Best books for UCEED 2026 - Subject-wise study material for UCEED preparation

Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design 2026 ( UCEED )

DeskCalelnderRegistration - 1 Oct '25 - 31 Oct '25

Sayeba
Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager
Updated on Oct 6, 2025 15:52 IST

Go to any e-retail website or a good bookstore, and you will be inundated with books for UCEED 2026 preparation. But how to pick one from the pile? If you are confused, we tell you how!

Best Books for UCEED 2026 - If you intend to take the UCEED 2026 exam, make sure you choose the best study materialIf the study material is good, you can start your preparation with an edge. Here is why. Good study material or books will be written as per the UCEED 2026 syllabus, explain the concepts in layman's terms, contain few to no errors, include examples and problem sets for the practice sessions, etc. What is more, good books will get you hooked. Consequently, if you use good books for your UCEED 2026 preparation, your chances of success will increase manifold.

However, if in contrast, you use sub-standard books to prepare for UCEED 2026, the results may be polar opposite! Here is how. Poor-quality books will be error-ridden, use bombastic words to explain concepts when a simple word will suffice, won’t follow the official syllabus, and will not include examples or illustrations to explain concepts. This means that if you rely on poor study material, even with the best of your efforts, there won’t be any guarantee of success. Now that you know why is a good idea to stick to the best books, check out the list of best books for UCEED recommended by experts and toppers below.

Table of content
  • Subject-wise best books for UCEED 2026
  • Why refer to best books for UCEED 2026 exam preparation?
  • How to prepare for UCEED 2026 using the best study material:
  • UCEED 2026 Exam Pattern and Syllabus
  • Best Books for UCEED 2026 - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Subject-wise best books for UCEED 2026

The subject wise books for UCEED 2026 are:

Name of the book

Author/Publisher 

UCEED (BDes) Entrance Books and Test Series

AFA India

NIFT Entrance Exam Mock Papers

D Mittal

Analytical Reasoning, Mental Aptitude, Verbal Aptitude (UCEED Guide)

Institute Of Creative Sciences

Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning

RS Aggarwal

Quantitative Aptitude

RS Aggarwal

UCEED (B.Des) Entrance Books and Test Series

AFA India

UCEED Design Environment & Social Awareness In Design Perspective Combined With Mental & Verbal Aptitude

Sreejanshilpa

Cracking CEED & UCEED (with Previous Years' Papers and Mock Tests)

Ashok Goel and Arjun Kamal

NIFT Entrance Examination Preparation 

Arihant

Cracking CEED & UCEED (with Previous Years' Papers and Mock Tests)

Ashok Goel and Arjun Kamal

Note: When buying a book for UCEED 2026, make sure that you on;y buy the latest and current edition. Old editions may not be as effective.

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Why refer to best books for UCEED 2026 exam preparation?

There are multiple benefits of consulting the best books to study for the UCEED 2026 exam.

  1. Good books will be well-written and easy to follow. These books will use simple English to explain the concepts. So, you will have little difficulty following the explanations. 
  2. If on the other hand, complicated and difficult language is used to explain a concept, it will be a very unpleasant experience. You will be wasting a lot of energy to understand what the phrase actually says, before you begin to understand what the concept is about.
  3. Good books will be clean in the sense that they will have the explanations explained in a very lucid and simple manner without the versbosity. There are few errors.
  4. It is a safe option to go for well-known authors and publishers, rather than an unknown entity. If the publisher is a new one, you need to do the necessary due diligence to ensure they meet the minimum academic standards.

How to prepare for UCEED 2026 using the best study material:

To make the best use of the UCEED 2026 best books, follow these tips:

  • Make a study plan after consulting the UCEED 2026 syllabus.
  • Allocate more time to topics that you deem to be difficult; you can always make changes if need be. For instance, if a topic turns out to be easier than you first comprehended, you can allocate the time saved to some other topic.
  • When reading the books, note down all the important and difficult points.
  • Set deadlines for topics to be completed and adhere to those timelines. 
  • Also, note that it is better to read 8 hours every day, rather than study for 12 hours one day and then take a break of 2-3 days. Remember, consistency is the key.
  • Be careful: reading for prolonged periods without break may simply degrade your receptive cells and your brain won’t function at full potential. So, it is better to study for 2-3 hours at full thrust, and then a short break of say 30 minutes. 
  • Once you complete a topic, solve all questions related to the topic given in the question banks. Also, solve previous years' question papers. 
  • Once you complete a significant portion of the syllabus, you can start taking mock tests. These tests will be an indicator of your progress and where you lack. 
  • Do SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis after taking the mock tests (or solving a sample paper). This exercise will help you fortify your learning and improve your problem-solving skills. 

