IES 2021: Exam Dates, Syllabus, Eligibility, Pattern, Admit Card

IES Exam 2021: Indian Engineering Services (IES) exam is conducted by UPSC on an all India basis to recruit engineers for its various government departments and agencies that involve the technical working of engineers. The exam is conducted mainly for the four core branches of engineering, namely: Electrical, Civil, Mechanical, and Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering. Aspiring candidate willing to become an IES officer has to attempt the UPSC IES Exam, and clear all three rounds, i.e. Prelims, Mains and Interview. This article gives detail information about IES 2021 notification that includes exam dates, eligibility criteria, pattern, syllabus, application form, admit card, selection procedure and more.

UPSC IES 2021 Highlights

IES 2021 Exam Dates

The most important dates for candidates applying for UPSC IES 2021 are indicated below:

IES Eligibility

Only eligible candidates may proceed to apply for the IES 2021. Candidates are advised to cross check their eligibility before finally depositing the fee for the exam, as the amount is non-refundable under any circumstances whatsoever. Below we have provided UPSC IES Eligibility Criteria in detail.

Nationality

• Citizens of India are eligible to apply for the exam.
• Refugees of Nepal, Burma and Tibet who resided in India till 01st of January 1962 are also eligible to apply. Candidates who are originally from India but resided in other countries like Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka or East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or from Vietnam are eligible to apply, provided they settle down permanently in India upon successful selection.

Education Qualification

• Candidates holding B.E / B.Tech degree from any recognized university of India or abroad under an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as Universities u/s 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.
• Candidates who have cleared the section A and section B of the institution exams conducted by the Institution of Engineers, India.
• Candidates who have successfully cleared the graduate membership examination conducted by the Institute of Electronics and telecommunications of Engineers, India.
• Candidates who have successfully passed the Associate Membership Examination Parts II and III/Sections A and B of the Aeronautical Society of India.
• Candidates who have successfully cleared the Graduate Membership Examination from the Institution of Electronics and Radio Engineers, London held after November 1959.

IES Age Limit

• Candidates who have completed 21 years of age and have not exceeded 30 years as on 01st of August 2020 must apply.
• Candidates not falling in the age bracket should strictly not apply. In other words, only those candidates can apply who were born between 02nd of August 1989 and 01st of August 1999.

Age Relaxation

The age relaxation is not common to every category. Different categories have different age relaxations, and the same is tabulated below for information:

IES Application Form 2021

The time window wherein the applicant can successfully submit the application form plus pay the fees is between April 07, 2021, to April 27, 2021. The applicant can download the application form from the official UPSC website and submit with all the documents through online submission only. No applications will be entertained after the deadline. The candidates can follow these instructions while filling up the application form:

• Visit the official website of UPSC and click to apply on IES Exam 2021.
• After proper selection of the exam, fill in all the details properly in the application form.
• Cross check the details twice in both part 1 and part 2 of the application. Part 1 consists of all the personal details of the applicant like name, permanent address, contact details etc.
• Based on your category and other criteria, make sure you attach all requisite documents along with the application form. Keep a scanned photograph ready for uploading after filling up the application form.
• Also attach a scanned signature along with the documents submitted.
• Pay the requisite fee along with the application form.
• After paying fees, revise the application form again and make sure you haven’t missed out on any attachments. Thereafter, click the submit button to send the application.
• Once your application is successfully sent, you’ll receive a registration number of the sent application which you should use as reference for all future communications related to the exam.

IES Application Fees

Payment of fees for the exam can be made in two ways:

• Online Mode: You can avail facilities like credit card/ debit card payments or internet banking facilities etc. to make the payment through online mode.
• Offline Mode: Pay the requisite fee at any of the government recognized SBI branches and receive the challan as acknowledgement for the fee deposited. Soon after, this challan number can be entered in the application form so that your fee payment is successfully made.

Candidates belong to SC/ST categories, physically disabled applicants, and females are exempted from making any payments for the examination. Below is the detailed fee structure for candidates:

IES Admit Card 2021

• The admit card is a very important document for the candidate and has to compulsorily carry it to the examination hall.
• The admit card suggests important details of the candidate like his name, contact details, registration no etc.
• Right after the candidates are screened and eligible candidates selected for attempting the prelims, the authorities will issue an admit card. The same can be downloaded from the official website of UPSC.
• For Prelims, the admit card can be expected to be available on the website by June 2021 (Tentative).
• Further, for candidates selected for the mains exam, the admit card shall be made available by September 2021 (Tentative).

