CEED 2026: Exam Date (Jan 18), Registration, Syllabus, Pattern, Preparation Tips

If you're planning to pursue an M.Des programme at IITs, you’ll need to appear for the CEED 2026 Entrance Exam, which is scheduled for January 18, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Conducted by IIT Bombay, CEED is a mandatory step for admission to postgraduate design programmes like M.Des. The official notification for CEED 2026 will be released by October 1, 2025.

The CEED 2026 application form will be released in the first week of October 2025. You must ensure you satisfy the eligibility criteria the conducting body sets before beginning the registration process. Make sure to stay updated and prepare accordingly.

What is CEED Exam?

CEED Exam is a national-level entrance exam for admissions to post-graduate programmes in design. The full form of CEED isthe  Common Entrance Examination for Design. This exam helps to examine the aptitude and creativity of the candidate who wants to get admission into Master of Design.

CEED exam is conducted every year by IIT Bombay. Some of the participating colleges for CEED Exam 2026 are IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, Delhi Technological University, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee etc. 

The CEED examination takes place in two phases namely:

• Part A- computer-based screening test which evaluates visualization and spatial ability, environmental and social awareness, analytical and logical reasoning, language and creativity, observation, and design sensitivity.
• Part B- evaluates drawing, creativity, communication skills, and analytical and problem-solving skills

All the important CEED Exam Details are mentioned in the table below:

CEED 2026 at a glance

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	CEED
Full form	Common Entrance Examination for Design
Exam Level	National Level
Conducting Body	Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay
Category	Postgraduate
Exam Mode	Online and Offline
Exam Duration	3 hours
Questions Type	Part A: Objective Part B: Subjective
Official Website	www.ceed.iitb.ac.in

Courses Offered Through CEED

Here's a list of all the courses which the aspirants can pursue upon qualifying CEED 2026.

Courses Offered Through CEED 2026

Programs Offered	Institute
M.Des in Product Design & Manufacturing, PhD in Design	IISc Bangalore
M.Des in Industrial Design, Communication Design, Animation, Interaction Design, PhD in Design	IIT Bombay
M.Des in Industrial Design	IIT Delhi
M.Des in Design, PhD in Design	IIT Guwahati
M.Des in Visual Design, PhD in Design	IIT Hyderabad
M.Des in Product Design, Visual Design	IIITDM Jabalpur
M.Des in Design, PhD in Design	IIT Kanpur

CEED Exam Date 2026

The important dates for CEED exam 2026 are updated below.

	Upcoming Exam Dates	Dates
	CEED 2026 Application Date	Oct ' 25
	CEED 2026 Application Date (Late Fees)	Nov ' 25
	CEED 2026 Issue of Admit Card	Jan ' 26
	CEED 2026 exam date	18 Jan ' 26
	CEED 2026 Release of Draft Answer Key	Jan ' 26
	CEED 2026 File Challenges Against Draft Answer Key	Jan ' 26
	CEED 2026 Release of Final Answer Key	Jan ' 26
	CEED 2026 Result Date	Mar ' 26
	CEED Scorecard 2026	Mar ' 26 - Jul ' 26

Also Read about Related Careers:

• Fashion Designer
• Graphic Designer
• Interior Designer
• Animator

CEED Eligibility 2026

An aspirant of CEED 2026 has to satisfy the minimum required eligibility criteria to appear in an exam. The candidates should make sure that they should clear the CEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria before applying for the exam, otherwise their application form would be rejected.

• Qualification: Candidates must have clearly passed a Diploma/ Degree/ Postgraduate degree Program of minimum 3 years (10 + 2 +3 level), or should be appearing for the final examination of a program by Jul 2023 or should have passed the GD Arts Diploma Program (10+5 level) by July 2023.
• Eligibility: Before applying for CEED exam, candidates are advised to check whether they meet the minimum required eligibility criteria for admission to various institutes.
• Age: There is no age limit for CEED and candidates can appear for the exam any number of times.

CEED Application Form 2026

CEED 2026 application form will be released in the first week of October 2025 by IIT Bombay. You need to pay a fee of INR 1900 for Female Candidates (All Categories), SC, ST, PwD Candidates and INR 3800 for all other candidates. 

