How to prepare for CEED 2026 in 4 months - Tips and Tricks

Candidates seeking admission to the M.Des program at CEED 2026 participating institutes need to get their preparation strategy right. IIT Bombay will conduct the CEED 2026 exam on January 18, 2026. Read here about the tips and tools to prepare for CEED 2026 in four months.

IIT Bombay will conduct the CEED 2026 exam on January 18, 2026. Given that CEED is among the most competitive and difficult M.Des entrance exams in the country, you need to start your exam preparation without any delay. Also, if you want to get some tips to prepare for the exam within four months, we have the tips and tools ready. Remember, four months isn’t a lot of time, so you will have to put in a very good effort to get the desired results. The UCEED exam preparation will involve careful inspection of the syllabus and pattern. And once you are done with that, the actual preparation will take effect - working on the concepts, taking notes, solving sample papers, taking mock tests, and working on drawing assignments.

Latest Updates:

• CEED 2026 syllabus released; With no change IIT Bombay emphasises analytical, creative skills
• IIT Bombay Announces CEED 2026 Reservation Policy

The good thing is we have a step-wise process for you to complete the CEED 2026 syllabus in four months (considering you put your heart and mind into it). 

So, let’s jump in without any delay.

Tips to prepare for CEED in four months

Follow the sequence to prepare for the CEED exam (four-month preparation plan).

How to start?

The first thing you need to do is take a close look at the CEED 2026 syllabus. 

IIT Bombay has released the Information Brochure for CEED 2026; the brochure was released alongside the CEED 2026 application form. The application form is now closed.

The brochure contains the official CEED 2026 syllabus. 

Allocate time for each topic; if you have a hunch that some topics may be more difficult than others, you can allocate more time for such topics.

Next, align preparation with exam requirements

The syllabus will simply tell you what is important and what is not, but it won’t tell you much as to how you need to prepare for the exam.

This bit of information can be gathered from the CEED 2026 exam pattern.

Take, for instance, the CEED 2026 question paper will have two sections - Part A and Part B. Both mandatory.

Part A will include 41 objective-type questions that have to be attempted in 60 minutes (1 hour and 30 minutes). The paper will be held online. 

So, speed and accuracy will be a big part of the section. 

Meanwhile, Part A will include five sketching-based questions that have to be attempted in 2 hours. While the candidate definitely must be quick enough to complete the assignment, speed isn’t the big factor here, like in Part A.

Instead, Part B will be used to evaluate the drawing, conceptual, analytical, communication, and observation skills of the candidate. It will also test the candidate’s understanding of proportion, perspective, and creativity. 

Ensure that the study material is top-notch

The quality of books you choose for your CEED 2026 exam preparation will have a direct correlation to how you fare in the exam.

For instance, if the study material is below standard, even with the best of efforts, you may struggle to qualify for CEED 2026 or may get a good rank.

On the other hand, good study material will complement your hard work, thereby increasing your chances of getting a better rank.

Check out this list of CEED 2026 books recommended by toppers. It may contain that special one that may just turn out to be the game changer!

Take notes during study

When you are preparing for the exam, make it a habit of taking notes of important and difficult points, or something you would like to take a second look at. 

This notebook, if well compiled, could be a quick reference point, especially when you want to do a quick revision.

In fact, closer to the exam, it will be of immense help when you don’t want to go through large blocks of text or tedious pages before you can find what you are looking for.

Solve sample and previous years’ papers.

You can start solving sample papers from the very beginning of your exam preparation.

For example, once you complete a topic, you can solve all the problems related to that topic given in the sample papers.

Note that IIT Bombay officially released the previous year’s questions papers of CEED; make sure that you also solve these papers.

While the exact same question may not be asked in the CEED exam, the concepts or sometimes the wording may be repeated.

By solving sample papers, you can improve your problem-solving and time management skills.

Take mock tests 

The official mock test for CEED is released by IIT Bombay a few days before the exam.

Mock tests can help you fine-tune your preparation and give the finishing touches.

Additionally, these tests will help you get acquainted with the question paper structure, navigation, and question paper layout.

Additional Tips for CEED 2026 preparation (Four months)

• Don’t think too far ahead; instead, stay in the moment and focus on your studies
• Do some light exercise daily
• Stay hydrated.
• Stay positive; in the same breath, stay away from negative people.
• Be consistent in your studies; for instance, don’t go missing for 2-3 days at a go, because it can really tank your preparation.