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    UCEED Exam is for what purpose?

    UCEED Exam is for what purpose?

    Tekumalla AvinashramUpdated on 17 Sep 2026, 05:46 PM IST

    UCEED is a national-level design entrance exam conducted by IIT Bombay for students who want to take admission into UG design programmes in participating IIT colleges and other top design institutes in India. The UCEED exam will evaluate candidates’ design aptitude, creativity, visualisations, and problem-solving skills. Read the complete article to know the purpose of the UCEED exam, colleges accepts UCEED scores, courses offered through the UCEED exam, UCEED eligibility criteria, exam pattern, and other important details.

    UCEED Exam is for what purpose?
    UCEED Exam is for what purpose?

    UCEED Exam is for What?

    UCEED stands for Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design. It is a national-level design entrance exam conducted by IIT Bombay. Through UCEED 2027, selected candidates can get admission into Bachelor of Design (B.Des) programmes at participating IITs and other top design institutes. Students who qualify in the exam can register for the UCEED counselling process conducted by IIT Bombay. Based on their choices, seats are allotted in participating institutes such as IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, and others. UCEED is also used by some private design institutes for admission, such as BITS Design School and Delhi Technological University.

    What is the Purpose of the UCEED Exam?

    UCEED is mainly used for admissions to Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) programmes in participating IITs and IITDM institutes. Apart from these institutes, some of the top private design institutes also accept UCEED scores for their undergraduate design admissions. Through the UCEED entrance exam, candidates are assessed on their design aptitude, creativity, problem-solving skills, and drawing abilities. All participating institutes and UCEED score-accepting colleges use the final UCEED score to evaluate candidates’ skills and select them for design courses.

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    Which Colleges Accept UCEED Scores?

    All the colleges listed in the tables below and the colleges that share results accept UCEED scores. If you want to join any of the result-sharing colleges, check their official website to know about the admission process for candidates with a valid UCEED score.

    Participating Institutes

    B.Des Programmes Offered

    IIT Bombay

    Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

    IIT Delhi

    • B.Des in Industrial Design

    • B.Des in Communication Design

    • B.Des in Interaction Design

    IIT Guwahati

    Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

    IIT Hyderabad

    • B.Des in Product Design

    • B.Des in Visual Communication

    • B.Des in Interaction Design

    IIT Roorkee

    Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

    IIT Indore

    • B.Des in Urban System Innovation

    • B.Des in Healthcare Systems

    • B.Des in Ed-Tech

    • B.Des in Sustainable Energy

    IIITDM Jabalpur

    Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

    UCEED Result Sharing Institutes

    • ATLAS SkillTech University, Mumbai

    • Tezpur University, Assam

    • University School of Design & Innovation, GGSIPU, New Delhi

    • Ajeenkya DY Patil University School of Design, Pune

    • DY Patil University School of Design, Pune

    • RV University, Bengaluru

    • O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat

    • Dr Vishwanath Karad, MIT World Peace University, Pune

    • Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi

    • U. P. Institute of Design, Noida

    • Delhi Technological University, Delhi

    • CMR University, Bengaluru

    • MIT Vishwaprayag University, Solapur

    • VIT School of Design (V-SIGN), Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore

    • Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata

    • Anant National University, Ahmedabad

    • Navrachana University, Gujarat

    • Lovely Professional University, Phagwara

    • Department of Design, Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT), New Delhi

    • Nitte (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru

    • Somaiya School of Design, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai

    • Dr DY Patil School of Design, Pune

    • JS Institute of Design, New Delhi

    • GLS University, Gujarat

    • JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur

    • MIT ID Indore - Avantika University

    • Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra

    • MODY University of Science and Technology, Rajasthan

    • Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Department of Design, Delhi NCR

    • Jain (Deemed to be University), Bangalore

    • Alliance University, Bengaluru

    • Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal

    • Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bengaluru

    • Mahindra University, Hyderabad

    • CEPT University, Ahmedabad

    • Institute of Design, Nirma University, Ahmedabad

    • School of Creativity, Rishihood University

    • FLAME University, Pune

    • BITS Design School

    • Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI)

    What Courses Can You Pursue Through UCEED?

