From Entrance Exams
Understanding CEED
How does CEED lead to an M.Des.?
Foundation / 8 min
After this reading, you can check your CEED eligibility, explain how the paper becomes a score and see what admission still asks after it.
CEED, the Common Entrance Examination for Design, is the route into the Master of Design programmes at IISc Bangalore, eight IITs and two IIITDMs. It is conducted by IIT Bombay, and it is taken after a degree or diploma rather than after Class 12. It is often prepared for as if a good score were admission. It is not: CEED qualifies a candidate to apply, and each institute then selects its students in its own way.
The figures in this reading come from the CEED 2027 Information Brochure. Changes are announced as addenda on the official website, ceed.iitb.ac.in, which is the authority. Admission rules belong to each institute and are published on its own website.
Check eligibility before you plan
| Criterion | Rule for CEED 2027 | What it means for planning |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification | A degree, diploma or postgraduate programme of at least three years after Class 12, or the five-year G.D. Art diploma after Class 10 | Any discipline: engineering, architecture, arts, science, commerce or design |
| Still studying | Eligible if appearing for the final examination by July 2027 | Final-year students can take CEED in the year they graduate |
| Age and attempts | No age limit; any number of attempts | Working professionals can apply, and a second attempt is common |
| Registration fee | ₹4,000; ₹2,000 for women and for SC, ST and PwD candidates | A late fee of ₹500 applies after 31 October 2026 |
| Institute rules | Admission eligibility may differ from CEED eligibility | Check each institute’s degree and mark requirements before applying |
One paper, two different assessments
CEED is a single three-hour paper, and both parts are compulsory. Part A is answered on a computer in the first hour. Part B is shown on the screen for the next two hours but answered by hand, in a booklet given at the start. A scribe may not help with Part B, because it assesses drawing.
| Part | Section | Questions | Marking | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A · 1 hour | Numerical answer (NAT) | 8 | +4 each; no negative marks | 32 |
| Part A · 1 hour | Multiple select (MSQ) | 10 | Up to +4 with partial marks; −1 for any wrong choice | 40 |
| Part A · 1 hour | Multiple choice (MCQ) | 26 | +3 each; −0.5 for a wrong answer | 78 |
| Part B · 2 hours | Sketching, creativity, form sensitivity, visual sensitivity and problem identification | 5 | 20 each; judged by examiners | 100 |
How the two parts become a score
Part A is marked by computer and is used to shortlist. For general candidates, the cut-off is the average Part A mark of everyone who sat the paper plus half the standard deviation; it is 90% of that for OBC-NCL and EWS candidates and 50% for SC, ST and PwD candidates. Only the Part B booklets of shortlisted candidates are read.
The final score then weighs the two parts unequally: a quarter of the Part A marks and three-quarters of the Part B marks. Since Part A is out of 150 and Part B out of 100, Part B can contribute 75 points to a possible 112.5—two-thirds of the score. Part B is evaluated holistically against criteria given in the questions, double-blind, and there is no re-evaluation of either part.
Part A (150 marks, computer) └─ above the cut-off: shortlisted └─ Part B booklets read (100 marks) └─ score = 0.25 × Part A + 0.75 × Part B, and a rank └─ separate application to each institute └─ the institute’s own tests or interviews, then an offer
This changes what preparation is for. Part A must be good enough to have Part B read at all, and it rewards speed and care, since wrong answers cost marks. Part B is where most of the score is made, and it is judged by people looking at drawings and ideas on paper. Neither can be left for the last month.
What the syllabus asks you to show
| Part | Official focus | What practice should build |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | Visualisation and spatial reasoning; observation and design sensitivity | Rotating, unfolding and comparing shapes in your head, and noticing how everyday things work |
| Part A | Practical and scientific knowledge; design methods, materials and ergonomics | Knowing why objects are made the way they are |
| Part A | Environment and society; art and design knowledge | A habit of reading about design, art, history and current practice |
| Part A | Analytical and logical reasoning; language; analogies, metaphors and symbols | Timed reasoning and reading practice, with errors reviewed |
| Part B | Drawing: products, people or scenes with line quality, composition, proportion, perspective and shading | Drawing from observation every day |
| Part B | Creativity, communication and problem identification | Several distinct ideas for one prompt, explained clearly in text and sketches, with the user and material in mind |
IIT Bombay recommends no textbook, because CEED is an aptitude test, and publishes past question papers on the CEED website. Subject-Wise Preparation turns these topics into a study map, and Design Aptitude Test Preparation covers responding to unfamiliar prompts.
