The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2023 Mains exam on March 31, 2023. The release was made on the official website, and the Preliminary Exam Result was available online on March 3, 2023. The Preliminary exam for the ESE 2023 was conducted on February 19, 2023, and the Mains Exam will be shown on June 25, 2023.
Candidates were allowed to complete the application form online until October 4, 2022. The application form was made available on the official website from September 14, 2022, onwards, at the same time when the ESE 2023 notification was also released.
About UPSC ESE:
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is responsible for conducting the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) or UPSC ESE. This is an entrance exam to select suitable candidates for various group A and B Service posts across multiple categories in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, and Telecommunication engineering.
These jobs offer employment with Indian Railways, Indian Ordnance Factories, Central Water Engineering Service, Indian Skill Development Service, and other organisations. Successful candidates will be offered a pay scale of Rs 15600 – 39100.
To be eligible for the examination, a candidate should be between the age of 21 to 30 years and should have acquired a bachelor’s degree in Engineering. The selection process for UPSC ESE comprises three stages- prelims, mains, and a personality test. Those who secure marks higher than the cutoff for each step are shortlisted for the final selection.
UPSC ESE 2023-Highlights:
- Full Exam Name: Union Public Service Commission Engineering Services Exam
- Short Exam Name: UPSC ESE
- Conducting Body: Union Public Service Commission
- Frequency of Conduct: Once a year
- Languages: English
- Mode of Application: Offline / Online
- Application Fee (General): 200 Rs [Offline]; 200 Rs [Online]
- Duration: UPSC ESE Preliminary Exam- 5 Hours; UPSC ESE Main Exam- 6 Hours
- Number of Seats: 327 Seats
UPSC ESE 2023-Important Dates:
UPSC ESE Main Exam (Session 2023):
- 25 June 2023: UPSC ESE Main Exam (Offline)
UPSC ESE Preliminary Exam (Session 2023):
- 03 Mar 2023: Result | Mode: Online
- 19 Feb 2023: Exam – Paper 2 – Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics & Telecom | Mode: Offline
- 27 Jan 2023: 19 Feb 2023: Admit Card | Mode: Online
- 19 Feb 2023: Exam – Paper 1 – General Studies and Engineering Aptitude | Mode: Offline
UPSC ESE (Session 2023):
- 12 Oct 2022: 18 Oct 2022: Application withdrawal | Mode: Online
- 14 Sep 2022: 04 Oct 2022: Application | Mode: Online
- 04 Oct 2022: Fee payment (Online) – Last date | Mode: Online
- 03 Oct 2022: Fee payment (Offline) – Last date | Mode: Offline
- 14 Sep 2022: Advertisement | Mode: Online
UPSC ESE 2023-Eligibility Criteria:
UPSC determines the eligibility criteria for UPSC ESE, and candidates must fulfil them before filling out the application form. The eligibility is based on nationality, age limit, and educational qualifications.
To meet the UPSC ESE 2023 eligibility criteria, candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, be an Indian citizen, and be between 21 to 30 years old. However, certain age relaxations have been given to candidates belonging to reserved categories.
The minimum age limit for UPSC ESE eligibility criteria is 21 years, while the maximum is 30 years. Candidates belonging to SC/ST categories have a relaxation of 5 years, OBC candidates have a peace of 3 years, and domicile of Jammu and Kashmir has an ease of 5 years.
Ex-servicemen and ECOs/SSCOs have a relaxation of 5 years. Defence Services personnel who were disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence have a relaxation of 3 years. Deaf-mute and orthopedically handicapped persons have a peace of 10 years.
UPSC ESE 2023-Application Process:
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) closed the UPSC ESE 2023 application form on October 4 on the official website at [LINK]. The UPSC ESE application form 2023 was released on September 14, 2022.
- Steps to fill out UPSC ESE Application form 2023:
The application process for UPSC ESE 2023 was available in two modes: offline and online. Candidates must register on the official website and fill in their basic details. Further, the candidates had to upload the necessary documents and pay the application fee through any payment mode such as Net Banking, Credit Card, Debit Card, or Bank Challan. Once the form was filled, candidates were required to check all the details carefully before submitting the form.
- UPSC DAF 2023:
The Detailed Application Form (DAF) was meant to be filled by candidates who cleared the prelims exam.
- To fill out the DAF, candidates first had to register themselves and fill in the basic details like name, roll number, email-id, date of birth, etc., and click on the ‘Submit’ button.
- An email containing login credentials was sent to the candidates.
- Once logged in, the candidates had to complete six modules: Personal, Parental, Educational, and Employment information.
- The documents, such as educational qualification, age proof certificate, PH Certificate, Community Certificate, etc., had to be uploaded, after which the application form could be submitted.
- Application Fees:
The application fee for UPSC ESE 2023 for General, EWS, and OBC category candidates was ₹200, and the payment had to be done offline and online.
UPSC ESE 2023-Exam Pattern:
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2023 for recruitment to various engineering services of the government of India.
The selection process for UPSC ESE 2023 comprises the preliminary and main exams.
UPSC ESE Prelims Exam Pattern:
The preliminary UPSC ESE exam is objective and conducted for two papers – papers I and II.
- Paper I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) is held for two hours, during which candidates are asked questions for 200 marks.
- Paper II (Engineering Services Exam as per Specific disciplines) is held for three hours, and candidates are asked questions for 300 marks.
UPSC ESE Main Exam Pattern:
Candidates who qualify in the preliminary exam can appear for the main exam. The mains exam of UPSC ESE is descriptive and is conducted for two papers – papers I and II for 300 marks each.
