IES Exam 2023

IES exam is a national-level exam organized by the UPSC to recruit candidates for engineering positions in various departments under the Government of India. It is one of the toughest exams in India with nearly two lakh candidates appearing for the examination every year. Also known as Engineering Services Examination recruits Group A and Group B officers in 4 engineering branches namely: Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering. Let us take a look at everything you need to know about the IES exam, dates, eligibility criteria, application and selection procedure, etc.

Event	Details
Name of the Examination	Indian Engineering Services (IES) or Engineering Services Examination (ESE)
Conducting Authority	Union Public Service Commission
Examination Level	National Level
Number of Vacancies	495
Expected Number of Registration	2 lakhs (approx.)
Examination Fee	₹200, however, women/SC/ST/PWD applicants are exempted
Mode of Examination	Offline (both Prelims and Mains)
Mode of Application	Online
Official Website	https://www.upsc.gov.in/

What is the IES Exam?

Indian Engineering Services or the Engineering Service Examination is an exam conducted for engineers who wish to work under government-related services. The career of a Government Engineer entails understanding and heading projects in their own field of work. A Government engineer can start from the Assistant Engineer position and can go to the Chairman/ Director level.

Indian Engineering Services Exam 2023 Notification

The IES Exam 2023 is conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and will be conducted through preliminary and main examinations. Below are given all the important details for IES Exam 2023. These are the possible dates according to the previous year’s details. The exacted dates will be updated as soon as UPSC releases the dates. 

Indian Engineering Services Exam Dates 2023

Applicants can go through important IES exam dates in 2023 shown below:

Date	Event
Preliminary Stage
IES Notification 2023	14 September 2022
Online Application	14 September 2022
Last date of application	04 October 2022
Preliminary Exam	February 19, 2023
Preliminary Exam Result	March 2023
Main Stage
Main Exam Date	June 25, 2023
Main Exam Result	August 2023

Also Read: Best Engineering Courses for Future

Engineering Services (Prelims) Exam 2023 TimeTable

Date	Time	Paper	Subject	Duration	Marks
February 19, 2023,	10 am to 12 noon	1	General Studies and Engineering Aptitude Paper	2 hrs	200
	2 pm to 5 pm	2	Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics & Telecommunication	3 hrs	300

Also Read: Types of Engineering Courses

ESE Exam Posts 2023

IES Exam is also referred to as Engineering Services Examination (ESE) exam. Here are the engineering fields that can apply for ESE Exam:

• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering

The recruitment of qualified candidates is made under the following categories: 

Category l: Civil Engineering

Group-A Services/Posts 

• 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 Service

Also Read: KEAM Entrance Exam

Category II: Mechanical Engineering

Group‐A/B Services/Posts 

• 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]

Category III: Electrical Engineering

Group‐A/B Services/Posts

• 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]

Category IV: Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

Group‐A/B Services/Posts

• 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]

Also Read: Toughest Engineering Exam in the World

IES Exam Pattern 2023

IES exam comprises 3 stages – Prelims, Main Exam, and Personal Interview where IES Preliminary exam is an objective paper while the IES Main test is a descriptive one. The candidate has to clear each stage in order to clear the IES.

IES Interview Round, officially known as the ‘Personality Test’ and candidates will be judged on their leadership skills, personality, and intellect. Also, a maximum of 200 marks is allotted to the candidates.

IES Previous Year Question Papers

You may prepare for the test by practicing with the previous year’s question papers. They will give you an idea of what will be covered in the exam and will aid your preparation. On the official UPSC website, you may find the previous year’s question papers.

Eligibility Criteria for UPSC IES Exam 2023

Famed as one of the toughest exams in the world, in order to be eligible for the UPSC IES exam, applicants need to comply with certain guidelines that have been specified by the UPSC:

Nationality

The candidate must be either be:

• A citizen of India
• A subject of Nepal or Bhutan
• A Tibetan refugee who came to India prior 1st January 1962 with the purpose of permanently settling in India.
• Any person of Indian origin who has migrated from Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, or East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Zaire, Zambia, and Ethiopia or from Vietnam with the intent to stay in India.

Note: For 2,3 and 4 the candidate should have a certificate or proof of eligibility issued by the Government of India. 

Also Read: List of Engineering Exams

Educational Qualification

The candidate must have:

• An engineering degree from a recognized institution.
• Passed Sections A and B of the institution exams of the Indian Institution of Engineers.
• Degree or Diploma in Engineering from a foreign university recognized in the Indian subcontinent.
• Passed Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers.
• Passed Associate Membership Examination Parts II and III/Sections A and B of the Aeronautical Society of India.
• Passed Graduate Membership Examination of the Institution of Electronics and Radio Engineers, London held after November 1959.

Note: The candidates for the post of Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics Engineering post) and Indian Radio Regulatory Service Group ‘A’ should possess any of the above qualifications or specific qualifications like an MSc or equivalent with Wireless Communication Electronics, Radio Engineering, or Radio Physics, Physics, Electronics or Telecommunication.

