The Engineering Services Examination, ESE, has always been an in-demand exam among the engineering graduates. And with the recent announcement of Indian Railway Management Services coming back through ESE 2025, there has been a buzz among the aspiring engineers. The UPSC ESE 2025 notification has been released, and approximately 232 vacancies are to be filled through the UPSC ESE 2025. In addition, there are approximately 225 vacancies that will be filled in the IRMS through ESE 2025. Therefore, a total of 457 vacancies are to be filled through the ESE 2025. It's a golden opportunity for aspiring engineers to secure highly desired & prominent positions within various government departments and organizations. ESE 2025 will be conducted in three stages: prelims, mains, and an interview. The prelims exam will be conducted in two segments: 1. General Studies and Engineering Aptitude and 2. Respective engineering stream (Technical stream). The first section that comprises General Studies for ESE is 200 marks, which indicates that it has an important role in the ESE. The total duration of this section is 2 hours. The second section is 300 marks, and candidates get 3 hours duration for this section. Therefore, if you are an ESE aspirant, you must dedicate a significant amount of time to the preparation of the General Studies subject. The blog will uncover simple and effective preparation strategies for general studies for ESE 2025. Preparation strategy for General Studies for ESE: ESE aspirants can score significantly high with the proper and timely preparation of General Studies for ESE. Here are the expert ways to prepare for the ESE General Studies to score the maximum possible marks in the exam. ● Choose the best resources: ESE is a challenging exam to crack with the best results. Therefore, ESE aspirants must choose the best resources to prepare for this exam for the right guidance and to avoid unnecessary time wastage. You must select a few reference books before getting started with your exam preparation journey. Along with this, you must also emphasize finalizing and enrolling in a trustworthy course to avoid getting distracted during your exam preparation journey. You can choose General Studies and Engineering Aptitude books for ESE 2025, catering to only General Studies subjects based on your entrance exam preparation schedule. ● Understand the subject well: General Studies is a subject that requires proper planning and preparation to score the best marks in the respective subject. Before commencing with the full-fledged exam preparation, you must understand the basic pattern of the subject to ensure that you do not face any hassles while preparing for this subject in the study sessions. The General Studies subject is present with Engineering Aptitude in the ESE Prelims, and each topic’s weightage in the ESE ranges from 5% to 15%. ● Get started early: ESE General Studies is an important subject that requires keen focus and revision from time to time. Therefore, start early and go ahead with your preparation to secure the best possible marks in the examination. To get started early, you must get rid of procrastination and aim to achieve consistency in your exam preparation for General Studies for ESE. If you are in college, then you will have ample time to prepare for the same. If you are currently working, you must understand and dedicate a significant period for the General Studies subject preparation. ● Prepare a study schedule: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude form one paper together in the ESE Prelims. Therefore, you must prioritize your General Studies exam preparation with the other segment of this paper with a study schedule that is flexible to some extent. You must understand that the ESE Prelims is the first phase of this competitive exam. Therefore, you must prepare your best to perform well in this paper and score the best possible marks in the prelims examination. You must create different slots for semi-technical and non-technical subjects. ESE aspirants must prioritize understanding concepts and analytical skills for semi-technical subjects. On the other hand, ESE aspirants must memorize certain facts and figures specified in the respective topics of the non-technical subjects. ● Find a mentor: ESE online coaching is beneficial for aspirants, but it is also important to have a mentor if you are serious enough to crack this competitive exam with appreciating marks. Therefore, you must choose the ideal live online course that caters to effective exam preparation for the ESE. The quality online courses offer the best guidance to aspirants in the form of experienced ESE faculty. ● Conduct revision sessions: Revision is the key to success in any competitive exam. Therefore, you must prioritize revision sessions from time to time. The live online courses dedicated to General Studies for ESE ensure that the ESE aspirants perform timely revision throughout the ESE preparation journey. You can align your exam preparation schedule with routine revision sessions to prepare for this national-level examination. ● Use technology: With the rise in advanced technology, especially the ones related to smartphones and portable devices, government exam aspirants have the facility to utilize the