CEED Exam Pattern 2026: Part A & B Paper Structure, Marking Scheme, Weightage, Impt Topics, Total Questions

The CEED question paper has two sections - Part A and Part B. Part A will include NAT, MSQ, and MCQ questions, and there is negative marking for MSQ and MCQ-type questions. However, there is no negative marking for NAT-type questions.

 Meanwhile, Part B will be a subjective paper and will have no negative marking. 

As per official exam pattern for CEED, the question paper will have two sections - Part A and Part B. Both the sections are mandatory. 

Part A will be conducted online, whereas Part B will be administered offline. Also, Part A will have three types of questions - MCQ, MSQ, and NAT. Howerver, Part B will include only subjective-types questions.

The candidate may note that the Part B answer booklet will be evaluated only if the candidate qualifies Part A.

Part A of the CEED 2025 question paper will include three types of questions - NAT, MCQ, and MSQ. The number of questions per question type and marking scheme is given in the table below.

Note that Part B answer booklet will only be evaluated if the candidate qualifies Part A.

The CEED 2026 exam has two sections - Part A & Part B. Part A will be administered in an online mode and will be 1 hour long. Meanwhile, Part B will be conducted offline and will be 2 hours long. 

Also, while Part A will carry NAT, MCQ, MSQ-type questions, Part B will include drawing-based questions only.

Part A is of 150 marks and Part B is of 100 marks.

It is very crucial that the candidate closely follows the official exam pattern for CEED 2026 exam preparation. It is because the exam pattern will guide the candidate as to how to prepare for the exam. Here are a few instances how:

• As per the CEED 2026 exam pattern, Part A will include NAT, MCQ, MSQ-type questions. These questions will require the candidate to select a correct answer option. So, instead of practicising how to write, long, elaborative answers, the candidate must build the skill to quickly solve the problem and find the solution.

• On the other hand, Part B will include subjective-type questions. In these types of questions, the examiner doesn’t simply want an answer, but also want to see how you arrived at the answer!

The syllabus for CEED 2026 is such that candidates are evaluated on the basis of their aptitude in the field of design. Important topics that candidates should study while preparing for Part A and Part B of the exam are as follows:

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, whereas Part B will be conducted offline. The candidate will be provided answer booklets by the invigilator, where they have enter their answers. 

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

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

In Part A of the CEED exam, candidates have to attempt 44 questions. Part A of the CEED exam includes MSQs, MCQs, and NAT questions. Maximum marks that aspirants can secure in the CEED Part A exam are 150. Its weightage is 25%.

Part A will be a computer-based exam of 1 hour duration. Note that the CEED exam has two parts - Part A and Part B. Both parts are mandatory.

If a candidate attempts Part A, but doesn’t attempt Part B, he or she will not be considered for admission.

In Part B of the CEED exam, aspirants will be evaluated out of 100 marks. In this paper, the candidate will have to attempt questions related to Drawing, Creativity, Communication, and Problem Solving. Part B carries 75% weightage.

The exam will evaluate the ability of the candidate to draw products, people, scenes, etc., and also their capability to understand the user and the context. Additionally, the candidate must also have the skills to communicate concepts and ideas clearly using texts and visuals. 

It is very much possible to prepare for CEED without coaching. But before you embark 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. For instance, after going through the syllabus, you must be able to decide the difficulty level, time it will take to cover the syllabus, and do revision. 

Remember, there are many instances of toppers who managed to ace the CEED exam without the aid of any coaching. Further, the final outcome may not depend on whether you do coaching or not, but the quality of your preparation.

You can start preparing for CEED exam by following the below steps:

• Understand CEED exam pattern and syllabus well.
• Make a well thought-out timetable for CEED preparation
• Practice as many CEED previous year question papers and sample papers as possible
• Take notes when you are studying.
• Analyse your weak areas for the exam and work to improve those areas/subjects
• Take mock tests.

The CEED 2026 exam will be 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. 

The candidate must note that the CEED 2026 syllabus is quite comprehensive. Also, this year the syllabus has been revised. So, it is expected that some candidates may find the new syllabus difficult. The reverse is also true - some candidates may find the new syllabus easier!

If you are not able to complete a particular chapter or topic even after a few attempts, it is better to let it go for the time being. Move on to the next topic and complete that. Once you are done with the easier topics, you can come back and tackle the difficult ones. The point here is the judicious use of time.

The sketching part of CEED will include stages like - representation, in the form of geometric figures like lines, squares, and triangles, outline drawing, detailing, and shading. If you are a beginner, focus more on outline drawing, representation, and the easier aspects, rather than focusing on detailing and shading. As you become more adept, you can start adding nuances to your drawing. When making a sketch, focus on the following points:

• Shape of the figure

• Proportion

• Line quality

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.

To improve your English language skills, you should develop a habit of reading English newspapers daily.

Apart from this, you can also practice grammar by attempting past year question papers and mock tests. There are many good books in the market to polish your English comprehension skills. Word Power Made Easy is one example.

Check out the list of recommended books for the English language and start working. Note that it is not enough to just read the book with your eyes, you need to bring out your pen and paper and do sufficient practice. Also, when reading, make it a habit to read out loud. It will improve your pronunciation and give you a better grip on vocabulary.

You can start solving sample papers for CEED very early on in your exam preparation. For instance, you can do the exercise after completing a chapter. All you have to do is find the relevant questions in the sample papers and start solving. As you move on in your CEED 2026 exam preparation, you the sample papers will be more useful. In fact, as you complete the syllabus, you can attempt the complete sample paper.

By solving the sample papers you can improve your problem-solving and time-management skills. Also, you can solve sample papers right up to the exam-day. 

The topics listed in the CEED syllabus is indicative in nature. Also, the syllabus is exhaustive in the sense that questions may be asked from all or some of the topics. So, the candidate can’t skip any topics when preparing for CEED. 

The candidate is urged to go through the previous years' question papers to get an idea about the paper structure and types of questions asked. That being said, keep in mind that the syllabus has been revised for CEED.

If you start solving sample papers late in your exam preparation, you must be able to solve around 10-12 sample papers. However, if you start solving sample papers early on, it is not exactly the quantity that you are focusing on.

For instance, if you complete a chapter and solve all the relevant problems givn in the sample paper, it will also be very effective. And you can repeat this model for other topics as well. The only difference here is you are not solving the entire sample paper in one go in this case. Rather attacking it one chapter or topic at a time.

And once you complete the entire syllabus, you can then attempt the complete sample paper.