    The Bachelor of Design (B.Des) programme is generally a 4-year course consisting of 8 semesters. Some campuses also offer an optional 5-year dual-degree programme that combines B.Des and M.Des. Check the specialisations offered by the participating IITs and IIITDM institutes in India. In addition to these, other participating institutes also offer specialisations based on current industry trends:

    Course Name

    Specializations Offered

    Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

    • Product Design

    • Visual Communication

    • Industrial Design

    • Interaction Design / UX/UI

    • Animation Design

    • Mobility & Vehicle Design

    • Environmental & Spatial Design

    • Urban System Innovation

    • Healthcare Systems

    Career opportunities after B.Des:

    Candidates who complete their BDes from the UCEED participating institutes will be offered high-paying jobs in sectors such as tech, product innovation, and design. Check the section below to know the common roles offered to B.Des graduates:

    • UI/UX Designer

    • Product Designer

    • Industrial Designer

    • Interaction Designer

    • Visual Communication Designer

    • Graphic Designer

    • Animator

    • AR/VR Designer

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    Who Should Take the UCEED Exam?

    The UCEED exam is best for students who are interested in pursuing a design career. Candidates must complete their 10+2 education to appear in the UCEED exam. Through the UCEED 2027 exam, selected candidates will be given seats in participating IITs, IIITDM, and other result-sharing institutes. Students can choose design courses such as: product design, industrial design, communication design, and other related design fields.

    UCEED 2027 Eligibility Criteria

    Candidates can check the below given points of UCEED 2027 eligibility criteria to understand the age limit and educational qualification for the UCEED entrance exam:

    • Age limit: The prescribed UCEED exam age limit is that the candidate must be born on/after October 1, 2002.

    • The candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD have an age relaxation of 5 (five) years and must be born on/after October 1, 1997.

    • Educational Qualification: Final examination of the 10+2 system, conducted by a Central or State Board recognized by the Association of Indian Universities.

    • Intermediate or two-year Pre-University examination conducted by a Board or University recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (www.aiu.ac.in).

    • Final examination of the two-year course of the Joint Services Wing of the National Defence Academy. Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling with a minimum of five subjects.

    • Any Public School, Board or University examination in India or a foreign country recognized as equivalent to the 10+2 system by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

    • H.S.C. vocational examination.

    • General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination (London, Cambridge or Sri Lanka) at the Advanced (A) level.

    • High School Certificate Examination of the University of Cambridge or International Baccalaureate Diploma of the International Baccalaureate Office, Geneva.

    • Candidates who have completed Class XII (or equivalent) examination outside India or from a Board not specified above should produce a certificate from the Association of Indian Universities to the effect that the examination they have passed is equivalent to the Class XII examination.

    • In case the Class XII examination is not a public examination, the candidate must have already passed at least one public (Board or Pre-University) examination before appearing for UCEED.

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    UCEED Exam Pattern

    The UCEED 2027 exam includes 2 parts - Part A and Part B. As per the previous year's UCEED exam pattern, the total marks in UCEED 2027 will be 300, where 200 marks are for Part A, and 100 marks are for Part B. The negative marking in the UCEED 2027 entrance exam varies as per the type of question. There will be no negative marking for NAT questions. However, partial marks -1 and 0.71 marks will be deducted for MSQ and MCQ in Part A, respectively.

    Particulars

    Details

    Sections

    Part A & Part B - (2 Sections)

    Type of questions

    Numerical Answer Type Questions, Multiple Select Questions, Multiple Choice Questions, Subjective Questions

    Total Marks

    300

    Negative Marks

    Yes

    Exam Mode

    Online (Part A) & Offline (Part B)

    UCEED 2027 Part A Exam Pattern

    The UCEED 2027 Part A exam will be a computer-based test that includes three sections. The total marks for the UCEED Part A section will be 200, and students are allotted 2 hours to solve all the questions in it.

    UCEED Paper Pattern Part A: Types of Questions Asked

    • Numerical Answer Type: These are the first type of questions in which the answer is a number that must be entered using the virtual keyboard available on the computer screen. There will be a total of 14 questions in this section, with each carrying 4 marks, so that the total marks of this section are 56. There is no negative marking for wrong answers in this section.

    • Numerical Answer Type Questions: For these questions, the answer is a number that must be entered using a virtual keyboard on the computer screen. There will not be any answer choices given for these types of questions.

    • Multiple Select Questions: There will be options given in this question, and one or more of them can be correct. There will be 15 questions from this section, and it will carry partial marking.

    • Multiple Choice Questions: The multiple-choice questions will carry four choices, out of which the students have to select the most appropriate one. Only one option out of the four given options will be correct, which the students need to identify to get full marks.

    UCEED 2027 Part B Exam Pattern:

    The UCEED 2027 Part B exam is a subjective paper that needs to be drawn or written in the answer booklet provided by the invigilator. The Part B exam is of 100 marks and has to be attempted within one hour. Students will be given only two questions that test their drawing skills and design aptitude. The submission of the answer booklet at the end of the examination to the invigilator is mandatory. Each of the two questions in part B of UCEED will carry 50 marks.

