Indian Engineering Services (IES)

Engineering Services Exam, also popularly known as the Indian Engineering Services (IES) is one most coveted UPSC exams. Conducted by the Union Public Service Commission every year, IES is considered as one of the toughest exams in India. The primary objective of this exam is to recruit candidates for various promising positions in the Indian Government. These profiles range from Class 1 Officer to other technical jobs. If you are planning to appear for the Indian Engineering Services exam in the year 2021, here is a blog elucidating the key elements like eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, and other important insights. But let us first take a quick glance at the important dates of Indian Engineering Services 2021.

Details	Dates
Online  Registration Starts	April 5,2021
Last Date for Registration	April 27,2021
Release of Admit Card	To be announced
IES Exam Date (Preliminary)	18th July, 2021
IES Exam Date (Mains)	10th October, 2021

General Overview 

IES exam is bifurcated into 3 levels namely, Preliminary, Mains, and Interview. Qualifying all the levels is necessary for those who wish to work with various ministries and departments in Group A posts spanning over four major domains i.e Electrical, Civil, Electronics & Telecommunication, and Mechanical Engineering. Upon clearing the first 2 levels, candidates will have to appear for a personal interview. Selected candidates for Indian Engineering Services are majorly recruited in departments like Telecommunications, Indian Railways, Defence Services of Engineer, Central Engineering Services, etc. 

Indian Engineering Services: Exam Pattern

Once you successfully complete your application process, the most vital step afterwards is assessing the intricacies of the syllabus. To get hold of the type & number of along with the sections, it is always advised to carefully go through the exam format. While the preliminary examination consists of objective type, the second stage i.e. Mains, will have conventional or subjective type questions. The following are specific instructions regarding it.

Indian Engineering Services (Prelims)

Paper	Subjects	Questions Type	Marks	Duration
Paper 1	General Studies and Engineering Aptitude	Objective	200	2 hours
Paper 2	Engineering	Objective	300	3 hours
Total	–		500	5 hours

Indian Engineering Services (Mains)

Paper	Subjects	Questions Type	Marks	Duration
Paper 1	Engineering	Descriptive	300	3 hours
Paper 2	Engineering	Descriptive	300	3 hours
Total	–	–	600	6 hours

Eligibility Criteria

For all the IES aspirants, it is mandatory to check the eligibility criteria before they go on with the application process. Applicants must fulfil the prerequisites as set by the official authorities failing which, the candidature can be nullified. Here are some category wise entry requisites for Indian Engineering Services:

Nationality 

• a citizen of India, or 
• a subject of Bhutan, or
• a subject of Nepal, or 
• Tibetan refugees who came to India before 1st January 1962 with intentions to permanently settle in India.
• A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka or Eastern African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, Vietnam, Zaire, Zambia, the United Republic of Tanzania, etc.  

Age Limit 

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Candidates must be between 21- 30 years of age. There are certain relaxations in place for those belonging to reserved categories determined by the Indian Government or those who are currently Indian Government servants, etc. 

Educational Qualification

If you are wondering that which branches are eligible for IES exam then you must know that for the Indian Engineering Services, individuals must hold a Btech degree in engineering branches like Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Electrical Engineering: 

• From a recognized institution in India, or 
• Passed Section A and B of the Institution Examination of the Institution of Engineers (India), or
• A degree/diploma in Engineering from a renowned foreign university that is approved by the Indian Government etc.

Medical Examination 

The candidates who finally qualify all the rounds will ultimately have to undergo a medical examination, the parameters of which are set by the official authorities. Applicants must make sure that the final statement by the Railway Medical Board will be considered as the final decision.

Physical Standards

All the applicants must make sure that they are physically fit as per the regulations of the Indian Engineering Services.   

NOTE: The above-mentioned requisites are for indicative purposes only. To check the entire eligibility criteria of the IES exam, visit the official website.

