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UCEED 2026, conducted by IIT Bombay, is the national-level entrance exam for admission to the 4-year Bachelor of Design (B.Des) program at premier institutes including IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Indore, IIT Roorkee, and IIITDM Jabalpur. The exam tests visualization, spatial ability, observation, design sensitivity, logical reasoning, language, creativity, drawing skills, and design aptitude. Qualifying candidates participate in joint seat allocation for around 245 seats, leading to careers in product design, interaction design, animation, mobility, and user experience with excellent placements in top companies like Google, Microsoft, and Tata. Many result-sharing institutes also accept UCEED scores, expanding opportunities for aspiring designers.
Table of Contents
UCEED 2026 Notification and Important Dates
The UCEED 2026 notification was released on October 1, 2025, on uceed.iitb.ac.in. Registration closed with late fee on November 10, 2025. The exam is scheduled as a 3-hour computer-based and pen-paper test on January 18, 2026.
- Notification Release: October 1, 2025
- Registration Start: October 1, 2025
- Last Date (Regular Fee): November 5, 2025
- Last Date (Late Fee): November 10, 2025
- Admit Card Release: January 2, 2026
- Exam Date: January 18, 2026 (9 AM to 12 Noon)
- Draft Answer Key (Part A): January 20-21, 2026
- Result Declaration: March 6, 2026
- Scorecard Download: March 10 to July 31, 2026
- B.Des Application Portal: March 14 to April 10, 2026
- Seat Allotment Round 1: April 21, 2026
Multiple seat allotment rounds follow till July 2026. Monitor uceed.iitb.ac.in for updates.
UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must fulfill these to apply:
- Age Limit: Born on or after October 1, 2001 (General/EWS/OBC-NCL); October 1, 1996 (SC/ST/PwD)
- Qualifying Exam: Passed Class 12 (or equivalent) in 2025 or appearing in 2026; first attempt not before 2024
- Stream: Science with PCM for all institutes; Arts/Commerce eligible for IIT Bombay, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore
- Attempts: Maximum two consecutive years
- UCEED Qualification: Must obtain rank in UCEED 2026
Open to Indian and foreign nationals; no minimum percentage required.
UCEED 2026 Application Form and Fees
Applications submitted online at uceed.iitb.ac.in. Process: Registration, form filling, document upload (photo, signature, certificates), fee payment.
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General/EWS/OBC-NCL | Rs. 4000 |
| SC/ST/PwD/Female | Rs. 2000 |
Late fee Rs. 500 applied till November 10, 2025.
UCEED Exam Pattern 2026
The exam is 3 hours with two parts: Part A (computer-based, 2 hours, 200 marks) and Part B (offline, 1 hour, 100 marks). Total 300 marks.
- Part A: NAT (14 Q), MSQ (15 Q), MCQ (28 Q)
- Part B: Two questions - one sketching, one design aptitude (50 marks each)
- Marking: Varies by section; partial/negative in MSQ/MCQ
- Language: English
Part B evaluated only if Part A qualifying cutoff met.
UCEED Syllabus 2026
Syllabus revised with focus on design thinking:
- Part A: Visualization & spatial reasoning, observation & design sensitivity, environment & society, analytical & logical reasoning, language, creativity, practical & scientific knowledge
- Part B: Drawing skills (proportion, perspective, shading), design aptitude (problem-solving, visual interpretation)
Detailed PDF available on uceed.iitb.ac.in.
UCEED Previous Year Cutoff Trends
Cutoffs released as opening/closing ranks round-wise and Part A qualifying (mean ± SD). Competition intense for top IITs; ranks improve in later rounds.
Trends show rising cutoffs for IIT Bombay; reserved categories significantly lower. Expected 2026: Similar with minor variations.
| Institute/Category | 2025 Round 1 (Closing Rank Approx) | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay (Open) | 1-16 | 1-14 | 1-15 |
| IIT Delhi (Open) | 15-35 | 15-32 | 20-40 |
| IIT Guwahati (Open) | 40-80 | 22-75 | 30-70 |
| IIT Hyderabad (Open) | 30-60 | 18-55 | 25-65 |
| IIITDM Jabalpur (Open) | 80-150 | 76-147 | 70-140 |
| Part A Qualifying (Open Mean/SD) | 61.50/25.69 | 43.91/23.03 | 57.93/24.52 |
Full round-wise PDFs on uceed.iitb.ac.in archives.
UCEED Previous Year Question Papers
Official question papers and answer keys released post-exam. Download from uceed.iitb.ac.in under previous years section.
- 2025-2020 Papers: Available with Part A keys and Part B samples
- Practice: Focus on repeated themes in visualization, reasoning, drawing perspectives
Mock tests also provided on portal.
UCEED 2026 Counselling and Seat Allotment
Joint seat allocation online with 5 rounds.
- Application: March 14-April 10, 2026
- Choice Filling: Preferences for institutes
- Allotment: Based on rank, category, choices
- Acceptance: Pay fee, freeze/float
- Documents: Scorecard, Class 12 marksheet, category certificate
Total seats ~245 across participating institutes.
List of Participating Institutes and Seats
Seven institutes offer B.Des:
- IIT Bombay: 37 seats
- IIT Delhi: 20 seats
- IIT Guwahati: 56 seats
- IIT Hyderabad: 26 seats
- IIT Indore: ~20 seats
- IIT Roorkee: 20 seats
- IIITDM Jabalpur: 66 seats
Result-sharing institutes like BITS, FLAME also accept scores.
UCEED Preparation Tips 2026
Build observational skills, practice daily sketching, solve puzzles for reasoning. Focus on creativity over rote learning.
- Books: UCEED guides by DQ Labs/SILICA, NCERT for basics, design magazines
- Strategy: Solve 10+ previous papers timed, analyze errors, improve speed in Part A
- Target Rank: Under 50 for IIT Bombay; under 200 for other IITs
- Unique: Daily freehand drawing, observe everyday objects for design insights
Mock tests crucial due to time pressure and subjective evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design, conducted by IIT Bombay for B.Des admissions.
- Yes, eligible for IIT Bombay, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore; PCM required for others.
- Yes, Part B includes sketching and design aptitude questions worth 100 marks.
- Different focus; UCEED tests creativity and aptitude, moderate difficulty with practice.
- Around 245 in participating IITs and IIITDM Jabalpur.
- Yes in Part A MSQ/MCQ; no negative in NAT or Part B.
- Difficult for Open; possible in later rounds or reserved categories.
- UCEED scorecard, Class 12 marksheet, category certificate, photo ID.
- Daily practice perspectives, proportions, human figures; use previous papers.
- Not mandatory; self-study with previous papers sufficient for many toppers.
- Round 1 on April 21, 2026; multiple rounds follow.
- Yes, open to all nationals with same eligibility.
