The Indian Engineering Services (IES) exam is one of the most sought-after engineering exams in India. Conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the exam allows engineering graduates to work in government sectors such as the Indian Railways, Central Water Commission, Central Electricity Authority, etc. Cracking the IES exam is a dream for many engineering graduates, but it requires rigorous preparation and a thorough understanding of the exam pattern.
The IES exam is divided into three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Personality Test. Each stage tests the candidates’ knowledge, personality, and skills. Let’s take a comprehensive look at the IES exam pattern for each stage.
Prelims Exam Pattern:
The Prelims exam is conducted for a duration of 2 hours and consists of two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 1 consists of General Studies and Engineering Aptitude while Paper 2 tests the knowledge of the respective engineering discipline.
Paper 1 consists of 100 questions, of which 50 questions are of General Studies and 50 questions are of Engineering Aptitude. The General Studies section tests the candidate’s knowledge in current affairs, economy, geography, polity, history, and environment. The Engineering Aptitude section tests the candidate’s comprehension, reasoning, and analytical ability.
Paper 2 comprises 150 objective type questions that test the candidate’s knowledge of the respective engineering discipline. The exam is of 300 marks with a negative marking of one-third of the marks allotted to the question.
Mains Exam Pattern:
The Mains exam consists of a written and a personality test. The written exam has two papers, each of which is conducted for 3 hours. Paper 1 is a General English paper, and Paper 2 is a detailed test of the engineering discipline chosen by the candidate.
Paper 1 comprises 300 marks, and the candidates’ language skills are tested through questions on grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, etc. Paper 2 consists of subjective type questions and comprises 300 marks.
The personality test is conducted by a board of eminent persons who assess the candidate’s personality traits, communication skills, and leadership qualities. The personality test is conducted for 200 marks.
The final merit list is prepared based on the combined marks obtained by the candidate in the Mains exam and the Personality Test.
Preparation Tips:
To crack the IES exam, candidates need to adopt effective preparation strategies. Here are some preparation tips that will help aspirants:
- Understand the exam pattern from top to bottom.
- Refer to the syllabus and study materials prescribed by UPSC.
- Revise regularly and take mock tests.
- Plan a study schedule and stick to it.
- Practice previous years’ question papers and solve numerical problems.
- Stay updated with current affairs by reading newspapers and watching news channels.