Also Read: Static GK Topics for Competitive Exams

IES Vacancy 2021 

UPSC released an official notification stating the total number of vacancies available is 495, of 21 vacancies are for Persons with Disabilities (PwD). Break-up of the seats under PwD category is as follows:

• Low Vision candidates – 03
•  Locomotor Disability including Leprosy cured, Dwarfism, Acid Attack victims and Muscular Dystrophy- 11
• Hard hearing candidates – 07

Also Read: English for Competitive Exams

Indian Engineering Services Online Application

IES forms will be available at upsc.gov.in and students must fill it in the online mode. Students must follow the given steps:

1. Register with name, DOB, email ID and other details for IES 2021.
2. Make the application fees payment for IES 2021.
3. Upload the required documents in the asked format carefully.
4. Fill up the other details like preference of exam centres etc.
5. Read the declaration and submit the form carefully by clicking on ‘I agree’.

Also Read: How To Fill OMR Sheet For Competitive Exams?

Indian Engineering Services Application Fees

The application fees for IES 2021 is Rs. 200 for general students, and women, SC, ST and PWD are exempted from fees payment. Candidates can fill up the form and make the payment at any SBI Branch or through online mode – Debit/ Credit Card or NET Banking. 

Posts offered by IES

The selected candidates will be applicable for the following posts:

Civil Engineering

• Indian Railway Service of Engineers
• Indian Railway Stores Service (Civil Engineering Posts)
• Central Engineering Service
• Central Engineering Service (Roads), Group‐A (Civil Engineering Posts)
• Survey of India Group ‘A’ Service
• AEE(Civil) in Border Road Engineering Service
• Indian Defence Service of Engineers
• AEE(QS&C) in MES Surveyor Cadre
• Central Water Engineering (Group ‘A’) Service
• Indian Skill Development

Electrical Engineering

• Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers
• Indian Railway Stores Service (Electrical Engineering Posts)
• Central Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Service (Electrical Engineering Posts)
• Indian Defence Service of Engineers
• Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade‐I (Electrical Engineering Posts) in Indian Navy
• Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ (Electrical Engineering Posts)
• Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service/SSO‐II (Electrical)
• Indian Skill Development Service
• Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘B’ (Electrical Engineering Posts).

Also Read: Arithmetic Reasoning for Competitive Exams

Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

• Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers
• Indian Railway Stores Service (Telecommunication/Electronics Engineering Posts)
• Indian Radio Regulatory Service Gr ‘A’
• Indian Telecommunication Service Gr ‘A’
• Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics and Telecom Engineering Posts)
• Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade‐I(Electronics and Telecom Engg. Posts) in Indian Navy
• Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ (Electronics & Telecom Engineering Posts)
• Indian Skill Development Service
• Junior Telecom Officer Gr ‘B’
• Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘B’ (Electronics & Telecom Engineering Posts).

Mechanical Engineering

• Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers
• Indian Railway Stores Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts)
• AEE in GSI Engineering Service Gr ‘A’
• Indian Defence Service of Engineers
• Indian Naval Armament Service (Mechanical Engineering Posts)
• Asstt. Naval Store Officer Grade‐I (Mechanical Engineering Posts) in Indian Navy
• AEE(Elec & Mech) in Border Roads Engineering Service(Mechanical Engineering Posts)
• Central Water Engineering (Group ‘A’) Service
• Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘A’ (Mechanical Engineering Posts)
• Indian Skill Development Service
• Central Power Engineering Service Gr ‘B’ (Mechanical Engineering Posts).

Study Plan for IES 2021

• The candidate must prepare a time plan keeping in mind the months left for the main exam day.
• One year time plan is usually considered important for strong preparation.
• The syllabus is divided into four segments so the candidate must prepare to keep in mind the division.
• The candidate must appear for as many mock tests as possible to get a real feel of the examination.
• Not only taking tests is considered necessary, what is equally important is analysing the mock scores to get a knowledge of the weak areas that need attention.
• Choose the right study resources. A candidate might enrol for a preparation course or rely on self-preparation. For a candidate who is preparing by themselves, they must select the right study resources. 
• As they say, practice is the key, it truly is. Practising a number of questions from every section is very important to understand the wide variety of questions that might come.
• Time management is also something that candidates should plan wisely. Candidates must know how many exact hours should be devoted to every section while preparing.
• Candidates must use NCERT books for best preparation and study wisely.

Thus, we hope that through this blog on the Indian Engineering Services exam, you are now aware of the key details pertaining to it. If you want to explore trending careers and find your pathway to it, reach out to our experts at Leverage Edu who will analyse your profile through a psychometric test and will recommend a career path that aligns best with your interests and skills!