technology for their competitive exam preparation. General Studies for ESE requires decent efforts and revision. Therefore, it might be difficult for you to stay on track without utilizing the internet-based resources available around you. You can refer to the study applications that offer quick access to the study material for ESE General Studies preparation and routine revision. ● Build self-confidence: Every competitive exam preparation journey tests the patience and self-confidence level of the exam aspirants. Therefore, you must build self-confidence and ensure that you deal with obstacles and challenges in the best possible manner. One of the effective ways to build self-confidence is consistent practice. The more you practice reading and attempting questions, you will observe a significant boost in your confidence levels. A combination of timely and consistent studying of the subjects, revision, and routine practice of the questions is the key to a boost in the self-confidence levels of the ESE aspirants. Now that you have found the expert ways to prepare for the General Studies for ESE, it is important to choose the best guidance that will help you receive guidance for this crucial subject in ESE. If you are tired of brainstorming and researching regarding the best courses for ESE General Studies, here is the MADE EASY Prime course created for ESE aspirants – MADE EASY Live/Online General Studies Course for ESE 2025. Course features: ● Exam-oriented teaching ● Availability of systematic subject sequence ● Best teaching pedagogy that gives an experience like that of a classroom teaching ● Students can watch lectures in the recorded mode. Along with the best ESE Online Coaching, you must also choose to study from the best books created and recommended by the subject experts conducting GS classes for years now. One of those General Studies Books is MADE EASY General Studies 2025 for UPSC, SSC, and PSUs. Also, if you are looking for a list of useful General Studies and Engineering Aptitude book for ESE 2025. Therefore, it is essential to refer to these books for effective General Studies preparation for the ESE. Frequently Asked Questions Here are the answers to the most common queries associated with the ESE: 1. What are the stages of the ESE Prelims? Ans. The ESE Prelims includes two stages: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude with the respective engineering stream’s technical paper. 2. When will UPSC conduct ESE Prelims and Mains in 2025? Ans. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will conduct the ESE Prelims on 8th June 2025 and ESE Mains on 10th August 2025, respectively. 3. Can candidates use calculators in the ESE? Ans. Candidates cannot use calculators for the ESE Prelims but they can use calculators in the ESE Mains. 4. What is the eligibility criterion for ESE? Ans. ESE candidates must hold an engineering degree from a recognized university or institution. Final year students can also apply for the exam. 5. What are the disciplines eligible for ESE? Ans. The ESE is conducted for four engineering disciplines: ● Civil Engineering ● Mechanical Engineering ● Electrical Engineering ● Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering 6. Is IRMS recruitment through ESE exclusive for railway roles? Ans. Yes, recruitment of officers in Indian Railways Management Services through ESE exclusive for Indian railways. 7. Can candidates apply for both ESE and GATE simultaneously? Ans. Yes, candidates can apply for both ESE and GATE simultaneously. Yet the preparation will be different as both the exams have different exam patterns and requirements. 8. Which is tougher – the ESE or the GATE exams? Ans. In terms of the difficulty of competitive exams such as ESE or GATE exams, the ESE is tougher than the GATE exam. This is because the ESE comprises most of the GATE syllabus, which makes the former competitive exam’s preparation more difficult than the later one. 9. What is the mode of ESE? Ans. UPSC conducts ESE in the offline mode. 10. What types of questions are included in the GS paper for ESE? Ans. General Studies for ESE Prelims paper mainly comprise questions that aim to check the concepts of the respective candidate in that particular competitive exam. 11. What are the prime topics included in the syllabus of General Studies and Engineering Aptitude subject/paper of the ESE? Ans. The syllabus of the ESE General Studies and Engineering Aptitude includes the following topics: ● Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic, and industrial development. ● Engineering Aptitude covering logical reasoning and analytical reasoning ● Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis ● General Principles of Design, Drawing, and 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 Technologies (ICT) based tools and their applications in Engineering include technology, e-governance, and technology-based education. ● Ethics and values in the engineering profession. Thus, these are the crucial aspects associated with the IES General Studies and each ESE aspirant must prioritize learning the subjects from scratch based on their study schedule. Hope this blog provides useful information regarding the preparation for General Studies for ESE. All the best for your ESE 2025 prep!