UCEED 2026 Exam Pattern and Syllabus

IIT Bombay will release the official syllabus for UCEED 2026 that candidates need to follow for the exam. The UCEED 2026 question paper will have two mandatory parts - Part A and Part B.

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According to UCEED 2026 exam pattern, Part A will be conducted in computer-based mode, while Part B will be held offline (pen-and-paper mode). The syllabus will be released for each part.

Particular

Part A

Part B

Mode of the Exam

Computer-based

Pen-and-paper based

Type of questions

Three types of questions will be asked:

  1. Numerical Answer Type (NAT) - 14 questions
  2. Multiple Select Question (MSQ) - 15 questions
  3. Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) - 28 questions

Sketching-based - 1

Design Aptitude-based - 1

Number of questions

57

2

Marks (Total Marks = Part A + Part B)

200

100

Marking Scheme

Each NAT question carries 4 marks; no negative marking

Partial marking for MSQ section

Each MCQ carries 3 marks; -0.71 marks for a wrong answer

The drawing question carries 60 marks. 

Best Books for UCEED 2026 - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. When will the UCEED 2026 application form open?

A.The application form for UCEED 2026 is open now, from October 01, 2025 to October 31, 2025. The application form is open in online mode.

Q. Why should I follow good books for UCEED 2026 exam preparation?

A..There are many benefits of following best books of UCEED 2026 for exam preparation:

  • These books are written as per UCEED 2026 syllabus
  • Are well written, easy to follow, and contain few to no errors
  • Will contain examples explaining a concept.
  • Will include practice exercises at the end of each chapter or at the end of the book.
  • Are typically from a well-known brand, so you can expect a minimum standard.

Q. What are some good books to prepare for UCEED 2026?

A.Here are some good books that the candidate can use to prepare for UCEED 2026:

  1. Quantitative Aptitude by RS Aggarwal
  2. Analytical Reasoning, Mental Aptitude, Verbal Aptitude (UCEED Guide) of Institute Of Creative Sciences
  3. NIFT NID/IIFT Admission Test by Surendra Kavimandan
  4. UCEED (BDes) Entrance Books and Test Series  of AFA India
  5. NIFT Entrance Exam Preparation by Verma
  6. Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning  RS Aggarwal

Q. What are the key tips I need to remember when preparing for UCEED 2026?

A. When preparing for UCEED 2026, remember these points:

  • Make a study time table and stick to it.
  • Takes notes during study
  • Be consistent in your study; like don’t miss study, especially missing study for 2-3 days at a stretch is simply not advised.
  • Work on your observation skills and creativity.
  • Solve sample papers and previous years’ question papers.

Q. What will be the exam pattern for UCEED 2026?

A. The UCEED 2026 question paper will have two parts. Part A will be conducted in computer-based mode. The sketching-based Part B will be conducted in offline mode.  

About the Author
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Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager
Sayeba is an editorial professional with over 5 years of experience in content creation, editing and proofreading. She holds a master's degree in commerce, which has helped her develop a strong attention to detail a Read Full Bio
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Answered a month 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

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S

Saurabh Khanduri

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month 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)
124
224
324
424
531

R

Rashmi Sinha

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month 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

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R

Rashmi Sinha

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The official notification of UCEED 2026 will be released by October 01, 2025, by IIT Bombay on the official website. The exam dates are out and will be conducted on January 18, 2026.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

UCEED Exam 2026 will be conducted on January 18, 2026 (Sunday), from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The details will be released by October 01, 2025, on the official website.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

UCEED consists of two parts:

  • Part A (Computer-based): Objective questions (NAT, MSQ, MCQ)

  • Part B (Pen-and-paper): Drawing and design aptitude questions

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

UCEED 2026 Applications for the B.Des programme will be released by IIT Bombay in the last week of September 2025 or in the first week of October 2025. The application form will be available on the official website of UCEEED. The UCEED Entrance Exam 2026 will be conducted on January 18, 2026 (Sunda

...Read more

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

IIT Bombay will conduct the UCEED 2026 Entrance Exam for B.Des programmes on January 18, 2026. The notification will be out in the first week of October 2025.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

Yes, candidates who have passed their H.S.C. vocational examination may apply for admission to the B.Des program.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 months ago

The IIT Roorkee UCEED cutoff 2025 was released for different categories of students belonging to the All India quota. The institute accepts the UCEED entrance exam, followed by counselling rounds for B.Des admission. For the General category students belonging to the AI quota, the UCEED last round c

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Rashmi Sinha

Contributor-Level 10