Hello,

Indian Engineering Services Exam (IES) or Engineering Services Examination (ESE) is organized by the Union Public Services commission UPSC, every year. The exam is conducted in three stages; IES Preliminary, IES Main & Personality Test.

It is a very good thing that you want to start early for preparations because it is one of the toughest exams in the country. given below is a detailed structure of the exam and how you should prepare, recommended books, etc.

Syllabus and exam pattern for Preliminary Exam-

Pattern-

Category- Civil Engineering

Paper-I (General Studies and Engineering Aptitude) 2 hrs. (200 marks)

Paper-II (Civil Engineering) 3 hrs. (300 marks)

Total=500 MARKS

General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (Preliminary Examination Stage-I, Paper I)

• Current issues of national and international importance relating to social, economic and industrial development

• Engineering Aptitude covering Logical reasoning and Analytical ability

• Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis

• General Principles of Design, Drawing, Importance of Safety

• Standards and Quality practices in production, construction, maintenance, and services

• Basics of Energy and Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution, and degradation, Climate Change, Environmental impact assessment

• Basics of Project Management

• Basics of Material Science and Engineering

• Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based tools and their applications in Engineering such as networking, e-governance, and technology-based education.

• Ethics and values in the engineering profession.

Civil Engineering Paper I

• Building Materials

• Solid Mechanics

• Structural Analysis

• Design of Steel Structures

• Design of Concrete and Masonry structures

• Construction Practice, Planning, and Management

HOW TO PREPARE?

General English-

1. Refer to basic English grammar books and have a clear concept about the usage of words, parts of speech and tenses

2. Learn new words and learn their antonyms and synonyms too and the manner of their usage.

3. Develop a habit of reading an English newspaper daily. This will increase your vocabulary to a great extent

4. Solve as many past question papers as possible.

General Knowledge-

• Read newspapers and watch the news on TV regularly so that you are updated on what is happening around you

1. Refer to as many latest GK books as possible

2. Try to refer to past question papers and solve as many questions as possible

Civil Engineering-

1. Not a single topic should be left out

2. Make a routine and stick to it. The routine must allow you to complete the syllabus thoroughly and even revise it.

Preparing a time table is important

1. The first step which every candidate should follow is to make a time table. Take one subject from each section of the technical syllabus and devote at least 3 hours daily to it. Try to devote 1 hour each to English and General Studies.

2. Divide your topics into monthly and finish the targets accordingly. Also, manage the time table such that it has a good distribution of study hours for General Ability Section and technical papers so that you are able to focus on both without losing interest.

3. Make short notes of important topics. Make a separate list of formulae for each subject and revise the short notes and formulae list daily.

4. Read Newspaper and articles, watch morning bulletin, surf websites in order to prepare for general ability paper. The currents affairs coverage of 45 days prior to the commencement date of exam.

Useful books-

• Engineering Mechanics by Shames

• Introduction to Solid Mechanics by Shames Irving H

• Limit State Design by Ram Chandra

• Surveying by B.C. Punmia and Ashok Kumar Jain

• Basic Structural Analysis by C.S. Reddy

• Reinforced Concrete Design by Devdas Menon and S. Pillai

• Soil Mechanics and Foundations by B.C. Punmia and Ashok Kumar Jain

Apart from the above tips, you can read toppers interviews to know how they prepared and make an excellent strategy. Also, you can join a coaching institute to prepare well with the help of experts. But the most important thing is to be consistent and motivated at the time of preparation!

I hope this helps. If you have any other doubt or query, feel free to ask.

Good luck!