Guidelines to Prepare for the UPSC IES Exam

The Union Public Service Commission conducts the UPSC IES – Indian Engineering Services exam for recruitment of candidates for various engineering posts in various important organizations like the AEE(Civil) in Border Road Engineering Service, Indian Defence Service of Engineers, Indian Railway Service, etc. The selection process of the IES exam includes three stages, Preliminary Exam, then the Main Exam, and the final stage is a Personality Test.

To crack the IES exam, the aspirants need a well-planned preparation strategy and dedication to ace it. To get more motivated, you can go through the UPSC IES Salary details. In this article, we will discuss some important details about the IES exam like its exam pattern, selection process, etc. Before you plan to appear for this UPSC exam, you must check the eligibility criteria that are set by the Union Public Service Commission exam officials. Failing to meet any single criteria can lead to the rejection of your IES application. 

UPSC IES Selection Process 2020

The selection for the IES recruitment has three stages. The candidates that can clear the prelims exam will be eligible for appearing in the mains exam. The candidates will further be called for a personality test if they can clear the mains exam. The table below consists of the stages of the selection process along with their mark’s weightage – 

Let us have a look at the topics that are included in the IES syllabus. 

UPSC IES Syllabus

As discussed earlier, the UPSC IES examination consists of 2 written exams – prelims and mains exam. The prelims exam has a total of 2 papers. The prelims paper 1 will have questions from topics like General Studies & Engineering Aptitude which is the same for all candidates. Prelims Paper 2 consists of questions based on the stream of the candidate. The IES mains exam will have 2 descriptive papers based on the candidates’ engineering stream. Since the exam is discipline-specific, the UPSC IES syllabus will differ for different engineering streams like Mechanical, electrical, Civil, Electronics & Telecommunication. 

Here is the syllabus for paper 1 of the section General Studies & Engineering Aptitude in the prelims exam that is similar for all the candidates from all engineering streams. The important topics from the general IES section are given below- 

• Basics of Energy
• Current issues (national and international)
• Engineering Mathematics
• Environment: Climate Change, Conservation, environmental pollution, etc.
• Ethics and values in the Engineering profession
• Importance of Safety
• Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
• General Principles of Design & Drawing,
• Logical reasoning and Analytical ability
• Maintenance
• Material Science
• Production & construction
• Project Management

We will now discuss some crucial IES exam preparation steps that you can follow to clear the exam. 

Know the detailed IES Exam Pattern and Syllabus:

A detailed exam pattern and syllabus will help you to get a clearer idea about the IES exam. You will become aware of the exam’s difficulty level and the topics from which the questions will be asked. It will also help you prepare a strategy that will help you stay focused and be on the right track during your entire exam preparation. 

Have Proper Time Management:

One of the most important aspects required while preparing for the IES exam is time management. Proper time management will allow you to stay focused as by completing the required portion in an appropriate time, you will get a sense of accomplishment. This will keep you motivated and also boost your confidence to crack the exam. If you know your preparation is going as per your plan, you will find it easier to learn better. 

Proper time management skills also help you complete the IES exam paper in the allotted time.

Regularly Attempt IES Mock Tests:

Mock tests and previous year papers will allow you to get an idea about the exam environment. You will understand all the details about the exam like the pattern, important topics, formats of questions, etc. better. You will also find ample questions to practice and this will prove to be very beneficial to get practice over different types of IES questions.

Be Consistent:

While preparing for any exam, you require a proper schedule ready that will help you to study better. This schedule should be followed consistently, only then you can do wonders in the exam. All you need is consistency and dedication to crack the IES exam. 

Take Enough Rest:

Taking rest while the exam preparation is also necessary as it will help you focus better and learn more in less amount of time. You won’t be efficient if you are tired. Always make sure you take care of your health and get proper sleep daily. 

We hope that you found this article on the UPSC IES exam helpful. Prepare well and you will surely be able to ace the IES exam. You can let us know below in the comment box if you have any doubts about the IES exam.