UCEED
Admission to the four-year Bachelor of Design (B.Des) at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee, IIT Indore and IIITDM Jabalpur; many other public and private design schools also admit on UCEED scores.
Eligibility
Passed or appearing in Class 12 in any stream — science is not required. For UCEED 2027, General/OBC-NCL/EWS candidates must be born on or after 1 October 2002 (SC/ST/PwD: 1 October 1997). A candidate may attempt UCEED at most twice, and only in consecutive years. The score is valid for one year.
Age limit: Born on or after 1 Oct 2002 for General/OBC-NCL/EWS (UCEED 2027); 5-year relaxation for SC/ST/PwD; maximum two attempts in consecutive years
Exam pattern
A 3-hour, 300-mark exam in two parts, both compulsory. Part A (2 hours, 200 marks) is a Computer-Based Test in three sections: Numerical Answer Type (14 questions, 4 marks each, no negative), Multiple Select Questions (15, partial marking) and Multiple Choice Questions (28, 3 marks each with −0.71 negative). Part B (1 hour, 100 marks) is answered on paper: one sketching question and one design-aptitude question of 50 marks each, with no negative marking. Part B is evaluated only for candidates who clear the Part A cutoff.
Syllabus at a glance
Visualisation and spatial ability, observation and design sensitivity, environmental and social awareness, analytical and logical reasoning, language and creativity, plus freehand drawing skill for Part B. Questions favour 3D visualisation — counting surfaces, unfolding, mirror views — over school-syllabus knowledge.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| UCEED 2027 detailed notification | 1 Oct 2026 | confirmed |
| Registration window | Early Oct – early Nov 2026 (late fee till mid-Nov) | expected |
| Admit card | First week of Jan 2027 | expected |
| UCEED 2027 exam | 17 Jan 2027 (Sunday, forenoon) | confirmed |
| Result | Mar 2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Design Drawing — Francis D.K. Ching
- Sketching: The Basics — Koos Eissen & Roselien Steur
- Universal Principles of Design — William Lidwell, Kritina Holden & Jill Butler
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning — R.S. Aggarwal
How toppers play it
- Work through every official past paper on the real interface — the free archive on uceed.iitb.ac.in is the single best predictor of question style.
- Master 3D-visualisation drills (surface counting, paper folding, mirror and rotation views): the Numerical Answer questions carry 4 marks each with zero negative marking.
- In the MCQ section the −0.71 penalty is steep — answer only with genuine elimination; in MSQ, partial marking rewards selecting only what you are sure of.
- Part B is evaluated only if you clear the Part A cutoff, so do not let sketching practice crowd out aptitude drills — you need both.
- Practise 20–25 minute narrative sketches with human figures and correct perspective; Part B rewards clear storytelling and proportion over shading polish.