UKPSC Assistant Engineer Syllabus 2026: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Marks & Selection Process
The UKPSC Assistant Engineer (AE) examination is conducted under the Uttarakhand Combined Engineering Service Examination. The official syllabus provides a detailed structure of the written examination, compulsory General Ability subjects, engineering-related optional subjects and the Personality Test/Interview.
Candidates preparing for the examination should understand not only the technical syllabus but also the General Hindi, General English, General Studies, General Aptitude and Uttarakhand Studies components.
UKPSC Assistant Engineer Exam Pattern
The selection process consists of:
- Written Examination – Objective Type
- Interview / Personality Test
The written examination contains compulsory General Ability subjects and one engineering-related optional subject. Candidates have to select one optional subject from Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering and Information Technology.
Written Examination: Compulsory Subjects
| Subject |
Questions |
Marks |
Time |
| General Hindi & General English |
100 |
100 |
2 Hours |
| General Studies & General Aptitude |
100 |
100 |
2 Hours |
| Uttarakhand Studies |
100 |
100 |
2 Hours |
| Total |
300 |
300 |
— |
The General Hindi and General English paper contains 50 questions of General Hindi and 50 questions of General English. Each question carries 1 mark.
The General Studies & General Aptitude paper consists of:
- General Science & Technology – 40 questions
- Environment, Ecology & Disaster Management – 40 questions
- General Aptitude – 20 questions
Each question carries one mark and the paper has a duration of two hours.
Uttarakhand Studies
The Uttarakhand Studies paper contains 100 questions for 100 marks with a duration of 2 hours.
It covers subjects including:
- Geography
- Culture
- History, particularly history after the 19th century
- Society
- Economy
- Polity of Uttarakhand
Optional Engineering Subjects
Candidates must select one subject from the following:
- Civil Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Agricultural Engineering
- Information Technology
Each selected engineering subject consists of two papers. Each paper contains 180 questions and 360 marks, with 3 hours allotted to each paper. Each question carries 2 marks.
| Optional Subject |
Paper I |
Paper II |
Total Marks |
Time |
| Civil Engineering |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
720 |
3 + 3 Hours |
| Mechanical Engineering |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
720 |
3 + 3 Hours |
| Electrical Engineering |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
720 |
3 + 3 Hours |
| Agricultural Engineering |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
720 |
3 + 3 Hours |
| Information Technology |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
180 Q / 360 Marks |
720 |
3 + 3 Hours |
Thus, the written examination carries 1,020 marks, comprising 300 marks from compulsory subjects and 720 marks from the optional engineering subject.
UKPSC Assistant Engineer Negative Marking
The written examination is objective in nature and follows a negative marking system.
For every wrong answer, one-fourth (1/4) of the marks prescribed for that question will be deducted.
Negative marking will also apply if a candidate marks more than one answer for the same question, even when one of the marked answers is correct.
Therefore, candidates should be careful while attempting questions and avoid unnecessary guessing.
UKPSC Assistant Engineer Interview
Candidates who qualify for the written examination proceed to the Interview / Personality Test.
The interview carries 140 marks. The final merit list is prepared on the basis of marks obtained in the Written Examination and Interview.
Total Marks
- Written Examination: 1,020 marks
- Interview/Personality Test: 140 marks
- Grand Total: 1,160 marks
UKPSC Assistant Engineer General Hindi Syllabus
The General Hindi section contains 50 questions for 50 marks, while the combined General Hindi and General English paper contains 100 questions and has a duration of two hours.
Topics in General Hindi
The syllabus includes:
- Varna and Script – vowels, consonants and Devanagari script
- Spelling and Punctuation – spelling correction, full stop, semicolon, comma, question mark, exclamation mark, quotation marks, hyphen, brackets etc.
