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UCEED 2026 Exam Dates,Eligibility Criteria,Admissions & Schedule [Check Complete Notification Details]
April 4, 2025
Summary: Are you someone with an inclination towards creativity and design? Dive into the UCEED 2026 entrance exam by IIT Bombay for admission into Design programs offered by top IITs across India. Explore the UCEED exam syllabus, eligibility criteria, and other important details to secure a spot in the design industry.
The Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design (UCEED) is an annual entrance examination conducted by IIT Bombay for admissions into B.Des programs are offered by prestigious IITS, such as Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, and IITDM Jabalpur.
But the list doesn't stop there; UCEED 2026 scores are also accepted by top universities offering Design programs across India. Let's have a comprehensive look at the UCEED entrance exam 2026.
Table of Contents
UCEED 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
The table below shows all the essential UCEED 2026 dates for all events:
| UCEED 2026 Events | UCEED 2026 Dates & Schedule |
| Start date for Online Registration | October 01, 2025, 01:00 pm |
| Last date for Online Registration with a regular fee | October 31, 2025 |
| Last date for Online Registration with a late fee | November 18, 2025, 5:00 pm |
| Start date for Admit Card downloading | January 03, 2025, 01:00 pm |
| The last date for rectification of discrepancies in the Admit card | January 09, 2025, 05:00 pm |
| UCEED 2026: date and time of exam | January 18, 2026 (Sunday) 09:00 am to 12:00 noon |
| Release of Draft Answer Key and candidates’ response for Part-A | January 21, 2025 |
| Last date for uploading comments (if any) on the Draft Answer Key in the candidate’s portal |
January 23, 2025, 05:00 pm |
| Release of Final Answer Key for Part-A | January 29, 2025, 05:00 pm |
| Announcement of cut-off marks for Part A | February 06, 2025 |
| Declaration of results | March 07, 2025 |
Also Read: Last Minute Preparation Tips to Crack NID Entrance Exam in 2026
UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Let's look at all about UCEED Eligibility Criteria 2026 set by IIT Bombay for the B.Des program:
Age Limit
If you are in the OPEN/EWS/OBC-NCL category, you must have been born on or after October 1, 2000, and if you are in the SC, ST, or PwD category, you must have been born on or after October 1, 1995.
Number of Attempts
A candidate can attempt the UCEED 2026 entrance exam a maximum of two times in consecutive years. Note that the UCEED score is valid for one year and only for admissions in the same corresponding academic year.
Qualifying Examination
The candidate must have passed all subjects in the qualifying examination (Class XII or equivalent) in 2024 OR should be appearing for the qualifying examination for the first time in 2026 for UCEED exam eligibility. Students from ALL STREAMS (Science, Commerce, and Arts & Humanities) are eligible.
Those who appeared for the first time in their qualifying examination (Class XII) in 2023 or earlier are NOT eligible to appear in the UCEED entrance exam 2026.
Read More: How to Write a Statement of Purpose (SOP) for NID 2026
UCEED 2026 Registration & Application Fee
According to previous year trends, UCEED registration 2026 can begin on October 31 and close by November 18 2024.
You can complete the UCEED application form on the official website for UCEED (www.uceed.iitb.ac.in).
Steps to apply for the UCEED 2026 Exam
- Visit the official website of the exam
- Click on the registration link
- Enter details such as name, mobile number, date of birth, and email ID
- Submit the details
- Note down the application number and password
- Login to the registered account using the application number and password
- Fill in all details asked in the application form
- Give preference for three exam cities and enter them
- Upload the scanned copies of all the prescribed documents
- Pay the application fee
Read more: UCEED vs CEED [Difference Between UCEED and CEED]
UCEED 2026 Application Form
- You can only apply for the UCEED entrance exam 2026 through the official website.
- As mentioned above, you must meet all three qualifying requirements.
- The registration will be cancelled if it is later discovered that you do NOT fulfil either of the three qualifying conditions.
