UPSC ESE syllabus

Recruitment to Group A and Group B engineering posts: a two-paper objective prelims (500 marks), two conventional mains papers (600) and a personality test (200). This practice test is the Civil prelims.

Engineering Services (Preliminary) Examination, Category I: Civil Engineering

Paper I: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude

100 questions, 200 marks · 2 hours

Common to all four categories. The 2026 booklet has 100 items of equal marks (2 each). A wrong answer costs one-third of 2 marks, taken here as 0.6667. The notice says questions are set from all ten topics, and the marks for a topic may range from 5% to 15% of the paper. The standard is that of an engineering or science graduate, without special study. Set in English in the material on this site.

  • Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic and industrial development
  • Engineering aptitude: logical reasoning and analytical ability
  • Engineering mathematics and numerical analysis
  • General principles of design, drawing and the importance of safety
  • Standards and quality practices in production, construction, maintenance and services
  • Basics of energy and environment
  • Basics of project management
  • Basics of material science and engineering
  • ICT tools and their applications in engineering
  • Ethics and values in the engineering profession

Paper II: Civil Engineering

150 questions, 300 marks · 3 hours

Category I. The 2026 Civil booklet has 150 items of equal marks (2 each). A wrong answer costs 0.6667. The same syllabus is used for this objective paper and, split into two papers, for the conventional main examination. The standard is about that of an engineering degree. Categories II, III and IV sit the same Paper I and a Paper II of their own discipline, also 3 hours and 300 marks. No calculator.

  • Building materials
  • Solid mechanics
  • Structural analysis
  • Design of steel structures
  • Design of concrete and masonry structures
  • Construction practice, planning and management
  • Fluid mechanics, hydraulic machines and hydropower
  • Hydrology and water resources
  • Environmental engineering
  • Geotechnical and foundation engineering
  • Surveying and geology
  • Transportation engineering

Engineering Services (Main) Examination, Category I: Civil Engineering

Paper I: Civil Engineering (conventional)

300 marks · 3 hours

Conventional paper. The notice does not describe negative marking for conventional answers. Illegible handwriting can cost up to five per cent of the maximum marks of the written papers. Credit is given for orderly, exact and concise writing. SI units are used. Other categories have two conventional papers in their own discipline, with the same time and marks.

  • Building materials
  • Solid mechanics
  • Structural analysis
  • Design of steel structures
  • Design of concrete and masonry structures
  • Construction practice, planning and management

Paper II: Civil Engineering (conventional)

300 marks · 3 hours

Conventional paper, same marking conditions as Paper I. About six to seven times the vacancies are admitted from the preliminary examination.

  • Flow of fluids, hydraulic machines and hydropower
  • Hydrology and water resources
  • Environmental engineering
  • Geotechnical and foundation engineering
  • Surveying and geology
  • Transportation engineering

Stage III: Personality test

Personality test

200 marks · One interview

200 marks, with no minimum qualifying mark. About twice the number of vacancies are called. The notice says special attention is paid to leadership, initiative, intellectual curiosity, tact and other social qualities, mental and physical energy, powers of practical application, and integrity of character.

  • Leadership, initiative and intellectual curiosity
  • Tact and other social qualities
  • Mental and physical energy
  • Powers of practical application
  • Integrity of character