UCEED 2026 Drawing Section: Pattern, Types of Questions, Marks & Tips

By Shaun D'Sa

IIT Bombay will conduct the UCEED 2026 exam on January 18, 2026. Part B of the exam will have two questions: 1) an aptitude-based question, and 2) a sketching-based question. Here we bring you the expected questions as well as tips to ace the drawing section of the UCEED exam.

The UCEED exam is conducted by IIT Bombay to shortlist candidates for admission to the B.Des program. The B.Des program currently has an intake of 245 seats. The UCEED 2026 exam will be held on January 18, 2026 (9 am - 12 noon). Part B of the UCEED exam will include two questions: a drawing-based and a design aptitude-based question. As per the UCEED 2026 exam pattern, Part A carries 200 Marks and is 2 hours long. Part B will be of 1 hour and carry 100 marks. The questions for Part B will be displayed on the computer screen, which students will have to answer on an answer booklet that will be provided inside the exam hall. Also, Part B answer booklets will be evaluated only if the candidate qualifies Part A of UCEED 2026.

UCEED 2026 Exam Pattern

The exam pattern of UCEED for Part A and Part B of the UCEED 2026 exam is given below.

What kind of questions can you expect in the UCEED 2026 drawing section?

All regular questions for the UCEED Part B test could fall under the following categories

• Fine art question- This is a test for pure fine art skills, for example: Draw your hand holding a pencil, draw a person sitting on a chair, still life drawings of bottles, etc. This mainly tests your basic fine art skills for perspective, human, animal, textures, shade, shadow, etc.
• Creative thinking question- This is more like an applied art question that tests your creative thinking ability along with your sketching skills for example - You have magic beans in your hand and you through them out of your bedroom window and you get up in the morning and see something mesmerizing. These questions can be open-ended and real fun to answering, you could showcase your full creative potential in these types of questions. Also, some random lines or shapes can be given and you should generate some doodles or sketches completing those lines.
• Graphic question- These can be like 2D graphic questions asking you to draw posters, book covers, murals, etc, For example, Design a poster to promote awareness to reduce the carbon footprint
• Creative writing- Writing can also be a part of questions, where a student could be asked to write a caption, complete a story, write their opinion for example - write a short story based on some objects/ characters given and sketch a scene of that story or an image could be shown and you could be asked to write the mood the image creates for you.
• Observation type- Here you could be asked many used for a pencil other than writing or given half an image or an object you would have to identify or complete the rest of the part of that object.
• Aptitude type sketch questions- This is where aptitude can be combined with sketching, For example, a surface development of a cube can be shown with certain shapes on each face, you have to imagine when the cube is put together or joined to form a 3D form, you have to draw that cube with the correct orientation of all the shapes on the correct surfaces.
• Design problem type- This could be a popular type of question in which a design problem is given and a solution has to suggested for example - Design a two-wheeler ambulance for rural areas, or develop a phone-based app for farmers so that their products can be directly sold to the market cutting out the middle agents.

UCEED 2026: Tips for Drawing

• Read the questions carefully and understand the type of question asked
• Understand the intent of the question asked to make sure your solution answers the main purpose of the question asked
• Time is critical - you sketch fast and finish your answer in the given time - this comes with extensive practice
• Do not colour unless asked or only if you have time at the end
• Take all your drawing materials with you / materials you are comfortable with
• Make sure you are well practiced with all your basic fine art
• Don’t hesitate to give bold, very out of the box solutions especially for the creative thinking 2D graphic/ design problem-type questions
• Be yourself with your answers
• Enjoy the drawing section- it is fun!

Apart from this, candidates should also pay attention to the following UCEED exam tips:

• Read the Important instructions on your UCEED admit card
• Go early to your exam center
• Don’t forget to take your Admit card, especially a colour print - keep this ready a day in advance
• Take your ID proof as mentioned in the admit card
• Pencils, sketch pens, poster colours, and other drawing material are permitted

As I mentioned, the sketching part of the exam is actually very interesting and can be good fun. All the very best!

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About the Author:

Shaun D’Sa has a Master’s degree in Industrial Design from IIT Delhi. He is Director at Design Quotient Labs (DQ Labs), a coaching platform for Architecture and Design entrance exams. He began his career with General Motors Advanced Design Center at Bangalore, where he had the opportunity to work with design teams for car brands like Hummer, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Holden, Buick to name a few. Shaun has also been a part of many teams of International and Indian designers for design-centric ethnographic studies across India and abroad. Due to his passion for Design and Architecture, he has travelled extensively abroad and has been a part of many design workshops in many countries across Europe.