UPSC ESE 2023: The candidates who wish to appear for the Engineering Services Examination 2023 conducted by the UPSC can submit their applications from 14th September 2022 onwards. Candidates who meet the eligibility conditions prescribed by the commission can fill and submit their applications online. The selection process comprises of three rounds- preliminary exam, main exam, and interview. The exams will be conducted through offline mode as pen and paper-based test. Get detailed information about the UPSC ESE 2023 from this article below.
Latest: UPSC ESE 2023 application form will be available from 14th September 2022.
UPSC ESE 2023 Important Dates
The table below presents the important dates related to UPSC ESE 2023:
| Events | Dates |
| Online application form release date | 14th September 2022 |
| Last date to submit online applications | 4th October 2022 |
| Opening of application withdrawal window | To be announced |
| Closing of application withdrawal window | To be announced |
| Issue of admit card for preliminary exam | To be announced |
| Date of preliminary exam | 19th February 2023 |
| Declaration of preliminary exam result | To be announced |
| Issue of admit card for main exam | To be announced |
| Date of main exam | 25th June 2023 |
| Declaration of main exam result | To be announced |
| Detailed application form (DAF) release date | To be announced |
| Last date to submit the DAF | To be announced |
| Date of personality test/ interview | To be announced |
UPSC ESE 2023 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria prescribed below can appear for UPSC ESE 2023 exam:
Nationality:
- Candidate should be a Citizen of India or Subject of Nepal or Bhutan or a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling here.
- Persons of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire & Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling are eligible too.
Age limit:
- The minimum and maximum age of the candidates should be 21 years and 30 years respectively as on 1st January 2023.
- The upper age limit will be relaxed up to 35 years in the case of Government employees (permanent employee or those continuously in a temporary service on a regular basis) given they belong to specific department and apply for specific posts as mentioned below.
| Department | Posts |
| Ministry of Railways | IRSE, IRSME, IRSEE, IRSSE, IRSS |
| Central Public Works Department | CES Group ‘A’, CE & MES Grade ‘A’ |
| Directorate General Ordnance Factories | IOFS Group ‘A’ |
| Ministry of Road Transport and Highways | Central Engineering Service (Roads) Grade ‘A’ |
| Ministry of Telecommunication & Information Technology, Department of Telecommunication | Indian Radio Regulatory Service Group ‘A’ Indian Telecommunication Service Group ‘A’, JTO (GCS Grade ‘B’) |
| Ministry of Defence, Department of Defence Production, Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance | Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service (DAQAS) Grade ‘A’ |
| Ministry of Science and Technology, Department of Science and Technology | Survey of India Grade ‘A’ Service |
| Geological Survey of India | Assistant Executive Engineer Grade ‘A |
| Border Roads Organization | BRES Grade ‘A’ |
| Indian Navy | Indian Naval Armament Service, Assistant Naval Store Officer Grade-I |
| Military Engineer Services | Indian Defence Service of Engineers (IDSE) Group ‘A’ AEE (QS & C) in Military Engineer Service (MES) Surveyor Cadre |
Educational Qualification:
- A degree in engineering from a recognized university is required.
- Candidates who have passed Sections A and B of the Institution Examinations of the Institution of Engineers (India) are eligible too.
- Those with a degree/ diploma in engineering from foreign University recognized by the Government can apply as well.
- The candidates who have passed Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (India) can also apply.
- Those with a pass in Associate Membership Examination Parts II and III/ Sections A and B of the Aeronautical Society of India are also eligible.
- The applicants who clear Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics & Radio Engineers, London held after November 1959 can apply too.
For the following posts, candidates with the given qualifications are eligible as well:
- Indian Naval Armament Service: Candidates with M.Sc or equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics/ Radio Physics/ Radio Engineering as a special subject are eligible.
- Indian Radio Regulatory Service: Candidates with M.Sc or equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics/ Radio Physics/ Radio Engineering as a subject or Physics & Radio Communication/ Electronics/ Telecommunication as a special subject can apply.
Physical standards:
Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to Engineering Services Examination 2023.
UPSC ESE 2023 Application Form
The application form for UPSC ESE 2023 will be released online on the official website of the commission upsconline.nic.in. Candidates are suggested to submit their application in the given time limit as late applications will not be considered.
- In the application form, the candidates will have to provide basic details like name, gender, date of birth, category, phone number, email id, etc
- Qualifying exam details such as marks obtained, name of the institute, university name, etc will also be asked in the form.
- Photograph and signature of the candidates should be uploaded in the application form in scanned format.
- Once all the details are entered in the form, the candidates can make its submission along with the prescribed application fee.
- Candidates are advised to take a printout of the duly filled application form and keep it safe for future reference.
Application fee:
- The application fee for general/ EWS/ OBC candidates will be Rs. 200/-.
- There will be no application fee for Female/ SC/ ST/ PWD candidates.
- Payment of the application fee can be done online using debit card/ credit card or SBI net banking or offline by depositing cash in any SBI branch.
Detailed Application Form
- After the declaration of the main exam result, successful candidates will be asked to submit Detailed Application Form (DAF) online.
