CEED 2026 Exam Analysis (OUT): Section-Wise Difficulty Level, Previous Years' Analysis and Student Reactions

Since CEED is a general aptitude test, you can benefit greatly by practicing previous year question papers. Also, after practicing the papers, it is highly important to analyse your strong and weak areas for the exam and then work on them accordingly. 

But that being said, you can’t prepare for the CEED only on the strength of solving the sample papers. You need to read the text books to learn the concepts, understand the various dynamic. Note that unless your theoretical knowledge is sound, you won’t be able to feel truly confident. 

The difficulty level of CEED exam is maintained by authorities over the years. However, most design aspirants share that if the difficulty level of all design entrance exams conducted for PG level courses is compared then CEED is slightly easier than the NID Entrance Exam. This is primarily because the drawing questions asked in NID DAT are considered to be tougher than those put forth in the CEED exam.

CEED 2026 will have two parts - Part A and Part B. Part A will be conducted as a computer-based test. Part B will be conducted offline. Candidate will be provided answer booklets by the invigilator, where they have enter their answers. 

After the exam, candidate has to return the answer booklets of Part B to the invigilator. Part B answer booklets will only be checked if the candidate qualfiies Part A.

Final score of CEED 2026 will be calculated by giving weightage to Part A and Part B.

The weightage of CEED Part A is 25%. Candidates have to attempt 44 questions in CEED Part A. It includes MSQs, MCQs, and NAT questions. Total marks for CEED Part A is 150.

The difficulty level of CEED exam has been maintained by authorities over the years. However, most design aspirants share that if difficulty level of all design entrance exams conducted for PG level courses is compared then CEED is slightly easier than NID Entrance Exam. This is primarily because the drawing questions asked in NID that are considered to be tougher than those put forth in CEED exam. Note that CEED exam is for admission to the M.Des courses offered by the eight participating colleges. Meanwhile, the NID that for the M.Des programme has three participating colleges.

Rohit Ravindra Waghmare topped the CEED topper list 2025 with 82.38 marks out of 100.

CEED 2023 exam was topped by Khyati Rathor, who secured the AIR 1. She secured 68.85 marks in the exam, out of 100 marks. Simon George Cherian got the second position and scored 66.63 marks.

Sketching part of CEED will include representation, in the form of geometric figures like lines, squares, and triangles, outline drawing, detailing, and shading. Try outline drawing, representation, focus on detailing and shading. Also try shape of the figure, proportion and line quality.

You can give a few attempts. But after that, move on to the next topic. Don’t spend too much time on one simple topic because you will run out of time and will not be able to complete the syllabus. Leave that topic and try to study at the end if you have ample time left.

The overall difficulty level for CEED 2023 was from moderate to difficult. There were questions from area, volume and clock. CEED exam has two parts - Part A and Part B. Part A of the exam was rated moderately difficult and Part B was rated easy to moderate. 

CEED 2026 was on January 18, 2026.

In an ideal situation, a candidate will need around 6 months to prepare CEED exam. It is because with enough time in hand, he will be able to go through each topic and also take time to understand the concepts.

But if there is less time, then one need to solve previous year questions paper, take mock test and study topics which are not very difficult. Candidates must go through the syllabus and pattern.

To start with, be judicious with your time and prepare meticulously.

It is possible to prepare for CEED without coaching. But before you start on exam preparation on your own, you need the conviction that you can do it. If you are not convinced yourself and only decide to forgo coaching on the advice of others, the journey may be difficult.

If you prepare for the exam on your own, you need to be serious and plan the preparation smartly. Go through the syllabus. You must be able to decide the difficulty level, the time it will take to cover the syllabus, and revise. 

The CEED 2026 exam was held on Jan 18, 2026. So, aspiring candidates can start preparing for the exam.

1. Focus on the following resources to prepare for CEED:
2. Make sure that you get the best books to prepare the CEED.
3. If the study material is good, they will contain few to no errors, will cover the entire syllabus, contain practice problems, etc.
4. Solve sample and previous year’s question and sample papers
5. Take mock tests.
6. When studying make it a point to take notes. These notes will help you jot down all the important points.
7. Do timely revision. 

English can be improved for CEED Entrance Exam in the following ways.

• Reading English newspapers daily
• Learning 20 new words daily
• Solving comprehension passage
• Reading synonyms, antonyms, idioms, etc.
• Watching animated movies or English movies with subtitles.

Some of the important topics to prepare for CEED 2026 include

• Design Concepts
• Product Designing
• Logical Reasoning
• Colour Theory, Color Schemes and color Compositions
• Scale and Proportion
• Poster, Logo, Character designing
• Basics of Drawing - Lines and Shapes
• Anatomy, Proportions and Divisions
• Sketching
• How to Develop Characters
• Basic and advanced Human Drawings
• Story Illustrations

These topics are important because they either carry more weighatge or have a greeter chance of being asked in the entrance exam.

Sketching part of CEED will include representation in the form of geometric figures like lines, squares, and triangles, outline drawing, detailing, and shading. Practice outline drawing, representation, detailing and shading. Also work on shapes, proportion, line quality.

Candidates should solve around 30-40 sample papers and question papers before the CEED Exam. Try to solve one sample paper or question paper daily in the last month of preparation.