10 Tips to Crack UCEED 2026: Check Study Plan and Preparation Strategy
Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design 2026 ( UCEED )
Admit Card - 2 Jan '26
As per the official exam pattern, the UCEED 2026 question paper will have around 59 questions. Part A will include around 57 questions, whereas Part B will include an aptitude-based and a sketching-based question. Here are some UCEED preparation tips and tricks to help you sail through the exam smoothly.
The Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED) is a mix of creative thinking and logical reasoning. The UCEED 2026 question paper will be drafted to evaluate the candidate based on their ability to visualize, use design aptitude, and create a design to solve the problem at hand. Thus, candidates appearing for UCEED 2026 should spend adequate time preparing for the entrance exam. Apart from this, to crack the UCEED exam, the candidates should have the right aptitude for design as well as the correct attitude to pursue such a course. The UCEED 2026 exam will be conducted on January 18, 2026. The application form for the exam is currently closed. The UCEED 2026 question paper will have TWO parts: 1. the computer-based Part A, and 2. the offline-based Part B. Note that Part B answer booklets will be evaluated only if the candidate qualifies Part A.
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The UCEED 2026 exam will have two parts - Part A and Part B. As per the pattern, Part A will be conducted in a computer-based mode at various test centres across the country. The question paper for Part A will include three types of questions NAT MSQ, and MCQ type questions. The test duration for Part A will be 2 hours. Part B will now include two questions - A design-based question and a Design Aptitude question. Also, the test duration for Part B is 60 minutes.
IIT Bombay doesn’t release any exam analysis for the UCEED exam. It simpy conducts the exam, and releases the draft and final answer keys. Consequently, no official analysis will be available for the UCEED 2025 exam.
So, the candidate has to rely on exam analysis brought to them by shiksha.com and a other unofficial sources. Shiksha.com correspondents visited the exam centre on exam-day and brings you student reactions and detailed exam analysis.
You can go through the analysis and get inputs like question paper difficulty level, types of and specific question asked, expected cut-off, etc.
Note that IIT Bombay will release the question paper for the UCEED 2025 exam soon after the exam is over.
How to Prepare for UCEED 2026?
Every year, around 15,000 students appear in the UCEED exam to fill around 225 B.Des seats offered by UCEED participating colleges. Going by the limited number of seats, it is clear that there is very high competition. So, candidates are advised to go through the tips to crack UCEED 2026 with flying colors.
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1. Focus on Mathematical Geometry
In the UCEED exam, a lot of importance is placed on Mathematics. So, when preparing for the exam, aspirants should consider paying extra attention to solving complex Maths questions. By reviewing past years’ papers for UCEED, it has been found that the paper consists of Mathematical Geometry questions that evaluate aspirants based on their creativity, observation, and visualisation skills.
2. Sharpen Observation and Visualisation Skills
One of the key skills of candidates that is evaluated in the UCEED exam is observation, and to ace this aspect of the Design exam, aspirants are advised to closely observe everything around them, whether it is a ride on the way home, normal day-to-day activities of the house, or their school proceedings. Aspirants are advised to recall such events and sketch the scenes they see before them. This exercise helps in improving the observation skills of candidates.
IIT Bombay had released a notification on its official website notifying that the UCEED exam starting in 2024 will be conducted following a revised syllabus. As per the revised syllabus, there has also been some changes to the UCEED exam pattern. For instance, the Part B question paper will now include two questions - 1) one question will be on Drawing and 2) the other question will be on Design Aptitude. Note that previously, Part B included a solitary, drawing-based question. Also, the time duration for Part B has been increased to 60 minutes from 30 minutes.
Visual and spatial reasoning section of UCEED will include pictorial and diagrammatic questions that will evaluate candidates' understanding of the transformation and manipulation of 2D shapes and 3D objects and their spatial relationships. The candidate needs to practice the following topics to prepare for the section: Conventional/Unconventional Materials for Construction, Design, and Decoration Texture Making Materials, Production Materials, Decoration Materials - Flooring, Cladding (protective material which covers the surface of something), Wall Protection and Decoration - Paints, Plasters, etc. Pattern and Design of Paper Folding Materials and Type of Texture Optical Illusion (2D/3D objects and understanding).
