UPPSC AE Civil 2026: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Cut Off & Free Mock Tests
UPPSC Assistant Engineer (Civil) — Uttar Pradesh
UPPSC Assistant Engineer — the Combined State Engineering Services Examination of Uttar Pradesh — recruits AEs for PWD, Irrigation, Rural Engineering and other UP departments. With UP's scale of infrastructure spending, its vacancy cycles are among the largest of any state AE exam.
The recent scheme moved to an objective pattern with civil engineering papers plus general studies/Hindi components, followed by interview. Deep command over core civil subjects with UP-specific general knowledge is the proven combination.
UPPSC AE Civil 2026 — Overview
| Conducting body | Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) |
| Post | Assistant Engineer (Civil) — Gazetted state service |
| Departments | PWD, Irrigation & Water Resources, RED & more |
| Stages | Written exam (objective) + Interview |
| Eligibility | B.E./B.Tech in Civil Engineering (AMIE eligible per rules) |
| Age limit | 21–40 years (with relaxations) |
UPPSC AE Civil Exam Pattern
Preliminary Examination (qualifying/screening)
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge | 25 | 50 |
| General Hindi | 25 | 50 |
| Engineering Aptitude | 100 | 200 |
Duration: 2 hours
Negative marking: Negative marking applies (per notification)
ℹ️ Prelims is qualifying in nature — about 15× candidates per post are shortlisted for Mains. Prelims marks do not count in the final merit.
Main Examination (objective — decides merit)
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-I: General Hindi + Engineering Subject-1 | As notified | 375 |
| Paper-II: General Studies + Engineering Subject-2 | As notified | 375 |
Duration: Per official notification
Negative marking: 1 mark deducted per wrong answer
ℹ️ Final selection = Mains (750 marks) + Interview (100 marks). Verify the exact question split in the current advertisement.
Interview
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Personality Test | — | 100 |
Duration: —
Negative marking: Not applicable
UPPSC AE Civil Syllabus — Key Subjects
See the detailed chapter-wise syllabus (built from real previous-year papers) on the UPPSC AE Civil test series page →
Eligibility
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from a recognised university (or AMIE Sections A & B as per rules).
- ✓Age 21–40 years with UP-domicile category relaxations.
- ✓Some posts require specific qualifications (e.g., Agriculture Engineering for certain departments) — apply post-wise.
Salary & Career
UPPSC AE is paid at Pay Level typically corresponding to ₹56,100 starting basic (Level-10 equivalent in UP matrix). In-hand salary is generally ₹75,000–₹85,000 per month with allowances, plus gazetted-officer career progression up to Chief Engineer.
UPPSC AE Civil Cut Off
Cutoffs depend heavily on vacancy distribution across departments. Recent objective-pattern cycles have seen UR cutoffs near 55–65% aggregate. Verify from UPPSC's official cutoff publication.
Vacancy Trends
| 2024 (AE-13) | ~600+ AE posts (combined disciplines) |
| 2021 (AE-11) | ~280+ AE posts (combined) |
How to Prepare for UPPSC AE Civil
- 1Irrigation and Water Resources deserve extra depth for UP — the Irrigation department is a major recruiter and the paper reflects it.
- 2With 1/3 negative marking on high-mark questions (3 marks each), every wrong answer costs a full mark — accuracy training in mocks directly converts to merit.
- 3UP GK and General Hindi are cheap marks for domicile candidates and a genuine differentiator for outside candidates who prepare them.
- 4Solve UPPSC AE previous-year papers plus UPSSSC JE papers — the conceptual overlap in core subjects is high.
Start Practising UPPSC AE Civil — Free
Exam-pattern mocks, previous-year papers, detailed solutions and chapter-wise analytics — built only for civil engineers, by a civil engineer who cleared these exams.
UPPSC AE Civil — Frequently Asked Questions
Is UPPSC AE objective or descriptive now?▾
Recent cycles use an objective (MCQ) written exam followed by interview. The exact paper composition is set per notification — always check the current advertisement.
Can final-year students apply for UPPSC AE?▾
Generally the degree must be complete by the notification's cutoff date. Check the specific eligibility clause in the current advertisement before applying.
What is the career path after UPPSC AE?▾
AE → Executive Engineer (AE gets promoted via seniority/DPC) → Superintending Engineer → Chief Engineer. It is a full gazetted engineering-service career track in UP government.
Where can I practise UPPSC AE civil test series?▾
CIVILGYAN TEST SERIES offers UPPSC AE-focused mocks, chapter tests and previous-year papers with detailed solutions and analytics — free tests first, upgrade only if convinced.
Explore Other Exam Guides
Disclaimer: Exam patterns, cutoffs, vacancies and eligibility rules change between recruitment cycles. The figures above are compiled for guidance from past cycles — always verify details from the official notification of the conducting body before applying.