- Word Formation – prefixes, suffixes, Sandhi, Samas, noun, pronoun, verb and adjective
- Word Usage and Vocabulary – Tatsam, Tadbhav, Deshaj, foreign words, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms and one-word substitutions
- Sentence Formation – simple, compound and complex sentences; different types of sentences based on meaning
- Idioms and Proverbs – meaning and usage in sentences
- Unseen Passage – objective questions based on an unseen prose passage
- Technical and Administrative Terminology – Hindi-English and English-Hindi terminology
- Hindi in Administrative Work – noting, drafting, report writing and official letter writing
- Computer and Internet – objective questions based on computers and the internet
The General Hindi paper is designed to assess the candidate's understanding of the language and effective use of words. The questions are expected to be at High School level.
UKPSC Assistant Engineer General English Syllabus
General English consists of 50 questions for 50 marks.
Important General English Topics
The syllabus includes:
- Foreign words commonly used in office and official communication
- Direct and Indirect Narration
- Active and Passive Voice
- Conditionals / Conditional Sentences
- Reordering sentences into a meaningful and coherent paragraph
- Correct use of Tenses
- One-word substitution
- Synonyms, Antonyms and Homonyms
- Subject-Verb Agreement
- Error spotting related to adjectives, adverbs and determiners
- Appropriate use of Modals
- Transformation of sentences
- Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences
- Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
- Degrees of Comparison
- Cloze Test
- Reading Comprehension
The reading comprehension section includes a passage on a scientific or technical theme and tests vocabulary, basic English grammar and understanding of the theme.
The General English questions are designed to test understanding of the language and skillful use of words and are expected to be of High School level.
UKPSC Assistant Engineer General Studies & General Aptitude Syllabus
General Studies & General Aptitude consists of 100 questions, 100 marks and 2 hours.
General Science & Technology – 40 Marks
Important areas include:
General Science and Technology
- General Science and its applications in everyday life
- Scientific and technological advancements
- Discoveries and inventions
- Semiconductors
- Communication
- Space Science
- Defence Technologies
- Energy
Human Health and Diseases
- Balanced diet
- Food adulteration
- Food and water hygiene
- Infectious diseases, including AIDS
- Lifestyle diseases, including hypertension
- Prevention of diseases
Information Technology and Office Automation
Candidates should know the basics of:
- Input/Output devices
- Memory
- Types of software
- Multimedia
- Operating Systems
- Word processors
- Spreadsheets
- Presentation software
- Database introduction
- Recent trends in Computer Science
- Information Technology
- Artificial Intelligence
Computer Networks and Cyber Ethics
The syllabus also covers:
- Data communication terminology
- Transmission media
- Network devices
- Internet
- Web services
- Cyber crime
- Cyber safety
- Malware
- Secure data transmission
Environment, Ecology & Disaster Management – 40 Marks
Pollution
Topics include:
- Air pollution
- Water pollution
- Soil pollution
- Noise pollution
- Thermal pollution
- Sources of pollution
- Types of pollutants
- Effects of pollution
- Pollution control
Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy
Renewable energy topics include:
- Solar energy
- Wind energy
- Biogas
- Geothermal energy
- Ocean energy
- Sources
- Potential
- Storage
- Applications
Non-renewable energy includes:
- Coal
- Petroleum
- Natural gas
- Types
- Characteristics
- Potential in India
Ecology and Ecosystem
Important areas include:
- Ecosystem
- Food chain
- Biogeochemical cycles
- Energy flow
- Biodiversity
Climate Change
The syllabus covers:
- Basic concepts
- Global warming
- Impacts of climate change
- Sustainable development
- Major environmental movements
Disaster Management
Candidates should study:
- Natural disasters
- Man-made disasters
- Types and causes
- Impact of disasters
- Preparedness
- Mitigation
- Response planning
- Mock drills
- Role of emergency forces
- Emerging technologies
- Government and agency efforts to reduce disaster impacts
General Aptitude – 20 Marks
General Aptitude includes both verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
Important areas include:
- Analogies
- Similarities and differences
- Space visualization
- Problem solving
- Analysis
- Judgement
- Decision making
- Visual memory
- Discrimination
- Observation
- Relationship concepts
- Arithmetical reasoning
- Verbal classification
- Figure classification
- Number series
- Abstract ideas
- Symbols and their relationships
- Arithmetical computation
- Analytical functions
Current Affairs in General Studies
An important point for candidates is that General Studies and General Aptitude will also assess awareness of current affairs, everyday observations and experiences related to the prescribed syllabus.
