# UPSC ESE 2026 Previous Year Question Paper

> UPSC ESE 2026 question paper: 13 official UPSC PDFs (131.1 MB), with the papers listed and how to sit them.

Source: https://previousyearquestions.app/upsc-ese/2026/

The 13 official UPSC ESE 2026 question papers are on this page as PDFs from UPSC, with the original source linked beside each file. The UPSC ESE exam covers Prelims: GS and Engineering Aptitude + discipline paper and Mains: two papers per discipline. Download them below, then sit the paper under exam timing with the attempt plan and error-log routine on this page.

Explore: <a href="/upsc-ese/">UPSC ESE hub</a> · <a href="/upsc-ese/syllabus-pattern/">Syllabus & pattern</a> · <a href="/pyq/">All exams</a> · <a href="/guides/how-to-use-previous-year-papers/">How to use PYQs</a>

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**[Download the official UPSC ESE 2026 question papers (PDF)](#download-question-paper)**, hosted on this site with the UPSC source linked.
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## What is in the 2026 set

The 2026 set has 5 Stage I (Prelims) papers and 8 Stage II (Mains) papers: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude, a Prelims paper for each of the four disciplines, and two Mains papers for each discipline.

| Paper | File size |
|---|---|
| ESE Mains 2026 Civil Engineering Paper I | 6.6 MB |
| ESE Mains 2026 Civil Engineering Paper II | 3.8 MB |
| ESE Mains 2026 Mechanical Engineering Paper I | 6.4 MB |
| ESE Mains 2026 Mechanical Engineering Paper II | 4.4 MB |
| ESE Mains 2026 Electrical Engineering Paper I | 4.8 MB |
| ESE Mains 2026 Electrical Engineering Paper II | 4.4 MB |
| ESE Mains 2026 Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering Paper I | 4.0 MB |
| ESE Mains 2026 Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering Paper II | 4.1 MB |
| ESE Prelims 2026 Paper I General Studies and Engineering Aptitude | 18.4 MB |
| ESE Prelims 2026 Paper II Electrical Engineering | 19.4 MB |
| ESE Prelims 2026 Paper II Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering | 19.8 MB |
| ESE Prelims 2026 Paper II Mechanical Engineering | 17.5 MB |
| ESE Prelims 2026 Paper II Civil Engineering | 17.4 MB |

## Pattern these papers follow

Stage I (Prelims) has two objective papers: Paper I, General Studies and Engineering Aptitude (2 hours, 200 marks), and Paper II, the engineering discipline paper (3 hours, 300 marks). Stage I only screens candidates. Stage II (Mains) has two conventional papers per discipline of 300 marks each (3 hours each), 600 marks in total, followed by a 200-mark Personality Test. The final merit list uses Mains plus Personality Test, 800 marks.

<PaperDownloads exam="upsc-ese" year={2026} heading="Download the UPSC ESE 2026 question papers" />

Looking for another year or a different paper? Check the [official archive](https://www.upsc.gov.in/examinations/previous-question-papers).

## Other years

- [UPSC ESE 2025](/upsc-ese/2025/)
- [UPSC ESE 2024](/upsc-ese/2024/)
- [UPSC ESE 2023](/upsc-ese/2023/)
- [UPSC ESE 2022](/upsc-ese/2022/)
- [UPSC ESE 2021](/upsc-ese/2021/)
- [UPSC ESE 2020](/upsc-ese/2020/)
- [UPSC ESE 2019](/upsc-ese/2019/)

<a href="/upsc-ese/">← UPSC ESE hub</a> · <a href="/upsc-ese/syllabus-pattern/">Syllabus & pattern →</a>

## FAQ

### Where can I download the official UPSC ESE 2026 question paper?
Every PDF is on this page, and the table links back to UPSC's original on upsc.gov.in.

### How many papers are in UPSC ESE 2026?
The 2026 set has 5 Stage I (Prelims) papers and 8 Stage II (Mains) papers: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude, a Prelims paper for each of the four disciplines, and two Mains papers for each discipline.

### Does this page have an answer key?
No. UPSC has not posted answer keys for this exam on its previous-papers page, so only the question papers are hosted.

### Where is the UPSC ESE pattern?
See the UPSC ESE syllabus & pattern page on this hub.