CEED Exam Date:18 Jan' 26 - 18 Jan' 26
The Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED) is the entrance exam for postgraduate M.Des. courses offered by IITs and other prestigious private universities that use CEED scorecards for admissions. Administered annually by IDC, IIT Bombay, CEED entrance exam is scheduled to take place tentatively in January 2026.
Understanding the key topics and practicing with previous year’s question papers, specifically from 2023, 2024, and 2025, is essential for building a strong foundation for the upcoming exam. This article highlights the crucial subjects and provides expert advice to help you perform well on CEED 2026.
Key focus themes, as identified previously in the examination from previous year CEED question papers, include the assessment for the following:
Numerical Aptitude
Spatial Understanding
Mechanical Aptitude
Form & Visual Sensitivity
Creative Problem Solving
Logical Thinking Aptitude
Numerical Aptitude
It is a mix of algebraic, geometric, spatial, and logical questions that have been asked continuously for more than 05 years.
The Numerical Aptitude includes primarily the following topics.
Volumes and Proportions: Determining the Proportional understanding of objects.
Understanding of Geometrical Forms: Platonic and Archimedean Solids
Other important topics are SI & CI, ratio and proportions, percentage, speed, time and work, fundamentals of geometry, etc.
Spatial Reasoning:
Questions from this theme have consistently been asked in various DAT examinations, including CEED. The most relevant topics asked repeatedly are as follows :
Surface Counting: In this type of question, one must answer by counting the number of cubes, surfaces, edges, vertices, missing pieces, parts, etc., for which a particular image is provided.
Patterns and Tessellations: Repetition, Overlapping of Patterns for the Shapes, Tessellations and Tangram puzzles are crucial topics to be covered for practising the Patterns and Tessellations.
Technical Drawings and Views: Technical Drawings and Views include the understanding of the application & limitations of the following topics:
Cross Section and Exploded Drawings
First and Third Angle Projections
Assembly and Exploded Drawings
Orthographic and Isometric Drawings
Folding and Unfolding of Surfaces: Paper & Unfolding, Patten Continuity and Discontinuity etc. An example of the same is attached below:
Path and Motion: Questions where the motion of a device, wheel, or object is given and the path is traced. Either of the one is provided, and we need to identify the other as shown in the example :
Principle of Machines and their Operation: This section includes essential topics like 06- Simple Machines, Understanding of the Mechanical Advantage, Daily Life Objects and their Functionality, e.g. Working of Cycle Gears on varying gear Ratio, etc.
Working Principles of Daily Life Objects: An understanding of the workings of daily life objects and the principles behind them is commonly asked about in application format. For example, the application of Pascal’s Law, thermodynamics, water pressure, physical and chemical properties of materials, etc., are often asked about in the examinations.
This area is crucial for Part B of the CEED 2026 examination to develop an understanding of aesthetics, visual Sensitivity, proportions, and consistency of design language in the proposed solution for creative reflection.
The important topics for this domain are as follows :
Pictogram: Graphical Symbols that convey the meaning visually, including the understanding of Graphic Design Fundamentals, Logo, Elements of Semiotic and Semantic Theory, etc., are some crucial elements of the pictograms that are known things for Section-B in the CEED-DAT Examinations from the last years.
Organic and Geometric Forms: Forms are essentially 3D volumes that refer to the initial visual perception of the objects and shapes around us. The forms are broadly classified as Organic and Geometric(Inorganic Forms). The transformation of incremental development through “Metamorphosis” is also essential for organic and geometric forms.
Creative Problem Solving includes reflection to communicate the ideas or reflection for a given situation as asked:
Human Interactions, Morphing Shapes, Visualising or Proposing design solutions, and abstracting to refine ideas (e.g. Proposing a Sports Shoe inspired by the given Architectural building from a famous architect as provided in the question paper ).
