Topics to Attempt in Design Entrance Exams with High Rewards and Low Risks to Score High Marks

Understanding Exam Patterns and Choosing High Score, Low Risk Topics.

To better understand the evolving design exam patterns and high rewarding topics are, we will be using the given Reference for the Reward to Risk Ratio for analysing the topics. Before moving forward it is important to first understand what is Reward to Risk Ratio and how it is used to understand what topics in the design entrance exams come under the high reward section.

The Reward to Risk Ratio is a measure of how much rewarding a question can be in a design entrance exam compared to how much you could lose in terms of scores.

• Topics with High Priority (R/R > 3.0): High marks, low unpredictability.

• Topics with Medium Priority (R/R 1.5–3.0): Steady scoring, moderate effort.

• Topics with Low Priority (R/R < 1.5): Unpredictable outcomes, higher error risk.

Students are also advised to go through these Articles:

• Important topics for UCEED preparation

• Top 10 Skills Required for UCEED Exam

• UCEED Study Material 2026

• Tips to Sketching Human Figures and Interaction for UCEED 2026

• UCEED previous year’s drawing questions

Tips for Preparing High-Reward, Low-Risk Topics in Design Entrance Exams

Students preparing for design entrance exams like NID, UCEED and NIFT can go through this detailed analysis on what topics in the entrance exam offer high rewards with low risk factors to help them score high and crack the exam.

Topics that offer High Rewards and lower Risks in Design Entrance Exams

Students can go through and understand how to prepare for these topics as they offer the higher rewards and lower risks in the exam providing you with a better chance at success.

1. Logical Reasoning

The Logical Reasoning section offers a Reward to Risk Ratio of 4.5 making it a lowest-risk and highest award category to attempt questions from in the design entrance exams like NID, NIFT and UCEED. The questions from this topic have consistently appeared across all design entrance examinations in the last 05 years from topics like: Coding-Decoding, Direction and Distance, Arithmetic-word Problems etc.

According to the UCEED Exam Pattern and UCEED Exam Syllabus, logical reasoning questions have been seen in the exam over the years making it a scoring section for UCEED exam.

Preparation tips for Logical Reasoning Section

Students can go through and follow these tips and strategies curated to help them in their design exam preparation for logical reasoning section:

• Focus on Fundamentals: Don’t jump into the complex topics, start with something you are familiar with, like the basic concepts of mathematics, logical reasoning , and science from your last senior secondary and secondary classes.

• Practicing the Recurring type questions: preparation with topics that are asked regularly in the exams is a good starting point for some one aiming for the UCEED 2026 exam.

• Balance Accuracy with Attempts: Prioritise the accuracy and the questions you are most confident with, avoiding any negative marking.

Topics that offers Medium Rewards and Medium Risks in the design entrance exams

Students can go through and understand how to prepare for these topics as they offer medium rewards and medium-level risks in the exam:

1. Visual Reasoning

Visual reasoning holds a moderate Reward to Risk Ratio ratio, little lower than the Logical Reasoning section due to complexity of questions and the training required. The Visual Reasoning section in previous years included questions from topics like Transformations (Rotation and Reflection), Identifying the Hidden Patterns ,and completing the visual sequences.

Preparation tips for Visual Reasoning Section

Students can go through and follow these tips and strategies curated to help them in their design exam preparation for visual reasoning section:

• Mental Visualization: this topic, questions are asked for students to mentally visualize and make mental drawings for 2-D shapes into 3-D forms for pictorial and diagrammatic questions.

• Patterns: Repetition, Overlapping of Patterns for the Shapes, puzzles are crucial topics to be covered for preparing for this section therefore, solve as many questions as possible.

• Folding and Unfolding of Surfaces: Paper Folding & Unfolding, Pattern Continuity and Discontinuity etc. questions are advised by the students to solve on a daily basis.

• Coding-Decoding: In coding-decoding exercises, codes are given to several series (could be alphabets, numbers or if complex questions are asked basic figures), then according to these codes a question is asked where students have to apply these codes and come up with the solution.

2. Drawing and Design

This is a significant game changer section which requires constant time-investment. Drawing and design based questions offer the highest individual marks with a slightly better reward-to-risk ratio of 2.5, and additional weightage in the last 2 years in both the UCEED & NID exams.

Both Visual Reasoning and Drawing and Design sections have been asked repeatedly in NID, NIFT and UCEED exams according to their exam patterns and syllabus, making them important sections to invest time in.

Preparation Tips for Drawing and Design Section

Students can go through and follow these tips and strategies curated to help them in their design exam preparation for Drawing and Design section:

• Students should be smart about the questions and create designs which offer the best solution for the given questions.

• One important thing for students to keep in mind is to sit with the question, understand it completely, think for the best solution and then start with creating the solution and finally create the sketch.

• While preparing for the Drawing Questions, aspirants should focus on bettering their pencil strokes, shading techniques and scale and proportion of the elements in the sketch.

• Start practicing for human figures with different angles and postures as it will help in making perspectives and also with practice, less time will be required in exams to sketch them.

• Establish a Daily Drawing Routine: Set Aside Time: Dedicate at least 30 minutes to an hour each day for drawing practice. Consistency is key.

3. Numerical Reasoning

The Numerical reasoning section offers a reward ratio of 1.6, with no negative marking in NAT questions reducing the risk significantly. The Numerical Reasoning section includes topics like Area/Volume (Mensuration Questions), Fundamental Algebraic Questions and Indirect Application of Mechanical Concepts.

Preparation tips for Numerical Reasoning Section

Students can go through and follow these tips and strategies curated to help them in their design exam preparation for Numerical Reasoning section:

• Students are advised to regularly solve 10th-12th class basic mathematical and basic science questions to revise basic concepts and prepare for this section.

• Accuracy is achieved in this section only through practicing regularly with questions that are asked over the years. This will also build confidence in students.

• Understand what areas you feel more confident and most weak in solving different questions and prepare accordingly.

Topics that offer low Rewards and higher Risks in Design Entrance Exams

Students can go through and understand how to prepare for these topics as they offer low rewards and higher level risks in the exam:

1. General Awareness

The general awareness section presents the lowest reward-to-risk ratio of 0.65, where either you know the right answer or don’t and guessing may not be recommended. The questions asked are from the following sections over the years as follows:

• Art and Design History

• Abbreviations and Full Forms

• Design Terminology

• Current Affairs and

• Cultural Aspects

According to the NID DAT Exam Pattern and NID DAT Exam Syllabus, the General Awareness section has been seen in the NID exam over the years to be a scoring section.

Preparation Tips for General Awareness Section

Students can go through and follow these tips and strategies curated to help them in their design exam preparation for General Awareness section:

• Read The Newspapers like Hindu, Indian Express, or The Hindu Young World daily for current affairs.

• Make flashcards for designers, awards, and movements to keep things interesting in your design exam Preparation.

• Solve quizzes and maintain a visual diary for different brand logos and designs. It is advised that students read more and more about different historical events.

• Engage in online or offline quizzes and discussions with peers, mentors or other family members. This will not only help you assess your knowledge but also expose you to different perspectives and insights.

Students are also advised to go through these Articles:

• NID GK questions

• How to Score Well in NID DAT Drawing

• NID DAT Question Papers

• NID mock test 2026

• Best books for NID preparation