Role to investigateSource-checked · reviewed 23 Oct 20268 sources cited

Engineering Services Examination (UPSC)

Investigate the UPSC Engineering Services Examination: a three-stage exam for Group A and B engineering posts in civil, mechanical, electrical and electronics and telecommunication categories.

At a glance

For youChoose a qualificationChoose your degree on the Explore page to see what the sources say for you.
Cost1 sourcedUPSC’s 2027 notice states an application fee of Rs 200, with female, SC, ST and PwBD candidates exempt.
Pay4 sourcedCentral Water Commission ordered that three officers who joined as Assistant Director / Assistant Executive Engineer on the…
Hours1 sourcedDoPT's 1985 office memorandum set Ministries/Departments in Delhi to 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. with a half-hour lunch break,…
Employers ask9 sourcedUPSC’s 2027 notice requires a degree in engineering from a university incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature…

Checked 23 Oct 2026 · 8 sources · next review 20 Nov 2026

Cost, pay and hours

As sourced

1
Extra cost1 sourced
- UPSC’s 2027 notice states an application fee of Rs 200, with female, SC, ST and PwBD candidates exempt.
  Basis:
  Indian rupees
  application fee for the 2027 cycle
  excludes coaching and books
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:
  Applications closed on 6 October 2026.
  Coaching and books are not covered.
  No fee exemption applies to OBC or EWS candidates, per the notice’s own wording on exemptions.
2
Pay4 sourced
- Central Water Commission ordered that three officers who joined as Assistant Director / Assistant Executive Engineer on the basis of the Engineering Service Examination 2021 draw Rs. 56,100 in Level 10 of the pay matrix from the date of joining.
  Basis:
  Indian rupees
  period not stated in the source
  Pay at Level 10 of the pay matrix at joining, for Assistant Director / Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil & Mechanical), Junior Time Scale, Central Water Engineering (Group A) Service
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:Three officers of the ESE 2021 batch joining CWC in Dec 2022 to Jan 2023.
  Note:
  This is not the current batch's pay, not other services' pay and not take-home pay.
  Excludes allowances (the order says pay and allowances are drawn from CWC HQ, no amounts).
- The ESE Rules 2021 (Ministry of Railways notification) state the Assistant Executive Engineer grade in the Indian Defence Service of Engineers and the MES Surveyor cadre (QS&C) at Level 10, BP Rs. 56,100-1,77,500, under the 7th Pay Commission.
  Basis:
  Indian rupees
  period not stated in the source
  Basic pay (BP) range at Level 10 for Assistant Executive Engineer, IDSE and AEE (QS&C)
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:
  ESE 2021 rules, two services (IDSE, AEE QS&C).
  The same Appendix gives Level 10 for other services' entry grades.
  Note:
  These are the 2021 rules. The ESE 2027 rules (Department of Telecommunications notification, 16 September 2026, named in the 2027 notice) are not covered here.
  The copy is on a court website, not the Railway Board site. Excludes allowances.
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- The ESE Rules 2021 state the entry grade Assistant Executive Engineer of the Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group A, at Level 10 in the pay matrix.
  Basis:
  Indian rupees
  period not stated in the source
  Entry grade Assistant Executive Engineer, CES (Roads) Group A
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:CES (Roads) Group A only; 2021 rules.
  Note:No rupee amount is printed for this service. Excludes allowances.
- The ESE Rules 2021 state the entry grade of the Central Power Engineering Service Group A in the Central Electricity Authority (Assistant Director Gr-I / AEE) at Level 10 in the pay matrix, Rs.56,100-1,77,500.
  Basis:
  Indian rupees
  period not stated in the source
  Level 10 scale for Assistant Director Gr-I / AEE Group A, CEA
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:Central Power Engineering Service (Group A) in the Central Electricity Authority only; 2021 rules.
  Note:
  Does not cover other services.
  These are the 2021 rules; the ESE 2027 rules are not covered here. Excludes allowances.
3
Shifts & hours1 sourced
- DoPT's 1985 office memorandum set Ministries/Departments in Delhi to 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. with a half-hour lunch break, attached and subordinate offices to 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m., and total working hours outside Delhi at not more than 7-1/2 hours excluding lunch.
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:Administrative offices of the Government of India; the OM that introduced the 5-day week.
  Note:This is a 1985 order for administrative offices. Treat as background only.

Reality check

From the sources

The work

Not established. The notice lists services and categories but does not describe the duties of the posts.

Entry requirements

The 2027 notice asks for a degree in engineering from a recognised Indian university (or another listed qualification) and an age of at least 21 and under 30 on 1 January 2027, with relaxations for some government servants.
Selection is by a preliminary exam, a written main exam and an interview.

Trade-offs to consider

About 480 vacancies were expected for the whole 2027 exam, a number the notice calls liable to alteration.
Pay level, posting conditions and duties are not stated in the notice and are not established here.