IIT Bombay released the detailed exam pattern for UCEED 2026 on October 01, 2025. The exam pattern will be outlined in the information brochure for the UCEED 2026 exam. The candidate will be able to download the brochure online at UCEED. Iitb. AC. In. Note that no log-in is required to download the information brochure. To download the brochure, simply go to the portal, and click on the Information Brochure tab. The brochure will open in downloadable pdf format. Download a pdf copy of the brochure.
3. Solve Sample Papers & Mock Tests
For UCEED preparation, candidates are advised to go through as many mock tests and sample papers as they can get their hands on. Solving UCEED sample papers and mock tests is helpful to get an idea of the type of questions that will be asked in the entrance exam, as well as to determine the strategy for completing the UCEED question paper on time on the day of the exam.
4. Practice Past Years’ Papers
UCEED exam is of three hours duration, wherein candidates need to attempt Numerical Answer Type (NAT), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), and a drawing question. Thus, to crack the exam, candidates need to solve past years’ UCEED question papers to find out the complexity of questions asked in the design entrance exam and develop an idea of what to expect in UCEED exam.
5. Pay Extra Attention to Abstract Tests
To evaluate candidates on their pattern-finding and problem-solving skills, UCEED 2026 is expected to have many abstract tests. Thus, candidates need to ensure that they practice as many questions related to mechanical and abstract problems as they can.
6. Practice English Comprehension
UCEED exam does not evaluate candidates on their fluency in the English language. But candidates are advised to read newspapers and magazines on a regular basis so that they become proficient in reading the language, as well as enhance their ability to convey their ideas effectively.
7. Practice Reasoning Questions
Reasoning questions asked in UCEED are quite challenging, and to ace this section of the exam, candidates are advised to solve as many riddles and puzzles as they can get their hands on. As it is often said that practice makes a man perfect, thus, solving maximum Reasoning questions can sharpen candidates’ skills to quickly solve the questions put before them on the day of the exam.
8. Be Acquainted with GK & Environmental Studies
UCEED exam is known to have its own share of general knowledge and current affairs questions, and so candidates should be up-to-date with GK, current affairs and environment-related issues and events.
9. Practice Sketching
For UCEED preparation, candidates should spend as much time as they can on practicing figure sketching and freehand drawing. This will prove helpful on the day of the exam when questions are put forth, allowing the candidates to sketch as well as convey their thought process through the designs made by they.
Along with the sketching, candidates need to ensure that the design made by they make is environmentally friendly. Further, while enhancing their sketching skills, candidates need to ensure that they score the maximum marks from the designs made by them in the exam.
10. Read Newspapers Daily
Candidates should ensure that they read newspapers daily. Not only would this prove helpful in attempting current affairs questions, but also the drawing questions. In UCEED exam, some questions require candidates to provide their solution in a storyline. It has been observed that students who go through creative visualisations and read comic strips in newspapers have a better time building the storyline.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 months ago
No, UCEED 2025 entrance exam has been concluded at this point of time. Saintgits Design School BDes course admissions also accept different entrance exam scores as well including the SDAT entrance exam conducted by Saintgits Design School itself. Candidates can find all the accepted entrance exams f
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
For students belonging to the SC category under the AI quota, the UCEED last round closing rank was 31 for IIT Indore B.Des admission. Please note that the cutoff ranks vary for different rounds. The round-wise UCEED 2025 closing ranks for IIT Indore are tabulated below for the SC category.
| Round | UCEED Cutoff 2025 (Closing Rank) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 24 |
| 2 | 24 |
| 3 | 24 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 31 |
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, the IIT Indore cutoff 2025 varies across different rounds and categories. For the last round, IIT Indore cutoff UCEED 2025 was 119 for BDes admission for the General AI quota. On the other hand, for the OBC category candidates, the cutoff rank was 61 for the last round. Refer to the table belo
R
Contributor-Level 10
UCEED 2026 Application is expected to open by October 01, 2025, on the official website. The last date to apply with regular fees will be in the second week of November 2025. Candidates who met the prescribed eligibility criteria were able to apply for admission.