- You must submit accurate information about the qualifying test and category and upload VALID documents in the required format.
- The admitting institutes have the authority to cancel your admission at any point if it is discovered that any information you provide is inaccurate or the registration is incomplete, which is in line with the rules and regulations in effect.
- The registration fee is NEITHER refundable NOR transferable.
UCEED 2026 Application Fees [Categowy-wise]
| Indian Nationals | Female Candidates (all categories) | ₹1900 |
| SC, ST, PwD Candidates | ₹1900 | |
| All Other Candidates | ₹3800 | |
| Foreign Nationals (holders of OCI/PIO cards issued On or BEFORE 4th March 2021) | All candidates | ₹3800 |
| Foreign Nationals (including holders of OCI/PIO cards issued AFTER 4th March 2021) | Candidates from SAARC countries | US $400 |
| Candidates from non-SAARC countries | US $500 |
Documents required for UCEED 2026 Application Process
Keep the following documents ready while filling out the UCEED entrance exam application form:
- Recent coloured passport-sized photograph
- A scanned copy of the full signature on the white sheet/paper
- Qualifying examination certificate if appeared in 2024 or before
- Certificate from school/college principal, if they appear in 2026
- Date of birth proof, such as passport, SSC certificate, or birth certificate
Check Out: UCEED Sketching Questions 2026
UCEED 2026 Admit Card
Candidates whose registration is complete in all aspects can download the Admit Card for UCEED 2026 from the registration portal (www.uceed.iitb.ac.in) once the conducting body releases the admit card for UCEED entrance exam. A printed copy of the downloaded Admit Card MUST be produced during the examination.
How to download the UCEED 2026 Admit Card/Hall Ticket?
- Visit the online registration portal.
- Find and click the direct link to download the admit card
- Enter the registered login ID and password
- After submitting the details, admit card appears on the screen
- Verify the details and then download the admit card
Details Mentioned in the UCEED Admit Card 2026
The UCEED 2026 exam Admit Card will bear the following details of the candidate -
- Name
- UCEED Registration ID
- Roll Number
- Date of Birth
- Category
- photograph
- signature
- examination schedule
- examination centre details
- instructions to candidates
Candidates should carefully examine all the entries in the Admit Card, and in case of any discrepancy or if the Admit Card is unavailable for downloading, the candidates should contact the UCEED Office at IIT Bombay immediately via email or phone -
- Email: uceed@iitb.ac.in
- Phone: +91-22-2576 4063/9093/9094
UCEED 2026 Exam Centers List
UCEED 2026 examination will be held in 24 cities in India. You must mention three exam cities from the list of UCEED Exam centres in order of preference.
The city allocation depends on the number of candidates applying from each location. The exam conducting authority may add a new city or remove an existing one.
The table below gives the list of Exam centres:
| Ahmedabad | Jaipur | Lucknow | Bengaluru |
| Bhopal | Kolkata | Kozhikode | Bhubaneshwar |
| Chandigarh | Mumbai | Nagpur | Chennai |
| Dehradun | Patna | Pune | Delhi |
| Ernakulam | Raipur | Thiruvananthapuram | Panaji |
| Guwahati | Thrissur | Vishakhapatnam | Hyderabad |
UCEED 2026 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
The UCEED entrance exam is conducted as a computer-based test and lasts a total of 3 hours.
UCEED 2026 Exam Pattern carries a total of 300 marks, and consists of Part A and Part B, and it is compulsory to attempt both parts.
UCEED Part A Written Paper Pattern 2026
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Medium of Exam | English |
| Duration | 2 Hours |
| Types of Questions | Numerical Answer Type (NAT) |
| Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) | |
| Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) | |
| Total Questions | 59 |
| Total Marks | 200 |
UCEED 2026 Drawing Paper Pattern
Part B will be a drawing test for 60 marks to be completed in 30 mins. The table below gives the details of the exam pattern for the UCEED Drawing Test:
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Medium of Exam | English |
| Duration | 1 Hour |
| Total Questions Asked | 2 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
UCEED Entrance Exam Question Paper Overview
The UCEED question paper consists of a 3-hour duration and is divided into two sections:
- Part-A is computer-based, while Part B is pen-and-paper-based.
