UPSC ESE Recruitment 2025: Check Eligibility Criteria, Application Process, Vacancy Details, Exam Pattern

The Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) has released the official notification for the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025 on its website upsconline.nic.in. The main objective of this exam is to recruit engineers for IES Officer (Grade A) posts in several departments of the Central Government.

The online application process started on 18th September 2024, and eligible candidates can fill out the online application form till 08th October 2024. The organization announced 232 vacancies in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical & Electronics Telecommunication Engineering.

Interested candidates should read this article until the end to learn about the application process, selection process, eligibility criteria, exam pattern, and more.

Overview of UPSC ESE Recruitment 2025

Here is a quick overview of UPSC ESE Recruitment 2025 –

Exam Conducting Authority	Union Public Service Commission
Name of Exam	Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025
Total Number of Posts	232 Vacancies
Date of Commencement of Online Application	18th September 2024
Last Date of Form Submission	8th October 2024
Level of Exam	National-level Exam
Selection Process	Preliminary Exam, Mains Exam and Interview
Exam Frequency	Annually
Date of Preliminary Exam	9th February 2025
Official Website	upsc.gov.in

Eligibility Criteria for the UPSC ESE Examination 2025

To register for the UPSC ESE Exam, candidates must understand the eligibility criteria set by the Union Public Service Commission. In this section, we have explained the eligibility criteria to make it easier for the applicants to understand.

1. Nationality

As per UPSC ESE eligibility criteria, the applicant must be either:

• an Indian citizen or
• a subject of Nepal, or
• a subject of Bhutan, or
• a Tibetan refugee who came to India to settle permanently before 1 January 1962, or
• A person of Indian origin who has come to India from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, or Vietnam to settle permanently.

2. Educational Experience

As mentioned in the official notification, candidates must have a degree in Engineering/Technology (B.E./B.Tech) or equivalent qualification in subjects like Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, and Telecommunication from a recognized Government Institution or University.

3. Age Limit

The age limit of the candidates will be calculated as of 01 January 2025. The age limit of the applicants to apply for the UPSC ESE 2025 Exam should be as follows.

• Minimum Age Limit: 21 years
• Maximum Age Limit: 30 years

How To Apply for UPSC ESE Examination 2025?

The online application window for UPSC ESE 2025 has been activated on the official website, www.upsc.gov.in, and candidates can apply until 08 October 2024 through online mode.

To apply online, follow the steps given below –

• Visit the official UPSC website (Union Public Service Commission).
• Head over to the What’s New section on the home page and click on the ‘Official Notification – Engineering Services Examination 2025 – Preliminary’ link.
• After that, the website will redirect you to a new webpage. Download the official notification of the ESE Exam and read and understand the eligibility criteria clearly before filling out the form.

• Next, on the same portal, select the Click Here button to begin filling out the Application Form.
• After that, candidates must register themselves on the UPSC website’s One Time Registration (OTR) platform.
• After successful registration, you’ll be assigned an OTR Number. Log in with your OTR ID, Phone Number, or E-mail Address, and click the Login button.
• Click on the Latest Notification tab to proceed to fill out the online application form.
• Provide necessary information regarding date of birth, category, educational qualification, etc., and upload the required documents.
• Upload the scanned copies of your photograph, signature, and photo ID proof in the required format mentioned in the notification.
• After that, pay the application fee and then click on Final Submit.
• Finally, download the final copy of the online application form and save it for future use.

That’s it. This is how you can easily apply for the UPSC ESE examination.

Important Dates of UPSC ESE Examination 2025

Notification Release Date	18th September 2024
Last Date to Submit the Form	8th October 2024
Modification in Application Form	9th October 2024 to 15th October 2024
Preliminary Exam Date	9th February 2025

UPSC ESE 2025 Application Fees

To complete the application process, candidates have to pay the application fee online using a debit card/credit card, internet banking, UPI wallet, etc. The category-wise application fees required to apply for UPSC ESE 2025 are as follows:

Category of the Candidates	Application Fee
UR/ OBC/ EWS	Rs. 200
SC/ ST/ PWD /Ex-Servicemen/ Female	NIL

Selection Process of UPSC ESE Examination 2025

The selection process for the UPSC ESE Examination 2025 consists of three important stages – the Prelims Exam, the Mains Exam, and the Personality Test.

Stage 1 – Preliminary Exam

The first and most important stage of selection for the IES/ESE examination is the preliminary exam. Prelims will be conducted in two papers for a total of 500 marks. To get selected, you have to qualify the preliminary as well as main examination for this recruitment. The UPSC IES Preliminary Exam is divided into two sections – General Ability and Engineering Branch.

Both sections in the preliminary examination will consist of graduation-level questions.

Stage 2 – Mains Exam

Candidates who qualify for Paper I and Paper II of UPSC IES Prelims will be eligible for the IES Main examination. IES Mains is the second stage of the selection process and will be conducted for a total of 600 marks, divided into two traditional subject-specific papers of 300 marks each.

UPSC (ESE) IES Mains Exam will have two descriptive type papers – Paper 3 and Paper 4. Both the papers will have questions from the chosen engineering discipline (Civil Engineering/Mechanical Engineering/Electrical/Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering).

Stage 3 – Personality Test

There is a minimum UPSC IES cut-off that a candidate has to score to clear the Prelims and Mains exam. Once you clear the Mains Exam, you will be informed about the selection and then called for the IES Personality Test. The personality test also known as a personal interview will be of 200 marks. 

UPSC ESE 2025 Exam Pattern

Stage 1 – Preliminary Exam

Papers	Subject	Marks	Duration	Negative Marking
Paper 1	General Studies and Engineering Aptitude Paper	200 Marks	2 Hours	1/3 of Negative Marking
Paper 2	Engineering Discipline – Specific Paper	300 Marks	3 Hours	1/3 of Negative Marking
	Total	500 Marks	5 Hours

Stage 2 – Mains Exam

Papers	Subject	Marks	Duration	Negative Marking
Paper 3	Engineering Discipline – Specific Paper 1	300 Marks	3 Hours	No Negative Marking
Paper 4	Engineering Discipline – Specific Paper 2	300 Marks	3 Hours	No Negative Marking
	Total	600 Marks	6 Hours

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