For scoring well in the Creative Problem-Solving and Reflection questions, understanding the additional topics includes the following :
Perspective Drawing (1,2 and 3-point Perspective)
Part and Assembly Drawing
Human Anatomy and Movements
Understanding of Material and Properties
Understanding of Ratio and Proportions
CEED strongly emphasises the Problem-Solving mindset of an aspirant, where the Logical-deductions are mainly focused on Part A. This section includes the following important topics :
Non-verbal reasoning Topics: Syllogism, Embedded Figures, Water and Mirror Images, Pattern Completion, Cubes and Dice, Analogy and Classification based on identified patterns, Rotations and Symmetry in the given shapes, etc. have repeatedly been asked in the past.
Structured Thinking: Learning to approach the given problems in Part B of the CEED Examination by dividing the complex problem into smaller chunks of incremental steps would be crucial under Objective Learning for Design Aptitude.
To successfully crack the CEED 2026 or any other significant DAT exam, a balanced approach to technical aptitude, creative thinking, and consistency in practice is required. An aspirant could perform well in the examination by focusing on the key topics and practising the questions from the abovementioned topics. One crucial practice is looking at the previous years' question paper to strategically plan for attempting the various sections. Finally, approach your preparation journey with curiosity and confidence without fearing failure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Practising the puzzles, Tangrams, 3D-modelling Software, Orthographic and Isometric Drawings are some good exercises for Spatial Visualisation Skills.
It is advised to attempt the questions that you feel interests you more without getting hooked to any question for more than 02 minutes and saving the time for better reflection in the Part-B, with speed ,accuracy and required detailing.
Practising Sketching daily both indoor and outdoor with right perspective, focussing on Storytelling, experimentation with abstract forms to generate the innovative ideas.
On Question asked by student community
Hii
Common Entrance Examination for Design is a test includes design aptitude, your creativity, visualisation, problem-solving, and also analytical ability.
CEED exam structure is divided in 2 parts (PART A & PART B) and you can check what to study and syllabus of CEED on career360 https://design.careers360.com/articles/ceed-syllabus-2025
CEED syllabus includes:
Visualization and spatial ability
Design thinking and problem solving
Drawing skills
Creativity
Communication skills
Analytical and logical reasoning
Environmental and social awareness
Observation and design sensitivity Also includes topics on form, function, aesthetics, and technical drawing.
Hello Anushka,
Thanks for reaching out!
You can definitely prepare for CEED to pursue UI/UX design.since you're not from design background you'll need 4-6 months of focused prepration.
Focus on:
Sketching
Visual communication
Design concepts
User experience basics
Problem - solving skills
Past CEED papers.
Practice drawings, story boarding, Idea generation daily.
You can also take online courses to learn design fundamentals and tools.
Consistency and practice matter most!
get all the detailed info here:
https://design.careers360.com/articles/ceed-syllabus
All the best!
Hello sir,
Thanks for reaching out!
Yes, you still have a good chance even with a mid CEED score, if the rest of your profile is strong. While the CEED score is important, most of the institutes use full selection process that includes your CEED score(Part A and B), Portfolio and often an interview or studio tests.Your 6 years of experience, strong portfolio and relevant coursera certificates can add significant value during admission in IITDM, Srishti etc which consider the overall profile not just the rank.
You can get free study material for the CEED (Common Entrance Exam for Design) from several reliable sources. Here's a simple list of where to find it:
Official CEED Website
Go to the
CEED official site (ceed.iitb.ac.in)
for previous year question papers and sample papers. They are the best for understanding the exam pattern.
NID and CEED Prep YouTube Channels
Many educators and toppers upload free tutorials, sketching tips, design aptitude tricks, and analysis of previous papers.
Telegram Groups
Search for “CEED preparation” on Telegram. Many groups share PDFs, notes, sketching practice sheets, and mock tests.
Free Blogs and Websites
Look for blogs like Pahal Design, BRDS, and Design Aspirants. They often post free reading material, tips, and past year questions.
Reddit and Quora
On platforms like Reddit or Quora, search for CEED preparation threads. Toppers often share their notes and resources.
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