UPSC ESE 2027: Eligibility, Age Limit, Exam Pattern and the 6 October Deadline

UPSC issued Examination Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG. on 16 September 2026 for the Engineering Services Examination 2027. It recruits engineers into various Group 'A' and Group 'B' Central Government services and posts, such as the Central Engineering Service, Indian Railway Management Service, Indian Defence Service of Engineers and Central Water Engineering Service. Some posts, such as Junior Telecom Officer, are Group 'B'.

UPSC expects to fill approximately 480 vacancies, including 19 for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities. UPSC says this number is liable to alteration. The form closes on 6 October 2026 at 6 PM.

Four engineering categories

• Category I – Civil Engineering

• Category II – Mechanical Engineering

• Category III – Electrical Engineering

• Category IV – Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering

Who is eligible

You need a degree in Engineering from a recognised university, or Sections A and B of the Institution of Engineers (India) exam, or one of the other equivalents listed in the notice.

The age limit is 21 to 30 years on 1 January 2027. You must be born between 2 January 1997 and 1 January 2006. Relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 for OBC, 10 for PwBD, 5 for certain Ex-Servicemen, ECOs and SSCOs.

For certain eligible Government servants in specified departments and offices, the upper age limit is relaxable up to 35 years, but only for the corresponding services/posts listed in the notice. It does not apply to every government employee.

Candidates must also satisfy UPSC's nationality conditions and the applicable physical and medical standards specified in the official notice.

The three-stage scheme (1,300 marks)

Unlike the Civil Services exam, ESE Prelims marks count in the final merit. Your final rank uses Prelims + Mains + Personality Test out of 1,300. A strong Prelims score carries all the way through.

Prelims is objective, with four options per question. One-third of the marks for a question is deducted for a wrong answer, and a blank answer carries no penalty. About 6–7 times the vacancies are admitted to Mains and about twice the vacancies to the interview. Mains answers are written in English.

Dates

Fee

Application fee: ₹200. Female, SC, ST and eligible PwBD candidates are exempt. OBC and EWS candidates are not exempt and must pay the full fee. You can pay by net banking, Visa/Mastercard/RuPay credit or debit card, or UPI.

Why you should check your form twice

UPSC does not allow any correction or withdrawal after you submit the ESE form. A wrong category, a wrong date of birth or the wrong engineering discipline stays wrong. Before you press submit:

1. Match your name and date of birth against your Class 10 certificate.

2. Check that the engineering category is the one you want to write Paper-II and Mains in.

3. Check your photo, live photo and signature. The notice asks for the signature to be written three times.

Applications are made on upsconline.nic.in. First create your Universal Registration Number (URN) and Common Application Form, then fill the ESE module.

For the rest of UPSC's 2027 schedule, see our UPSC calendar 2027 guide.

Official sources

• UPSC ESE 2027 exam page – upsc.gov.in

• UPSC ESE 2027 notification (PDF) – upsc.gov.in (backup copy)

• UPSC calendar 2027 (PDF) – upsc.gov.in (backup copy)

• Apply online – upsconline.nic.in

Last checked against these sources on 27 September 2026. No corrigendum or deadline extension had been issued by then. Boards do change dates, so confirm on the official website before you travel or pay a fee.