- Part A will consist of numerical-answer, multiple-choice, and multiple-select questions, whereas Part B will include sketching/drawing-type problems.
UCEED Question Paper Structure & Marking Scheme
Following is the question paper structure for UCEED 2026:
Part A (2 hours)
| Section | Type of Questions | Number of Questions | Marks for Correct Answer | Marks for Wrong Answer | Marks for questions not attempted | Total Marks for the Section |
| 1 | Numerical Answer Type (NAT) | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| 2 | Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) | 15 | Partial Marking | -1 | 0 | 60 |
| 3 | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) | 28 | 3 | -0.71 | 0 | 84 |
| Total | - | 57 | - | - | - | 200 |
Part B (1 Hour)
| Type of Questions | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
| Sketching | 1 | 50 |
| Design | 1 | 50 |
UCEED 2026 Syllabus [Part A & Part B]
As per the official UCEED notification, UCEED Entrance Exam 2026 Syllabus has two parts.
UCEED Part A Syllabus 2026
Part A of the UCEED 2026 entrance exam will have questions on the following topics:
| Topics | Description |
| Visualization and spatial ability | Pictorial and diagrammatic questions are used to test understanding of the transformation and/or manipulation of 2D shapes and 3D objects and their spatial relationships. |
| Knowledge of practical and everyday mechanical and scientific concepts. | |
| Observation and design sensitivity | Ability to detect concealed properties in ordinary things, people, situations, and events and think critically about them. |
| Attention to certain details, analysing, reasoning, classifying, inferring and predicting. | |
| Ability to discern subtle differences in visual properties and aesthetic outcomes. | |
| Environmental and social awareness | General awareness of environmental factors such as climate, population, water, vegetation, pollution, weather, natural resources etc., and their implications on the design of products, images, infrastructure and environment. |
| Awareness of social and cultural connection with the design, history of the designed artefact, and socially responsible and environmentally sustainable design responses. | |
| Analytical and logical reasoning | Ability to look at qualitative or quantitative information and discern patterns within the information. Ability to weigh opinions, arguments or solutions against appropriate criteria. |
| Ability to check for hidden bias or assumptions and whether evidence and argument support conclusions. | |
| Ability to use logic and structured thinking to deduce from a short passage which of several statements is the most accurate response to a posed question. | |
| Language and creativity | Ability to understand and use Standard English. Reading comprehension and knowledge of English grammar. |
| Ability to think creatively in terms of alternatives, ability to distinguish innovative options, and ability to think out of the box. | |
| Design thinking and problem-solving | Ability to use visual analogies, metaphors, signs and symbols. |
| Ability to understand complexity, identify problems, generate alternatives, evaluate options and select solutions. |
Read more: UCEED Last Minute Preparation Tips 2026
UCEED Part-B Syllabus 2026
Part-B of the UCEED entrance exam will have questions on the following topics:
| Topic | Description |
| Drawing | Ability to draw products, people or scenes in proportion with good line quality, composition, proportion, perspective and shading. |
| Design aptitude | Capability to practically and appropriately respond to problems/situations with ingenuity and empathy. |
Note: The topics listed above are exhaustive and indicative of the nature of the questions. However, the UCEED 2026 may not cover all the topics.
UCEED 2026 Answer Key
UCEED entrance exam 2026 Question Paper and Draft Answer Key will be released on the UCEED website on January 2025, based on previous years.
Any comments or objections to the draft answer key must be submitted only through the candidates’ portal within a period of two days from the release of the UCEED answer key 2025. Comments/objections sent via email or in any mode other than through the candidate’s portal will not be considered.