Important Points to Remember

While logging into the official site to download the admit card, candidates need to keep their registration number and date of birth handy.

• The registration number is also the candidate’s roll number.
• The admit card/ hall ticket is a compulsory document to enter the exam hall.
• The admit card along with a photo ID proof and its Xerox copy should be taken compulsorily to the exam hall.
• The admit card contains all necessary information about the candidate like his name, contact details, date, and time of exam plus exam center.
• In case of any issues associated with the admit card, candidates are immediately advised to contact the UPSC facilitation center without fail.

Steps to download IES Admit Card

• Visit the official site to download the admit card.
• Click on the link that allows you to download the admit card.
• Choose the option whether you want to download by providing registration id or your roll number.
• Enter the data according to your search criteria.
• Also, select your date of birth.
• Enter the Captcha code provided in the space.
• Click on the SUBMIT button.
• The e-admit card shall be displayed.
• Download and print the admit card.

IES Exam Pattern

The IES 2021 shall be conducted by the UPSC in three stages, namely the prelims, mains and then the interview round. Let’s take each phase in detail:

IES Prelims Exam Pattern

• Exam comprises mostly of objective type of questions.
• The 1st paper is the General Studies paper which is for duration of 2 hours and carries a total of 200 marks.
• The 2nd paper is the subject specific engineering paper which is for a total duration of 3 hours and carries a total of 300 marks.

IES Mains Exam Pattern

• Exam paper consists of theoretical questions.
• The 1st paper is the subject specific engineering paper which is for a total duration of 3 hours and carries a total of 300 marks.
• The 2nd paper is also the engineering paper which is for a total duration of 3 hours and carries a total of 300 marks.

IES Personality Test Pattern

• The interview round also carries a total of 200 marks.
• Overall the prelims, mains and the interview round carry a total of 1300 marks.

IES Syllabus 2021

Below we have provided detailed IES syllabus.

IES Prelims Syllabus

• The prelims consist of GS paper for 200 marks and engineering paper for 300 marks.
• Questions shall be asked from the below mentioned 10 topics, each covering 5-10% of the entire paper. These topics are of general importance and asked to test knowledge on par with an engineer’s aptitude.

General Studies Paper

1. Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic and industrial development
2. Engineering Aptitude covering Logical reasoning and Analytical ability
3. Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis
4. General Principles of Design, Drawing, Importance of Safety
5. Standards and Quality practices in production, construction, maintenance and services
6. Basics of Energy and Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, Climate Change, Environmental impact assessment
7. Basics of Project Management
8. Basics of Material Science and Engineering
9. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based tools and their applications in Engineering such as networking, e-governance and technology based education.
10. Ethics and values in engineering profession.

IES Mains Syllabus

The Mains exam consists of 2 papers.

• Paper-I is the core engineering paper of 3 hours duration carrying 300 marks.
• Paper-II again is the core engineering paper of 3 hours duration carrying 300 marks.
• The medium of instruction for both the papers is English.
• 5% of marks shall be deducted from the total marks if the candidate’s handwriting is not clear or legible.

Mechanical Engineering

Check out detailed Mechanical Engineering Syllabus

Civil Engineering

Check out detailed Civil Engineering Syllabus

Electrical Engineering 

Check out detailed Electrical Engineering Syllabus

Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering 

IES 2021 Result

Results are declared after every stage of the exam. Results are published for prelims, mains, and the interview round. Candidates are advised to check their results on the official website of UPSC. Soon after every phase of the exam, the relevant answer keys are published on the official UPSC website for students to get the correct answer form for their attempted questions. Based on the number of posts and vacancies available to fill up, the number of candidates applied for the exam, and the authorities decide the toughness of the exam, the cutoff percentage.

IES Exam Centers

Candidates have the option to choose their exam center while filling up their application form. For IES Prelims, there are around 42 centers, and for IES Mains, there are around 24 centers. Any last-minute changes requested by the candidate regarding change of exam center apart from the one he has specified in his application form shall not be entertained whatsoever.