Also Read: JEE Advanced Exam 2023

Age Limit

The candidates aspiring for the IES exam must have attained the age of 21 years and must be below the age of 30 as of 1st January 2020. Neither should the candidate be born before 2nd January 1990 nor after 1st January 1999. Government servants and reserved category applicants will be given relaxation in the upper age limit.

Age limit also has relaxations as per categories. Here are the age limits for different categories:

Category	Age Relaxation
OBC	Upto 3 years
SC/ ST	Upto 5 years
Jammu and Kashmir Domicile	Upto 5 years
Defense Personnel	Upto 3 years
ECO/ SSCOs serving for 5 years in Military	Upto 5 years
Deaf and Mute/ Handicapped Persons	Upto 10 years

Physical Criteria

The candidate must be physically fit as per the physical standards for admission to the Engineering Services Examination 2020 as per guidelines that are given in the Appendix‐II of the Rules for the Engineering Services Examination 2020 and are published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated 25.09.2019.

UPSC IES Exam Vacancy- 2023

The commission has mentioned 495 vacancies for the upcoming exams. These vacancies are as per categories. 

Category	Branch	Vacancy
Category 1	Civil Engineering	127
Category 2	Mechanical Engineering	39
Category 3	Electrical Engineering	25
Category 4	Electronics and Communication Engineering	55
	Total	327

Also Read: BITSAT Exam 2023

IES Exam Centers

IES Exams can be taken in different cities in the country.

Following are the IES Exam centers for preliminary exams:

Agartala	Bareilly
Ahmedabad	Allahabad
Bhopal	Chandigarh
Chennai	Dehradun
Dharwad	Imphal
Itanagar	Kochi (Cochin)
Delhi	Hyderabad
Jaipur	Kolkata
Kohima	Nagpur
Lucknow	Mumbai
Panaji (Goa)	Port Blair
Raipur	Ranchi
Srinagar	Tirupati
Aligarh	Patna
Aizawl	Sambalpur
Bangalore	Shillong
Cuttack	Udaipur
Gangtok	Visakhapatnam
Jorhat	Madurai
Dispur (Guwahati)	Thiruvananthapuram
Jammu

Following are the IES Exam centers for preliminary exams:

Ahmedabad	Aizawl	Allahabad
Chennai	Cuttack	Dehradun
Jaipur	Jammu	Kolkata
Raipur	Ranchi	Shillong
Bangalore	Bhopal	Chandigarh
Delhi	Dispur (Guwahati)	Hyderabad
Lucknow	Mumbai	Patna
Shimla	Thiruvananthapuram	Vishakhapatnam

Also Read: BPSC Exam Pattern and Detailed Syllabus 2023

IES Exam 2023 Admit Card

On the official UPSC website, the UPSC ESE Mains admit card 2022 will be available. The UPSC ESE Mains hall ticket will be available to download from the UPSC website. The UPSC issues IES test admit cards in stages. Thus, the ESE Prelims admit card was released first, followed by the Mains test, and finally, admit cards for the Interview procedure were released. To download the UPSC ESE Admit Card and participate in the test, you will require your UPSC ESE registration number and date of birth.To obtain the ESE Admit Card from the official website, complete the steps below:

• Visit the UPSC website for further information.
• Go to the IES test page and click on the e-Admit card link.
• Select the admission card for the IES 2023 test.
• Fill in the needed information and download the IES 2023 admission card.

UPSC IES Application Form 2023

If you are eligible for UPSC IES Exams, you can fill the application form for IES 2023. Here is how you can fill the form:

• Visit the official website of UPSC IES- www.upsc.gov.in
• Select ‘Apply Online’
• Select apply for various examinations
• Look for the UPSC ESE Online application form
• Fill in your details like name, address, age, etc.
• Attach your documents like a photograph and signature
• Pay the mentioned fees
• Submit IES application form
• Download IES application form and keep it with you for future reference

Also Read: MPSC Syllabus

IES 2023 Fees

You need to pay INR 200 as your application fee. You can fill your application through online payment or by cash. Female applicants and SC/ST/ PwD applicants are exempted from paying the fees. It is important to note that the fees will not be refunded if you withdraw your application. 

IES Exam Preparation Tips

Plan for six months or a year

Divide the months into distinct subjects and aim to finish the full syllabus in the remaining time. In the present environment with high cut-offs, don’t focus on selective study; instead, read through the entire syllabus since you never know when “the last topic might be the issue of conquest.”

Subject-wise Plan/ Bi-weekly plan

For each topic, the study should be exam-oriented, which means you should familiarise yourself with the subject so you know which areas to concentrate on, whether theory or numerical problems, or simply tackling previous years’ questions would serve. Every topic necessitates a unique method. For example, in mathematics, you may be expected to concentrate on practice problems, but the General Studies Paper necessitates a unique technique. Similarly, the approach to technical subjects may range from one subject to the next. If you’re enrolled in a coaching program, pay attention in class and study hard. Your class notes should be comprehensive and ready to use in the classroom, with simultaneous marking of IMPORTANT concepts/formulae and the development of a habit of putting NOTE points wherever they are needed. If you prepare only via self-study and not through coaching, taking notes is also recommended.

