Technical Entry Scheme (TES): Know About The Exam

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for TES, candidates must meet stringent eligibility requirements, as outlined below:

Nationality

A candidate must be an unmarried male and fall under one of the following categories:

• A citizen of India.
• A subject of Nepal.
• A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, or Vietnam) with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Candidates in the second and third categories require a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India, except for Gorkha subjects of Nepal. Candidates must remain unmarried until the completion of their training. Those who marry during the application process or training will face disqualification and may be liable to refund all expenses incurred by the government.

Age Limit

Candidates must be between 16½ and 19½ years old as of July 1, 2025. This means they should not have been born before January 2, 2006, or after January 1, 2009 (both dates inclusive). Only the date of birth recorded in the Matriculation/Secondary School Examination certificate or an equivalent is accepted, and no subsequent changes are permitted.

Educational Qualification

Candidates must have:

• Passed their 10+2 examination or equivalent with a minimum aggregate of 60% marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from a recognized education board. The PCM percentage is calculated based on Class XII marks only, and candidates must report their exact percentage up to two decimal places without rounding off.
• Appeared in the JEE (Mains) 2024 examination for B.E./B.Tech courses. Candidates must provide their JEE (Mains) 2024 application number when applying.

Additional Requirements

• Candidates must not have been debarred from appearing in any examination by the UPSC.
• They should not have been arrested, convicted by a criminal court, or involved in any ongoing court case. Any such issues detected during the selection process or training will lead to cancellation of candidature or withdrawal from the academy.
• Candidates employed at the time of application must inform their employer in writing and provide an undertaking to this effect.

Indian Army TES 53 Application Fees 2025

There are no application fees for any category:

Application Process

Applications for TES are accepted exclusively online through the official website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in. The application window opens on October 7, 2024, at 1200 hours and closes on November 5, 2024, at 1200 hours. Candidates must follow these steps:

1. Online Application: Access the “online application” button on the website, fill in the required particulars, and read the terms and conditions before submission. Candidates can edit their application until the closing date but must resubmit each time changes are made. No further changes are allowed after the deadline.
2. Confirmation and Documentation: After submission, candidates receive a confirmation dialog box. A printout of the application with a Roll Number is available 30 minutes after the application window closes. Candidates must carry:
   • One self-attested copy of the application to the SSB interview.
   • Original and two self-attested photocopies of Class 10 certificate/marksheet (for date of birth), Class 12 certificate/marksheet, ID proof, and JEE (Mains) 2024 result.
   • 20 self-attested passport-size photographs.
3. Single Application Rule: Submitting multiple applications will result in cancellation of candidature. Candidates must carefully review all the details to avoid errors, as incomplete or incorrect applications are rejected outright.

Any change in postal address after submission must be communicated by post, quoting the Roll Number, name, and course opted for. Queries submitted at least three days before the application deadline will be addressed via the “Feedback/Queries” option on the website.

Selection Procedure

The selection process for TES is rigorous and multi-staged, ensuring only the most capable candidates are selected. The steps are:

1. Shortlisting of Applications: The Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) shortlists applications based on a cut-off, which is determined without assigning reasons. The cut-off percentage is tentatively published in the first week of December 2024. Shortlisted candidates are informed via email about their allotted SSB Selection Centre (Prayagraj, Bhopal, Bengaluru, or Jalandhar) and must choose their SSB dates within a two-week window in December 2024.
2. SSB Interview: Shortlisted candidates undergo a five-day Service Selection Board (SSB) interview between January and March 2025. The process includes two stages:
   • Stage I: Candidates who clear this stage proceed to Stage II. Those who fail are returned on the same day.
   • Stage II: Successful candidates undergo further testing by a Psychologist, Group Testing Officer, and Interviewing Officer. Details are available at www.joinindianarmy.nic.in.
3. Medical Examination: Candidates recommended by the SSB undergo a medical examination to ensure they meet the Army’s physical and medical standards, as outlined on the website. The proceedings of the Medical Board are confidential, and candidates must agree to be examined by a board of male or female doctors. Those declared medically fit proceed to the merit list.
4. Merit List and Joining Letter: A final merit list is prepared based solely on SSB interview marks, with no weight given to higher educational qualifications, previous performances, or NCC background. Joining letters are issued to medically fit candidates in order of merit, subject to vacancy availability. The merit list is displayed on the Directorate General of Recruiting website before induction.

Candidates recommended for TES who are also applying for NDA must undergo separate medical examinations unless they prefer only the NDA Army entry. A candidate declared unfit for one entry is considered unfit for both, with no representation accepted.

Training and Degree

The TES training spans four years and is divided into two phases:

• Phase I (3 years): Integrated Basic Military and Engineering Training at one of the Cadets Training Wings:
  • CME, Pune (Civil & Mechanical Engineering, Corps of Engineers).
  • MCTE, Mhow (IT & Telecom Engineering, Corps of Signals).
  • MCEME, Secunderabad (Electrical & Mechanical Engineering, Corps of Electronics & Mechanical Engineers).
• Phase II (1 year): Further training at IMA, Dehradun, or a designated Pre-Commission Training Academy.

Upon successful completion, candidates are awarded an Engineering degree. A maximum of two relegations due to academic grounds is permitted, as per JNU Ordinance; further relegations lead to withdrawal. The cost of training (₹13,940 per week as of 2021) is borne by the state but recovered from candidates withdrawing for personal reasons.

Career Progression and Salary Structure

Upon commissioning, officers receive a Permanent Commission in the rank of Lieutenant. The promotion criteria and pay structure are as follows:

Promotion Criteria

Pay Structure

Additional Benefits

• Military Service Pay (MSP): ₹15,500 per month (fixed) for ranks from Lieutenant to Brigadier.
• Dearness Allowance: At rates applicable to civilian personnel.
• Dress Allowance: ₹20,000 per year, subsuming kit maintenance and uniform allowances.
• Transport Allowance: ₹7,200 + DA in higher TPTA cities (e.g., Delhi, Mumbai) or ₹3,600 + DA elsewhere, with special provisions for physically disabled personnel (minimum ₹2,250 + DA at double rate).
• Children Education Allowance: ₹2,250 per month per child for the two eldest surviving children (Nursery to Class 12).
• Hostel Subsidy: ₹6,750 per month per child for the two eldest surviving children.
• Risk and Hardship Allowances: Ranging from ₹1,200 to ₹42,500 per month, depending on the posting and risk level (e.g., Siachen allowance, Flying allowance).
• Rations in Kind: Provided in peace and field areas.
• Army Group Insurance: Cadets are insured for ₹1 crore during training (with a monthly subscription of ₹10,000). A one-time premium of ₹7,200 provides ₹15 lakh cover for three years, with additional premiums for relegations. Disability benefits range from ₹3–15 lakh (pre-commission) or ₹5–25 lakh (post-commission), excluding cases due to alcoholism, drug addiction, or pre-enrollment diseases.

The approximate Cost to Company (CTC) upon commissioning is ₹17–18 lakh per annum, excluding free medical cover and annual hometown travel.