Skills & employers

From the sources

Skills to investigate

Engineering fundamentals
Exam preparation
Written technical answers

Employers named in sources

Central Water Commission (Ministry of Jal Shakti)
NTIPRIT, Department of Telecommunications (Ghaziabad)
Ministry of Urban Development (now Housing and Urban Affairs), published on the CPWD site
Central Public Works Department, Directorate General
Central Water Commission, Estt. III Section

Examples in cited pages, not a hiring list.

Study or credential needed

UPSC's notice says every finally recommended candidate must undergo a medical examination decided by the Department of Telecommunications, whose findings are final and binding, and must meet the physical standards in Appendix II of the Rules.
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:ESE 2027.
Note:The physical standards themselves are in the Rules, not in the notice.
The notice requires Indian nationality (or listed categories with a certificate of eligibility), age 21 to under 30 on 1 January 2027 (born 2 January 1997 to 1 January 2006) with relaxations, and a degree in Engineering (or listed alternatives) from a university created by an Act of Parliament or State Legislature or a deemed university.
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:ESE 2027 only.
Note:No limit on the number of attempts is stated in the notice (and none is stated to be absent).
The notice says degrees or certificates from the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers and the Aeronautical Society of India obtained by taking admission after 31.05.2013 are not admissible, and Institution of Engineers (India) ones depend on a Government decision.
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:ESE 2027; follows a Delhi High Court judgment cited in the notice.
Note:
- Explicit exclusion of certain professional-society routes
- does not exclude regular B.E./B.Tech. degrees.

What employers ask for

9 sourced

UPSC’s 2027 notice requires a degree in engineering from a university incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India, or an institution established or deemed by Parliament, or passing Sections A and B of the Institution of Engineers (India) examinations, or another listed qualification.
Source: Union Public Service Commission ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
- One exam cycle. The notice lists further qualifications and notes about particular institutions that are not repeated here
- read the notice for the full list.
- Admission to the exam is provisional until eligibility is verified.
- UPSC’s 2027 notice requires a candidate to be at least 21 and under 30 on 1 January 2027, that is, born from 2 January 1997 to 1 January 2006.
- The upper limit is relaxable to 35 for specified categories of government servants.
Source: Union Public Service Commission ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
- Other relaxations in the full notice are not repeated here.
- Applies to the 2027 exam only.
UPSC’s 2027 notice describes three stages: a preliminary exam of two objective papers (500 marks) held on 31 January 2027, a main exam of two conventional papers (600 marks), and an interview (200 marks).
Source: Union Public Service Commission ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Exam dates for the main stage and interview are not repeated here. One cycle only.

Show 6 more

- UPSC’s 2027 notice says the number of vacancies to be filled is expected to be approximately 480, including 19 for persons with benchmark disabilities, and is liable to alteration.
- Posts are grouped in four categories: civil, mechanical, electrical, and electronics and telecommunication engineering.
Source: Union Public Service Commission ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
- One cycle; not a recurring figure.
- The notice states no pay level or duties.
The notice names a 'degree in Engineering' from a recognised university as the minimum qualification, and admits candidates who have appeared or intend to appear in the qualifying examination provisionally, on proof of passing within 10 days after the Main result.
Source: Union Public Service Commission ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:ESE 2027 only.
Not established:The notice does not use the abbreviation B.Tech; it says degree in Engineering.
- Candidates choose one of four categories (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering) and must sit the paper of the discipline chosen
- the notice does not list which B.Tech branch maps to which category.
Source: Union Public Service Commission ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:ESE 2027.
Not established:Does not state branch eligibility by category.
Central Water Commission says officers of its Central Water Engineering Service (Group A, civil or mechanical streams) are recruited by UPSC through the Engineering Services Examination, or by promotion of Group B officers.
Source: Central Water Commission (Ministry of Jal Shakti) ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Central Water Engineering (Group A) Service, civil and mechanical streams; the page is undated.
Not established:
- Does not say how many posts there are in any year.
- The page's pay table is the pre-7th Pay Commission pay band and grade pay, so it is not current pay and was not used for the pay section.
The Central Public Works Department's governing rules (Ministry of Urban Development, 2012, hosted on cpwd.gov.in) say all Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil) vacancies are filled by direct recruitment on the results of the Combined Engineering Service Examination run by UPSC.
Source: Ministry of Urban Development (now Housing and Urban Affairs), published on the CPWD site ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
- Central Engineering Service (Civil) Group A, entry grade Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil).
- Rules dated 2012; the exam was then called the Combined Engineering Service Examination.
Not established:
- Rules may have been amended since 2012.
- Its pay column is the pre-7th Pay Commission scale and was not used.
CPWD's annual report says Assistant Executive Engineers and Junior Engineers are recruited from UPSC and SSC to fill entry-level engineering posts.
Source: Central Public Works Department, Directorate General ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Report year 2018-19 only.
Not established:Does not name the ESE. The ESE link comes from the 2012 rules above. Seven years old.