The order in which a question appears may differ for each candidate. Hence, the candidates are advised to use the Master Question Paper uploaded on the official UCEED website as a reference to upload their comments/queries.
This would help the committee to map the candidates’ comments/queries to the right question.
The UCI Committee will make the final decision on the contested answer keys after reviewing and considering all feedback from candidates and the exam-setting team. This decision will be final and obligatory for all candidates.
Read more: How To Prepare For UCEED 2026 Exam In 6 Months?
UCEED 2025 Result & Merit List
UCEED results will be available on the official website (www.uceed.iitb.ac.in) once the conducting body releases the result for 2025.
Candidates can use their user login and password (created during registration) to view the results on the webpage.
Here are some important things to remember for your UCEED entrance exam results -
- All candidates who appeared in UCEED 2026 can download their Score Card from the official UCEED 2025 website.
- All shortlisted candidates will get a common merit rank (All India Rank). All shortlisted candidates are considered as qualified candidates in UCEED 2024.
- Obtaining a rank in UCEED 2026 does NOT guarantee admission to the B.Des program.
- Hard copies of the UCEED Score Card will not be available. and won't be sent to qualified candidates by post or email.
Read more: Colleges Accepting UCEED Score 2026
UCEED 2026 Entrance Exam Rank List
All shortlisted candidates will get a rank. All shortlisted candidates are considered as qualified candidates in UCEED 2026. Rank list will be prepared based on the total marks (Part-A marks and Part-B marks combined) in UCEED 2024.
UCEED 2026 Entrance Exam Tie-Breaking Policy
If the total marks scored by two or more candidates are the same in the UCEED 2026 entrance exam, then the following tie-break policy will be used for awarding ranks:
- (i) A higher rank will be assigned to the candidate who has obtained higher marks in Part B.
- If the criterion given in (ii) does not break the tie, a higher rank will be assigned to the candidate who has obtained higher marks in Section 2 of Part A.
- If the criteria (i) and (ii) do not break the tie, higher rank will be assigned to the candidate who has obtained higher marks in Section 1 of Part-A.
- If there is a tie, even after this, the candidates will be assigned the same rank.
Check Out: UCEED Mock Test Series
UCEED 2025 Cut-Off
UCEED Cut-off marks are the minimum marks to be scored to be eligible for admission.
All shortlisted candidates are considered qualified. Marks obtained in Part A will be used to shortlist candidates.
Based on this, the rank list will be prepared based on the total marks (Part-A and Part-B combined) in UCEED 2026.
- However, the UCEED Committee reserves the right to decrease the minimum % of marks in each section and the minimum total marks such that 10×N ranks can be announced, where N is the total number of available seats.
- The cut-offs (A) for Part-A marks to shortlist candidates in the OPEN category will be B + (C/2) =A, where B is the average marks and C is the standard deviation of distribution of marks obtained by all the candidates in Part-A of UCEED 2025.
- The candidates belonging to the reserved categories shall have to fulfil a relaxed cut-off mark, which will be 0.9A for OBC-NCL/EWS, 0.5A for SC/ST/PwD, where A is the cut-off mark for OPEN category.
Read more: UCEED Reservation Policy
UCEED 2026 Entrance Exam Admission Process
Only UCEED 2026-qualified students can apply for admission to the B.Des program at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee, and IIITDM Jabalpur for the academic year 2025-26.
A common application form will be available through the IIT Bombay Admissions Portal for UCEED admissions 2026 to respective B.Des programs.
IIT Bombay will process the standard application form and conduct the joint seat allocation process.
Read more: UCEED Preparation Tips 2026
UCEED 2026 Seat Allotment Rounds
UCEED entrance exam seat allocation will be conducted in five rounds. The seat allocation will be closed once the seats are filled.
