Rachit Kumar SaxenaManager-Editorial
The Union Public Service Commission releases the Engineering Service Exam (ESE) Syllabus in the official notification. The Commission conducts the prelims and main exam as per the official IES syllabus. The candidates can expect questions about any topic and its complexity. There is no limitation of horizontal and vertical expansion of the topic. The complexity of the questions cannot be made a point of contention. The IES 2025 exam will be conducted on February 9, 2025, based on the syllabus notified in the official notification. The candidates are suggested to internalise the IES syllabus (of their stream) and prepare all the topics mentioned in the official IES PDF. The candidates can also download the UPSC ESE (IES) 2025 syllabus PDF here. The ESE syllabus and IES exam pattern go hand-in-hand for the preparation of the exam.
The IES syllabus is the key component of IES exam preparation. The Union Public Service Commission mention the topic-wise IES syllabus in the official notification. The candidates are suggested to interpret the IES syllabus in its fullest horizontal and vertical extent. The Commission released the IES 2025 notification on September 18, 2024. The candidates are advised to prepare for all the topics mentioned in the official syllabus. The candidates are required to prepare the dynamics and interdependence of the topics.Â
Q: Â Which are the subjects in UPSC IES exam?
The Commission conduct the exam to recruit candidates for the position of IES. The candidates can see below the four Engineering streams for which the exam was notified. The names of the services are given below:
• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering
Q: Â Does UPSC have different syllabus for IES from IES prelims and main exams?
Yes, the UPSC mentions the IES syllabus separately for the IES prelims and main exam. The syllabus for the IES exam is divided into two written exams: prelims and mains. The prelims exam consists of two papers - Paper 1 with questions on General Studies & Engineering Aptitude common for all candidates, and Paper 2 with questions based on the candidate's engineering stream. On the other hand, the Mains exam includes two descriptive papers based on the engineering stream.
The syllabus for both prelims and Mains exams covers various topics specific to each engineering discipline, such as Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Electronics & Telecommunication
Q: Â What are the key features of the IES syllabus?
The key features of the IES (Indian Engineering Services) syllabus include a comprehensive coverage of various subjects and stages as outlined by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the Engineering Services Examination (ESE). Here are the main features:
Preliminary Exam: This stage includes two papers - Paper-I covering General Studies and Engineering Aptitude, and Paper-II focusing on specific engineering disciplines like Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics & Telecommunication engineering.
Main Exam: The Main exam comprises two conventional type papers in Engineering Discipline specific to the candidate's chosen field, each lasting three hours with a maximum of 600 marks (300 Marks in each paper).
Importance of Syllabus: Understanding the IES syllabus is crucial for candidates aiming to excel in the exam, as it is based on the engineering graduation curriculum and helps in preparing for various technical managerial posts in sectors like Railways, Telecom, Border Roads, CPWD, and more.
These features collectively define the structure, subjects, and focus areas of the IES syllabus, guiding candidates in their preparation for the Engineering Services Examination.
IES 2025 Syllabus - Prelims
IES prelims exam is equally important for the candidates because the marks secured in it are also considered for the final merit. The IES prelims exam is the first stage of the exam process. The list of topics for the UPSC ESE (IES) prelims exam is as follows:
General Studies and Engineering Aptitude Paper |
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Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic and industrial development |
Basics of Energy and Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, Climate Change, Environmental impact assessment |
Engineering Aptitude covering Logical reasoning and Analytical ability |
Basics of Project Management |
Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis |
Basics of Material Science and Engineering |
General Principles of Design, Drawing, Importance of Safety |
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based tools and their applications in Engineering such as networking, e-governance and technology-based education. |
Standards and Quality practices in production, construction, maintenance and services |
Ethics and values in the engineering profession. |
The Commission has issued a common syllabus for the prelims and main exam (for each engineering branch). The candidates need to prepare all the topics given in the syllabus as that will help in the prelims and main exam. The candidates can see below the important engineering branch-wise syllabus.
IES 2025 Syllabus - Main Exam
The candidates should prepare the IES main exam thoroughly because it is a subjective exam where the candidates need to write answers in theÂ
IES Civil Engineering Syllabus 2025
The Commission prescribes the common syllabus for the prelims and main exam. The IES Civil Engineering syllabus is as follows:
IES Civil Engineering (Paper 1) Syllabus
The following are the details of topics and subtopics of the Civil Engineering Syllabus.
Topics | Sub-Topics |
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Building Materials |
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Solid Mechanics |
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Structural Analysis |
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Design of Steel Structures | Principles of Working Stress methods, Design of tension and compression members, Design of beams and beam column connections, built-up sections, Girders, Industrial roofs, and Principles of Ultimate load design. |
Design of Concrete and Masonry structures |
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Construction Practice, Planning and Management |
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The above topics is list of topics as mentioned in the official notification.
