UPSC ESE (IES) Notification 2026: Download Official Notification PDF

Indian Engineering Services Exam 2025 ( IES )

DeskCalelnderExam On - 10 Aug '25

Shikha Goyal
Updated on May 15, 2025 16:13 IST

By Shikha Goyal, Assistant Manager

The UPSC ESE 2026 notification for Prelims exam will be released online on September 17, 2025 as per the official calendar.  The Commission will also release the IES 2026 application form with the official notification. The official notification mentioned the important dates, eligibility, syllabus, exam pattern, selection process and the rules that will govern the IES exam 2026. The notification is the official document which has legal validity. The IES notification 2026 will announce IES vacancies for the exam. The candidates are suggested to read and understand all the clauses given in the official notification so they can understand all the eligibility conditions required to be fulfilled. 

The candidates should note that the Ministry of Personnel decided to recruit the Engineering branch candidates of the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) to be recruited through the Engineering Service Exam 2025. To incorporate this decision, the Commission released a addendum to the official notification on October 18, 2024.

 

Q:   What are the UPSC IES 2026 exam dates?
A: 

The UPSC has released the calendar for the year 2026 on the official website. The UPSC IES prelims 2026 notification and application will lbe released on September 17, 2025 and the last date to apply will be October 7, 2025. The IES prelims exam will be conducted on February 8, 2026. On the other hand, UPSC IES 2026 Mains exam will be conducted on June 21, 2026. 

Q:   How many vacancies are notified in the UPSC ESE (IES) 2025 notification?
A: 

The Union Public Service Commission notified 232 vacancies in the ESE (IES) 2025 exam. The Commission also released the IRMS 2025 tentative vacancies that is 225 making a total of 457 vacancies. So, the revised UPSC IES 2025 vacancies are 457. The Commission will conduct the IES 2025 prelims exam on June 8, 2025. The Commission issued the IES 2025 notification on September 18, 2024 and the last date to apply online for the UPSC ESE (IES) 2025 was November 22, 2024.

The Commission also provided the opportunity to change the IES 2025 application details once in the within a week after the closing of UPSC IES 2025 applications.

Q:   When will UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Notification be released?
A: 

The Union Public Service Commission will release the IES 2026 notification on September 17, 2025 as per the exam calendar. The Commission will also activate the IES 2026 online application link with the notification. The last date to apply online for the IES 2026 exam will be October 7, 2025. The Commission will also provide the IES 2026 application correction facility. 

The IES 2026 prelims exam will be conducted on February 8, 2026.

Q:   What will be the last date to apply for UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Exam?
A: 

The Union Public Service Commission will release the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 notification online on September 17, 2025. The Commission provides around 20 days to fill out the IES applications online. The last date to apply for the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 exam is October 7, 2025.

The Commission will conduct the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 prelims exam on February 8, 2026.

Table of content
  • IES 2026 Notification
  • IES 2025 Exam Dates & Schedule
  • UPSC ESE (IES) Eligibility 2026
  • IES 2026 Application Form
  • UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Dates
  • IES 2026 Age Limit & Relaxations
  • IES 2026 Exam Pattern
  • IES 2026 Syllabus
  • IES 2026 Posts
  • IES 2026 Vacancies
  • IES 2026 Notification FAQs
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IES 2026 Notification

The Union Public Service Commission will release the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 notification for the Prelims exam online on September 17, 2025, its official website - upsc.gov.in. The candidates are required to refer to the official notification for all the information related to the exam.