How to prepare General Studies for ESE 2025?

The Engineering Services Examination, ESE, has always been an in-demand exam among the engineering graduates. And with the recent announcement of Indian Railway Management Services coming back through ESE 2025, there has been a buzz among the aspiring engineers. The UPSC ESE 2025 notification has been released, and approximately 232 vacancies are to be filled through the UPSC ESE 2025. In addition, there are approximately 225 vacancies that will be filled in the IRMS through ESE 2025. Therefore, a total of 457 vacancies are to be filled through the ESE 2025. It’s a golden opportunity for aspiring engineers to secure highly desired & prominent positions within various government departments and organizations.

ESE 2025 will be conducted in three stages: prelims, mains, and an interview. The prelims exam will be conducted in two segments: 1. General Studies and Engineering Aptitude and 2. Respective engineering stream (Technical stream). The first section that comprises General Studies for ESE is 200 marks, which indicates that it has an important role in the ESE. The total duration of this section is 2 hours. The second section is 300 marks, and candidates get 3 hours duration for this section. Therefore, if you are an ESE aspirant, you must dedicate a significant amount of time to the preparation of the General Studies subject. The blog will uncover simple and effective preparation strategies for general studies for ESE 2025.

Preparation strategy for General Studies for ESE:

ESE aspirants can score significantly high with the proper and timely preparation of General Studies for ESE. Here are the expert ways to prepare for the ESE General Studies to score the maximum possible marks in the exam.

Choose the best resources: ESE is a challenging exam to crack with the best results. Therefore, ESE aspirants must choose the best resources to prepare for this exam for the right guidance and to avoid unnecessary time wastage. You must select a few reference books before getting started with your exam preparation journey. Along with this, you must also emphasize finalizing and enrolling in a trustworthy course to avoid getting distracted during your exam preparation You can choose General Studies and Engineering Aptitude books for ESE 2025, catering to only General Studies subjects based on your entrance exam preparation schedule.
Understand the subject well: General Studies is a subject that requires proper planning and preparation to score the best marks in the respective subject. Before commencing with the full-fledged exam preparation, you must understand the basic pattern of the subject to ensure that you do not face any hassles while preparing for this subject in the study sessions. The General Studies subject is present with Engineering Aptitude in the ESE Prelims, and each topic’s weightage in the ESE ranges from 5% to 15%.
Get started early: ESE General Studies is an important subject that requires keen focus and revision from time to time. Therefore, start early and go ahead with your preparation to secure the best possible marks in the examination. To get started early, you must get rid of procrastination and aim to achieve consistency in your exam preparation for General Studies for ESE. If you are in college, then you will have ample time to prepare for the same. If you are currently working, you must understand and dedicate a significant period for the General Studies subject preparation.
Prepare a study schedule: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude form one paper together in the ESE Prelims. Therefore, you must prioritize your General Studies exam preparation with the other segment of this paper with a study schedule that is flexible to some extent. You must understand that the ESE Prelims is the first phase of this competitive exam. Therefore, you must prepare your best to perform well in this paper and score the best possible marks in the prelims examination. You must create different slots for semi-technical and non-technical subjects. ESE aspirants must prioritize understanding concepts and analytical skills for semi-technical subjects. On the other hand, ESE aspirants must memorize certain facts and figures specified in the respective topics of the non-technical subjects.
Find a mentor: ESE online coaching is beneficial for aspirants, but it is also important to have a mentor if you are serious enough to crack this competitive exam with appreciating marks. Therefore, you must choose the ideal live online course that caters to effective exam preparation for the ESE. The quality online courses offer the best guidance to aspirants in the form of experienced ESE faculty.
Conduct revision sessions: Revision is the key to success in any competitive exam. Therefore, you must prioritize revision sessions from time to time. The live online courses dedicated to General Studies for ESE ensure that the ESE aspirants perform timely revision throughout the ESE preparation journey. You can align your exam preparation schedule with routine revision sessions to prepare for this national-level examination.
Use technology: With the rise in advanced technology, especially the ones related to smartphones and portable devices, government exam aspirants have the facility to utilize the technology for their competitive exam preparation. General Studies for ESE requires decent efforts and revision. Therefore, it might be difficult for you to stay on track without utilizing the internet-based resources available around you. You can refer to the study applications that offer quick access to the study material for ESE General Studies preparation and routine revision.
Build self-confidence: Every competitive exam preparation journey tests the patience and self-confidence level of the exam aspirants. Therefore, you must build self-confidence and ensure that you deal with obstacles and challenges in the best possible manner. One of the effective ways to build self-confidence is consistent practice. The more you practice reading and attempting questions, you will observe a significant boost in your confidence levels. A combination of timely and consistent studying of the subjects, revision, and routine practice of the questions is the key to a boost in the self-confidence levels of the ESE aspirants.