A seat will be provisionally allotted based on the applicant’s All India Rank (AIR) in UCEED 2026, category and choice of institutes.
The tentative schedule for UCEED seat allotment is given below -
| Seat Allotment Round | Date of Announcement (Tentative) |
| Round 1 | April 2026 |
| Round 2 | May 2026 |
| Round 3 | June 2026 |
| Round 4 | June 2026 |
| Round 5 | July 2026 |
Read more: UCEED Vs NID
UCEED 2026 Seat Acceptance Fees
Selected candidates will receive provisional allotment letters via their registered email and be directed to an online payment system to remit the Seat Acceptance Fee.
Here's the category-wise seat acceptance fee for the UCEED entrance exam 2026 -
| Reservation Category | Seat Acceptance Fee |
| GEN/EWS/OBC-NCL | ₹60000 |
| SC/ST/PwD | ₹15000 |
Important Points for UCEED Seat Allotment 2026
- If the selected candidates DO NOT remit the seat acceptance fee before the deadline or DECLINE the admission, their application will stand cancelled.
- If applicants are allotted their FIRST choice of institute, they can either ACCEPT (‘freeze’) the offer or DECLINE it.
- If the candidates choose the ‘freeze’ option, it means they have accepted the offer and do not wish to participate in further rounds of seat allocation. Such candidates will NOT be considered in subsequent round(s) of seat allocation.
- If they choose to DECLINE the offer, they will not be considered for subsequent rounds, and their current seat allocation shall be cancelled.
- If applicants are allotted their SECOND/THIRD/FOURTH/FIFTH choice of institute. In that case, they can opt to either ACCEPT (‘freeze’) the choice or ACCEPT with the option to be considered for upward movement (‘float’) choice for subsequent rounds (if any) of the joint seat allocation.
Read more: UCEED Admission Process 2026
UCEED 2026 Seat Matrix
Five institutes will take part in the test to admit students to their B. Des programs. Below is a list of UCEED participating institutes in 2026, together with the category-wise seat matrix:
| Category | IITB | IITD | IITG | IITH | IITR | IIITDMJ |
| OPEN | 14 | 7 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 26 |
| OPEN-PwD | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| EWS | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| EWS-PwD | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OBC-NCL | 9 | 5 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 17 |
| OBC-NCL-PwD | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| SC | 5 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| SC-PwD | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ST | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| ST-PwD | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Read more: UCEED 2026 Counselling
Conclusion
In the realm of IITs, the UCEED 2026 entrance exam offers aspiring designers a unique opportunity. With a blend of creative challenges and problem-solving, the UCEED exam offers a path to renowned design programs in top universities.
- The UCEED exam emphasizes design thinking and problem-solving skills, assessing your ability to approach challenges creatively.
- UCEED is a two-part exam. Part A focuses on computer-based testing of visualization, observation, analytical reasoning, and design sensitivity. Part B is a drawing test to evaluate your drawing skills and ability to depict objects, scenes, or people.
- Sketch everyday objects and environments to sharpen your observation skills. Practice analytical thinking with puzzles and logic problems. Refine your communication skills through reading and writing.
- Utilize UCEED prep books for guidance on specific topics and exam formats, but remember, the key lies in showcasing your raw design potential.
- Regularly solve past UCEED papers and take mock tests to build exam temperament, improve speed and accuracy, and identify areas needing work.
- While the UCEED exam doesn't require a portfolio, creating one can demonstrate your design interests and creativity.
Click Here to Enrol: UCEED Online Coaching 2026 by CreativeEdge
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UCEED exam for?
What is the scope of UCEED exam?
What not to carry on the day of the UCEED Exam 2026?
What documents to carry on the day of the UCEED Exam 2026?
What is the last date for solving the UCEED Admit card Discrepancies?
Is there any Supplementary/Spot round after the 3rd round of seat allotment in UCEED Counselling 2025?
Is UCEED Mock Test Online or Offline?
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