UPES B.Des Admissions 2026
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Hey there students, Choosing between NID and UCEED is an important and intimidating decision for aspiring designers in India. Both the exams NID and UCEED are gateway to prestigious design institutions but they differ significantly in their approach of selection, assessment, syllabus and teaching methodologies as well. This article is curated especially for students to understand the approach for both the exams and detailed comparison to help students prepare and understand for NID and UCEED exams for a glorious design career.
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Students are advised to go through an in-depth analysis of detailed comparison between NID and UCEED based on the student’s and experts' feedback. For the analysis the questions were categorized by the topic, skills required, difficulty level, and according to the NID DAT 2026 Exam Pattern and UCEED 2026 Exam Pattern by carefully analysis of NID: Previous years Sample Papers and UCEED: Previous years Question papers.
Although NID and UCEED have their own assessment criteria that evaluates students on different skills and abilities in design thinking and creativity, it has been found by students feedback over the years that UCEED is a little more intimidating and difficult to score. But recent years have found both the NID and UCEED exam to have similar difficulty levels as both focus on creative thinking and innovation with reasoning questions.
Ranked #45 amongst Universities in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in Academic Reputation in India by QS World University Rankings
Last Date to Apply: 13th Jan | No. 1 Design & Fashion Institute by ASSOCHAM, India Today, Outlook and The Week rankings
Students are advised to go through and understand the exams according to the NID 2026 DAT Exam Syllabus and UCEED 2026 Exam Syllabus. For a detailed comparison between the NID and UCEED exam, questions from previous year papers were categorised for clear understanding for the following parameters:
Students can refer to the table below to understand what different topics and questions are asked for different sections of the NID or UCEED exam:
Question Type | NID-GAT (General Aptitude Test) | UCEED (Part-A) | NID-DAT | UCEED |
Numerical Answer Type (NAT) | Rare/None | Prominently Asked (2023-25) | N/A | N/A |
Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) | Rare/None | Prominently Asked (2023-25) | N/A | N/A |
Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) | Highly Prominent | Prominently Asked (2023-25) | N/A | N/A |
Drawing/Sketching | Frequently asked | Frequently asked | Frequently asked | Frequently asked |
Creative Writing/ Storytelling | Frequently asked | Rare/None | Present | Rare/None |
Problem Solving (Design Context) | Frequently asked | Frequently asked | Present | Present |
Visual Analysis/ | Frequently asked | Frequently asked | Present | Present |
3D Visualization/ Creation | Frequently asked | Asked | Present | Present |
Students are also advised to go through these Articles:
Last Date to Apply – 23rd January | Exam Dates – 31st Jan (online), 1st Feb (Online & Offline) | 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
UCEED: Part A questions (NAT, MSQ, MCQ) often test for a variety of questions from Complex Visual Puzzles, Spatial Reasonings etc. testing fundamental concepts and quick thinking. The questions are detailed in nature where the visual problems and accuracy is required.
NID DAT: The GAT Section’s difficulty lies in the vast syllabus including analytical reasoning, General knowledge etc, providing open-ended creative challenges that required innovative thinking and strong visualization skills.
Both NID and UCEED exams broadly test creative thinking with a potential for Problem Solving Mindset, but each of them have some specific skillset they are looking for in students in their evaluation process:
Skillset Required | NID-GAT (General Aptitude Test) | UCEED (Part-A) | NID-DAT | UCEED |
Creativity | Moderate | Moderate | High | High |
Drawing | Low (Conceptual Level) | Low (Conceptual Level) | High | High |
Problem-Solving | High (Logical/ | High (Logical/ | High (Logical/ | High (Logical/ |
Logical Reasoning | High | High | Moderate | Moderate |
Visual Perception | High | High | High | High |
General Awareness | High | Moderate | Low | Low |
Quantitative Aptitude | High | High | Low | Low |
Communication | Moderate (Creative Writing) | Low | High (Explaining your design concept) | High (Reflection based to a given challenge) |
Observation | Moderate | Moderate | High | High |
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Both the NID and UCEED exam possess a mix of easy, moderate, and difficult questions. However, the difficulty and assessment style may vary for which a detailed comparison as provided below:
Aspect | UCEED Exam | NID-DAT |
Exam Structure |
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Challenging Sections |
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Exam Trends |
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Below is the detailed comparison of exam structure for the NID and UCEED exams, for UCEED Part-A, it demands strategic management and accuracy. NID GAT may also have negative marking in specific cases only, but the DAT sections have more room for creative freedom .
