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.
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Download the paper
Download the official UPSC ESE 2026 question papers (PDF), hosted on this site with the UPSC source linked.
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.
Looking for another year or a different paper? Check the official archive.
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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.