You must ensure you satisfy the eligibility criteria the conducting body sets before beginning the registration process.

Steps to Apply for CEED Exam 2026

You can follow the steps mentioned below to apply for CEED 2026. 

• Step 1: You must visit the official website at ceed.iitb.ac.in.
• Step 2: Click on the 'Registration Portal' tab on the homepage.
• Step 3: Click on 'Register' to continue with fresh registration. 
• Step 4: You must provide the necessary details and fill out the CEED application form 2026.
• Step 5: After filling the form, you must attach the required documents.
• Step 6: Pay the application form fee and click on the 'Submit Form' button. 

CEED 2026 Application Fee

The payment of the CEED application form 2026 fee can be done online using a Credit/ Debit Card or Net Banking. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. If you fail to submit the application form on the last date, a late fee is applicable.

Application Fees: The application fees for CEED 2026 is INR 4000 for all category candidates and INR 2000 for SC/ST/PWD/female candidates.

Note: There will be a late fee of INR 500 applicable to all candidates for registration who submitted their application form after the regular closing date. 

CEED Application Fee Reservation

Minimum Marks to Qualify CEED 2026 Part A Exam
Open	10%
Open-NCL	9%
SC/ST/PwD	5%

Documents Required for CEED Application 2026 Form

Listed below are the required documents and specifications for filling CEED application form 2026.

• The coloured photograph which is recently clicked, and a scanned copy of the signature (.jpg file).
• A scanned copy of the degree/diploma certificate is required if that course is completed. If a candidate does not have the certificate of final degree, upload a copy of their provisional certificate or the final year marks. If even that course is not completed, a certificate from the college's principal or department head should be submitted.
• Candidates who belong to the OBC-NCL/SC/ST category have to submit valid category certificates issued by concerned authorities.
• Candidates belonging to the PwD category should produce a valid and real medical certificate.
• PwD candidates who need surplus time during the exam, need to upload a soft copy of the request letter.
• Candidates whose names are not matching the name on the degree/diploma certificate should submit a gazette notification, a marriage certificate, or scanned copies of the passport mentioning the change of name.

Note: The above-mentioned documents for the exam are to be uploaded as electronic files during the online procedure of CEED 2026 exam registration. Hard copies of these documents or any other documents will not be entertained.

CEED Syllabus 2026

CEED 2026 syllabus is released by IIT Bombay. The entrance exam will be conducted in 2026 based on the revised syllabus. However, the next session of CEED exam will be based on the old syllabus.

According to the revised CEED exam syllabus, the exam will be divided into two parts, namely part A and B. Part A will consist of questions related to practical, scientific, art and design knowledge, visualization, spatial, analytical, logical reasoning, and so on. Whereas part B will include questions to gauge the drawing ability, problem identification, communication, and creativity of the candidates.

The syllabus for the CEED exam is given below. 

Sections: According to CEED Syllabus 2026, the question paper will be divided into 2 parts.

• Part A: Online objective paper consisting of topics in Visualization and Spatial Ability, Environmental and Social Awareness, Analytical and Logical Reasoning, Language and Creativity, Observation and Design Sensitivity. 
• Part B: It is an offline paper-based test that evaluates Drawing, Creativity, Communication, Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills.

CEED 2026 Syllabus for Part A

The syllabus for the main topics and the subtopics from which questions will be asked in CEED 2026 Part A are below.

