UPSC ESE 2026 Interviews From Sept 21: Schedule, Dates Out

For 1,336 engineers who cleared every written stage of one of India's most competitive examinations, the final hurdle is now scheduled. The Union Public Service Commission has released the UPSC Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2026 Personality Test schedule, and interviews begin on September 21, 2026 — eleven days from today.

But this story has a second layer that every competitor page misses. For the lakhs of ESE aspirants who did not make it this cycle or are planning their first attempt: the UPSC ESE 2027 notification drops tomorrow — September 16, 2026 — as per the UPSC Annual Calendar. Prelims are scheduled for January 31, 2027. The 2026 cycle is closing its final chapter on the same week the 2027 cycle opens its first. Both pieces of news belong in one place.

UPSC ESE 2026 Personality Test: Complete Interview Date Schedule

The Personality Tests will be conducted across the following dates in September and October 2026, in two sessions each day — forenoon beginning at 9:00 AM and afternoon beginning at 1:00 PM. All sessions are at the UPSC Examination Hall, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi.

September dates: 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

October dates: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 30

That is 21 scheduled interview days across six weeks, accommodating 1,336 candidates in batches across both sessions daily. Candidates must verify their specific date and session against their roll number in the official schedule published on upsc.gov.in — do not assume your date based on roll number sequence.

How to Check Your UPSC ESE 2026 Interview Date and Session

1. Visit the official UPSC website at upsc.gov.in.

2. Navigate to the latest notice for Engineering Services Examination 2026 Personality Test schedule.

3. Open the detailed roll number-wise schedule PDF.

4. Locate your roll number and note your allocated interview date and session (forenoon or afternoon).

5. Download and save the schedule immediately.

Once your date and session are confirmed, begin planning your travel and accommodation for New Delhi without delay. Interviews are at Dholpur House — one of the most central UPSC venues — but candidates travelling from other states need to factor in the reporting time precisely.

e-Summon Letter: Not Yet Out — Monitor upsconline.nic.in

The UPSC has confirmed that e-Summon Letters for the ESE 2026 Personality Test will be made available shortly on the Commission's online portal at upsconline.nic.in. The e-Summon Letter is your formal interview call letter and is mandatory to carry to Dholpur House on the day of your personality test. It is separate from the interview schedule PDF and must be downloaded individually using your login credentials.

As of today, the e-Summon has not been released. Candidates should monitor upsconline.nic.in regularly, especially over the next few days, and download the letter as soon as it goes live. Do not wait until the day before your interview.

No Date Change Requests: Plan Around Your Allotted Date

The Commission has stated unambiguously: no request for a change in the date and time of the Personality Test allotted to a candidate will be entertained. This applies without exception — personal commitments, travel difficulties, or any other circumstances are not grounds for rescheduling. The date in the official schedule is the date of your interview. Plan everything around it.

Travel Reimbursement: What You Are Entitled To

Here is the detail that most news pages either omit or bury. Candidates appearing for the UPSC ESE 2026 Personality Test are eligible for reimbursement of travelling expenses for their journey to New Delhi for the interview. This reimbursement is restricted to Second Class/Sleeper Class fare on Mail Express trains. No reimbursement is provided for air travel, air-conditioned train classes, or private transport beyond what UPSC guidelines permit.

Retain all original train tickets and travel receipts. Claims are processed per the Commission's internal guidelines — specific forms and submission procedures are detailed in the official UPSC notice. Candidates who travel by modes other than Mail Express train should review the Commission's guidelines carefully before incurring expenses, since out-of-policy travel may not be reimbursable.

What Is the UPSC ESE 2026 Personality Test and How Is It Scored?

The Personality Test — commonly called the Interview — is the third and final stage of the Engineering Services Examination 2026. The 1,336 candidates called for this stage had already cleared:

Stage I — ESE Prelims: Conducted February 8, 2026, with results declared February 26. A total of 1,443 candidates qualified — 578 in Civil, 420 in Mechanical, 278 in Electrical, and 167 in Electronics & Telecommunication.

Stage II — ESE Mains: Conducted June 21, 2026, in two shifts (9 AM to 12 noon and 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM). Mains result declared July 24, 2026. 1,336 candidates shortlisted for the Personality Test.

Stage III — Personality Test (ongoing): The final stage, carrying marks that are combined with Mains performance to build the final merit list. The Personality Test board evaluates technical knowledge, communication, problem-solving approach, general awareness and overall suitability for engineering services roles.

The final selection and merit ranking — determining who gets which post across Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics & Telecommunication branches — will be based on the combined marks from Mains and Personality Test.

UPSC ESE 2026: Vacancies and Posts at Stake

The 474 vacancies in ESE 2026 (with some sources indicating a revised final count of up to 540) cover prestigious Group A and Group B Gazetted posts across central government departments including Indian Railways, Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Defence services, Border Roads Organisation, Central Water Engineering, Central Power Engineering Services, Indian Telecommunication Service and others.

Branch-wise vacancy distribution (as notified):
Civil Engineering: approximately 199–257 vacancies
Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering: approximately 118–121 vacancies
Mechanical Engineering: approximately 85–89 vacancies
Electrical Engineering: approximately 72–73 vacancies

Starting salary for selected candidates is at Pay Level 10 under the 7th Central Pay Commission — approximately ₹56,100 per month at entry level, with a scale extending to ₹1,77,500 plus standard central government allowances. This is one of the highest starting salaries in any central government engineering recruitment.

UPSC ESE 2027 Notification: Dropping Tomorrow

This is the news that every ESE 2026 non-qualifier and every engineering student planning their first attempt needs to know right now. The UPSC Annual Calendar 2027 marks the ESE 2027 notification for release on September 16, 2026 — that is tomorrow.

The ESE 2027 Prelims is scheduled for January 31, 2027. This means that from tomorrow, the application window for the next cycle of India's most prestigious engineering examination will be open — and the preparation clock will have restarted for hundreds of thousands of aspirants across Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics & Telecommunication branches.

ESE 2027 will follow the same structure: Prelims, Mains and Personality Test — but the specifics of vacancies, eligibility conditions and important dates will be confirmed in tomorrow's official notification at upsc.gov.in.

If you did not clear ESE 2026 or are attempting ESE for the first time, check upsc.gov.in tomorrow for the 2027 notification, apply within the window, and begin structured preparation immediately. The gap between the notification and Prelims is approximately four months — a tight but workable window for focused preparation.

The UPSC ESE 2026 Cycle: Complete Timeline