List of Exam Centers for Prelims

In the table below, we present the center names and their respective center codes. Candidates have to note these details without fail carefully:

List of Exam Centers for Mains

Following are the rules and regulations to be followed when in the exam premises:

• Candidates have to note down their room numbers and seating allocation carefully.
• For this, they should know the location of their center well in advance.
• Plan well and reach early, at least 30 minutes before the actual commencement of the exam.
• Do not forget to carry IES admit card and photo ID documents.

IES 2021 Answer Key

The official answer key shall be made available on the commission’s website. The answer keys shall be available in the PDF format. The question paper would be set in 4 sets – A, B, C, and D. But in the answer keys, answers to the appropriate questions would be listed down.

• Visit the homepage of the official site and click on the link that will give you the answer key.
• A PDF file would be displayed shortly.
• Cross-check subject code and paper code.
• Download answer keys.

IES 2021 Cut off marks

Several aspects determine the cut off marks for both IES Prelims and Mains, they are:

• Number of candidates applied and attempting the exam
• Number of posts vacant
• Cut off marks of the previous year
• Difficulty level of the exam
• Scheme of paper marking

Steps to check cut off marks

• Visit the official website of UPSC.
• Click on the link that designates cut off marks as per your subject code.
• If you are checking for prelims, then you would find out based on the cut off marks provided whether you are eligible for mains or not.
• Similarly, after mains, you would know if you are eligible for the further interview round or not.
• Save the cut off marks PDF file for future use.

IES 2021 Selection Procedure

Like other Civil Services Exam, the IES exam also follows a three-step strategy to select based on their merit criteria. Following is the detailed selection procedure:

• Preliminary Exam
• Mains Exam
• Personal Interview

The Prelims consist of two objective type based papers. General ability is the first paper for 200 marks and two hours. The second paper is the technical paper for 300 marks of 3 hours. Candidates who clear the prelims round shall move on to the mains exam round.

The Mains exam consists of the subjective type of questions (conventional type). All questions in both papers pertain to the specific engineering stream specialization and purely technical paper. Each paper is carried out for 300 marks of 3 hours duration. Lastly, candidates who clear the main exam shall proceed to the personal interview round. The personal interview is carried out for 200 marks.

IES Counselling

The IES counselling process is the last of the process set up by the selection committee. Usually, counselling spans over a week and not more than that. Counselling is for those candidates who have cleared the IES exam and the step to check the candidate’s turn for the counselling session allotment is as explained below:

• Visit the UPSC official website.
• Log into the portal with your registration number and date of birth details.
• Go to the ‘What’s new section.’
• Locate the link – “Interview schedule – Engineering services main exam” and click on it.
• Search for your engineering branch and click on the respective link.
• The counselling session stipulated for that particular branch shall be displayed in a PDF file.
• Candidates have to note down accordingly.

How to Prepare for IES Exam?

• The IES paper consists of both objective and theoretical papers. For problem solving, speed, accuracy as well as analytical thinking in problem solving is a must.
• For detailed papers, a good knowledge base of theoretical concepts from engineering is a must. Students must be in a position to apply the theoretical concepts practically in different situations.
• Memorise diagrams, equations, derivations, flow charts, and elaborate explanation rendering techniques.
• Build good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Practice well, and manage your time wisely.
• Refer to previous year papers and attempt mock tests.
• Prepare good notes for all the technical studies part.
• Allocate equal time for GS and engineering papers.

Hence, becoming an IES officer is quite a tough task. The preparation process needs to be comprehensive as well as perfect. The candidates are recommended to prepare this Civil Services Exam in a strict deadline to qualify it. The fact is that numerous people take participated in IES every year, but only candidates who worked hard a lot can qualify. Hence, prepare this exam enthusiastically to clear it.

Roles and Responsibilities of IES Officer

• Once selected as IES officers after selection, they may be designated as an Assistant Executive Engineer or Assistant Director
• Once got 5-6 years of experience, they’re promoted to the director or work manager, or executive engineer.
• Once got 8 years of experience, they have promoted deputy general manager or joint director.
• Once got 13-14 years of experience, they’re capable of getting promoted to chief engineer of level 2 or joint general manager.
• Once they got more than 15 years of experience, they can appoint in the position of the senior general manager or engineer-in-chief.
• Once got more than 34 years of experience, they will become chairman or managing director of a governmental organization.