Now that you have found the expert ways to prepare for the General Studies for ESE, it is important to choose the best guidance that will help you receive guidance for this crucial subject in ESE.

If you are tired of brainstorming and researching regarding the best courses for ESE General Studies, here is the MADE EASY Prime course created for ESE aspirants – MADE EASY Live/Online General Studies Course for ESE 2025 .

Course features:

Exam-oriented teaching
Availability of systematic subject sequence
Best teaching pedagogy that gives an experience like that of a classroom teaching
Students can watch lectures in the recorded mode.

Along with the best ESE Online Coaching, you must also choose to study from the best books created and recommended by the subject experts conducting GS classes for years now. One of those General Studies Books is MADE EASY General Studies 2025 for UPSC, SSC, and PSUs. Also, if you are looking for a list of useful General Studies and Engineering Aptitude book for ESE 2025. Therefore, it is essential to refer to these books for effective General Studies preparation for the ESE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to the most common queries associated with the ESE:

1. What are the stages of the ESE Prelims?

Ans. The ESE Prelims includes two stages: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude with the respective engineering stream’s technical paper.

2. When will UPSC conduct ESE Prelims and Mains in 2025?

Ans. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will conduct the ESE Prelims on 8^th June 2025 and ESE Mains on 10^th August 2025, respectively.

3. Can candidates use calculators in the ESE?

Ans. Candidates cannot use calculators for the ESE Prelims but they can use calculators in the ESE Mains.

4. What is the eligibility criterion for ESE?

Ans. ESE candidates must hold an engineering degree from a recognized university or institution. Final year students can also apply for the exam.

5. What are the disciplines eligible for ESE?

Ans. The ESE is conducted for four engineering disciplines:

Civil Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

6. Is IRMS recruitment through ESE exclusive for railway roles?

Ans. Yes, recruitment of officers in Indian Railways Management Services through ESE exclusive for Indian railways.

7. Can candidates apply for both ESE and GATE simultaneously?

Ans. Yes, candidates can apply for both ESE and GATE simultaneously. Yet the preparation will be different as both the exams have different exam patterns and requirements.

8. Which is tougher – the ESE or the GATE exams?

Ans. In terms of the difficulty of competitive exams such as ESE or GATE exams, the ESE is tougher than the GATE exam. This is because the ESE comprises most of the GATE syllabus, which makes the former competitive exam’s preparation more difficult than the later one.

9. What is the mode of ESE?

Ans. UPSC conducts ESE in the offline mode.

10. What types of questions are included in the GS paper for ESE?

Ans. General Studies for ESE Prelims paper mainly comprise questions that aim to check the concepts of the respective candidate in that particular competitive exam.

11. What are the prime topics included in the syllabus of General Studies and Engineering Aptitude subject/paper of the ESE?

Ans. The syllabus of the ESE General Studies and Engineering Aptitude includes the following topics:

Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic, and industrial development.
Engineering Aptitude covering logical reasoning and analytical reasoning
Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis
General Principles of Design, Drawing, and 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 Technologies (ICT) based tools and their applications in Engineering include technology, e-governance, and technology-based education.
Ethics and values in the engineering profession.

Thus, these are the crucial aspects associated with the IES General Studies and each ESE aspirant must prioritize learning the subjects from scratch based on their study schedule.

Hope this blog provides useful information regarding the preparation for General Studies for ESE.

All the best for your ESE 2025 prep!

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