Eligibility for Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025

After 4 years of engineering, almost every new graduate engineer longs for a secure, respectable, and powerful job profile where the students can bring their academic years of knowledge to the best use. While we all aspire to the same dream of serving our country as civil servants, some of us miss the best opportunities that the government provides us, one of which is getting into Engineering Services Examinations. An opportunity to work as a civil servant looking after the technical and managerial functions of the Government of India. It provides the chance to work on already running government projects, help improve them, and contribute dearly to the new projects, which are yet to see the light of day.

Indian Engineering Services (IES), also known as the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) is one of the prestigious and most challenging exams across the country. Usually, government exam aspirants desire to secure selection under the Engineering Services Examination (ESE). Therefore, if you are one of them, then you must understand the aspects associated with ESE eligibility.

The Indian Engineering Services (IES) Examination or Engineering Services Examination, conducted annually by UPSC to recruit engineers of various domains, is considered one of the toughest examinations in the country as it tests the technical aspect of every student. Every year, lakhs of student give the exam but only a handful, some thousands are successful in starting their careers as government employees. This number further comes down to a hundred when we talk about the number of selected candidates in a specific branch. Therefore, it is important to keep track of the latest cut-offs to ensure the execution of the next steps accordingly.

The candidates selected after the result of medical checkups are posted in various Ministries and Departments of the GOI such as Railways, Telecom, Border Roads, CPWD, CWC, CPES, NHAI, Naval Armaments, IDSE, MES, Ordnance Factories, etc. Later in their career, they are allowed to move to any cadre, organization, agency, department, ministry, or PSU of the Government of India. All the selected candidates receive the designation of Class-1 officers.

Brief Introduction:

Notification	September  (Mostly)
Conducting Body	UPSC
Mode of Application	Online
Minimum Qualification	Bachelor’s in engineering from a recognized university
Mandatory documents required	Scanned copy of academic certificates, photograph, and signature
Application Fee	General Category- Rs 200 Females and Reserved Category-  Exempted
Categories of exam (Every student must choose from the 4 domains mentioned)	Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and Electronics and telecommunication
Selection Process	Phase 1 (Prelims) Phase 2 (Main) Phase 3 (Personality Test)
Contact	Website: www.upsc.gov.in Phone no. 011‐23385271/011‐23381125/011‐23098543

If you still have some confusion regarding the exam, visit us at: https://bit.ly/2RiKPRR

After a brief introduction to the exam let us now discuss the eligibility criteria that every candidate is supposed to fulfill to apply for the exam.

Eligibility for Engineering Services Examination

Every year in September, UPSC releases the notification for the ESE along with the Engineering Services Examination eligibility criteria, syllabus, and any other necessary information. The eligibility criteria for the Engineering Services Examination are 5 fold, and we shall go through and discuss them one by one.  Every criterion is mandatory and failing even one can also lead to disqualification at a later stage.

A. Nationality:

The UPSC specifies the nationality conditions for appearing for the Engineering Services Examination. A candidate must be a citizen of one of the following nations:

• India or
• Nepal or
• Bhutan or
• A Tibetan refugee who migrated to India on 1st January 1962 intending to permanently settle in India or
• Indian-origin personnel who have migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, or Vietnam to permanently settle in India.

For applying in the last 4 categories, one must have a government-sanctioned eligibility certificate in his/her favor.

B. Age Limit:

• The lower limit for a candidate appearing in the Engineering Services Examination is 21 years and the upper limit for the same is 30 years. The ESE age limit for OBC comprises 3 years of relaxation for SC/ST/OBC.
• Age relaxation is also provided to various candidates*:

Candidates must keep different points in mind during the application process.

Note:

1. Date of Birth: The commission will only accept the date of birth as recorded in the matriculation/secondary examination certificate or an equivalent certificate on the date of submission of the application, which will not be subject to any changes in the later stage of the recruitment. Therefore, take special care of the date of birth you mention.
2. Reservation: A signed certificate from government authorities must be obtained to claim any form of reservation. Only a valid certificate will be accepted and the commission will conduct a background verification of all the information filled in by the candidate.
3. More than one reservation: If any candidate is eligible for more than one reservation, candidates receive an aggregate reservation for both categories. For instance, the SC/ST/OBC candidates, who are also covered under any other clauses viz., those coming under the category of Ex‐servicemen, persons domiciled in the State of J&K, locomotor disabilities including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims, muscular dystrophy, hearing problems, etc., are eligible for aggregate relaxation under both categories.

For further details, read the official notification from UPSC at ESE 2025 Notification

1. Employees: In the case of contractual employees, they must be working continuously for at least 3 years in a temporary service regularly in the particular Department/Office
2. Government Employees: Concerning the below-mentioned table for any Government employees applying for the ESE the candidate must be an employee of the departments mentioned In Column 1 and must have applied for posts mentioned in Column 2.

 

C. Educational Qualifications:

For applying to the ESE, the candidate must fulfill at least one of the below-mentioned educational qualifications:

• The candidate should have a degree in Engineering from a recognized institute with the minimum percentage required.    OR
• The candidate should have passed Sections A and B of the Institution Examinations of the Institution of Engineers (India)  OR
• The candidate must have obtained a degree/diploma in Engineering from any foreign University/College/Institution and under such conditions as will be recognized by the Government for the purpose from time to time.   OR
• The candidate should have passed a Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (India);  OR
• The candidate should have Passed Associate Membership Examination Parts II and III/Sections A and B of the Aeronautical Society of India. OR
• Passed the Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics and Radio Engineers, London held after November 1959.   OR

• A candidate applying for the post of Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics Engineering Posts) and Indian Radio Regulatory Service Group ‘A’ may possess any of the above qualifications or the below-mentioned qualifications, namely:‐
• For the Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics Engg. Posts), an M.Sc. degree or its equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics, Radio Physics, or Radio Engineering as a special subject.
• For Indian Radio Regulatory Service, an M.Sc. degree or its equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics, Radio Physics, or Radio Engineering as a subject or a Master’s Degree in Science with Physics and Radio Communication, Electronics, or Telecommunication as a special subject.