IES Civil Engineering (Paper 2) Syllabus
The following topics are given for the Civil Engineering Paper 2
Topics | Sub-Topics |
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Flow of Fluids, Hydraulic Machines and Hydro Power | (a) Fluid Mechanics, Open Channel Flow, Pipe Flow:
(b) Hydraulic Machines and Hydropower -
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Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering |
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Environmental Engineering | (a) Water Supply Engineering:
(b) Waste Water Engineering:
(c) Solid Waste Management:
(d) Air, Noise pollution and Ecology:
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Geo-technical Engineering and Foundation Engineering | (a) Geo-technical Engineering: Soil exploration - planning & methods, Properties of soil, classification, various tests and inter- relationships; Permeability & Seepage, Compressibility, consolidation and Shearing resistance, Earth pressure theories and stress distribution in soil; Properties and uses of geo-synthetics. (b) Foundation Engineering: Types of foundations & selection criteria, bearing capacity, settlement analysis, design and testing of shallow & deep foundations; Slope stability analysis, Earthen embankments, Dams and Earth retaining structures: types, analysis and design, Principles of ground modifications |
Surveying and Geology | (a) Surveying: Classification of surveys, various methodologies, instruments & analysis of measurement of distances, elevation and directions; Field astronomy, Global Positioning System; Map preparation; Photogrammetry; Remote sensing concepts; Survey Layout for culverts, canals, bridges, road/railway alignment and buildings, Setting out of Curves. (b) Geology: Basic knowledge of Engineering geology & its application in projects |
Transportation Engineering |
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The above list is exhaustive in nature as provided by the Commission.
IES Mechanical Engineering Syllabus 2025
The Commission releases a combined syllabus for all the Engineering streams for prelims and main exam. The candidates can see here the combined syllabus for prelims and main exam.
IES Mechanical Engineering (Paper 1)Â Syllabus
The candidates can see below the topics of UPSC ESE (IES) syllabus for Mechanical Engineering:
Topics |
Sub-Topics |
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Fluid Mechanics |
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Thermodynamics and Heat transfer |
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IC Engines, Refrigeration and Air conditioning |
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Turbo Machinery |
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Power Plant Engineering |
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Renewable Sources of Energy |
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IES Mechanical Engineering (Paper 2) Syllabus
The Mechanical Engineering Paper 2 syllabus as given in the official notification is given below:
Topics | Sub-Topics |
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Engineering Mechanics |
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Engineering Materials |
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Mechanisms and Machines |
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Design of Machine Elements |
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Manufacturing, Industrial and Maintenance Engineering |
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Mechatronics and Robotics |
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The above list is exhaustive in nature.
IES Electrical Engineering Syllabus 2025
The candidates can see below the combined syllabus for prelims and main exam.Â
IES Electrical Engineering (Paper 1) Syllabus
UPSC mentioned all the topics of Electrical Engineering in the ESE (IES) 2025 notification. The list of topics and subtopics is given below:
Topics | Subtopics |
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Engineering Mathematics |
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Electrical Materials |
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Electric Circuits and Fields |
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Electrical and Electronic Measurements |
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Computer Fundamentals | Number systems, Boolean algebra, arithmetic functions, Basic Architecture, Central Processing Unit, I/O and Memory Organisation; peripheral devices, data represenation and programming, basics of Operating system and networking, virtual memory, file systems; Elements of programming languages, typical examples. |
Basic Electronics Engineering | Basics of Semiconductor diodes and transistors and characteristics, Junction and field effect transistors (BJT, FET and MOSFETS), different types of transistor amplifiers, equivalent circuits and frequency response; oscillators and other circuits, feedback amplifiers |
IES Electrical Engineering (Paper 2) Syllabus
UPSC mentions the list of topics in the official syllabus as below:
Topics | Subtopics |
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Analog and Digital Electronics |
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Systems and Signal Processing |
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Control Systems |
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Electrical Machines |
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Power Systems | Basic power generation concepts, steam, gas and water turbines, transmission line models and performance, cable performance, insulation, corona and radio interference, power factor correction, symmetrical components, fault analysis, principles of protection systems, basics of solid state relays and digital protection; Circuit breakers, Radial and ring-main distribution systems, Matrix representation of power systems, load flow analysis, voltage control and economic operation, System stability concepts, Swing curves and equal area criterion. HVDC transmission and FACTS concepts, Concepts of power system dynamics, distributed generation, solar and wind power, smart grid concepts, environmental implications, fundamentals of power economics. |
Power Electronics and Drives | Semiconductor power diodes, transistors, thyristors, triacs, GTOs, MOSFETs and IGBTs - static characteristics and principles of operation, triggering circuits, phase control rectifiers, bridge converters - fully controlled and half controlled, principles of choppers and inverters, basis concepts of adjustable speed DC and AC drives, DC-DC switched mode converters, DC-AC switched mode converters, resonant converters, high frequency inductors and transformers, power supplies. |
IES Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering Syllabus 2025
IES Syllabus for Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering is given below:
IES Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering (Paper 1)Â Syllabus
The candidates can see below list of topics and subtopics for Electronics & Telecommunication EngineeringÂ
Topics | Subtopics |
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Basic Electronics Engineering |
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Basic Electrical Engineering |
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Materials Science |
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Electronic Measurements and Instrumentation |
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Network Theory |
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Analog and Digital Circuits |
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The above list includes all the topics as mentioned in the official notification
IES Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering (Paper 2) Syllabus
The UPSC IES Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering syllabus is summarised below:
Topics | Subtopics |
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Analog and Digital Communication Systems |
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Control Systems |
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Computer Organization and Architecture |
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Electro Magnetics |
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Advanced Electronics Topics |
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Advanced Communication Topics |
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The number of candidates to be admitted to the Main/Stage-II Examination will be about six to seven times the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year through this
examination.
IES Syllabus 2025 FAQs
The candidates can see here important questions related to the IES syllabus.