IES 2025 Exam Dates & Schedule

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of IES 2025 exam

DatesUpcoming Exam Dates
10 Aug ' 25

UPSC ESE (IES) 2025 Main Exam Day

17 Sep ' 25

UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Prelims Notification

17 Sep ' 25 - 07 Oct ' 25

UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Prelims Application Form

08 Feb ' 26

UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Prelims Exam Date

21 Jun ' 26

UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Mains Exam Date

DatesPast Exam Dates
20 Jun ' 25

UPSC ESE (IES) 2025 Prelims Result

08 Jun ' 25

UPSC ESE (IES) 2025 Prelims Exam Day

18 Sep ' 24 - 08 Oct ' 24

UPSC ESE (IES) 2025 Application Dates

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UPSC ESE (IES) Eligibility 2026

The Commission will mention the IES 2026 eligibility criteria in the official notification. The Commission provides the details about the age limit, educational qualification and relaxation provided to different categories in the official notification. The Commission mentioned the following detials.

Criteria

Eligibility

Nationality

Candidates should be:

  • A citizen of India/ A subject of Nepal, Bhutan or Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1, 1962.
  • A person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi and Ethiopia or Vietnam, intending to stay in India.

Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.

Age Limit

Aspirants must have attained an age of 21 years and must not have attained an age of 30 years on January 1, 2026. Candidates should not be born earlier than January 2, 1996, and not later than January 1, 2005.

Physical Examination

Candidates must be physically fit for the admission to Engineering Service Examination as per the guidelines mentioned 

Educational Qualification

A candidate must possess:

  • Degree in Engineering from a recognised university
  • Passed Sections A and B of the Institution Examinations of the Institution of Engineers (India)
  • Obtained a degree/diploma in Engineering from such foreign University college which is recognised in India
  • Passed Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers
  • Passed Associate Membership Examination Parts II & III or Sections A & B of the Aeronautical Society of India
  • Passed Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics & Radio Engineers, London held after November 1959

For Naval Armament Service – MSc degree or its equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics, Radio Physics or Radio Engineering as a special subject.

For Indian Radio Regulatory Service – MSc degree or its equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics, Radio Physics or Radio Engineering as a special subject or MSc with Physics and Radio Communication or Electronics or Telecommunication as a special subject.

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IES 2026 Application Form

The UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 online applications will be released with the official notification on September 17, 2025. The candidates will be required to apply online for the IES 2026 exam. The last date to apply for the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 exam will be October 7, 2025 for the Prelims exam.

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UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Dates

The Commission released the official calendar at upsc.gov.in for the year 2026. However, the important dates for the IES 2026 exam will also be released in the official notification. The Commission will also mention the IES 2026 exam dates in the official notification. The Important dates aas per the official calendar reelased for the year 2026 is provided below:

UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Event Dates
Notification date 17-Sep-2025
Last date for UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 application 07-Oct-2025
IES Prelims 2026 08-Feb-2026
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IES 2026 Age Limit & Relaxations

The Union Pubic Service Commission mentioned the age criteria for all the posts and categories in the official notification. We are summarising the same for easy understanding of the candidates:

The upper age limit of 30 years is relaxable up to 35 years with government servants serving in the following categories:

Department/Office under the control of the authorities mentioned in the below table:

Column 1

Column 2

  Ministry of Railways (Railway Board)

 IRSE /IRSME /IRSEE /IRSSE /IRSS

  Directorate General Ordnance Factories

 IOFS Group ‘A’

  Central Electricity Authority

CPES  Gr ‘A’ & CPES  Gr ‘B’

  Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

Central Engineering Service (Roads) Gr. ‘A’ 

  Ministry of Telecommunication and

  Information Technology, Deptt. of Telecommunication 

Engineer in Indian Radio Regulatory Service  Gr ‘A’ Indian  Telecommunication Service Group ‘A’,  J.T.O. (G.C.S. Gr. ‘B’)

 Central Water Commission

 Central Water Engineering Service Gr ‘A’

 Border Roads Organisation

 BRES Gr. ‘A’

 Military Engineer Services

Indian Defence Service of Engineers (lDSE) Group ‘A’

 The Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Min of Defence.

AEE Gr ‘A’(Elect. Engg. Posts) in Corps of EME, Min of Defence. 