- Important details of the candidates and scanned copies of birth certificate, category certificate, qualification certificate, etc should be provided in the form.
- The personality test letter to the candidates will be issued electronically after successful submission of the DAF.
UPSC ESE 2023 Exam Pattern
The exam pattern overview for UPSC ESE 2023 is provided below:
Preliminary exam:
- Mode of exam: Offline
- Exam duration: 5 hours
- Number of papers: 2
- Type of questions: Objective type
- Total marks: 500
| Papers | Topics | Duration | Maximum marks |
| Category 1 (Civil Engineering) | |||
| Paper I | General Studies & Engineering Aptitude | 2 hours | 200 |
| Paper II | Civil Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Category 2 (Mechanical Engineering) | |||
| Paper I | General Studies & Engineering Aptitude | 2 hours | 200 |
| Paper II | Mechanical Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Category 3 (Electrical Engineering) | |||
| Paper I | General Studies & Engineering Aptitude | 2 hours | 200 |
| Paper II | Electrical Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Category 4 (Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering) | |||
| Paper I | General Studies & Engineering Aptitude | 2 hours | 200 |
| Paper II | Electronics & Telecomm. Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
Main exam:
- Mode of exam: Offline
- Exam duration: 6 hours
- Medium of test: English
- Number of papers: 2
- Type of questions: Descriptive type
- Total marks: 600
| Papers | Topics | Duration | Maximum marks |
| Category 1 (Civil Engineering) | |||
| Paper I | Civil Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Paper II | Civil Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Category 2 (Mechanical Engineering) | |||
| Paper I | Mechanical Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Paper II | Mechanical Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Category 3 (Electrical Engineering) | |||
| Paper I | Electrical Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Paper II | Electrical Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Category 4 (Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering) | |||
| Paper I | Electronics & Telecomm. Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
| Paper II | Electronics & Telecomm. Engineering | 3 hours | 300 |
Personality test:
- Total marks: 200
UPSC ESE 2023 Syllabus
The syllabus for the UPSC ESE exam 2023 is provided below:
- General Studies and Engineering Aptitude: Basics of Project Management, Information & Communication Technologies, Ethics in Engineering Profession, Logical Reasoning, Numerical Analysis, Analytical Ability, Engineering Mathematics, etc
- Civil Engineering: Solid Mechanics, Building Materials, Geo‐technical Engineering & Foundation Engineering, Hydraulic Machines & Hydro Power, Environmental Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Surveying & Geology, etc
- Mechanical Engineering: Design of Machine Elements, Fluid Mechanics, Engineering Mechanics, Turbo Machinery, Power Plant Engineering, Mechatronics & Robotics, IC Engines, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, etc
- Electrical Engineering: Engineering Mathematics, Basic Electronics Engineering, Electrical Materials, Electrical Machines, Power Systems, Electric Circuits & Fields, Analog & Digital Electronics, Computer Fundamentals, etc
- Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering: Basic Electronics Engineering, Basic Electrical Engineering, Analog & Digital Circuits, Advanced Communication Topics, Electromagnetic, Control Systems, Network Theory, etc
UPSC ESE Admit Card 2023
- The candidates will be able to download the admit card for the exam from the website upsconline.nic.in.
- After downloading, the candidates should take a hard copy of the downloaded admit card and carry it to the exam center with valid id proof
- Entry in the exam hall will be permitted to those candidates who report to the exam center with these documents.
- Details of the exam such as center, date and time will be communicated to the candidates through their admit card.
- In case of difficulty in downloading the admit card, the candidates should contact the commission at once.
UPSC ESE 2023 Result
- Result of the engineering services exam will be announced through online mode as per the specified schedule.
- Candidates who clear the preliminary round will be eligible for main exam and after clearing the main exam they need to appear for the interview.
- Final result will be declared on the basis of candidates’ performance in all these three rounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is there any relaxation in the prescribed age limit?
Answer: Relaxation in upper age limit will be given as per the following rules:
| Category | Relaxation |
| OBC candidates | 3 years |
| Defence Services Personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof | 3 years |
| SC/ ST candidates | 5 years |
| Candidate ordinarily domiciled in Jammu & Kashmir from the 1st January 1980 to 31st December 1989 | 5 years |
| Ex-Servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/ SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st January 2023 and have been released on completion of assignment (or will be completed within a year from 1st January 2023) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency, or on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service or on invalidment | 5 years |
| ECOs/ SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of 5 years Military Service as on 1st January 2023 and whose assignment has been extended beyond 5 years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issue a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on 3 month’s notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment | 5 years |
| PWD candidates | 10 years |
Question 2: Can I apply through offline mode?
Answer: No. The application form for UPSC ESE exam will only be released online.
Question 3: Will the commission send me the admit card via post?
Answer: No. The admit cards will only be made available for download on the official website of UPSC.
Question 4: How can I withdraw my application?
Answer: An online window will be provided to you by the commission for withdrawing your application.
In case of query, whom should I contact?
In case of any query, the candidates can contact UPSC’s Facilitation Counter near Gate ‘C’ of its campus in person or over phone on numbers 011‐23385271/ 011‐23381125/ 011‐ 23098543 on working days between 10 AM and 5 PM.