CEED 2026 Exam Syllabus - PART A

Topic	Subtopics
Visualization & Spatial Ability	Pictorial and diagrammatic questions to test understanding of transformation and/or manipulation of 2D shapes and 3D objects and their spatial relationships; knowledge of practical and everyday mechanical and scientific concepts.
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. History of art, sculpture, and literature.
Analytical and Logical Reasoning	Ability to look at information, be it qualitative or quantitative in nature, and discern patterns within the information. Ability to weigh opinions, arguments, or solutions against appropriate criteria. Ability to check for hidden bias or hidden assumptions and whether evidence and argument support conclusions. Ability to use logic and structured thinking to deduce from a short passage, which of a number of statements is the most accurate response to a posed question. Data Interpretation, brainteasers, and patterns.
Language and Creativity	Ability to understand & use Standard English. Reading comprehension, knowledge of English grammar like sentence structure & usage, use of tenses, verb patterns, articles, active and passive constructions, etc. & vocabulary skills. Ability to think creatively in terms of alternatives, ability to distinguish innovative options, and think out of the box.
Design Thinking and Problem-Solving	Ability to use visual analogies, metaphors, signs, and symbols. Ability to understand complexity, identify the problem, generate alternatives, evaluate options, and select solutions.
Observation and Design Sensitivity	Ability to detect concealed properties in ordinary things, people, situations, and events, and think critically about them. Applying attention to certain details, analyzing, reasoning, classifying, inferring, and predicting. Ability to discern subtle differences in visual properties and aesthetic outcomes.

CEED 2026 Syllabus for Part B

CEED 2026 syllabus for Part B is tabulated below.

CEED 2026 Exam Syllabus - PART B

Topics	Ability Tested in CEED Exam
Drawing	Ability to draw products, people, or scenes in proportion with good line quality, composition, proportion, perspective, and shading.
Creativity	Ability to think out-of-the-box and come up with unique as well as diverse solutions.
Communication Skills	Ability to communicate concepts and ideas clearly with the help of text and visuals.
Analytical &Problem Solving Skills	Ability to understand user & context, knowledge of properties of materials & process & its proper use in design, originality of solutions, ability to create characters, plots & stories, etc.

CEED Exam Pattern 2026

This exam has its exam pattern to follow that would help a candidate to do well in the exam and submit the paper on time. CEED 2026 Exam Pattern will explain the number of questions asked and mark distribution. The question Paper will consist of 2 sections- Part A and Part B.

• Part A contains objective-type questions (Multiple-Choice Questions, Multiple Select Questions, and Numerical Answer Questions).
• Part B consists of questions that are aimed at Testing Design, Drawing, and Writing Skills.

CEED 2026 Exam Pattern Highlights

Particulars	Details
Exam Mode	Part A- Computer-Based Test; Part B- Offline
Number of Papers	2
Number of Sections	2
Question Paper Type	Part A- NAT, MSQ, MCQ; Part B- Drawing-Based Questions
CEED 2026 Total Marks	Part A- 100; Part B- 100
Exam Duration	Paper A (1 Hour); Paper B (2 Hours)
Exam Language	English

• Duration: The time duration of the CEED exam is a total of 3 hours (Part A - 1 hour + Part B - 2 hours).
• Mode: CEED exam will be conducted in online and offline modes.

CEED Preparation Tips 2026

Given below are a few tips and tricks to crack the CEED Exam with ease. These CEED 2026 Preparation Tips will help the candidates crack the exam and score well in the exam.

1. Improve Creativity Skills

The candidate must read topics related to Interaction Designs and must also improve his/her Visual Communications skills. There are some good reference books available on these topics and candidates can purchase these books online through e-commerce websites. This exam checks the creative abilities of the candidate. So the candidate must try to answer these questions differently and creatively. This will surely increase your chances of clearing the CEED Exam. You must make sure that you think out of the box while answering the same question.

2. Improve 3D Drawing Skills

Improving your drawing skills is very much necessary for clearing the exam. Candidates should be able to imagine and draw a 3D model of the thing they want to present. The aspirants can try to improve their 3D skills by drawing common household items. The more you draw, the more you will learn about sketching 3D shapes which will help you in the preparation process.

3. Read Cartoon Strips Daily

Also, a candidate must make it a habit they read cartoon strips daily online or in the newspaper as it improves the candidate’s ability to present his views in a storyboard format which impresses the evaluator.

4. Be More Creative

For Part B, you should try to become more creative. The examiner might even look past some minor mistakes in sketching if your solution is creative enough. Some questions even have a note saying that marks will be awarded for creative and humorous solutions. Enhancing creativity is straightforward. First, think about a simple idea and then stretch it to its limits.

• Books: Candidates can refer to the books mentioned in the CEED 2026 Reference Books section for exam preparation directed by the authority.
• Study Guidance: Candidates can download the CEED Previous Year Question Paper to get a clear understanding of the exam pattern.

