ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, EXAMINATION, SELECTION PROCESS FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES EXAMINATION

Eligibility Criteria

Nationality : The candidate must be one of the following :

A citizen of India

- A citizen of Nepal or a subject of Bhutan
- a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Educational qualifications

At least a bachelor's degree in Engineering (B.E. / B. Tech) from a recognised university or equivalent. M.Sc degree or its equivalent with Wireless Communications, Electronics, Radio Physics or Radio Engineering as special subjects also acceptable for certain services / posts only.

Age limits

21-30 years on 1 August of the year of Engineering Services Examination.

Upper age limit relaxation is provided to candidates as follows:

A maximum of three years for OBC candidates [Non Creamy Layer only]
A maximum of three years in case of Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof
A maximum of five years for candidates belonging to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe
A maximum of five years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from 1 January 1980 to 31 December 1989
A maximum of five years in case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1 August and have been released on either of the following basis:
- on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1 August) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency
- on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service
- on invalidment
A maximum of five years in case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years Military Service as on 1 August and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three months notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment.
A maximum of ten years in case of blind, deaf-mute and orthopaedically handicapped persons

The age relaxation will not be admissible to Ex-Servicemen and Commissioned Officers including ECOs/SSCOs who are released on own request.

Examination

Application

Candidates are required to apply ONLINE only, by using the website www.upsconline.nic.in

Application fee

The application fee of the online form for General category male candidates is 100 (US$1.82), while no fee is required by female and the reserved category applicants.

Test centres

The test is conducted in June every year at centres across India, namely: Agartala, Ahmedabad, Aizwal, Aligarh, Allahabad, Bangalore, Bareilly, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cuttack, Dehradun, Delhi, Dharwad, Dispur, Gangtok, Hyderabad, Imphal, Itanagar, Jaipur, Jammu, Jorhat, Kochi, Kohima, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mumbai, Nagpur, Panaji (Goa), Patna, Port Blair, Raipur, Ranchi, Sambalpur, Shillong, Shimla, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati, Udaipur and Vishakapatnam.

Plan of examination

There are objective as well as conventional (descriptive) papers. One paper for GA (General Ability) is part of the assessment system apart from the engineering subject of the candidate. The entire technical subject is divided into four papers (Papers II, III, IV & V). There is a penalty (negative marking) for wrong answers marked by the candidate in the objective type papers. There is a three-day schedule of the written examination, comprising all five written examinations.

Scheme of Examination
Paper I (Objective type)	General Ability Test (Part A: General English) (Part B: General Studies)	200 Marks
Papers II & III (Objective type)	Civil Engineering / Mechanical Engineering / Electrical Engineering / Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering	200 Marks for each paper
Papers IV & V (Conventional type)	Civil Engineering / Mechanical Engineering / Electrical Engineering / Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering	200 Marks for each paper
	Total marks for written examination	1000 Marks
Interview	Personality Test	200 Marks

First stage

The first day is allocated for the General Ability (GA) paper. This exam is of 2 hours duration. On the first day there is just one exam. This exam consists of General English and General Studies. Paper is maximum of 200 marks.

Second stage

The second day is allocated for the Objective Technical Papers (II & III). There is one objective exam for each paper separately and each being of 2 hours in duration. Each paper is maximum of 200 marks.

Third stage

The third day is allocated for the Conventional Technical Papers (IV & V). There is one subjective exam for each paper separately and each being of 3 hours in duration. Each Paper is maximum of 200 marks.

The conventional answer sheets of a candidate are evaluated only when he / she qualifies the objective examination.

Interview

This is the fourth and final stage; candidates who qualify the written exam are called for the interview. Interview carries 200 marks. Officially called "Personality Test", the object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers.

The test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate. In broad terms this is really an assessment of not only his intellectual qualities but also social traits and his interest in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.

The technique of the interview is not that of a strict cross-examination but of a natural, though directed and purposive conversation which is intended to reveal the mental qualities of the candidate.

The interview test is not intended to be a test either of the specialized or general knowledge of the candidates which has been already tested through their written papers. Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic study but also in the events which are happening around them both within and outside their own state or country as well as in modern currents of thought and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well educated youth.

These four stages ensure that the candidates selected, are best suited to handle the responsibilities which will be entrusted to them. The selected candidates then undergo training at the academies / institutes of their respective cadres that makes them acquainted with the area of work, the cadre / service is engaged in.

Career progression

At the time of selection – Assistant Executive Engineer / Assistant Works Manager / Assistant Director.

after 3–4 years of service (including probation period) – Executive Engineer / Works Manager / Deputy Director (equivalent to Under Secretary to Government of India).
after 8 years of service – Superintending Engineer / Deputy General Manager / Joint Director (equivalent to Deputy Secretary to Government of India).
after 13 years of service – Chief Engineer level-2 / Joint General Manager (equivalent to Director to Government of India).
after 20 years of service – Chief Engineer / Additional General Manager (equivalent to Joint Secretary to Government of India).
after 30 years of service – Engineer-in-Chief / Senior General Manager (equivalent to Additional Secretary to Government of India).
after 34 years of service - Chairman / Director General / Managing Director (equivalent to Secretary to Government of India).

Promotions are subjected to availability of vacancies and may take more time than mentioned above. The age of superannuation is 60 years for all civil servants in India.

Civil engineering

Group A Services:

(i) Indian Railway Service of Engineers

(ii) Indian Railway Stores Service

(iii) Central Engineering Service

(iv) Indian Defense Service of Engineers

(v) Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS)

(vi) Central Water Engineering

(vii) Central Engineering Service (Roads)

(viii) Border Roads Engineering Service

Mechanical engineering

Group A Services:

(i) Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers

(ii) Indian Railway Stores Service

(iii) Central Water Engineering

(iv) Central Power Engineering Service (Central Electricity Authority)

(v) Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS)

(vi) Indian Naval Armament Service

(vii) Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME), a branch in the Indian Army

(viii) Indian Navy

(ix) Central Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Service (Central Public Works Department)

(x) Border Roads Engineering Service

(xi) Indian Supply Service (Directorate General of Supply and Disposals)

(xii)Indian Defence Service of Engineers

(xiii) Central Engineering Service (Roads)

Electrical engineering

Group A Services:

(i) Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers

(ii) Indian Railway Stores Service

(iii) Central Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Service (Central Public Works Department)

(iv) Indian Naval Armament Service

(v) Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS)

(vi) Central Power Engineering Service (Central Electricity Authority)

(vii) Indian Defence Service of Engineers

(viii) Indian Navy

(ix) Indian Supply Service (Directorate General of Supply and Disposals)

(x) Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME), a branch in the Indian Army

Electronics & Telecommunication engineering

Group A Services:

(i) Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers

(ii) Indian Railway Stores Service

(iii) Indian Inspection Service

(iv) Indian Naval Armament Service

(v) Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS)

(vi) Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME), a branch in the Indian Army

(vii) Wireless Planning and Co-ordination Wing

(viii) Indian Navy

(ix) Indian Supply Service (Directorate General of Supply and Disposals)

(x) Indian Telecommunication Service