    Type of UCEED Questions

    Number of Questions

    Marks

    Sketching

    1

    50

    Design Aptitude

    1

    50

    What Happens After Qualifying UCEED?

    Candidates who have appeared for the two stages of the UCEED exam can check their UCEED results through the official website. Qualified candidates in the UCEED exam can participate in the UCEED counselling. Shortlisted candidates should register for the UCEED counselling through their candidate portal. Authorities will release the UCEED seat allotment based on the candidates' scores and options filled. Based on the allotted seats, students should accept and pay the admission fee as prescribed by the authorities. Students who wish to take admission in any of the UCEED result-sharing institutes can apply for admission directly through their college official websites.

    Is UCEED Compulsory for B.Des Admission?

    UCEED is not a compulsory B.Des admission exam in India. Several private institutes conduct their own entrance exams for B.Des admissions. Some popular design entrance exams include NIFT Entrance Exam, NID DAT, FDDI AIST, and many others. Students can choose any entrance exam based on the college and design programme offered. Apart from the entrance exam method, some of the institutes offer admissions based on merit score secured in past academic years. Candidates can check the list of design entrance exams held in India apart from UCEED.

    UCEED vs NIFT vs NID DAT

    Check the detailed comparisons given below between UCEED Vs NIFT Vs NID DAT exam:


    Particulars

    UCEED

    NIFT

    NID DAT

    Exam Purpose

    Admissions into BDes programmes at participating institutes

    Admissions into NIFT Campuses

    Admissions in B.Des programmes in NID Campuses

    Conducting Body

    IIT Bombay

    National Testing Agency (NTA)

    National Institute of Design (NID)

    Exam Focused on

    Design aptitude, creativity and problem solving

    Fashion knowledge, design aptitude and general ability

    Design aptitude, creativity and visualisation

    Institutes / Colleges

    Participating IITs & IIITDM and other result-sharing institutes

    NIFT campuses in India

    NID campuses in India

    Best for

    Students who are interested in the technical side of design

    Students who are interested in fashion, designing, and other design fields

    Best for students who are interested in design elements.

    Career Options After UCEED

    Through UCEED, students will not receive any job or career opportunity. UCEED is an entrance exam which helps students to get admission into participating institutes for the BDes programme. After completing the BDes programme from any recognised institute can explore career opportunities based on the candidates interest and skills. Most of the design graduates work with top tech companies, design studios, manufacturing companies, AD agencies, media companies, lifestyle brands, and other design-related industries. Check the career options below after completing the BDes programme.

    Particulars

    Details

    Product Designer

    Focuses on designing digital and physical products for daily use or functionality.

    UI/UX Designer

    Works on user-friendly digital products such as websites and mobile applications.

    Industrial Designer

    Focused on designing physical products such as furniture, consumer elements, vehicles, appliances, and other daily products.

    Communication Designer

    Communication designers focus on visual, creative design elements to communicate with an audience. They mostly work under AD agencies and digital media agencies.

    Interaction Designer

    Focused on designing digital products that help users to interact, such as applications and websites. They mainly focus on the interactions with the audience or clients in a simple and engaging way.

    Design Researcher

    Works on researching new designs in the world, consumer behaviour, and market trends, which helps brands to focus on the right audience and services.

    Graphic Designer

    Creates visually appealing designs such as posters, advertisements, logos, social media graphics, and web design.

    Design Strategist

    Will combine design, research, and business ideas to help the organisation grow and develop better products or services.

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    Questions related to UCEED

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to UCEED ?

    Hello Student,

    To start your NID DAT and UCEED preparation, begin with the syllabus, exam pattern, and previous years' question papers. You can also refer to the Careers360 preparation resources and sample papers for regular practice using the links provided below.

    Hi Student,

    You can practise previous-year UCEED, NIFT and NID questions and check the correct answers or solutions after attempting them. For UCEED, Careers360 provides previous-year papers with answer keys, while NIFT papers are available with solutions. NID previous-year papers with solutions are also available for practice.

    You can start

    Hello Dear Student,

    With UCEED AIR 130 (Open category) and currently allotted IIITDM Jabalpur under the FLOAT option, your chances after Rounds 4 and 5 depend on how many higher-ranked candidates withdraw or move to their preferred institutes.

    Based on recent Round 5 Open-category closing ranks:

    • IIT Delhi: around AIR

    Hello,

    With an SC category rank of 92 in UCEED, you may be eligible for admission to some IITs, depending on the cutoff and seat availability during the counselling process. The cutoff varies each year, so you can check the details for the previous year's cutoff here: UCEED Previous Years