Also Read: SNAP Exam 2023: Dates, Application Form

Daily To-Do list /Daily plan

This is mostly for time management purposes. Plan and freeze your study hours, and don’t use your phone, social media, or WhatsApp during those times. It will help you remove unnecessary tasks from your calendar and make the most use of your time for the study if you organize your following day’s agenda in 10 to 15 minutes. I would also recommend that you pre-plan your study area/subject/topic for the next day; this will aid in stimulating your mind’s senses for study, which will aid in greater memory recall. Solving prior years’ GATE & ESE problems (at least from the last 10-15 years) should be done concurrently with class notes. Do not put it off; finish the previous year’s questions first for all of the topics that are discussed in class or that you study on your own.

Make a Revision strategy

Make it a habit to read and revise at the same time. While studying a given subject, dedicate 70-80 percent of your self-study time to developing new subject concepts, and the remaining 20-30 percent to revising previously completed topics/subjects. In the months leading up to the exam, increase the revision time to ensure appropriate idea retention until exam day.

IES Exam 2023 Application and Selection Process

1. IES Application Form
   • The candidates need to fill the IES application form online on the official website of UPSC.
   • You can choose the preferred test centre and submit the prescribed application fees as per their category.
2. Download IES Admit Card
   • You can download the IES admit card 2021 from the official website using your application number and date of birth. 
3. IES Preliminary Exam 2023
   • You need to appear for the IES Preliminary exam as per the scheduled date.
   • Candidates are advised to reach their exam venue an hour prior to the commencement of the exam. 
4. IES Prelims Result
   • UPSC will be releasing the results on its official website.
   • Candidates who qualify this round need to fill out the IES Mains Detailed Application Form (DAF)
5. IES Main Exam 2023
   • Those who have cleared the prelims, need to appear for the IES Mains exam as per the scheduled date.
6. IES Main Result
   • UPSC will be releasing the results on its official website.
   • Candidates who qualify for this round will be called for the interview stage, which marks the final stage of the IES exam selection process.
7. IES Interview 2023
   • If you have cleared both prelims and mains, you are now eligible to participate in the Personal Interview round.
   • Those who clear this round will be qualified for the recruitment process.
8. IES Result
   • UPSC will commence the recruitment of shortlisted candidates at various government offices as executive engineers, mid-level managers or bureaucrats.
9. IES Cut-off and Reserve List
   • This will be released after the final result which includes cut-off marks and the number of candidates for each category and for every Engineering branch

IES Salary

After qualifying for the IES exam, you will be positioned as Assistant Executive Engineer. Your position will increase with time and so will your salary. Since the 7th pay commission’s introduction, the salary for IES has increased. Here are position divisions for IES. 

These salaries are exclusive of  the following:

• Dearness Allowance (125% of Basic Scale)
• House Rent Allowance (10-30% of Basic Scale) [Depending on location]
• Transport Allowance (15% of Basic Pay + Dearness Allowance)
• Deduction of Income Tax, Provident Fund, Professional Tax, Gratuity, and Central Government employees group insurance scheme.

Level	Basic Pay Scale	Grade Pay
Junior Level	INR 15,600- INR 39,100	INR 5400
Senior Level	INR 15,600 – INR 39,100	INR 6600
Junior Administrator Grade	INR 15,600 – INR 39,100	INR 7600
Senior Administrator Grade	INR 37400 – INR 67000	INR 8700
High Administrator Grade	INR 37400 – INR 67000	INR 8700
Cabinet Secretary Grade	INR 90,000	–
Apex Scale	INR 80,000	–

IES 2023 Result

For each step of the test procedure, the ESE IES Result 2023 will be issued independently. This indicates that the IES exam results will be issued in the following order: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Finally, the commission will announce the final results of the individuals nominated for employment by the UPSC.

IES 2023 Cut-Off (Expected)

Exceeding the minimal qualifying scores does not ensure selection due to the vast number of events. Shortlisted candidates for the next round of interviews are those who received the highest marks. The IES cutoff marks are the final scores of each category’s final candidates.

Engineering Disciplines	General	OBC	ST	SC
Civil	260-270	250-260	220-230	220-230
Mechanical	280-290	270-280	230-240	220-230
Electrical	250-260	240-250	210-220	200-210
Electronics and Communications	270-280	260-270	220-230	210-220

IES/ESS Topper’s Interview

FAQs

There is no doubt in the fact that India has produced world-class engineers through its dynamic education system. Despite huge salary packages being offered in private companies, individuals aspire to work in government departments and companies. With job security, and a desire to serve the nation and earn respect, this inclination has led to students opting for the IES exam day by day. If you’re looking forward to taking your engineering career abroad, then you can talk to our experts at Leverage Edu and we’ll equip you with the required guidance, be it academic or professional.