Status — notification PDF not uploaded yet
UPSC’s Annual Calendar 2027 lists 16 September 2026 as the notification date for the Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2027. As of this morning’s check, the official ESE 2027 notification PDF is not yet on What's New or Examination Notifications. This page is a live tracker. When the PDF goes live, the same URL will be updated with the download link, notice number, vacancy count, and exact apply-window wording.
UPSC ESE 2027 (Engineering Services Examination — also called IES) is not the Civil Services Examination. It recruits engineering Group A/B services across Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics & Telecommunication streams. Per the official UPSC Calendar 2027 (as on 20 May 2026), the Commission is scheduled to notify the exam on 16 September 2026, close applications by 6 October 2026, and hold Prelims on 31 January 2027.
Key highlights
- Calendar notification date: 16 September 2026 (PDF may appear later the same day or slip — see 2026 precedent below)
- Last date for applications (calendar): 6 October 2026
- ESE Prelims 2027: 31 January 2027 (Sunday)
- ESE Mains 2027: 18 June 2027 (Friday)
- Official sites: upsc.gov.in · apply via upsconline.gov.in / upsconline.nic.in
ESE vs CSE — do not mix the notices
| ESE / IES | CSE | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Engineering Services Examination | Civil Services Examination |
| Who it is for | Engineering graduates (four discipline categories) | Graduates aiming for IAS, IPS, IFS and allied civil services |
| 2027 calendar notification | 16 September 2026 | 13 January 2027 |
| 2027 Prelims (calendar) | 31 January 2027 | 23 May 2027 |
If you are preparing for IAS/IPS, use the UPSC 2027 calendar and CSE notification 2027 guides — not this page.
Dates at a glance (official calendar)
Source: Programme of Examinations/RTs — 2027.
| Milestone | Calendar date |
|---|---|
| Notification | 16 September 2026 |
| Last date for receipt of applications | 6 October 2026 |
| Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2027 | 31 January 2027 (Sunday) — 1 day |
| Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2027 | 18 June 2027 (Friday) — 1 day |
UPSC footnotes that notification and exam dates are liable to alteration. Treat the calendar as planning anchors until the live notice overrides them.
Why the calendar date is not a guarantee
For ESE 2026, the calendar and the actual notice diverged:
| Milestone | Calendar 2026 | Actual ESE 2026 notice |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | 17 September 2025 | 26 September 2025 |
| Last date to apply | 7 October 2025 | 16 October 2025 till 6:00 PM |
| Prelims | 8 February 2026 | 8 February 2026 (aligned) |
Sources: Calendar 2026 PDF · ESE 2026 notice.
So: watch the site today, but do not assume the PDF has dropped just because the calendar row says 16.09.2026.
Where to download the ESE 2027 notification PDF
Check these official locations in order:
- What's New
- Examination Notifications
- Dedicated exam page: Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2027
- Forthcoming Examinations
Ignore coaching WhatsApp forwards. The only authoritative PDF is on upsc.gov.in.
How to apply (process from the last official cycle)
Until the 2027 notice is live, follow the process used in the ESE 2026 notice:
- Open upsconline.gov.in / upsconline.nic.in
- Create or log into your account and complete Universal Registration (URN)
- Fill the Common Application Form (CAF)
- Open the Engineering Services Examination 2027 module when it is activated
- Pay the fee (if applicable), submit, and save the application number
In 2026, applications closed till 6:00 PM on the last date and could not be withdrawn after submission. Confirm both rules in the 2027 PDF.
Eligibility — provisional (based on ESE 2026 notice)
Everything in this section is from Examination Notice No. 02/2026 ENGG. dated 26 September 2025. Re-check every figure against the ESE 2027 PDF when it is published — age cut-off date, fee, vacancies, and service list are year-specific.
Streams / categories
- Category I — Civil Engineering
- Category II — Mechanical Engineering
- Category III — Electrical Engineering
- Category IV — Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
Nationality
Citizen of India, or other categories listed in the notice (Nepal/Bhutan subjects, certain Tibetan refugees, PIOs from specified countries) with certificate rules as published.
Age (2026 wording — cut-off 1 January 2026)
Must have attained 21 years and must not have attained 30 years on 1 January 2026, with relaxations for SC/ST, OBC, PwBD, Ex-servicemen, and specified government servants as in the notice.
For 2027: expect a parallel formula with a 1 January 2027 cut-off — unverified until the new PDF.
Educational qualification
An engineering degree from a recognised university/institution (or listed equivalents such as IE(I) Sections A & B, certain foreign degrees, and other membership exams named in the notice). Final-year / result-awaited candidates may apply provisionally under the notice’s NOTE-2 rules. Delhi High Court–related restrictions on some institutional certificates for admissions after 31 May 2013 applied in 2026 — confirm again in 2027.
Application fee (2026)
₹200 for candidates who are not exempt. Female / SC / ST / PwBD candidates were exempt. OBC candidates were not fee-exempt. Confirm 2027 fee text in the live notice.
Exam pattern — provisional overview
From Appendix I of the ESE 2026 notice (scheme is usually stable; still confirm in 2027):
| Stage | Papers | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Stage-I Prelims | Paper-I GS & Engineering Aptitude (objective, 2 hrs) + Paper-II Engineering Discipline (objective, 3 hrs) | 200 + 300 = 500 (negative marking) |
| Stage-II Mains | Two conventional papers in the chosen discipline (3 hrs each, English) | 300 + 300 = 600 |
| Stage-III | Personality Test | 200 |
| Final merit | Stage-I + Stage-II + Stage-III | Service allotment by rank + preference |
Roughly 6–7× vacancies are called to Mains and about 2× to the Personality Test (as stated in the 2026 scheme text).
What to do today
- Bookmark What's New and the ESE 2027 exam page
- Keep URN / CAF ready on upsconline.gov.in so you can apply as soon as the module opens
- Do not wait for coaching PDFs — download the Commission’s notice yourself
- Plan backwards from 31 January 2027 Prelims once the notice confirms the date
FAQs
Is the UPSC ESE 2027 notification out?
Not as a downloadable PDF at the time of writing (16 September 2026 morning IST). The calendar lists today as the notification date. Refresh What's New and Examination Notifications for the official file.
What is the last date to apply for ESE 2027?
The calendar says 6 October 2026. The live notice may shift the window (as it did in 2026). Use the PDF’s last date and any 6:00 PM cutoff language when published.
When is UPSC ESE Prelims 2027?
31 January 2027 (Sunday) as per the Annual Calendar 2027.
When is UPSC ESE Mains 2027?
18 June 2027 (Friday) as per the same calendar.
Is ESE the same as CSE?
No. ESE/IES is the Engineering Services Examination. CSE is the Civil Services Examination (IAS/IPS and allied). Different notice, syllabus, and dates.