UPES M.Des Admissions 2026
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Graphic design is one of the most demanding courses in the design field. To pursue a career in graphic design, candidates must qualify for the design exams in India. The list of popular graphic design entrance exams include NID DAT, UCEED, SEED, and SMEAT. Candidates who want to do a graphic design course after 12th must pass their 10+2 with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks and appear for the entrance exam for graphic design after 12th.
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Graphic designing is an art of creating visual content such as typography, images, colors, and shapes to communicate the message. There are various entrance exam for designing after 12th conducted for admission to graphic design colleges in India. This article focuses on the entrance exam for graphic design after 12th, eligibility, and more.
Aspiring designers can appear for the entrance exam for graphic design after 12th. Top design entrance exams in India for graphic design admissions are conducted at the national, state, and university levels. Top Graphic design entrance exams in India fees vary depending on the institute, duration of the programme, and courses offered. Below is a list of popular graphic designer entrance exams:
Ranked #45 Among Universities in India by NIRF | 1950+ Students Placed, 91% Placement, 800+ Recruiters
Recruiters: Aditya Birla, Wildcraft, Tommy Hilfiger, Vero Moda etc | Only Fashion Institute in India to have entered the LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS
CEED- Common Entrance Examination for Design
NID DAT- NID Design Aptitude Test
MITID DAT- MIT Institute of Design Design Aptitude Test
UCEED- Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design
AIEED- All India Entrance Examination for Design
SEED- Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design
UPES DAT- UPES Design Aptitude Test
SMEAT-Srishti Manipal Entrance and Aptitude Test
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The important dates for the graphic design entrance exam are announced by the respective concerned authorities on their official website. Candidates need to check and meet the top graphic design entrance exams in India eligibility before appearing for the exams. The important dates for the Graphic design entrance exam in India are given below.
Entrance Exam | Application Date | Exam Date |
September 3 to December 3, 2024 | Prelims: January 5, 2025 Mains: April 26 to May 4, 2025 | |
October 1 to October 31, 2024 | January 19, 2025 | |
October 1 to October 31, 2024 | January 19, 2025 | |
October 15 to first week of December, 2024 | January 5 to 12, 2025 | |
August 23, 2024 to February 28, 2025 | April 6, 2025 | |
| SEED | August 16 to December 25, 2024 | January 12, 2025 |
| UPES DAT | September 3, 2024 to January 21, 2025 | January 23 to 25, 2025 |
| SMEAT | December 15, 2024 to March 15, 2025 | April 18 & 19, 2025 |
The top graphic design entrance exams in India eligibility criteria varies depending on the institute, courses offered, and duration of the programme. The minimum eligibility criteria for the candidates who want to pursue BDes in graphic designing is completing 10+2 (any stream) from a recognised board with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks. And for the candidates who want to pursue MDes the minimum eligibility is to hold a Bachelor’s degree. The age limit varies depending on the university. Below is a list of graphic design entrance exam eligibility criteria:
Entrance Exam For Graphic Design | Eligibility Criteria |
CEED |
|
NID DAT |
|
MITID DAT |
|
UCEED |
|
AIEED |
|
SEED |
|
UPES DAT |
Minimum 50% marks in bachelor’s degree in any stream: 10+2+3 years (B.Des./B.Arch./ B.Tech./ BFA graduates will be preferred) |
SMEAT |
|
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For the aspirants to pursue graphic design after graduation, there are various entrance exams offered by the institutes to get admission into the post graduation courses. Provided below are some of the institutes that conduct the entrance exam for graphic designing after graduation.
Entrance Exam Name | Conducting Body |
NID DAT | National Institute of Design |
| MIT DAT | MIT Institute of Design |
CEED | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay |
UPES DAT | University of Petroleum and Energy Studies |
Aspirants can also check the graphic design courses offered by appearing for the government exams. Provided below is the list of government design exams in India for graphic designing.
Entrance Exam Name | Conducting Body |
NID DAT | National Institute of Design |
| UCEED | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay |
CEED | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay |
CUET | National Testing Agency |
The graphic design entrance exam syllabus will help the candidates to provide a clear idea of what to study, manage their time, and help them focus their preparation effectively. The graphic design entrance exam syllabus will cover the common topics and areas relevant to the graphic design field. The syllabus will vary depending on the exam but the core topics are usually similar such as,
Problem-solving skills
Colour balancing
Fundamentals of drawing
Typography
Visual thinking
Colour composition
Creative writing, etc
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some of the entrance exam for graphic design are as follows:
CEED- Common Entrance Examination for Design
NID DAT- NID Design Aptitude Test
MITID DAT- MIT Institute of Design Design Aptitude Test
UCEED- Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design
AIEED- All India Entrance Examination for Design
SEED- Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design
UPES DAT- UPES Design Aptitude Test
SMEAT-Srishti Manipal Entrance and Aptitude Test
Yes, candidates can apply for the entrance exam for graphic design after 12th.
Yes, NIFT offers Graphic Design course for a period of 1 year under Continuing Education (CE)/Diploma programmes.
Graphic design entrance exam fees vary depending on the institute, duration of the programme, and courses offered.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Getting admission in IITs or NID for BDes depends on a few things: your entrance exam score, portfolio, and sometimes your interview performance.
IITs (for BDes) : Admission is mainly through UCEED . You need a good rank in UCEED to get in.
NID : Admission is through NID DAT (Design Aptitude Test) . Your portfolio and DAT score matter a lot.
If your preparation and scores are strong, you have a chance. You can check previous years’ cut-offs to see where you stand.
Hope it helps !
Here are top BDes (Fashion Design) colleges in Bangalore:
National Institute of Fashion Technology , Bangalore – Top choice
JD Institute of Fashion Technology
Vogue Institute of Art and Design
IIFA Multimedia
Army Institute of Fashion and Design
Taking a second drop is not an issue if you clear the required entrance exams or meet the eligibility criteria.
FLAME University Pune is a good option for B.Des if you’re looking for a creative and interdisciplinary learning environment . The university offers a well-structured design program combined with liberal arts, allowing students to explore multiple interests It has a beautiful and modern campus with strong academic support and personalized attention due to smaller batch sizes. However, it is more know liberal arts and business programs, so if you want a purely design-focused education, you might also consider institutes like MIT-WPU or Shiv Nadar University. Overall, FLAME is suitable for students who want a broad, flexible design education and can afford the higher fees.
CUET qualifies BDes Fashion Designing students.
The basis for admission is the CUET score.
yes, Indeed, CUET qualifies BDes Fashion Designing students.
Admission CUET score is very important.
Ranked 2nd in the IIRF 2023 Design School Ranking | Approved by AICTE | Highest CTC 13 LPA
Ranked amongst top 3% universities globally (QS Rankings)
No. 1 Design & Fashion Institute by ASSOCHAM, India Today, Outlook and The Week rankings
EXAMS dates- 13-14 Dec | Leading Design College | Highest CTC: ₹12 LPA | Average CTC: ₹7.5 LPA | Scholarships for Deserving Students
Courses offered in- Fashion Design, Product Design, Communication Design, Interior & Spatial Design & Animation & VFX Design
Tie-ups with over 100 international Universities in USA, UK, France and Australia. Wide Range of scholarships available.