UCEED vs NID DAT 2026: Which Design Entrance Exam Should You Choose?

If you are seeking admission to a B.Des course, you may probably have this question in mind: Which is better between UCEED and NID? In this article, we try to explain the differences and tell you which exam could fit your profile.

UCEED and NID DAT are considered the top design entrance exams in the country. But if you are allowed to choose only one, which would you pick and why? In the UCEED vs NID battle, which is better? It is a valid question, as every candidate wants to get into the best design institute with good placement records. Also, the academic curriculum of the institute is another important criterion when deciding to appear in an entrance exam.

So, in this article, we try to decipher between UCEED and NID, which is better. Or in simple terms, which entrance exam do you need to appear in? IIT Bombay will conduct the UCEED 2026 exam on January 18, 2026. The NID DAT 2026 (Prelims) exam will be held on December 21, 2025. UCEED 2026 scores will be considered for admission to B.Des seats offered by UCEED 2026 participating colleges. Meanwhile, the NID DAT 2026 merit rank will be considered for admission to B.Des and M.Des courses offered by NID DAT participating colleges.

Also read:

• Sketching and Coloring Questions for Design Entrance Exams
• How to make a Design Portfolio: Structure, Layout, Sample and Steps

UCEED vs NID - Highlights

The important distinctions, as well as similarities, between NID DAT and UCEED are given below.

UCEED vs NID - Exam Pattern

The UCEED 2026 exam question paper has two parts - Part A and Part B. Part A will be conducted in a computer-based mode, whereas Part B will be administered offline. Also, Part B will be evaluated only if the candidate meets the UCEED 2025 cut-off marks for Part A. IIT Bombay will release the cut-off marks for Part A in the first week of February 2026.

The Part A question paper will include three types of questions -  Numerical Answer Type (NAT), Multiple Select Question (MSQ), and Multiple Choice Question (MCQ). Part A will include around 57 questions carrying 200 marks. Meanwhile, Part B will include two questions worth 100 marks - one question will be design aptitude-based and the other a sketching-based question.

Meanwhile, NID DAT entrance exam 2026 will have two sub-exams - DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The DAT Prelims will be conducted as a paper-and-pencil test. The exam will test the candidate's design aptitude, logical reasoning, and observation skills.

Candidates who get shortlisted will have to appear in DAT Mains, which includes a Studio Test (+ interview for PG candidates). During the studio test, the candidate must make a model with the material given inside the exam hall. The final result of NID DAT 2026 will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

Exam pattern of UCEED 2026

The exam pattern of UCEED 2026 are:

NID DAT 2026 (Prelims) Exam pattern - B.Des 

The candidate may go through the exam pattern for the NID DAT 2026 exam below.

• Duration - The duration of the DAT Prelims paper for the B.Des program isn’t fixed. The structure and pattern of the question paper will be outlined in the NID DAT 2026 admit card.
• Mode of the exam - Paper-and-pencil/pen test
• Type of questions - The question paper may include textual and visual questions
• Language of the question paper - English

NID vs UCEED Eligibility Criteria

Candidates applying to NID or UCEED must meet the eligibility criteria for the specific exam. The eligibility criteria prescribe the minimum requirements that candidates must meet for admission to a design course, including academic qualifications, minimum aggregate marks, age limit, etc.

NID Eligibility Criteria 

The NID DAT eligibility criteria 2026 for the B.Des program is given below. 

• The Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 2004. Age relaxation of 3 years applies for candidates belonging to OBC-NCL, Sc, and ST categories, while PwD candidates are eligible for 5-year age relaxation.
• The candidate must have passed class 12th or equivalent examination from any stream, science, arts, or commerce from a recognized board. Those appearing in the 12th exam in the admission year can also apply.

UCEED Eligibility Criteria 

IIT Bombay has outlined the following eligibility criteria for the UCEED 2026 exam.

• The candidate must be born on or after October 1, 2000. Relaxation in the upper age limit of 5 years applies to candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PwD categories.
• A candidate is allowed to take the UCEED exam a maximum of two times and that too in consecutive years.
• The candidate must have passed all the subjects in the qualifying exam (10+2 or equivalent) in 2025 or should be appearing in the qualifying exam for the first time in 2026. Candidates who have appeared in the qualifying for the first time in 2024 or earlier are not eligible.

NID vs UCEED Exam Syllabus

The candidate can download the exam syllabus for the exams from the respective admission portals. The syllabus will include the topics from which questions will be asked in the exams. So, make sure that you follow the official syllabus diligently for exam preparation.

The following outlines the syllabus for the UCEED and NID exams. 

Also Read:

• NID Studio Test
• NID Interview Questions & Answers 2025: Check How to Prepare for NID Interview
• What is NID Studio Test: Format, Marking, Components and Previous Year Questions
• UCEED 2026 Sketching Sample Questions & Preparation Tips

NID vs UCEED Seat Intake

The scores of UCEED 2026 will be considered for admission to the B.Des courses offered by participating and result-sharing institutes. On the other hand, the scores of NID DAT 2026 will be considered for admission to the B.Des, M.Des, and Ph.D. courses offered by participating colleges of NID DAT 2026.

UCEED Seat Intake

There are five participating institutes of UCEED 2026 with a combined intake of 225 seats (expected).

NID Seat Intake

The NID institutes have a combined intake of 425 seats for the B.Des program.  

NID DAT 2026 Seat Intake for B.Des

Also Read:

• NID DAT 2024 Toppers - All India Rank, Scores, Interviews
• What is a Good Score in NID DAT 2025

NID Seat Intake - M.Des

The intake capacity for the M.Des program is 347 seats.

UCEED vs NID - Placement Record

The placement report is one way to decide UCEED vs NID - which is better. So, check out the placement reports for the UCEED and NID participating colleges below.

NID placement report

B.Des placement for UCEED graduates