There are some important points that we must keep in mind.

Note :

A. Final year students: A candidate who has appeared or intends to appear for an examination, passing which he may fulfill one of the above qualifications is also eligible to apply, but admission will depend on providing proof of the requisite qualifying examination.

B. Special case: Admission of a candidate who has passed an examination conducted by other institutions or has a degree from a foreign university not recognized by the Government will be at the discretion of the Commission.

C. Medical

• Candidates recommended will undergo a Medical examination at various Railway hospitals (under the Ministry of Railways).
• The candidates should carry a Government issued Photo ID card and three passport-size photographs with them during the medical examination. For the Candidates who are recommended against Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) vacancies, they must carry their Certificate of Disability.
• For detailed medical fitness criteria in lucid and simple language please check out the following link:  https://bit.ly/2E1drvn

D. Physical Standards

Every year, the commission for the ESE provides the physical standards and a candidate must be physically fit as per those standards, failing to do so can result in the cancellation of the candidate’s application at any given stage. The standards for the examination are mentioned below:

Specification	Post	Male	Female
Height and Chest Measurement	Gr’A’ In Border Roads Organization	Height -152cm Chest Girth – 84+5	Height – 150cm Chest Girth: 79+5
	MES Service Gr ‘A’ Indian Ordnance Factories Service Gr’A’	Expansion 5 cm	Expansion 5 cm
Vision	All	Better Eye (Corrected Vision): 6/6 or 6/9 Worse Eye: 6/12 or 6/9 Better Eye (Corrected Vision): J/I Worse Eye: J/II
Color blindness	ALL	Distance Between the Lamp & the Candidate: Higher Grade of Color Perception: 16 Feet Lower Grade of Color Perception: 16 Feet Size of aperture: Higher Grade of Color Perception:3 mm Lower Grade of Color Perception: 13 mm Time of Exposure: Higher Grade of Color Perception: 5 seconds Lower Grade of Color Perception: 5 seconds

Therefore, UPSC has provided the above-mentioned eligibility conditions for applying, qualifying, and joining the Indian Engineering Services. Failing to fulfill any criteria may also result in disqualification at any stage of the admissions process. Be very careful to read all the conditions with patience and sincerity so that you can be sure about the little details of the examination and choose your service accordingly.

Now that you know about the essential aspects associated with the Engineering Services Examination, let us learn some basic information about the phases of the Engineering Services Examination (ESE).

Who is eligible for the ESE ?

The eligibility criteria for applying to the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) include the following:-

1. The applicants applying for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) ESE 2025 must be between 21 and 30 years old.
2. Educational Qualifications: The applicant interested in applying for the ESE 2025 must possess one of the following qualifications associated with eligibility for engineering and other fields:-

1. A degree in Engineering from a Government-recognized central or state university or institution.
2. A degree/diploma in Engineering from any foreign University or Institution from time to time.
3. Aspirants must pass the Graduate Membership Examination associated with the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (India).
4. Passed the Associate Membership exam, which is Parts II and III, or Sections A and B of the Aeronautical Society of India.
5. Candidates who have secured the required marks in the Institution of Electronics and Radio Engineers, London.

For the Indian Naval Armament Service: It is applicable for Electronics Engineering Posts and Engineer Group ‘A’ in the Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing/Monitoring Organization. The interested candidate can possess one of the above qualifications. Apart from this, they can also possess a M.Sc. degree or its equivalent in the fields of Wireless Communication, Electronics, Radio Engineering, or Radio Physics.

3. Number of attempts: There is a specified maximum number of attempts for the Engineering Services Examination (ESE). Candidates must only follow the eligibility criteria from ESE.
4. Medical requirements: Every candidate must undergo a medical examination according to the authorities associated with the recruitment team of candidates via the ESE. One must undergo a medical examination for the selection process, irrespective of whether the candidate took the medical examination in the past. Apart from this, the candidate must fulfill the medical requirements as specified under the guidelines in Appendix II. The candidates who have filled out the form under the PwD category must ensure that they carry the original disability certificate in the provided format with a photocopy of the same. If the candidate is found unfit, the authorities have the right to exclude the respective candidates from the selection process, if they are unable to fulfill the eligibility criteria for IES.

Which branch engineer can give ESE ?

Engineers from engineering branches such as Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering can attempt the exam with ESE eligibility.

Can 4th-year students apply for ESE?

Yes. Students presently in their 4^th academic year of the above-mentioned degrees can apply for the ESE 2025. UPSC ESE authorities allow students to sit for the exam.

How many attempts are there in ESE 2025?

UPSC ESE has no specific attempt limit in terms of applying for this national-level examination based on the eligibility criteria for Indian Engineering Services.

It is not the goal that matters, but the journey we take, that determines our success.

Hope this blog helped you solve your queries related to the eligibility criteria for the Engineering Services Examination.

All You Need to Know About ESE 2025

 

Dear Aspirants,

While preparing for competitive engineering exams such as GATE, ESE, SES, and various PSU exams, the MADE EASY YouTube channel offers well-researched content to boost your exam preparation. Subscribe to the YouTube channel for latest job notifications, strategic tips and tricks for preparation, proper knowledge on the key concepts, and current affairs.

So, hurry up, subscribe to the MADE EASY: ESE, GATE, and PSUs YouTube channel now, and never miss an update on new videos.