The work and what comes next

4 sourced

The work, from the sources

Central Water Commission describes the work of its Group A engineers as the development and management of the country's water resources, across 12 functional domains such as flood forecasting, hydrology, design, survey and project appraisal.
Source: Central Water Commission (Ministry of Jal Shakti) ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Whole service across its career, not only the entry grade.
Not established:Does not describe a day in the entry grade, hours or postings by grade.
The Department of Telecommunications' training handbook says induction training for ITS Group A officer trainees prepares them for duties in the Department such as office administration, licensing, licensed-service-area functions and PSU coordination.
Source: NTIPRIT, Department of Telecommunications (Ghaziabad) ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:ITS Group A officer trainees under probation; handbook is undated and may be superseded.
Not established:The handbook does not mention the ESE; the ESE link comes from the offer letter above.

Show 1 more

CPWD's annual report says a sub-division is headed by an Assistant Engineer or Assistant Executive Engineer, and that CPWD's major functions are construction and maintenance.
Source: Central Public Works Department, Directorate General ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Report year 2018-19.
Not established:Describes the structure, not the daily duties, hours or postings of the entry grade.

What can come next

ESE selection runs in three stages: preliminary (two objective papers, 500 marks, 31.01.2027), main (two conventional papers, 600 marks, 18.06.2027), interview (200 marks).
Source: Union Public Service Commission ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:ESE 2027.
Not established:Dates liable to change.

Sources and unanswered questions

UPSC Examination Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG, 16 September 2026 · India · one exam cycle.
Source checking confirms only the scoped statements on this page, not anyone’s individual eligibility.
Confirm current requirements with the employer or programme.

UPSC Engineering Services Examination 2027: Examination Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG (16 September 2026) ↗Union Public Service Commission · accessed 23 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
A notice for one cycle. The Rules (Gazette, 16 September 2026) were not read.
It describes posts only by service and category, not duties.
Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
OM No. 13/4/85-JCA, Introduction of 5-day-week in the administrative offices of the Government of India ↗Department of Personnel and Training · accessed 24 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Administrative offices of the Government of India; the OM that introduced the 5-day week.
Not established:
- This is a 1985 order for administrative offices.
- It does not state hours for field, site, shift or uniformed postings that ESE officers may hold. Treat as background only.
Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Central Water Engineering Service | Human Resource Management ↗Central Water Commission (Ministry of Jal Shakti) · accessed 26 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Central Water Engineering (Group A) Service, civil and mechanical streams; the page is undated.
Not established:
- Does not say how many posts there are in any year.
- The page's pay table is the pre-7th Pay Commission pay band and grade pay, so it is not current pay and was not used for the pay section.
Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Programme Handbook, ITS Group 'A' Officer Trainees, Induction Training ↗NTIPRIT, Department of Telecommunications (Ghaziabad) · accessed 26 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:ITS Group A officer trainees under probation; handbook is undated and may be superseded.
Not established:The handbook does not mention the ESE; the ESE link comes from the offer letter above.Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Ministry of Urban Development, Central Engineering (Civil) Group 'A' Service Rules, 2012 (G.S.R. 765(E)) ↗Ministry of Urban Development (now Housing and Urban Affairs), published on the CPWD site · accessed 26 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
Central Engineering Service (Civil) Group A, entry grade Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil).
Rules dated 2012; the exam was then called the Combined Engineering Service Examination.
Not established:
- Rules may have been amended since 2012.
- Its pay column is the pre-7th Pay Commission scale and was not used.
Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Central Public Works Department Annual Report (2018-2019) ↗Central Public Works Department, Directorate General · accessed 26 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Report year 2018-19 only.
Not established:Does not name the ESE. The ESE link comes from the 2012 rules above. Seven years old.Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Office Order, File No. A-12025/1/2020-ESTT-III, dated 5 January 2023 ↗Central Water Commission, Estt. III Section · accessed 26 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Three officers of the ESE 2021 batch joining CWC in Dec 2022 to Jan 2023.
Not established:This is not the current batch's pay, not other services' pay and not take-home pay.Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Engineering Services Examination Rules, 2021 (Gazette of India Extraordinary), Appendix III 'Brief particulars relating to the services/posts' ↗Ministry of Railways (Railway Board); copy hosted on thc.nic.in · accessed 26 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
ESE 2021 rules, two services (IDSE, AEE QS&C).
The same Appendix gives Level 10 for other services' entry grades.
Not established:
- These are the 2021 rules. The ESE 2027 rules (Department of Telecommunications notification, 16 September 2026, named in the 2027 notice) are not covered here.
- The copy is on a court website, not the Railway Board site.
Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.

Your next step: Applications for 2027 closed on 6 October 2026. Check UPSC’s page for the next notice.

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