MPESB Group 3 Sub Engineer Recruitment 2026 (Second): Reopened Online Applications for Sub Engineer and Other Posts

The Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (MPESB, Bhopal) is recruiting Sub Engineers (Upyantri), Draftsmen/Cartographers, Laboratory Technicians and equivalent technical posts through the Group 3 Combined Recruitment Examination 2026 (Second). According to the board's notice dated 1 October 2026, online applications will reopen from 13 October to 27 October 2026. As of 11 October 2026 this window has not yet started. These are regular government recruitment posts, not apprenticeships.

Key dates as of 11 October 2026

The exam was earlier proposed to start on 7 October 2026. The board's notice moves it to December-January, so the earlier date no longer applies.

Why the recruitment reopened

The board's notice gives two reasons for reopening:

• A letter from the Tribal Affairs Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh, dated 17 September 2026, increased the number of posts and supplied a revised reservation table.
• A letter from the Engineer-in-Chief's office, Public Health Engineering Department, Bhopal, dated 28 September 2026, applied reservation for contractual employees and supplied another revised reservation table.

The board says a revised rule book will be published on its website "as soon as possible" and that candidates will apply and make corrections according to it. We could not confirm from the evidence whether the revised rule book has been published. Read it before you apply.

What is confirmed and what to check

Vacancies

A secondary source summarising the earlier rule book reports 1,700 vacancies across 131 post codes. The board's notice says the number of posts was increased afterwards, but it does not give a new total. Treat 1,700 as the earlier figure and wait for the revised rule book for the current count and category-wise split.

Posts advertised

The earlier rule book, as summarised by that source, lists:

• Sub Engineer (civil, electrical and mechanical, across departments)
• Draughtsman/Map Maker and Assistant Architectural Draughtsman
• Laboratory Technician and Technical Assistant
• Surveyor and Mineral Surveyor
• Mechanical Assistant (Agricultural Engineering)
• Junior Instructor, Computer Operator, Demonstrator and Campus Supervisor

Sub Engineer is the largest group, with 861 plus 416 posts in the two main civil lines. These numbers come from the earlier rule book and may change.

Qualification

Qualifications depend on the post code. In the secondary summary, most Sub Engineer posts ask for a diploma or degree in civil engineering, or in electrical or mechanical engineering for those branches. Some posts ask for a first-division diploma, ITI, higher secondary or work experience. Choose your post code against the exact wording in the rule book. A general diploma or degree does not make you eligible for every code.

Age, fee and pay

These details come from the secondary summary of the earlier rule book. Confirm each one in the revised rule book.

• Age: 18 to 40 years as on 1 January 2026. The summary reports 45 years for certain Madhya Pradesh domicile categories, government and board employees, and others.
• Fee: Rs 500 for unreserved candidates and Rs 250 for Madhya Pradesh domicile SC/ST/OBC/PwBD candidates, plus portal charges. The source lists EWS inconsistently, once at Rs 250 and once at Rs 500. Check the revised notice for the EWS fee.
• Pay: Most posts are on regular pay levels, from Level 4 up to Level 8 (Rs 32,800-1,03,600 for Sub Engineer). One post is on an older pay band. Two post codes are contractual (Samvida) at consolidated monthly pay, so not every post is permanent.

How to apply

1. Wait for the revised rule book on the MPESB website (esb.mp.gov.in) and read it fully, including the revised reservation tables.
2. Check that you meet the age and qualification rules for your chosen post code. The secondary source says registration with a live Madhya Pradesh Employment Office is mandatory, so confirm that in the rule book.
3. Apply online between 13 and 27 October 2026 through the board's application portal or an MP Online kiosk.
4. Select the correct post code(s) and technical branch, enter your details, upload documents and pay the fee.
5. If you need to edit your form, use the correction window, which runs until 28 October 2026.

The secondary source says candidates who applied in the first round (29 August to 12 September) must have been affected too, but the board's notice does not say whether they must reapply or only update their forms. The notice says only that the portal will reopen for fresh applications and corrections. Check the revised rule book or the portal for instructions.

Selection process

According to the secondary summary, selection is through computer-based tests. These are a general section (GK, Hindi, English, maths, reasoning, science and computer knowledge) of 100 marks and a technical paper for the post's branch, also of 100 marks. Scores across shifts are normalised. The revised rule book may change the details.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an apprenticeship?

No. The posts are advertised with government pay levels. Two post codes are contractual, but the recruitment is not an apprenticeship scheme.

When does the reopened application window start?

It is scheduled to open on 13 October 2026 and close on 27 October 2026. Corrections are allowed until 28 October 2026.

When is the exam?

The board says it will be held in December-January. No exact date is given in the evidence.