Chennai: As in the civil services exam, engineering graduates who aspire for engineering services will also have to clear a preliminary exam to qualify for the ‘main’ as per the Union Public Service Commission’s new scheme of examinations to be implemented from 2017.
An expert committee formed by the commission had recommended structural changes in the exam and syllabus and on getting the government’s approval, UPSC announced the changes in engineering service exam.
At present, it is a two stage exam with written exam and interview. From next year, it will be a three stage exam with prelims, mains and a personality test.
The new changes will give more time for students to prepare for each stage of the exam says Arvind Singh, Joint director of Made Easy group, a leading coaching center for engineering service exams in Delhi.
The prelims are likely to be held in January or February and Mains in June and July. UPSC will announce the calendar for this exam in August 2016.
Importance to traditional subjects like history, geography, life science, politics have been reduced to be replaced by engineering aptitude and engineering related maths, design principles, e-governance, etc.
“Engineering subjects will feature as much as 90% in the new pattern of the exam. Personally, I would like to have more general knowledge questions in a competitive exam,” says an aspirant who is pursuing his post graduation in the Anna University.
In the present form, written exams being held continuously for three days with very little time to prepare. From next year we will have more time to prepare as these exams are split and held separately, another engineering graduate said.
The removal of English from general studies paper will help the rural students, but the engineering service officers should have a minimum proficiency in the English language, professors said.
