CEED Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit and Qualifications

Paras Attri

Updated on - Aug 5, 2025

CEED Eligibility Criteria 2026 are decided by the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and the Industrial Design Centre for a post-graduate degree in the critical field of design technology. To attempt the examination a minimum eligibility criterion is to be met by candidates wishing to further their studies in the field of design technology through CEED 2026.

If they qualify for CEED Exam Eligibility 2026, they can complete the registration process and fill out the application form.

CEED Exam Eligibility 2026

Students must ensure they satisfy CEED Exam Eligibility requirements before submitting an application for the CEED 2026. Students should be aware that the participating CEED institute will confirm the entrance requirements, the necessary documentation, and the CEED 2026 score. The following are the requirements for CEED 2026 eligibility.

• After passing the 10+2 level, applicants must complete a 3-year degree, certificate, or postgraduate degree programme.
• Candidates for CEED must be scheduled to appear in the final exam of a 3-year degree, diploma, or postgraduate programme in 2026. They must, however, pass their qualifying exam at the time of admission; otherwise, they must be a GD Arts diploma (10+5 level) passable by Jul 2024.
• According to the CEED eligibility requirements, there is no set age limit.
• The maximum number of CEED tries unrestricted.

Also Read: Important Topics to Study For CEED

CEED Exam Eligibility 2026 Highlights

IIT Bombay will release CEED exam dates 2026 session. CEED examination will aid in the admission of candidates into Postgraduate Design courses. Aspiring candidates will have to apply online to complete CEED registration process.

Before starting CEED application process, candidates are requested to go through the IIT CEED eligibility criteria carefully. CEED Exam Eligibility 2026 consist of the qualifications that a candidate must have completed in order to take up the examination, and they are as follows.

CEED Age Limit 2026

There is no age limit for candidates who wish to appear for CEED examination. CEED eligibility criteria 2026 is solely based on educational qualifications. This is to provide anyone who wishes to pursue post-graduate studies in design technology and enrol in colleges affiliated with the same.

CEED 2026 Educational Qualification

Candidates who have a knack for design and an understanding of design technology can apply for the exam only if they possess any of the following required educational qualifications. The following are CEED Exam Eligibility 2026 that needs to be met.

• Candidates who have passed their UG degree/diploma/PG degree after 10+2 with a minimum of 3 years.
• Candidates who are appearing in the final examination of UG/Diploma/PG examination by July 2026.
• Candidates who have passed the GD Arts Diploma program at 10+5 level by July 2026.
• CEED exam qualification does not specify different streams of subjects. Candidates who have taken up an undergraduate degree or a diploma course in any discipline apart from design technology or its variations are also eligible to apply provided they have completed the previous course within the given date before the application begins.

Find the B.Tech graduate CEED eligibility along with CEED BCA eligibility in the table below. 

CEED Eligibility Criteria for OBC and SC/ST 2026

CEED OBC eligibility allows students from all disciplines of subjects to apply for this examination. For a better understanding of CEED caste eligibility, candidates must look at the percentage of seats that are available for a particular category. This depends on the availability of seats in specific colleges that are affiliated. This is to ensure that candidates from different groups are given the same opportunity to attempt the examination.

CEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Participating Institutes

For admission to the desired courses, different CEED 2026 Participating institutes have varying eligibility requirements. The candidates must meet the CEED 2026 eligibility requirements for the various institutes in order to apply for admission to those institutes. The following summarises CEED Exam Eligibility 2026 for the various participating institutes:

CEED Eligibility for IISc Bangalore

• A valid bachelor's degree in architecture, design, or engineering

CEED Eligibility for IIT Bombay

• For each stream, the candidate must have at least 55% (50% for SC, ST, or PwD candidates) or equivalent grades in the qualifying degree:
• Design, engineering, architecture, or interior design bachelor's degree: 10 + 2 + 4 years (minimum 4 years of bachelor's study).
• B. Plan and B. Arch are equivalent.
• Following the HSC, a four-year B.Sc. (Engg.) programme is compared to a BE or B.Tech.
• Design Professional Diploma: 10 + 2 + 4 years (minimum 4-year diploma program).
• Bachelor of Fine Arts (4-year professional programme; entrance after 10 + 2)
• After a one-year foundation, GD Art offers a four-year programme. 10th pass is the minimum admission criteria).

CEED Eligibility for IIT Delhi

• The programme offers 20 seats to applicants for the M.Des who have a background in B.Tech, B.Des, or B.Arch.
• Must have a current CEED score; GATE scores are not taken into account.

CEED Eligibility for IIT Guwahati

• A four-year bachelor's degree in design, engineering, architecture, interior design, or a field closely connected to design, or an equivalent degree, with a minimum CPI of 6.0 out of 10 or a minimum of 60% in the relevant subject.
• A minimum CPI of 6.0 out of 10 and a minimum of 60% marks are required for the four-year Professional Diploma in Design from NID or the five-year Professional Diploma from CEPT.
• Relaxation for candidates who are SC, ST, or PwD: For candidates who are SC, ST, or PwD, the CPI or percentage marks in the aforementioned eligibility standards will be relaxed by 0.5 CPI or by 5% marks. In other words, SC, ST, and PWD candidates must have a minimum CPI of 5.5 out of 10 or a minimum of 55% in their undergraduate degree.