Aspect | NID-DAT | UCEED |
Paper Structure (Prelims) | GAT (Objective) | Typically two parts: MSQ, MCQ) Part B (subjective - drawing/design). |
Duration | 03 hours | 3 hours (Part A: 2 hours, Part B: 1 hour) |
Marking Scheme | Varies by section and question type. | Part A has negative marking for MCQs and MSQs (partial marking for MSQs). Part BScheme DAT has no negative marking. |
Negative Marking | Generally, no negative marking for DAT | Yes, for MCQs and incorrect/partially correct MSQs in Part A. |
NID emphasises on creativity and broader general awareness. It is ideal for aspirants with a vision for versatility in design, capable of addressing the diverse challenges. UCEED is suitable for the students with strong analytical problem solving skills, visual reasoning inclined to ways more technical and systematic aspects of the design. By carefully considering each exam with different factors like syllabus, questions types and marking, skills requirement and selection process, students can understand what exam they find tougher between NID and UCEED.
Students are also advised to check: How to Prepare for NID and UCEED Entrance Exams Together?
Students preparing for the NID exam 2026 are advised to go through these important NID exam resources - free pdfs for download in order to better prepare for the exam:
NID Prelims Previous 5 Years Question Papers with Solutions (2021-2025) | |
NID DAT BDes Prelims Official Sample Paper with Detailed Solutions | |
NID DAT BDes 2026 Complete Guide PDF | |
NID Prelims Time Management |
Aspiring students for UCEED 2026 can go through and download these free preparation PDFs in their effective preparation for the exam:
UCEED Previous Year's Question Papers with Solutions PDF | |
UCEED Official Sample Question - Solution Creation | |
UCEED Preparation Guide | |
UCEED High Weightage Topics + Practice Questions | |
| How to master Part-B Drawing Section Strategies | Download Here |
| Most Repeated Questions and Topics for UCEED | Download Here |
| UCEED 2026 Study Plan | Download Here |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
NID DAT focuses on open-ended questions, subjective evaluation, storytelling, conceptual-sketching and Problem-Solving through design thinking. Whereas, UCEED looks for objective formats testing the visual reasoning, logical deduction, and analytical precision.
According to the feedback from students in recent years, NID and UCEED exams have similar difficulty levels as both focus on creative thinking and innovation with reasoning questions.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
In UCEED counselling for DTU, Round 1 allocates seats based on rank and preferences. Later rounds re-allot vacant seats, letting candidates float for better options or freeze current seats. Spots rounds fill remaining seats. Rounds differ in seat availability and chances to improve allotment.
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You can download the admit card through the official website of " IIT bombay.
You must cross check all the information on the admit card. The last date for rectification in the admit card is January 8.
You can access the free mock test series for the UCEED 2026 exam directly through the provided link. Taking mock tests is the single most critical step for UCEED preparation, as the exam is highly focused on aptitude, visualization, and analytical skills, rather than textbook knowledge. Consistent practice with these
Hello,
Careers360 offers free UCEED Mock tests. You can access the mock test by this link : UCEED Mock Test 2026: Free Online Practice Test Series
Hope it helps !
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For admission to Ajeenkya D.Y. Patil University (ADYPU), you must score a minimum of 50% in your 12th grade for the general category. However, ADYPU conducts its own entrance exam, known as the ACET ADYPU Common Entrance Exam, which includes a studio test and a personal interview. So, you
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Last Date to Apply: 13th Jan | No. 1 Design & Fashion Institute by ASSOCHAM, India Today, Outlook and The Week rankings
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