A score is the start of admission
After the results, candidates apply separately to each institute, which publishes its own announcement, eligibility, and selection process. The brochure states that institutes may hold further tests or interviews and will verify documents alongside the score. A CEED score is valid for one year from the declaration of results.
| Institute | M.Des. specialisations |
|---|---|
| IISc Bangalore | Product Design, Development and Management |
| IIT Bombay (IDC School of Design) | Animation Design, Communication Design, Industrial Design, Interaction Design, Mobility and Vehicle Design |
| IIT Delhi | Industrial Design |
| IIT Gandhinagar | Integrated Design and Technology |
| IIT Guwahati | Design |
| IIT Hyderabad | Visual Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, and Photography, Film and Animation |
| IIT Jodhpur | XR Design, Smart Product Design |
| IIT Kanpur | Master of Design |
| IIT Roorkee | Industrial Design |
| IIITDM Jabalpur | Design |
| IIITDM Kancheepuram | Integrated Product Design |
Because these selections may include further tests or interviews, the work done for Part B and the work you have done in your degree belong to the same preparation. Portfolio Development and Interview Preparation cover what institutes may look for at that stage.
CEED and UCEED side by side
| Aspect | CEED | UCEED |
|---|---|---|
| Taken after | A degree or diploma of at least three years after Class 12 | Class 12 |
| Programme | M.Des. at IISc Bangalore, eight IITs and two IIITDMs | Four-year B.Des. at six IITs and IIITDM Jabalpur |
| Age and attempts | No age limit; any number of attempts | An age limit; two attempts at most, in consecutive years |
| Paper | Part A: 150 marks in 1 hour; Part B: 100 marks in 2 hours | Part A: 200 marks in 2 hours; Part B: 100 marks in 1 hour |
| Score | 0.25 × Part A + 0.75 × Part B | Part A + Part B |
| After the result | A separate application to each institute, which may hold tests or interviews | One application; seats allotted by rank, category and choice of institutes |
The two are not alternatives for the same person in the same year: UCEED is for school-leavers, CEED for graduates. The comparison matters across years. A student who does not take up a B.Des. can still come to design through CEED after a degree in another field, since CEED accepts any discipline. Understanding UCEED covers the undergraduate route in full.
The CEED 2027 calendar
| Stage | When | What to do then |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 1 to 31 October 2026; with a late fee until 6 November 2026, 5 pm | Choose three examination cities in order of preference; they cannot be changed later |
| Admit card | From 1 January 2027; discrepancies reported by 8 January | Check every detail and the centre |
| Examination | Sunday, 17 January 2027, 9 am to 12 noon | Part A from 9 to 10; Part B from 10 to 12 |
| Draft answer key | 19 January 2027; comments by 21 January, 5 pm | Download your Part A responses before the results; they are removed afterwards |
| Part A cut-off | 4 February 2027 | See whether your Part B will be read |
| Results | 3 March 2027 | Watch each institute’s website for its admission announcement |
| Score card | 10 March to 31 July 2027 | Download it at once; no physical copy is sent |
Turn the structure into a plan
- Read the current brochure and confirm your degree and its timing against it.
- Shortlist the institutes and specialisations you would join, and read each one’s admission rules.
- Practise Part A in timed sets, and review every wrong answer, since mistakes cost marks.
- Draw from observation every day, and answer one Part B-style prompt each week under time.
- Gather your best work from your degree into a portfolio you can explain.
- Download your responses, answer key and score card the day each appears.
CEED asks for two kinds of readiness: enough accuracy in Part A to be read, and enough drawing and thinking in Part B to rank well. Then each institute asks its own questions, so the plan does not end on the day of the examination.
Takeaway