CEED Reference Books 2026

If you are preparing for CEED entrance exam must refer to good reference books which are available in the market and online. Below are a few of the CEED reference books which can help candidates in preparation for the CEED exam 2026 are given below.

• NID-NIFT-UCEED-CEED Workbook by Ar. Revati Shantanu Parkhi and Rhythm Singh Kachhawa
• Guide for NIFT/NID/IIFT 2020- 21 by Arihant Publications
• NIFT, NID & IIFT Entrance Exam Guide By D Mittal
• NIFT Entrance Examination Preparation Course By Prashant Kumar
• Self Study Guide – NIFT 10 Mock Papers By D. Mittal

CEED Mock Test 2026

CEED mock exam will be offered by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. You can have a comprehensive picture of the exam format, potential problems, time constraints, etc. by taking the CEED Exam 2026 mock test. You must sign in by clicking the sign-in option before taking the mock CEED 2026 exam.

One of the finest suggestions for passing the entrance exam is to practise mock examinations, according to experts and top scorers.

CEED Admit Card 2026

CEED 2026 admit card will be released in January 2026 on the official website at ceed.iitb.ac.in. You need to carefully examine the details and contact the conducting body promptly in case of any discrepancy. You can download the admit card from the official website once it is released.   

Steps to Download CEED Admit Card

You must follow the steps mentioned below to access the CEED hall ticket 2026. 

• Step 1: To download the CEED 2026 admissions card, click on the link.
• Step 2: Enter the password and registered email address.
• Step 3: You should download the admit card that will be shown.
• Step 4: The IIT Bombay Common Entrance Exam for Design (CEED) office should be contacted via mail if there are any inconsistencies, such as a blurred photo or signature.
• Step 5: The admit card must be printed in colour and brought to the testing location.

 The following valid photo identifications (for anyone) are permitted to be brought into the exam room with the admit card:

• Voter ID
• Passport
• PAN Card
• Aadhaar Card
• Driving License
• The identity card issued by the institute last attended
• Credentials: The candidate can download the hall ticket by entering the credentials such as application number, and date of birth.
• Admission: The candidates need to preserve the CEED 2026 Admit Card till they get the admissions.
• Printout: Take a clear and coloured printout of the admit card before coming to the exam centre.

CEED Exam Centres 2026

Common Entrance Examination for Design will be conducted in over 22 cities across India. A candidate can choose the test location as per feasibility. It can be chosen on preferences 1, 2, and 3. The CEED Exam Centres list is shared in the table below:

CEED Test Centres 2026

CEED 2026 Exam Centres
Ahmedabad	Dehradun	Kolkata	Patna
Bengaluru	Delhi	Kozhikode	Pune
Bhopal	Ernakulam	Lucknow	Raipur
Bhubneshwar	Guwahati	Mumbai	Trivandrum
Chandigarh	Hyderabad	Nagpur	Thrissur
Chennai	Jaipur	Panaji	Visakhapatnam

Documents Required at Exam

• Admit card
• Valid photo identity proof (Passport, driving license, PAN card, Voter ID, college-issued identity card, or Aadhaar card)

CEED 2026 Result

CEED result 2026 will be declared in March 2026 by the conducting body. You can check their results and download scorecards from the official website at ceed.iitb.ac.in. You have to enter the login credentials, such as the user ID and password. 

Steps to Check CEED Scorecard 2026

You can follow the steps below to download CEED results.

• Step 1: You can view results at the official website.
• Step 2: Put your registered email address and password in.
• Step 3: The CEED Results will be shown.
• Step 4: Only qualified candidates will see the download scorecard link, which they can click on.
• Step 5: Until admissions are finished, the scorecard needs to be kept secure.

Details Mentioned on CEED Result 2026

Following are some details from the CEED exam result:

• Name of the Candidate Category Application/Registration Number Exam Scores
• Requisite standing
• The calculation method for the CEED exam score
• 25% of Part A and 75% of Part B are weighted together to determine the final CEED score.

CEED Scorecard: After the declaration of the CEED Result, it will be available for a candidate to download on its official website i.e. ceed.iitb.ac.in.

