UPSC Engineering Services 2027 - 480 Group A Posts, and Both Srinagar and Jammu Are Exam Centres

About this job

UPSC has notified the Engineering Services Examination 2027 - approximately 480 posts for engineering graduates. Examination Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG, dated 16 September 2026. Applications close 6 OCTOBER 2026. BOTH SRINAGAR AND JAMMU ARE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION CENTRES. That is better than the Combined Geo-Scientist examination we carried this month, which had Jammu only. Leh is not a centre for this one. AND YOU MUST APPLY EARLY TO KEEP YOUR CENTRE. UPSC allots centres on a FIRST-APPLY-FIRST-ALLOT basis, and once a centre reaches its capacity IT IS FROZEN. Only Chennai, Dispur, Kolkata and Nagpur have no ceiling. If you want to sit this in Srinagar or Jammu, apply in the first days of the window, not on 6 October. There are 48 centres in all and no change of centre is granted afterwards. THE FEE IS Rs 200 - AND FEMALE CANDIDATES PAY NOTHING. SC, ST and PwBD candidates are also fully exempt. For a Group A engineering service, that is as cheap an entry as exists. WHAT ESE ACTUALLY LEADS TO. This is the route into Group A engineering posts across the Government of India, in four disciplines: CIVIL ENGINEERING - Central Engineering Service, Survey of India, Border Roads Engineering Service, Central Water Engineering Service, Indian Railway Management Service, Indian Defence Service of Engineers. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - Indian Naval Material Management Service, Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service, Indian Railway Management Service, Central Power Engineering Service. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING - Central Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Service, Indian Naval Armament Service, Indian Railway Management Service. ELECTRONICS & TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING - Indian Radio Regulatory Service, Indian Telecommunications Service, Junior Telecom Officer. THE 480 INCLUDES 19 POSTS RESERVED FOR PERSONS WITH BENCHMARK DISABILITIES - 11 for Locomotor Disability including leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; 6 for Hard of Hearing; 1 for Low Vision; and 1 shared between Specific Learning Disability and Mental Illness. UPSC describes the figure as approximate. QUALIFICATION: an engineering degree from a recognised Indian university or a recognised foreign institution. Alternatively, passing Sections A and B of the Institution of Engineers (India) examinations, or the other equivalent qualifications set out in the notice. Read the qualification paragraph against your own degree before you apply. AGE: 21 to 30 as on 1 January 2027 - born not earlier than 2 January 1997 and not later than 1 January 2006. Relaxations apply for reserved categories. THE EXAMINATION IS THREE STAGES AND IT IS A LONG ROAD. Stage-I, Preliminary: 31 JANUARY 2027, 500 marks - Paper I of 200 marks and Paper II of 300 marks, objective type. Stage-II, Main: 18 JUNE 2027, 600 marks, conventional written type. Stage-III, Personality Test: 200 marks, date to be notified. From application to final result is well over a year. Start preparing from the day you apply, not from January. You need a UPSC Universal Registration Number before you can fill the examination-specific form. It is generated once in a lifetime and reused for every UPSC examination - if you do not have one, create it now rather than on the closing day. Apply at upsconline.nic.in.

What you'll do

• Serve as a Group A engineering officer of the Government of India in the service to which you are allotted
• Civil Engineering stream: Central Engineering Service, Survey of India, Border Roads Engineering Service, Central Water Engineering Service, Indian Railway Management Service or Indian Defence Service of Engineers
• Mechanical stream: Indian Naval Material Management Service, Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service, Indian Railway Management Service or Central Power Engineering Service
• Electrical stream: Central Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Service, Indian Naval Armament Service or Indian Railway Management Service
• Electronics & Telecommunication stream: Indian Radio Regulatory Service, Indian Telecommunications Service or Junior Telecom Officer

What we're looking for

• WHO CAN APPLY
• EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION
• A degree in engineering from a university incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India, or from another recognised institution, or a recognised foreign university or institution.
• ALTERNATIVELY, having passed Sections A and B of the Institution of Engineers (India) examinations, or the other equivalent qualifications set out in the notice.
• Read the qualification paragraph in the notice against your own degree before applying - UPSC lists several equivalent routes and the wording matters.
• AGE
• 21 to 30 years as on 1 January 2027 - born not earlier than 2 January 1997 and not later than 1 January 2006. Relaxations apply for reserved categories as prescribed.
• THE 480 POSTS
• Approximately 480 vacancies, INCLUDING 19 RESERVED FOR PERSONS WITH BENCHMARK DISABILITIES:
• 11 for Locomotor Disability, including leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy;
• 6 for Hard of Hearing;
• 1 for Low Vision;
• 1 shared between Specific Learning Disability and Mental Illness.
• UPSC states the total is approximate.
• THE FOUR DISCIPLINES AND THE SERVICES BEHIND THEM
• CIVIL: Central Engineering Service, Survey of India, Border Roads Engineering Service, Central Water Engineering Service, Indian Railway Management Service, Indian Defence Service of Engineers.
• MECHANICAL: Indian Naval Material Management Service, Defence Aeronautical Quality Assurance Service, Indian Railway Management Service, Central Power Engineering Service.
• ELECTRICAL: Central Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Service, Indian Naval Armament Service, Indian Railway Management Service.
• ELECTRONICS & TELECOMMUNICATION: Indian Radio Regulatory Service, Indian Telecommunications Service, Junior Telecom Officer.
• THE THREE STAGES
• Stage-I, Preliminary Examination: 31 January 2027. 500 marks - Paper I of 200 marks and Paper II of 300 marks, objective type.
• Stage-II, Main Examination: 18 June 2027. 600 marks, conventional written type.
• Stage-III, Personality Test: 200 marks. Date notified separately.
• The process runs well over a year from application to final result.
• EXAMINATION CENTRES
• 48 Preliminary centres nationally. SRINAGAR and JAMMU are both on the list. Leh is not.
• ALLOTMENT IS FIRST-APPLY-FIRST-ALLOT, and once a centre's capacity is reached it is FROZEN - the only centres without a ceiling are Chennai, Dispur, Kolkata and Nagpur. Late applicants choose from whatever remains, and no change of centre is granted at any stage.
• BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN FILL THE FORM
• A UPSC Universal Registration Number is required. It is generated once in a lifetime and carries across every UPSC examination. Create it before the closing day.