The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Indian Engineering Services (IES/ESE) Exam annually to recruit Class-I officers for various technical and managerial posts in central government departments such as Railways, CPWD, MES, CWC, Telecom, and more.

The UPSC IES 2026 Exam is among India’s most prestigious engineering recruitments, known for its tough competition and rigorous multi-stage selection process.
This article covers the latest UPSC IES 2026 syllabus, UPSC ESE exam pattern 2026, preparation tips, and official links

🧭 2. UPSC IES/ESE 2026 Selection Process

The IES/ESE recruitment consists of three stages:

Preliminary Examination (Objective Type)
Main Examination (Conventional/Descriptive Type)
Personality Test (Interview)

Candidates must qualify each stage to be shortlisted for the next. Final selection is based on cumulative marks of all stages.

📘 3. UPSC IES/ESE 2026 Exam Pattern

3.1 Prelims Exam Pattern (Objective)

Paper	Subject	Duration	Marks
Paper-I	General Studies & Engineering Aptitude	2 hours	200
Paper-II	Engineering Discipline (CE/ME/EE/E&T)	3 hours	300
Total	—	—	500 Marks

Negative Marking: Yes (⅓ marks deducted for each wrong answer)

3.2 Mains Exam Pattern (Descriptive)

Paper	Subject	Duration	Marks
Paper-I	Engineering Discipline (Descriptive)	3 hours	300
Paper-II	Engineering Discipline (Descriptive)	3 hours	300
Total	—	—	600 Marks

3.3 Personality Test

Stage	Marks
Interview	200 Marks

📚 4. UPSC IES/ESE 2026 Syllabus (Detailed Section-Wise)

Below is the updated syllabus for ESE 2026.

4.1 GENERAL STUDIES & ENGINEERING APTITUDE (COMMON TO ALL)

Topics

Current issues of national & international importance
Engineering mathematics & reasoning
General principles of design and engineering
Project management & quality control
Environmental engineering and basics of energy & environment
Basics of materials science
Information & Communications Technologies (ICT)
Ethics & values in engineering

4.2 ENGINEERING DISCIPLINE-WISE SYLLABUS

(Choose one discipline: CE, ME, EE, E&T)

A. Civil Engineering (CE)

Structural engineering
Geotechnical engineering
Water resources
Transportation engineering
Environmental engineering
Construction planning & management

B. Mechanical Engineering (ME)

Thermodynamics
Fluid mechanics
Renewable energy systems
Industrial & manufacturing engineering
Heat transfer
Machine design

C. Electrical Engineering (EE)

Electric circuits & networks
Power systems
Control systems
Power electronics
Electrical machines
Analog & digital electronics

D. Electronics & Telecommunication (E&T)

Communication systems
Microwave engineering
Network theory
Digital circuits
Signal processing
Control systems

📝 5. Final Selection & Marks Weightage (2026)

Stage	Marks
Prelims	500
Mains	600
Interview	200
Grand Total	1300 Marks

Candidates are allotted services based on:

Rank
Preferences
Medical fitness
Category rules

✅ 6. Practical Preparation Tips for UPSC IES/ESE 2026

Follow standard textbooks (Made Easy, ACE Academy level reference only—do not list private entities; instead use standard Govt/Syllabus books)
Solve previous year papers (last 10–15 years)
Focus heavily on engineering fundamentals
Practice writing descriptive answers for Mains
Attempt online mock tests for Prelims speed improvement
Maintain a formula notebook and revision chart
Prioritize accuracy due to negative marking
Stay updated via PIB, Ministry reports, and standard government sources

🔗 7. Useful Official Resource Links (2026 Updates)

UPSC Official Website: https://upsc.gov.in
UPSC IES/ESE 2026 Notification (PDF – will appear here once released):
https://upsc.gov.in/examinations
UPSC Previous Year Question Papers (Official):
https://upsc.gov.in/examinations/question-papers
UPSC Syllabus (Official PDF):
https://upsc.gov.in/examinations/syllabus

Indian Engineering Services (IES)

UPSC Indian Engineering Services (IES/ESE) – 2026 Exam Complete Guide