Disclaimer: All the following information is based on ESE 2020 Notification. ESE 2021 Notification will come around last week of September 2020. I will update the article in case of any changes.
ESE 2021 Introduction
Engineering Services Examination ESE 2021 or previously known as Indian Engineering Services (IES 2021) is the exam conducted by UPSC to recruit engineers who work for the government of India and appointed as Class – 1 officer. They administer a broad segment of the public sector economy, which constitutes of Power, Indian Railways, Defence service of Engineers, Central Water engineering, Central Engineering Service, Telecommunications, etc.
The type of work performed by these bureaucrats largely based on their engineering branch and the service or cadre they are appointed in. The career progression goes smoothly attaining high respect. The first position offered is that of Asst. Executive engineer and the hierarchy ends at the post of Managing Director/ Chairman.
The Examination constitutes of a written test followed by an interview for the personality test. The recruitment of qualified applicants is performed under the following branches:
- Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
ESE 2021 Post Details
No. of vacancy: 581 (ESE 2019) | 495 (ESE 2020)
Category I—Civil Engineering
Group‐A Services/Posts
- Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil Engg Posts) in Border Roads Engineering Service Grade ‘A’.
- AEE(QS&C) in MES Surveyor Cadre.
- Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group‐A (Civil Engineering Posts).
- Central Water Engineering Service Grade ‘A’ (Civil Engineering Posts).
- Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
- Indian Skill Development Service.
- Indian Railway Service of Engineers.
- Indian Railway Stores Service (Civil Engineering Posts).
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service JTS/AWM (Civil Engineering Post)
- Survey of India Group ‘A’ Service.
Category II—Mechanical Engineering
Group‐A/B Services/Posts
- AEE(Elec & Mech) in Border Roads Engineering Service(Mechanical Engineering Posts).
- AEE in GSI Engineering Service Gr ‘A’.
- Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade‐I (Mechanical Engineering Posts) in Indian Navy.
- Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ (Mechanical Engineering Posts).
- Central Water Engineering (Group ‘A’) Service.
- Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘B’ (Mechanical Engineering Posts).
- Indian Defense Service of Engineers.
- Indian Naval Armament Service
- Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers.
- Indian Railway Stores Service.
- Indian Skill Development Service.
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service AWM/JTS. (Not included in ESE 2020).
Category III—Electrical Engineering
Group‐A/B Services/Posts
- Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade‐I in Indian Navy.
- Central Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Service.
- Central Power Engineering Service Grade ‘A’.
- Central Power Engineering Service Grade ‘B’.
- Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO‐II.
- Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
- Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers.
- Indian Railway Stores Service.
- Indian Skill Development Service.
- AEE Grade ‘A’ in Corps of EME, Min of Defence. (Not included in ESE 2020)
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service AWM/JTS. (Not included in ESE 2020)
- Indian Naval Armament Service. (Not included in ESE 2020)
Category IV—Electronics And Telecommunication Engineering
Group‐A/B Services/Posts
- Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade‐I (E&T Engg. Post) in Indian Navy.
- Central Power Engineering Service Grade ‘A’ (E&T Engg. Post).
- Central Power Engineering Service Grade ‘B’ (E&T Engg. Post).
- Indian Naval Armament Service
- Indian Radio Regulatory Service Grade ‘A’.
- Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers.
- Indian Railway Stores Service (E&T Engg. Post).
- Indian Skill Development Service.
- Indian Telecommunication Service Grade ‘A’.
- Junior Telecom Officer Grade ‘B’
- Assistant Executive Engineer Grade ‘A’(E&T Engg. Post) in Corps of EME, Min of Defence. (Not included in ESE 2020)
- Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO‐II. (Not included in ESE 2020)
- Indian Ordnance Factories Service AWM/JTS (E&T Engg. Post). (Not included in ESE 2020)
ESE 2021 Eligibility Condition
Nationality
An applicant needs to be either:
(a) an India citizen, or
(b) a subject of Bhutan, or
(c) a subject of Nepal, or
(d) a Tibetan refugee came to India before the 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
(e) a person of Indian origin who has immigrated from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, or East African countries of Uganda, Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zaire, and Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of setting in India.
Given that an applicant belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) above shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been assigned by the Govt. of India.