 Min of Defence, Deptt. of Defence Production, Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance

Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service(DAQAS) Gr ‘A’

 Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship

Indian Skill Development Services

 Indian Navy         

Indian Naval Armament Service, Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade-I

Note: Relaxation will not be considered to probationary officers appointed against a permanent post. However, relaxation in case of probation will be considered if the officer appointed already retains a lien on a permanent post in a Department/Office under the control of authorities as listed above.

Age Relaxation in Case of Railways

Officers serving Indian Railways will also be treated at par with the Indian Railways officers for age relaxation. The upper age limit for various categories is given below:

Category

Age Relaxation

SC/ST

Upto 5 years

OBC

Upto 3 years

Jammu and Kashmir domicile during

Upto 5 years

Defence Services personnel, disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area, and released as a consequence thereof

Upto 3 years

ECOs/SSCOs served for 5 years in Military services (Completed the assignment or assignment has been extended and the Ministry of Defence has permitted him to apply for Civil Services)

Upto 5 years

Deaf/Mute and Orthopedically handicapped person

Upto 10 years

Note: Candidates belonging to the reserved category and from any of the mentioned ex-servicemen categories will get cumulative age relaxation. 

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IES 2026 Exam Pattern

The IES notification outlines the exam pattern of the Engineering Service Exam and the candidates need to understand the syllabus and exam pattern fully to get selected in the IES exam. The IES exam pattern is distinct for each stage of the exam because both stages of the IES exam are different. The IES Prelims is an objective type exam, while the main exam is a descriptive type exam.

Download here: UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Notification: to be updated here

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IES 2026 Syllabus

IES 2026 syllabus will be mentioned in the official notification. The Commission mentions the topic names only in the official syllabus. Union Public Service Commission will mention the IES 2026 syllabus for the prelims and main exam separately. The candidates will be required to prepare the horizontal and vertical expansion of the topic because the Commission can ask the question maintaining any depth.

The IES exam is a specialised service exam and hence it requires in-depth subjective knowledge to answer the questions asked in the IES exam. The IES exam is conducted in two stages. In the main exam ask descriptive questions. The candidates are required to prepare each of the topics given in the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 syllabus because no marks are assigned to any topic and the UPSC can ask any number of questions from any topic.

View Syllabus
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IES 2026 Posts

The Union Public Service Commission will mention the following posts in the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 notification:

CATEGORY I—CIVIL ENGINEERING

Group-A Services/Posts

  1. Central Engineering Service (Civil)
  2. Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group-A (Civil Engineering Posts).
  3. Survey of India Group 'A' Service
  4. *AEE (Civil) in Border Roads Engineering Service.
  5. Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
  6. AEE (QS&C) in MES Surveyor Cadre.
  7. Indian Skill Development Service.
  8. Central Water Engineering (Group ‘A’) Service.

CATEGORY II—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Group-A/B Services/Posts

  1. Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
  2. Indian Naval Armament Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts).
  3. Central Power Engineering Service Gr 'A'(Mechanical Engineering Posts)
  4. Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO-II (Mechanical).
  5. AEE ( Elect & Mech) in Border Roads Engineering Service.
  6. Indian Naval Material Management Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts)
  7. Indian Skill Development Service 

CATEGORY III—ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Group-A/B Services/Posts

  1. Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
  2. Indian Naval Material Management Service (Electrical Engineering Posts)
  3. Indian Naval Armament Service (Electrical Engineering Posts)
  4. Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO-II (Electrical).
  5. Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ (Electrical Engineering Posts).
  6. Indian Skill Development Service.
  7. IEDS/Assistant Director Grade-I (IEDS) Electrical Trade
  8. IEDS/Assistant Director Grade-II (IEDS) Electrical Trade

CATEGORY IV—ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Group-A/B Services/Posts

