UPSC ESE/IES (Engineering Services) Eligibility 2026

Who can apply for UPSC ESE/IES (Engineering Services) in 2026 — the age limit, educational qualification, nationality and attempt rules as specified by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Always confirm against the official notification before applying.

General eligibility — all disciplines

Age: 21 to 30 years as on 1 January of the examination year. Age relaxation: SC/ST +5 years, OBC (non-creamy layer) +3 years, PwBD up to +10 years (subject to category), defence services personnel disabled in operations +3 years, ex-servicemen up to +5 years, and Jammu & Kashmir / Assam-domicile relaxations as per the notification.
Education: A degree in Engineering from a recognised university OR Sections A and B of the Institution Examinations of the Institution of Engineers (India) — AMIE OR an equivalent foreign qualification recognised by the Government of India. Final-year engineering students may appear provisionally, with the proviso that proof of passing must be submitted before the Mains stage (per the notification's cut-off date).
Nationality: Citizen of India, OR a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, OR a Tibetan refugee who entered India before 1 January 1962 with intent to permanently settle, OR a Person of Indian Origin migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam with intent to settle in India. Non-Indian citizens require a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India before final appointment.

Discipline-specific degree mapping

Age: Same age band — 21 to 30 years with the relaxations above. No additional discipline-specific age relaxation.
Education: Civil branch — B.E./B.Tech in Civil Engineering or equivalent. Mechanical branch — B.E./B.Tech in Mechanical / Production / Industrial / Automobile Engineering as specified in the notification. Electrical branch — B.E./B.Tech in Electrical / Electrical & Electronics Engineering. Electronics & Telecommunication branch — B.E./B.Tech in Electronics / Electronics & Communication / Electronics & Telecommunication / Communication Engineering. The notification annually publishes the exact list of accepted degree titles per discipline — check it carefully if your branch name is non-standard (e.g., Instrumentation, EXTC, ECE).
Nationality: Same as above. Physical and medical standards apply at the final stage — some posts (notably IRSE/IRSEE/IRSSE/IRSME and Border Roads / Naval Armament cadres) have specific medical category and vision requirements that are detailed in the notification's Appendix.

Number of attempts

Age: Within the age window only — there is no explicit cap on the number of attempts as long as the candidate remains within the upper age limit (with applicable relaxations).
Education: Same engineering degree requirement applies for every attempt; once enrolled in the service, the candidate cannot reappear in the same discipline.
Nationality: Same as above. Candidates already serving in the central government on probation may be required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer at the time of application.

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