An applicant in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary may be admitted to the examination, but the offer of the appointment may be awarded only after the required eligibility certificate has been assigned to him/her by the Govt. of India
Age Limit
An applicant for this exam must have attained at least age of 21 years and more than the age of 30 years on the 1st January 2021, i.e., he/she must have been born between 2nd January 1991 and 1st January 2000. Age relaxation is there for SC/ST/OBC and others candidates as per the government rules.
Education
Candidates willing to apply for ESE 2021 should possess an Engineering degree from an authorized institute (refer notification for other details).
Note: An applicant who has appeared at an examination the passing of which would render him/her educationally qualified for this examination, but has not been informed of the result, may apply for admission to the examination. An applicant who intends to appear at such a qualifying examination may also apply. Such applicants will be admitted to the examination, if otherwise eligible, but their admission would be provisional and subject to cancellation, if they do not produce proof of having passed the required qualifying examination along with the Detailed Application Form which will be required to be submitted by the applicants who qualify on the result of written part of the examination.
ESE 2021 Examination Pattern
The ESE 2021 examination shall be conducted as follows:
Stage-1: It is a (Preliminary/Stage-I) Examination which has Objective Type Papers for the selection of applicants for the Stage-2 Engineering Services (Main/Stage-II) Examination.
Stage-2: Applicants who get qualify in Stage-1 will appear in Engineering Services (Main/Stage-2) Examination which is Conventional Type Papers.
Stage-3: Personality Test.
Marks obtained by the candidates in the Stage‐1 (Preliminary/Stage‐1) Examination, Stage‐II:(Main/Stage‐II) Examination
and Stage‐III (Personality Test) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and the preference expressed by them for the various services/posts.
Marks distribution and Paper pattern
Stage-I: The Preliminary/Stage-1 Examination will consist of two objective type (multiple choices) questions papers and carry maximum 500 marks (Paper 1 – 200 Marks and Paper II – 300 Marks). The Marks obtained in Stage-1 Examination by the applicants who are declared qualified for Stage-2 Examination will be counted for deciding their final order of merit. The number of applicants to be admitted to the Main/Stage-2 Examination will be about 6-7 times the total number of openings to be filled in that year.
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) | 2 hrs. | 200 |
| Paper-II (Engineering Subject) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 500 | |
There will be negative marking. One-Third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be subtracted as the penalty for every wrong answer.
Stage-II will consist two conventional type papers specific to Engineering Discipline with duration of three hours and maximum marks of 600 (Each paper of 300 Marks).
| Subject | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| Paper-I ( Engineering Subject ) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Paper-II (Engineering Subject) | 3 hrs. | 300 |
| Total | 600 | |
The Stage-III is Personality Test/ Personal Interview of 200 Marks. Candidates who qualify Stage-1 and Stage-2 exam appear for Stage-III (Personality Test). The number of applicants appearing for Personality Test will be about twice the number of openings to be filled.
ESE 2021 Syllabus
| ESE 2021 General Ability |
| ESE 2021 Mechanical Syllabus |
| ESE 2021 Electrical Syllabus |
| ESE 2021 Civil Syllabus |
| ESE 2021 Electronics & Telecommunication Syllabus |
How to Apply for ESE 2021
Application Fees: Female/SC/ST/ PH are spared from payment of the fee. All the other candidates have to pay Rs. 200/- as application fees for ESE 2021.
- Visit http://upsconline.nic.in/mainmenu2.php
- Click on the link “Apply Online.”
- Complete the First part of Registration. Fill all the information such as Name, Address, Educational Qualification, Age, DOB, Phone number, etc.
- After filling all the asked information go through all the details again and check it carefully to avoid errors.
- In the second part of registration, you will have to make the online payment of application fees by any online payment mode.
- Upload a scanned copy of your signature and photograph.
- Select the exam centers
- Finally, agree to the declaration and submit the form
- Take out a hard copy of your application form for future reference.
Important Date
| Event | Date (Tentative) |
| Notification release date | 25th Sept 2020 |
| ESE 2021 online Application will start from | 25th Sept 2020 |
| ESE 2021 Online Application will End on | 15th Oct 2020 |
| Preliminary/Stage‐I Examination | 5th Jan 2021 |
Useful Links for ESE 2021
Download ESE 2020 Detail Notification
Click here for ESE previous year cutoff marks