The questions are expected to be at High School level.
UKPSC Assistant Engineer Uttarakhand Studies Syllabus
Uttarakhand Studies carries 100 questions for 100 marks, with a duration of 2 hours.
Geography of Uttarakhand
The syllabus covers:
- Geographical setup and strategic importance
- Physiography
- Climate and weather
- Drainage system
- Glaciers
- Lakes
- Soil types and characteristics
- Natural vegetation
- Forest resources
- Water resources
- Mineral resources
- Energy resources
It also includes:
- Water scarcity
- Watershed management
- National Parks
- Wildlife Sanctuaries
- Human-animal conflict
- Solid-waste management
Population and Society
Important topics include:
- Population distribution and growth
- Sex ratio
- Literacy
- Rural settlements
- Urbanization
- Migration, its causes and consequences
- Tribes of Uttarakhand
Religion, Culture, Art and Traditions
Candidates should cover:
- Shaivism
- Vaishnavism
- Jainism
- Buddhism
- Local religious cults
- Art and architecture
- Forms, features and types
- Paintings
- Folk music
- Musical instruments
- Dance and songs
- Customs and traditions
- Dresses
- Ornaments
- Local food and cuisine
- Fairs
- Festivals
- Pilgrimages of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs
History of Uttarakhand
The syllabus focuses on major historical events after the 19th century and important personalities associated with:
- Religion
- Spirituality
- Social reforms
- Art
- Writings
Social Structure of Uttarakhand
The social studies component includes:
- Family
- Marriage
- Caste system
- Impact of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on family and marriage
- Role of women in development
The syllabus also includes tribal society, Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes, their social structures and related problems.
Contemporary Social Issues
Important contemporary issues include:
- Alcoholism
- Drug addiction
- Cyber crime
- Mobile addiction
- Problems of elderly people
- Youth unrest
- Unplanned urbanization
Government Initiatives for Social Inclusion
Candidates should study government initiatives related to:
- Livelihood
- Empowerment of weaker sections
- Skill development schemes
- Health and welfare measures
- Social welfare programmes
- Community participation in development
Uttarakhand Economy and Development
The syllabus also covers infrastructure, economy, agriculture, industry, human development, employment and public finance.
Infrastructure Development
Important areas include:
- Roads
- Energy infrastructure
- Banking infrastructure
- Investment models
- PPP
- BOT
- Socio-economic impact
- Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) Policy
Economic Structure
Candidates should study:
- Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)
- Per Capita Income (PCI)
- Intra-regional imbalances
- Tourism
- Natural resources
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Horticulture
The syllabus includes:
- Status
- Challenges
- Government schemes
Industry
Candidates should cover:
- Industrial status
- Challenges
- Industrial policies
Human Development and Employment
Topics include:
- Human Development Index (HDI)
- Poverty
- Inequality
- Employment
Public Finance and Government Policies
Important areas include:
- State Budget
- Budget indicators
- Fiscal Responsibility and Budgetary Management (FRBM) Act, 2003
- Major state development schemes
- State policies
Uttarakhand Polity and Sports
The syllabus includes:
- Composition and functions of the Uttarakhand State Legislature
- Structure and functions of Local Self Government in Uttarakhand
- Contemporary sports events in Uttarakhand
- Government policies and initiatives for promotion of sports
Current Affairs in Uttarakhand Studies
Uttarakhand Studies will also assess candidates' awareness of current affairs, everyday observations and experiences related to the topics mentioned in the syllabus.
UKPSC Assistant Engineer Preparation Strategy
Based on the syllabus structure, candidates should divide their preparation into three broad compulsory areas:
- Language preparation – General Hindi and General English
- General Studies preparation – Science, Technology, Environment, Ecology, Disaster Management and Aptitude
- Uttarakhand-specific preparation – Geography, History, Culture, Society, Economy, Polity and current affairs
Alongside these, candidates should devote substantial time to their selected engineering optional subject, which accounts for 720 marks in the written examination.
Because the examination includes negative marking, candidates should also practise objective questions carefully and develop an effective question-attempting strategy.
