UPSC ESE Recruitment Notification 2026
🧾 Overview
- Exam Name: Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2026
- Exam Conducting Body: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
- Notification Date: 26th September 2025
- Last Date to Apply: 16th October 2025 (till 6:00 PM)
- Preliminary Exam Date: 8th February 2026
- Website: www.upsc.gov.in, https://upsconline.nic.in
🧩 Key Highlights
- UPSC has introduced a new Online Application Portal with four modules:
- Account Creation
- Universal Registration (URN)
- Common Application Form (CAF)
- Exam-Specific Form
- Old One-Time Registration (OTR) is discontinued.
- Aadhaar is recommended for ID verification.
- Candidates must freshly register under this new system.
📅 Important Dates
- Application Start: 26.09.2025
- Application End: 16.10.2025 (6 PM)
- Prelims Exam: 08.02.2026
- E-Admit Card: To be released one week before the exam.
🧑🎓 Vacancies & Categories
- Total Vacancies: Approximately 474
- PwBD Vacancies: 26 (including 15 for Locomotor Disability, 7 for Hard of Hearing, 1 for Low Vision, and 3 for SLD/MD)
- Reservation: SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD categories as per Govt. norms.
🏗️ Categories & Disciplines
The examination will recruit for the following engineering categories:
- Civil Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
🧠 Examination Pattern
- Stage I: Preliminary Exam (Objective Type)
- Stage II: Main Exam (Conventional Type)
- Stage III: Personality Test / Interview
- Negative Marking: Applicable for wrong answers in objective papers.
🏢 Services Covered
Recruitment will be made for Group A & B Services across various departments:
- Central Engineering Services
- Border Roads Engineering Service
- Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS)
- Central Water Engineering Service
- Indian Skill Development Service
- Indian Naval Material Management Service
- Central Power Engineering Service
- Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service
- Indian Telecom and Radio Regulatory Services
(Full list available in Appendix-I of the notification)
🌍 Exam Centres
- Prelims: 42+ cities across India (including Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, etc.)
- Mains: Conducted in select 24 cities.
- Centres are allotted on a first-apply-first-allot basis.
🧾 Eligibility Criteria
1. Nationality
- Must be a citizen of India, or
- A subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or
- Tibetan refugee settled before 1st January 1962, or
- PIO migrated from specified countries.
2. Age Limit (as on 1st Jan 2026)
- 21 to 30 years (Born between 2nd Jan 1996 and 1st Jan 2005)
- Relaxations:
- SC/ST: 5 years
- OBC: 3 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- Ex-Servicemen/Govt. employees: As per rules
3. Educational Qualification
- Must hold an Engineering degree from a recognized university OR
- Passed Sections A & B of Institution of Engineers (India) OR
- Equivalent foreign degree recognized by Govt. of India
- Candidates appearing in final year may apply provisionally
4. Physical Standards
- Must meet physical standards as per Appendix-II of Rules.
💰 Application Fee
- Fee: ₹200/-
- Mode: SBI Branch / Credit/Debit Card / UPI / Net Banking
- Exemption: Female / SC / ST / PwBD candidates
🧾 Document Upload & Photo Guidelines
- Photo should be recent (within 10 days) of application start.
- Candidate’s face must occupy ¾ of the photo.
- Same appearance to be maintained through all stages.
🧑💻 How to Apply
- Register on https://upsconline.nic.in
- Generate URN and fill CAF
- Upload required documents (ID, photo, certificates)
- Pay fee and submit application
- No withdrawal of applications allowed once submitted
☎️ Helpline
- Phone: 011-24041001
- Hours: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM (Working Days)
- Period: From 26.09.2025 to 16.10.2025
📵 Exam Day Instructions
- Black ball pen only (no pencils or colored pens).
- Mobile phones, smartwatches, or electronic devices strictly prohibited.
- Arrive 30 minutes before exam start time — no late entry allowed.
⚖️ Tie-Breaking Rules
If total marks are equal:
- Higher marks in engineering discipline papers → higher rank
- If still tied → older candidate ranked higher
🩺 Medical Examination
- Conducted after final selection by Department of Telecommunications
- Medical status (Fit/Unfit) will be uploaded online only
🧑🦽 PwBD Guidelines
- Disability must be 40% or more
- Only eligible sub-categories (as per Annexure-I) are considered
- Temporary certificates not valid
🛑 Disqualification & Penalties
Candidate may be disqualified for:
- Impersonation, false information, tampering documents
- Possession of banned items
- Misconduct during exam
Penalties include permanent debarment or legal action.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Apply only through new UPSC portal; old OTR not valid.
- Ensure correct URN, documents, and category details before submission.
- No request for correction after submission.
- Prelims on 8th February 2026; prepare early.
Last Date : October 16th, 2025