Salary of IES Officer

The IES officers’ salary is bound to increments, perks, and promotions from time to time. With the announcement of every pay commission, the wages shall be revised from time to time. The approximate pay scale can be estimated at 15,600- 39,100. Grade pay (approximate) of 5400 is also applicable.

The detailed breakdown of the officers’ salary is provided below for reference:

Departments & Posts Allocation through IES 2021

Once IES officers complete their probationary period and get posted at various divisions, they have to fulfil their duties and discharge their responsibilities accordingly. The list of departments where they would be inducted is listed below:

Civil Engineering Stream

• Indian Railway Service of Engineers department
• Department of Central Engineering Service
• Indian Defense Service of Engineers department
• Indian Railway Stores Service department
• Central Engineering Service (Roads department) under Group-A
• Department of Central Water Engineering Service
• Department of Indian Ordnance Factories Services
• Postings as AEE in P&T building works Group-A Services
• Postings as AEE in Border Road Engg. Services GR-A

Mechanical Engineering Stream

• Indian Railway Service department of Mechanical Engineers
• Indian Railway Stores Service department
• Indian Defense Service of Engineers department
• Department overseeing Central Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Service (Mechanical Post)
• Central Water Engineering Service department under Group-A (Mechanical Postings)
• Central Power Engineering Service department (Mechanical Postings)
• Indian Ordnance Factories Services department
• Indian Inspection Service department under Group A postings
• Central Engineering Service (Roads division) under Group-A cadre
• Indian Supply Service under Group A cadre (Mechanical Postings)
• Assistant Executive Engineer under Group A postings for Geological Survey of India
• Assistant Naval Store Officer under Grade-I cadre in Indian Navy
• Indian Naval Armament Service department
• Assistant Executive Engineer in Corps service of EME, Ministry of Defense

Electrical Engineering Stream

• Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers section
• Indian Railway Stores Service department
• Indian Defense Service of Engineers postings (Electrical Posts)
• Central Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Service division (Electrical Post)
• Central Power Engineering Service department (Electrical Post)
• Indian Ordnance Factories Services department
• Indian Supply Service Group A cadre(Electrical Posts)
• Assistant Naval Store Officer Grade-I in Indian Navy section
• Indian Naval Armament Service department
• Assistant Executive Engineer in Corps of EME section, Ministry of Defense

Electronics Engineering Stream

• Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers section
• Indian Railway Stores Service department
• Indian Telecom Service Group-A section
• Central Power Engineering Service postings (E&T Posts)
• Engineer GCS Group A in WPC/MO department (M/O Communication & IT)
• Indian Inspection Service Group A division (E&T Posts)
• Indian Supply Service Group A division (E&T Posts)
• Indian Ordnance Factories Services department
• Assistant Naval Store Officer Grade-I division in Indian Navy
• Indian Naval Armament Service department
• Assistant Executive Engineer in Corps of EME service, Ministry of Defence

IES 2021 FAQs

1. What is the full form of IES?
Answer: IES full form is Indian Engineering Services.

2. At what time of the year is the IES exam conducted generally?
Answer: The notification for the IES exam usually comes up by January of every year, and by the second week of May, the exam would be conducted.

3. What are the minimum and maximum age criteria to appear for the IES exam?
Answer: Minimum age limit- 21 years. Maximum age limit – 30 years.

4. Can a candidate who has pursued his degree from open school apply for the exam?
Answer: YES. A candidate can apply with an open school background, but he should also fulfill other educational qualifications set by the commission.

5. Can a candidate possess a degree in chemical engineering to be allowed to appear for IES exams?
Answer: YES. An engineering graduate from any stream can opt to attempt the IES exam.

6. IS the IES exam conducted in offline/online mode?
Answer: The exam is conducted in OFFLINE mode only. The system of application and all other updates shall be made available to the candidate through ONLINE mode.

7. Can I attempt the IES Mains in the Hindi language?
Answer: NO. The medium of the exam paper and answering scheme should be done in ENGLISH only.

8. Is there negative marking in IES prelims?
Answer: YES. 1/3rd of total marks shall be deducted for every wrong answer.