The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2026 Preliminary Stage (Stage I) dates. As per the official schedule, the UPSC ESE 2026 prelims will be held on February 8, 2026, at various examination centres across the country.
The preliminary exam will be conducted in two sessions. The General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (Paper 1) - common to all branches - will be held from 9.30 AM to 11.30 AM and will carry 200 marks. The discipline-specific paper (Paper 2) will take place in the afternoon session from 2 PM to 5 PM, carrying 300 marks.
UPSC will conduct the Paper 2 examination separately for four engineering disciplines - Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering. The subject codes are as follows: Civil (11), Mechanical (21), Electrical (31), and Electronics & Telecommunication (41). The General Studies and Engineering Aptitude Paper carries a common subject code 01 for all candidates.
The UPSC ESE 2026 will be held to recruit candidates for 474 posts in various engineering disciplines under different Central Government departments. The examination process consists of three stages - Preliminary, Main, and Personality Test. Candidates who qualify in the preliminary stage will be eligible to appear for the Main Examination.
Candidates are advised to visit the official UPSC website (upsc.gov.in) for the detailed timetable and further updates regarding the Engineering Services Examination 2026.