Domestic Waste-water disposal system; Sludge management including treatment, disposal and re-use of treated effluents; Industrial waste waters and Effluent Treatment Plants including institutional and industrial sewage management.
(c) Solid Waste Management: Sources & classification of solid wastes along with planning & design of its management system; Disposal system, Beneficial aspects of wastes and Utilization by Civil Engineers.
(d) Air, Noise pollution and Ecology: Concepts & general methodology.
- Geo-technical Engineering and Foundation Engineering :
(a)Geo-technical Engineering: Soil exploration – planning & methods, Properties of soil, classification, various tests and interrelationships; Permeability & Seepage, Compressibility, consolidation and Shearing resistance, Earth pressure theories and stress distribution in soil; Properties and uses of geo-synthetics.
(b) Foundation Engineering: Types of foundations & selection criteria, bearing capacity, settlement analysis, design and testing of shallow & deep foundations; Slope stability analysis, Earthen embankments, Dams and Earth retaining structures: types, analysis and design, Principles of ground modifications.
- Surveying and Geology:
(a) Surveying: Classification of surveys, various methodologies, instruments & analysis of measurement of distances, elevation and directions; Field astronomy, Global Positioning System; Map preparation; Photogrammetry; Remote sensing concepts; Survey Layout for culverts, canals, bridges, road/railway alignment and buildings, Setting out of Curves.
(b) Geology: Basic knowledge of Engineering geology & its application in projects.
- Transportation Engineering:
(a)Highways – Planning & construction methodology, Alignment and geometric design; Traffic Surveys and Controls; Principles of Flexible and Rigid pavements design.
(b) Tunnelling – Alignment, methods of construction, disposal of muck, drainage, lighting and ventilation.
(c) Railways Systems – Terminology, Planning, designs and maintenance practices; track modernization.
(d) Harbours – Terminology, layouts and planning.
(e) Airports – Layout, planning & design.