UCEED Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit and Educational Qualifications

UCEED Eligibility Criteria 2026 is defined by the UCEED conducting authorities. You must satisfy the age limit and educational requirements to appear for the exam. The ones who want to appear for the UCEED 2026 exam must satisfy all UCEED 2026 eligibility criteria as specified. The application process will commence in October 2026.

Those who are not meeting the requirements will not be allowed to proceed with the further rounds of the online examination. The exam authority also has the right to cancel your candidature for the 2026 session. Only the ones who satisfy UCEED eligibility criteria for 2026 can apply for the exam.

UCEED Eligibility Highlights

You must qualify for UCEED eligibility to be able to take the exam. Some of the important eligibility criteria and their details have been listed in the table below. 

UCEED Eligibility Criteria 2026 

Criteria	Details
UCEED Age limit	You should have been born on or after Oct 1, 1999, if belonging to the OPEN/EWS/OBC-NCL category and born on or after Oct 1, 1994, if belonging to the SC, ST or PwD category.
UCEED Exam Qualification	You should have passed all subjects in the qualifying examination (Class XII or equivalent) in 2021, OR Should be appearing for the qualifying examination for the first time in 2026 to be eligible. The ones from ALL STREAMS (Science, Commerce, and Arts and Humanities) are eligible. Those who appeared for the first time in your qualifying examination (Class XII) in 2020 or earlier are NOT eligible.
UCEED Number of Attempts	You can attempt the exam a maximum of two times and that too in consecutive years.
The validity of marks card	UCEED marks sheets will be valid for only one year and only for admission for the corresponding year.
Nationality of Candidates	Both Indians and foreign nationals can appear for the exam. The ones who are not citizens of India (by birth or naturalization) and whose parents are not citizens of India and do not come under the PIO/ OCI category at the time of registering, will be considered as foreign nationals.

Also Read:

• How do I Study for UCEED 2026?
• Should I Take a Drop for UCEED 2026?

UCEED Eligibility Criteria

You must meet the UCEED entrance exam eligibility conditions to take the test. All of you, including international nationals, must meet the eligibility requirements. The eligibility requirements for UCEED 2026 are listed below.

Criterion 1: UCEED Age Limit

Is there any age limit for UCEED?

Yes, If you fall under the OPEN/EWS/OBC-NCL category, you must have been born on or after Oct 1, 1999, and if you do not, you must have been born on or after Oct 1, 1992.

Criterion 2: UCEED Number of Attempts

You may take the UCEED exam twice and only in back-to-back years. Remember that the UCEED score is only valid for admissions during the same academic year it was earned.

Criterion 3: UCEED Qualifying Examination

• The eligibilty for UCEED exam demands that you must have passed all subjects in the qualifying examination (Class XII or equivalent) in 2023 OR must take the qualifying examination for the first time in 2026.
• The ones from many academic disciplines, including science, business, and the humanities, may apply.
• Those who took your qualifying test (Class XII) for the first time in 2021 or earlier are NOT eligible.
• Foreign nationals, even those with Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) or People of Indian Origin (PIO) cards, are considered to fall under the Open category and would not receive special treatment. The requirements above "absolutely" apply to all of you, including foreign nationals. There are excess seats designated for foreign nationals.

UCEED Exam Exceptions 

• The ones from the science stream may apply to all four institutions if they have taken Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
• The ones from non-scientific fields (such as the arts, business, and science without mathematics, physics, or chemistry) are welcome to apply. to IIITDM Jabalpur, IIT Hyderabad, and IIT Bombay.

After you find that you fulfil the eligibility criteria, you can follow the UCEED exam pattern 2026 and the UCEED syllabus 2026 to prepare for the exam.

UCEED List of Qualifying Exams 

The ones enrolled for the exam must qualify. It differs for Indian and Foreign nationals; a list for each has been listed below. You are also advised to go through UCEED reservation criteria (available on the official website) to get more clarity. 

UCEED Exam Eligibility For Indian Nationals

The list of qualifying exams to fit UCEED 2026 eligibility criteria for Indian nationals has been listed below. 

• The final examination of the 10+2 system is organized or recognized by the Central or State Board or by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU)
• The Final examination of the two-year course of the Joint Services Wing of the National Defence Academy
• Senior Secondary School Examination organized by the National Institute of Open Schooling with a minimum of 5 subjects
• Intermediate or two-year Pre-University examination organized by a recognized Board or University by the Association of Indian Universities(AIU)
• H.S.C. vocational examination
• A Diploma recognized by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) or a State Board of Technical Education of at least 3 years duration

For Foriegn Nationals

The list of qualifying exams to fit UCEED 2026 eligibility criteria for Foreign nationals has been listed below.

• Any Public School, Board, or University examination in India or a foreign country is recognized as equivalent to the 10+2 system by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU)
• General Certificate Education (GCE) examination (London, Cambridge, or Sri Lanka) at the Advanced (A) Level
• High School Certificate Examination of the Cambridge University or International Baccalaureate Diploma of the International Baccalaureate Office, Geneva

Q. What is the UCEED eligibility for IIT Bombay?

Ans. The UCEED eligibility requirement for IIT Bombay is same as other campuses or courses. You must have qualified your Class XII (or equivalent) examination in 2024 or 2026.

UCEED Eligibility Criteria for B.Des

You should have completed the qualifying examination, i.e. Class 12 board or equivalent, in 2026 or 2026. Those of you appearing for your qualifying exam (12th or equivalent) in 2026 should ensure some guidelines.

• All parts of your final examination must be completed by the registration date in the admitting institute.
• Proof of having passed the qualifying exam with the required eligibility is submitted to the admitting institute.
• Suppose a qualifying board exam awards only letter grades without providing information on passing grades on the grade sheet. You should obtain a certificate from the board specifying a passing grade and upload it along with the grade sheet.

Criteria for Foreign Nationals- The ones from foreign nations, including Overseas Citizens of India (OCI)/ People of Indian Origin (PIO) cardholders, are considered under the Open category and will not get any relaxation. Seats allotted to foreign nationals are supernumerary.