CEED Scorecard Validity: The marks card will be valid for one year from the date of the announcement of the result.

CEED Merit List: The counselling process will start after preparing the merit list.

CEED 2026 Final Answer Key

The CEED answer key will be released in January 2026. You can follow the link shared below to access it easily. You can check the answer key via online mode only. The CEED answer key PDF 2026 includes all the answers to the questions in the question paper.

The answer key helps students to check their answers and examine the marks they secured in the online entrance examination.

How to Download CEED Answer Key 2026?

The steps are given below to easily download the CEED Answer Key:

• Step 1: Head to the official Website (ceed.iitb.ac.in)
• Step 2: Locate and click on the ‘Portal’ tab.
• Step 3: Locate and click on the ‘Final Answer Key for Part A’
• Step 5: The answer key will be displayed on the screen.
• Step 6: Download and take a printout of the same for future reference.

Particulars	Link
CEED Part A Final Answer Key Download Link	To Be Updated

Also Check: What After CEED Results 2026?

CEED Cut off 2026

IIT Bombay is expected to release the CEED 2026 Part A cutoff in the first week of February 2026. Your Part A score will determine whether you’re shortlisted for the next stage. Only if you meet the cutoff will your Part B answer booklet be evaluated, so performing well in Part A is crucial.

Factors that determine CEED cut off marks are given below.

• The difficulty level of questions.
• “Reservation Policy” for various categories in respective institutes.
• The total number of candidates appearing for the exam.
• Overall performance of the candidates who have written the exam.
• The total number of seats offered by all institutes.
• Marking scheme.

Guidelines for CEED 2026 Cut off Marks:

As previously stated, candidates will be shortlisted based on their Part A score.

The minimum score required for Part A () to select candidates in the open category is:

•  + (2) =, were and are the average score and standard deviation of the distribution of scores attained by ALL of the candidates in Part-A of CEED 2026. We shall round the and to two decimal places.
• OBC-NCL category's cutoffs will be 0.9 of the Open category's.
• CEED cut off for candidates in the SC, ST, and PWD categories will be 0.5 of the Open category.

Also Check: Top Design Colleges in India 2026

CEED Counselling 2026

The CEED 2026 counselling registration is expected to begin in the third week of March 2026. Please note that IIT Bombay will not conduct a Joint Seat Allotment for CEED 2026 qualified candidates. Instead, each participating institute will carry out its own counselling process individually.

If you’ve been assigned a merit rank in CEED 2026, you’ll need to apply directly to the institute of your choice through its official admission portal. To register for counselling, visit the admission portal of the respective CEED 2026 participating institute, fill out the counselling form, and upload your CEED 2026 scorecard along with any other required documents.

Documents Required at Counselling

• CEED score card
• Qualifying exam certificate
• Valid photo ID
• Class 10 certificate or date of birth certificate
• Category certificate if applicable
• Class 12 certificate

Note: CEED 2026 results or marks do not guarantee admission to any college.

CEED Participating Institutes 2026

CEED 2026 Participating Institutes are as follows:

CEED Participating Institutes

CEED Exam Institute	Programme
Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, IISc Bangalore	MDes in Product Design and Engineering PhD in Design
Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay	MDes in Industrial Design, Communication Design, Animation, Interaction Design, Mobility and Vehicle Design PhD in Design
Department of Design, IIT Delhi	MDes in Industrial Design
Department of Design, IIT Guwahati	MDes in Design PhD in Design
Department of Design, IIT Hyderabad	MDes in Visual Design PhD in Design
Design Programme, IIT Kanpur	MDes in Design PhD in Design
Design Discipline, IIITDM Jabalpur	MDes in Design PhD in Design
IIT Roorkee	MDes in Design PhD in Design

CEED Contact Details 2026

In case, there is any confusion at any phase of the exam do not forget to contact its official conducting authorities. Their contact details are given below:

Address:
Chairman JEE (Advanced)-UCEED-CEED 2026
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay,
Mumbai 400076

Contact No: +91-22-25769093 / 9094 (Mon to Fri 09:30 – 17:30 hrs)

E-Mail Address: ceed@iitb.ac.in