  1. Indian Telecommunication Service Gr ‘A’.
  2. Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ (Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering Posts).
  3. (Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics and Telecom Engineering Posts).
  4. Indian Naval Material Management Service (Electronics and Telecom Engineering Posts)
  5. Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO-II (Electronics & Tele).
  6. Indian Skill Development Service.
  7. Indian Radio Regulatory Service Gr ‘A’
  8. IEDS/Assistant Director Grade-I(IEDS) Electronics Trade.
  9. IEDS/Assistant Director Grade-II(IEDS) Electronics Trade

The eligibility of transgender for AEE (Civil) and AEE {(Electrical and Mechanical) (Mechanical Engg Posts)} in Border Road Engineering Service shall be as per the decision taken by the Government in due course. The details for the IRMS Engineering Services are yet to be notified.

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IES 2026 Vacancies

The Union Public Service Commission will notify the total number of vacancies in the official notification. IES 2026 vacancies will be released on the official website. The Commission notified 232 vacancies for the IES 2025 exam. 

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IES 2026 Notification FAQs

The candidates can see here important questions related to the UPSC ESE (IES) notification.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What will be the last date to apply for UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 Exam?
A: 

The Union Public Service Commission will release the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 notification online on September 17, 2025. The Commission provides around 20 days to fill out the IES applications online. The last date to apply for the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 exam is October 7, 2025.

The Commission will conduct the UPSC ESE (IES) 2026 prelims exam on February 8, 2026.

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IES Exam

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered a week ago

Candidates are advised to analyze the previous years' cutoff, as it is a part of effective preparation. It also provides insights into the difficulty level of the exam, trends, and also the exam pattern or question pattern. It helps candidates to prioritize their preparation accordingly, set their t

...Read more

M

Manisha Singh

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a week ago

It is advised to the candidates to focus on both Prelims and Mains syllabus rigorously. Understanding and mastering the content will not only enhance their understanding but also improve their chances of success in the examination. He or she should practice previous year papers and also go through t

...Read more

C

Chanchal Shekhar

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a week ago

In a UPSC IES 2025 exam, candidates can aim for 420 plus total marks or higher (Prelims + Mains + Personality Test) as a General category candidate. It is advised for the candidates to follow a good strategy that will help to gain a strong performance in all three stages.

S

Shikha Goyal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

The UPSC ESE/IES 2025 cutoff is determined based on the difficulty level of the exam (prelims and mains), the number of vacancies, previous years' trends, and the overall performance of the candidates. The cutoff marks may vary slightly across categories and branches.

S

Satyendra Garg

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a week ago

The Commission will release the UPSC IES 2025 cutoff marks along with the final result. It is expected that the IES 2025 cutoff marks will be released around October-November 2025.

I

Ishita Kaur

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

No, the interview of UPSC IES exam is not qualifying in nature. The number of candidates to be summoned for Personality Test will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. The Personality Test will carry 200 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks). Marks obtained by the candidates in the

...Read more

M

Manisha Singh

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

UPSC appoints a panel of experts to conduct the personality test for the IES or ESE examination. The panel includes senior officers and technical experts. The personality test or interview is a crucial stage of the UPSC IES selection process. It is conducted at the UPSC Bhawan in New Delhi.

C

Chanchal Shekhar

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

The commission allocated 200 marks for the UPSC IES 2025 personality test or an interview. This is the third stage, or the final stage, of the UPSC IES exam. The first stage is the preliminary examination, and the second stage is the Mains examination.

S

Shikha Goyal

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

The main purpose of conducting the UPSC IES personality test is to know about the overall personality of the aspirant with certain traits, including mental alertness, critical thinking, leadership qualities, intelligence, honesty, confidence, depth of understanding of several concepts, communication

...Read more

S

Satyendra Garg

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

The UPSC ESE (IES) 2025 Mains exam will be conducted on August 10, 2025 as per the calendar released by the UPSC. Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Preliminary Examination in the year will be eligible for admission to the Main Examination of that year

...Read more

I

Ishita Kaur

Beginner-Level 5

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