CEED Eligibility for IIT Hyderabad

For M.Des:

• Must possess a current CEED score
• A minimum of 55% (or 50% for SC/ST applicants) in the qualifying exam listed below, or equivalent grades -
• Bachelor's degree (4 years after 10+2) in engineering, architecture, design, or interior design, or an equivalent degree.
• Professional Diploma in Design (after 10+2, 4 years long, NID/CEPT or similar).
• After completing the 10+2 year-long professional curriculum, the B.F.A.
• G.D. Art (5-year curriculum following the tenth grade) includes a year of post-graduation work experience.
• Master's degree programme (2-year programme after 10+2+3) in arts, sciences, or computer applications.

For PhD:

• M.Des., M.Arch., M.Tech., M.Phil., MFA, M.A., M.Sc., and other degrees NID, Ahmedabad's Postgraduate Diploma in Design OR an equivalent
• Additionally, one of the following
• A minimum grade point average of 55% (or 50% for SC/ST students) in the program's last academic year.
• A minimum of 55% overall (or 50% for SC/ST students) or as determined by the university
• A first-class grade as required by the institution
• A minimum CPI of 5.5 (5.0 CPI for SC/ST), with proportional requirements when the scales are not on a scale of 10.
• Each candidate must submit a single zip file with the following information:
• A PhD proposal; b, a list of publications; or, c, a portfolio of work.

CEED Eligibility for IIT Kanpur

• A bachelor's degree in architecture, design, or engineering
• In order to apply for the two-year Master of Design Program, you must have a valid CEED/GATE score.
• Candidates with degrees in interior design or fine arts are ineligible to apply.

CEED Eligibility for IITDM 

The candidate's success on the qualifying examinations, which are the CEED or GATE score, will determine their admission to a master's programme (s). Additionally, the selection committee may decide that calling some or all of the applicants for the written exam and/or interview is appropriate.

For M.Des (Regular and Sponsored): 

B.Tech / B.E. / B.Arch / B.Des. / B.FA / M.Sc / MA / MCA with 

• The qualifying degree must have at least 60% overall or a CPI/CGPA of 6.0 (on a scale of 10.00) (B.Tech, B.Des, or equivalent). relaxation for the reserved group in line with Indian government regulations.
• Qualifying scores or certificates from national-level exams like the GATE, CEED, CSIR, UGC JRF, or NET are required for admission to master's programmes in the normal category. The applicant must possess a current GATE, CEED, or UGC JRF score.

For PhD (Design) (Regular, Sponsored, and External):

• To be eligible for admission to the PhD programme, an M.Des. must have at least the required marks or CPI in the qualifying degree.
• At the master's level qualifying examination, a minimum of 65 per cent marks or a CPI/CGPA of 6.5 (on a scale of 10) will be required.
• relaxation for the reserved group in line with Indian government regulations.
• Candidates may apply for admission under the category of the External Registration Program if they have been employed permanently for at least two years in NITs, IITs, Central Universities, Government Universities, Defense R&D organisations, or PSUs.

Note: GATE-qualified candidates are also eligible for these programmes at IISc Bangalore, IITDM Jabalpur, and IIT Kanpur.

CEED 2026 Seat Reservation

A fixed number of seats are set aside for applicants who fall under one of the several reserved categories. The candidate's choice of category on the CEED 2026 Application form will be used to determine the category rank.

• Candidates who wish to be considered for admission under the Scheduled Category (SC) Category or the Scheduled Tribe (ST) Category must present the necessary certificate, issued by a competent body, with their admission application for CEED 2026. The candidate's application may be rejected if he or she fails to offer any necessary certificates.
• When applying for admission under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Category, a candidate must provide an OBC certificate in addition to the CEED application form. The candidate will be placed in the General Category if the OBC non-creamy layer certificate is not in the format required.
• Under no circumstances will the candidate be given a chance to submit their application late. Candidates are therefore urged to submit all required documents on time.
• Candidates who qualify as Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and who may have any type of disability, including cerebral palsy, low vision, hearing loss, or blindness, will only be eligible for benefits if they have at least a 40% permanent physical impairment in relation to a body part, system, extremity, or the entire body.
• Such applicants must present a government medical board-issued certificate of incapacity along with the application form. At the time of acceptance, these candidates should also be in good physical condition to continue the programme.

Candidates chosen for admission under the PwD Category would additionally need to have the percentage of their disability verified by a medical board. This Medical Board must be one that the admitting institution has established.

• The following are some significant aspects that candidates should be aware of: The aforementioned provisions for the reserved seats are subject to change in compliance with any Government order.
• A candidate will be solely responsible for demonstrating their eligibility for admission in terms of required minimum educational levels and other criteria, as well as for claiming reservation under a certain category.

SC/ST Certificate Issuing Authority

Candidates who are claiming CEED 2026 Reservation under the SC/ST category during CEED 2026 Registration must present the category certificate issued by the following authorities:

District Magistrate or Additional District Magistrate; Collector; Deputy Commissioner; Additional Deputy Commissioner; Deputy Collector; 1st Class Stipendary Magistrate; Taluka Magistrate; Executive Magistrate; Extra Assistant Commissioner (not below the rank of 1stclass Stipendiary Magistrate); Chief Presidency Magistrate; Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate; Presidency Magistrate; or Revenue Officer not below the rank of Revenue Officer (Lakshadweep Island)

CEED Application Form 2026

If you who wish to take the design entrance test must pay CEED registration fee in order to complete the CEED application form. Below are the instructions for completing the CEED application form 2026.

• Registration
• Complete the CEED 2026 application form.
• Give your educational background
• The documents should be uploaded
• Make the payment.
• Submit the CEED 2026 registration form.
• Save the form to your computer and print it off.