UPSC ESE 2027 · Syllabus & exam pattern
UPSC ESE Syllabus 2027 and Exam Pattern: Subject-wise Topics
Subjects, number of questions, marks, duration and negative marking for every stage, as printed in the official notice.
UPSC ESE exam pattern 2027
Stages of selection
- 1Stage-I: Preliminary examination (two objective papers, 500 marks)
- 2Stage-II: Main examination (two conventional papers, 600 marks)
- 3Stage-III: Personality Test (200 marks)
- 4Medical examination of finally recommended candidates
Stage-I: Preliminary (objective)
5 hours in all (Paper I 2 hours; Paper II 3 hours)
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (common to all categories) | See notice | 200 |
| Paper II: Engineering discipline (Civil / Mechanical / Electrical / E&T) | See notice | 300 |
Negative marking: one-third (1/3) of the marks of a question for each wrong answer; more than one answer counts as wrong; no penalty for a blank. Answered on an OMR sheet with a black ball pen. Calculators are not allowed in objective papers.
Stage-II: Main (conventional)
6 hours in all (3 hours per paper)
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I: Engineering discipline | — | 300 |
| Paper II: Engineering discipline | — | 300 |
Question papers are set in English only and must be answered in English. Battery-operated pocket calculators are allowed in conventional papers.
Stage-III: Personality Test
—
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Personality Test / Interview | — | 200 |
No minimum qualifying marks for the Personality Test. Final merit uses the marks of all three stages.
Source: Engineering Services Examination, 2027 — Examination Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG (published 16 September 2026). Confirm in the official notice before applying.
The three-stage scheme and negative marking
Stage-I, the preliminary examination, has two objective papers: Paper I, General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (2 hours, 200 marks), common to all categories; and Paper II, your engineering discipline (3 hours, 300 marks). It is answered on an OMR sheet with a black ball pen.
Stage-II, the main examination, has two conventional (descriptive) papers in your engineering discipline, each of 3 hours and 300 marks. Question papers are set in English only.
Stage-III is a personality test of 200 marks, with no minimum qualifying marks. The final order of merit is based on the marks obtained in all three stages; added up, that is a maximum of 1,300 marks (our sum: 500 + 600 + 200).
In the objective papers, one-third (1/3) of the marks of a question is deducted for each wrong answer. Marking more than one answer counts as a wrong answer, even if one of them is correct. There is no penalty for a question left blank.
Battery-operated pocket calculators are allowed only in the conventional papers, not in the objective papers, and may not be lent or exchanged in the hall.
Plan of the examination
| Stage / paper | Type | Time | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims Paper I: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude | Objective | 2 hours | 200 |
| Prelims Paper II: Engineering discipline | Objective | 3 hours | 300 |
| Mains Paper I: Engineering discipline | Conventional | 3 hours | 300 |
| Mains Paper II: Engineering discipline | Conventional | 3 hours | 300 |
| Personality Test | Interview | — | 200 |
Sum of all stages: 1,300 marks (our addition). Prelims and Mains marks both count in the final merit.
Prelims Paper I syllabus: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude
Paper I is common to all four engineering categories. The discipline papers (Prelims Paper II and both Mains papers) follow the syllabus of your chosen category, printed in Appendix I of the notice; read it there.
- Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic and industrial development
- Engineering aptitude covering logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Engineering mathematics and numerical analysis
- General principles of design, drawing and the importance of safety
- Standards and quality practices in production, construction, maintenance and services
- Basics of energy and environment: conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, climate change, environmental impact assessment
- Basics of project management
- Basics of material science and engineering
- Information and communication technology (ICT) based tools and their applications in engineering, such as networking, e-governance and technology-based education
- Ethics and values in the engineering profession
Frequently asked questions
What is the UPSC ESE exam pattern?
Stage-I: Preliminary (objective): Paper I: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (common to all categories), Paper II: Engineering discipline (Civil / Mechanical / Electrical / E&T) (5 hours in all (Paper I 2 hours; Paper II 3 hours)). Negative marking: one-third (1/3) of the marks of a question for each wrong answer; more than one answer counts as wrong; no penalty for a blank. Answered on an OMR sheet with a black ball pen. Calculators are not allowed in objective papers. Stage-II: Main (conventional): Paper I: Engineering discipline, Paper II: Engineering discipline (6 hours in all (3 hours per paper)). Question papers are set in English only and must be answered in English. Battery-operated pocket calculators are allowed in conventional papers. Stage-III: Personality Test: Personality Test / Interview (—). No minimum qualifying marks for the Personality Test. Final merit uses the marks of all three stages.
What is the UPSC ESE exam pattern?
Prelims: Paper I General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (200 marks, 2 hours) and Paper II discipline paper (300 marks, 3 hours). Mains: two conventional discipline papers of 300 marks each (3 hours each). Personality test: 200 marks.
Is there negative marking in UPSC ESE?
Yes, in the objective prelims papers: one-third of the marks of a question for each wrong answer. More than one answer counts as wrong; blanks carry no penalty.
In which language are ESE papers set?
The conventional Mains papers are set in English only and must be answered in English.