The UPSC IES Civil Engineering exam is slated to take place on 8th June and 10th August, 2025.The exam is a very difficult task for any student attempting. Every year, around two lakh aspiring students take this exam. IES Civil Engineering syllabus include Building Materials, Geotechnical Engineering, Surveying and Geology. IES Civil Engineering Exam consists of 2 rounds, i.e. the Prelims and the Mains. The Prelims exam decides if students move on to the mains round. The IES Prelims round exam is for a total of 500 marks and the Mains exam is for a total of 600 marks. The IES Civil Engineering paper focuses on a variety of different topics in the field of Civil Engineering. A lot of in-depth knowledge is required. Students need to be highly focused and well-prepared when attempting the exam.
IES Civil Engineering Syllabus Highlights
Provided below are the need-to-know details about the IES Civil Engineering syllabus. The highlights are as follows:
Exam Name
IES Civil Engineering
Field
Civil Engineering
Rounds
2 : Preliminary and Mains
Prelims Exam Date
8 June, 2025
Mains Exam Date
10 August, 2025
Prelims Total Marks
500 marks
Mains Total Marks
600 marks
Prelims Subjects
General Studies, Civil Engineering, Engineering Aptitude
Mains Subjects
Building Materials, Geotechnical Engineering, Surveying and Geology
The IES Civil Engineering exam pattern is different depending on the exam round and which paper. However, provided below is an overview for the Preliminary and Mains round exam patterns. The IES Civil Engineering Exam patterns are as follows:
IES Civil Engineering Prelims Exam Pattern
The Prelims round for the IES Civil Engineering exams needs to be cleared by aspiring students. Only after clearing the Preliminary round students will be able to advance to the Mains exams. Provided below is the exam pattern for the UPSC IES Civil Engineering exam. The pattern is as follows:
Paper
Duration
Questions
Total Weightage
Exam 1: General Studies and Engineering Aptitude
2 hours
100 questions
200 marks
Exam 2 : Civil Engineering
3 hours
150 questions
300 marks
IES Civil Engineering Mains Exam Pattern
For both Mains exams, students must answer 5 out of 8 descriptive questions. Each exam holds 300 marks, with a total weightage of 600 marks overall. Provided below is an overview of the IES Civil Engineering Mains Exams Pattern. The exam pattern is as follows:
After completing and clearing the Prelims exams, students advance to the IES Civil Engineering Mains exams. These consist of 2 papers that aspiring students have to take. Listed below is the syllabus for each paper of the IES Civil Engineering Mains Exam.
IES Civil Engineering Mains 1st Exam Syllabus
The syllabus for the 1st paper of the IES Civil Engineering Mains is as follows:
Topic
Syllabus
Solid Mechanics
Bending
Sheer
Stress
Elastic Constants
Elastic Theories of Failure
Mohr’s Circle of Stress and Strain
Design of Concrete and Masonry
Tanks
Retaining Walls
Staircases
Designs of Masonry Walls
Design for Bending
Compression
Design for Earthquake Resistance
Design of Beams
Structural Analysis
Stresses and Strains
Trusses Beam and Plane Frames
Suspended Cables
Bending Moments and Shear Force
Unit Load Methods
Rolling Loads and Influence Lines
Construction Practice, Planning and Management
Constructing Planning and Equipment
Productivity
Operation Cost
Land Acquisition
Labor Safety
Welfare
Tendering Process
Contract Management
Quality Control
Building Materials
Classification of Properties and Selection Criteria
Cement Types
Properties
Uses
Design of Concrete Mixes
Specifications
IES Civil Engineering Mains 2nd Exam Syllabus -
Topic
Syllabus
Geotechnical Engineering
Permeability and Seepage
Compressibility, Consolidating and Shearing Resistance
Geosynthetics
Earth Pressure Theory and Stress Distribution in Soil
Foundations of Engineering
Bearing Capacity
Settlement Analysis
Slope Stability
Earthen Embankments
Principles of Ground Modifications
Designing and Testing of Shallow and Deep Foundations
Types of Foundations and Selection Criteria
Environmental Engineering
Water Supply Engineering:
Quality Standards and Testing of Water
Rural
Estimation of Water Demand
Pollutants in Water
Drinking Water Standards
Water Treatment Plans
Water Distribution Networks
Water Sources and Estimation
2) Waste Water Engineering:
Industrial Wastewaters And Effluent Treatment Plants
Sludge Management
Plumbing Systems
Planning and Designing of Domestic Wastewater
Components and Layouts of Sewage Systems
3) Air Pollution and Ecology:
Concepts and General Methodology
4) Solid Waste Management
Disposal Systems
Beneficial Aspects of Waste
Sources and Classification of Solid Wastes
Surveying and Geology
Surveying:
Field Astronomy
Global Positioning System
Map Preparation
Instruments and Analysis of Measurement of Distances, Elevation and Directions
Remote Sensing Concepts
Photogrammetry
Geology:
Basic Knowledge of Engineering Geology and and its Applications
Transportation Engineering
Principles of Flexible and Rigid Pavement Designs
Harbours - Terminology, Layouts and Planning
Airports- Layout, Planning and Designs
Highways - Planning and Construction Methodology, Alignment and Geometric Design
Tunneling- Alignment, Methods of Construction and Disposal of Waste
Railway Systems- Planning, Design and Maintenance of Tracks
Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering
Streams and Their Gauging
River Morphology
Multipurpose Uses of Water
River Basins and Their Potential
Irrigation Systems
Canal Design Concepts
Flood and Drought Management
Hydrological Cycle: Ground and Well Water Hydrology and analysis