- Paper I (Engineering Exam) and II (Engineering Exam) are held for three hours each for 600 marks. Here Engineering exam varies for different subjects, i.e. Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering.
Candidates who qualify in the mains exam must appear for a Personality Interview.
UPSC ESE 2023-Admit Card:
The UPSC ESE 2023 admit UPSC has issued a card for the preliminary exam. Applicants can download the admit card online from the official website of the UPSC using either their registration ID or roll number. Along with the admit card, candidates must carry any of the accepted photo ID proofs to the exam centre. The UPSC ESE main exam admit card will be issued only to the candidates who have qualified for the preliminary exam.
To download the UPSC ESE Prelims admit card, candidates must follow the given steps:
- Visit the official website of UPSC
- Click on the UPSC ESE 2023 admit card link
- Click on the “To download e-admit card” link
- Read and accept the instructions on the screen
- Choose either registration ID or roll number and enter the required login credentials
- The UPSC ESE admit card 2023 will be displayed on the screen
- Download the admit card and take a printout.
To download the UPSC ESE Mains admit card, candidates must follow the given steps:
- Visit the official website of UPSC
- Click on the UPSC ESE 2023 admit card link
- Choose either registration ID or roll number
- Enter the required login credentials
- The UPSC ESE mains admit card 2023 will be displayed on the screen
- Download the admit card and take a printout.
Documents Required At Exam:
Attending the Union Public Service Commission’s Engineering Service Exam (ESE) can be a complex process; the last thing you want to worry about is needing the proper documents. Fortunately, the UPSC has compiled a list of the documents you’ll need to bring to the exam in both the Preliminary and main exams.
For the Preliminary Exam, you must bring your admit card, Aadhaar card, passport, voter card, driving licence, PAN card, and photo ID card issued by the state or central government.
The Main Exam documents required are slightly different and include your admit card, Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter card, driving licence, passport, and photo ID card issued by the state or central government.
Preparing and bringing these documents in advance can reduce your stress on exam day. That way, you can concentrate on performing your best on the ESE and taking the next steps towards achieving your dreams.
UPSC ESE 2023-Answer Key:
The answer key of UPSC ESE 2023 is likely to be released after the recruitment process. It will be available for the Prelims stage only. Candidates must visit the official website of UPSC to download the answer key in PDF form.
To access the answer key, candidates have to follow these simple steps:
- Step 1: Visit the official website of UPSC
- Step 2: Go to the Examination section and select the answer key option from the drop-down
- Step 3: Select the UPSC ESE answer key
- Step 4: The answer key in PDF form will appear on the screen
- Step 5: Download the answer key PDF and check the answers against those in the answer key.
Note that the UPSC does not provide any option for challenging the answers. The answer key will help candidates know the correct answers to the questions asked in the examination.
UPSC ESE 2023-Selection Process:
The selection process of the UPSC Engineering Services Exam 2023 requires the candidates to undergo three stages.
- The first stage is the Prelims examination. It is an objective type paper consisting of two papers, paper I and paper II, and tests the candidate’s knowledge and understanding in the respective engineering fields. Candidates need to secure the minimum cut-off marks to proceed further.
- The second stage is the Mains exam. It has two papers again and tests the analytical abilities of the candidate. Candidates must obtain the prescribed cut-off marks to pass this stage and progress further.
- The final and third stage of the selection process is the Interview. It is conducted to gauge the candidates’ overall understanding of their engineering field. The exam conducting authorities prepare a list of successful applicants after declaring the result, along with a reserve list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the maximum age limit for candidates to apply for the ESE exam?
A: The upper age limit for general candidates to apply for the ESE exam is 30 years.
Q: When was the last date to submit the ESE 2023 application form?
A: The last date to fill out the ESE application form for 2023 was October 4, 2022.
Q: When was the UPSC ESE 2023 notification released?
A: The UPSC ESE 2023 notification was released on September 14, 2022.
Q: When will the UPSC ESE cut-off be released?
A: The Commission will release the cut-off of ESE after the declaration of the final result.
Q: When will the answer key of ESE 2023 be released?
A: UPSC will release the answer key of ESE 2023 after declaring the final result.
Q: When will I receive my UPSC ESE prelims exam admit card?
A: The UPSC ESE prelims exam admit card was released on the official website on January 27, 2023.
Q: What is the salary of an ESE officer?
A: During joining time, ESE candidates receive remuneration of Rs.15,600 – 39,100/ as basic pay, while grade pay will be 5,400.
Q: Is IES the same as IAS?
A: No, ESE or IES exam is a class A post in the technical field, while IAS is a generalist post.
Q: Is IES the same as ESE?
A: Engineering Services Examination (ESE) was previously known as Indian Engineering Services (IES).
Q: How will the final merit list be prepared?
A: The final merit list will be prepared based on the marks secured by the candidates in the mains exam and the interview/personality test.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of attempts to appear in the UPSC ESE 2023 exam?
A: No, there is no limit on the number of attempts a candidate can take, but they can appear for the exam only until they meet the age criteria of 30.
Q: How should I correct my UPSC ESE 2023 application form? Will I have to fill out another form?
A: UPSC activates an application correction window for a limited period, during which you can make changes/corrections to your application form.
Q: Do I need to secure a specific mark in graduation to appear in the UPSC ESE 2023 exam?
A: To appear in the UPSC ESE exam, a candidate must hold an engineering degree with at least 60% marks.
Q: What is the upper age limit for appearing in the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) exam?
A: To appear in the UPSC ESE examination, a candidate must be at least 21 and more than 30 years of age. However, certain age relaxations have been given to candidates belonging to reserved categories, like SC/ST – 5 years, OBC – 3 years, etc.
