Exam guide · checked against the official source on 21 October 2026
CEED 2027 exam guide
CEED (Common Entrance Exam for Design) is the entrance exam for M.Des and PhD design programmes at the IITs, IISc and IIITDMs. It is run by IIT Bombay. Here is everything you need, from the official CEED 2027 brochure.
Key facts
- Exam date
- Sunday, 17 January 2027, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
- Registration
- 1 to 31 October 2026 (with late fee until 6 November 2026, 5:00 pm)
- Results
- 3 March 2027
- Duration
- 3 hours: Part A 9 to 10 am, then Part B
- Score valid for
- One year from the result
Who can apply
- A degree, diploma or postgraduate degree of at least 3 years after Class 12, or in the final year of one (finishing by July 2027).
- Or the 5-year Government Diploma in Art (G.D. Art) after Class 10, completed by July 2027.
- Check the official brochure for category and document rules.
Institutes
- IIT Bombay (IDC School of Design)
- IIT Delhi
- IIT Gandhinagar
- IIT Guwahati
- IIT Hyderabad
- IIT Jodhpur
- IIT Kanpur
- IIT Roorkee
- IISc Bangalore (CPDM)
- IIITDM Jabalpur
- IIITDM Kancheepuram
Exam pattern
Part A · 150 marks · 1 hour
44 questions answered on the computer.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAT (type in a number) | 8 | 4 each = 32 | No negative marks |
| MSQ (one or more correct) | 10 | 4 each = 40 | Partial marks; −1 for a wrong choice |
| MCQ (one correct) | 26 | 3 each = 78 | −0.5 for a wrong answer |
Part B · 100 marks · 2 hours
Five questions on screen, answered in an answer booklet. All are compulsory.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sketching | 1 | 20 | Partial marks |
| Creativity | 1 | 20 | Partial marks |
| Form sensitivity | 1 | 20 | Partial marks |
| Visual sensitivity | 1 | 20 | Partial marks |
| Problem identification | 1 | 20 | Partial marks |
How marks become a rank
- Part A is used to shortlist. The cut-off is the average Part A mark plus half the standard deviation (90% of that for OBC-NCL/EWS, 50% for SC/ST/PwD).
- Part B is marked only for shortlisted candidates, double-blind, with no re-evaluation.
- Final score = 0.25 × Part A marks + 0.75 × Part B marks. Part B matters three times as much.
- A CEED score does not guarantee admission: you apply to each institute separately.
Syllabus
Part A
- Visualisation and spatial reasoning: Picturing and transforming 2D shapes and 3D objects.
- Practical and scientific knowledge: Science principles and everyday objects.
- Observation and design sensitivity: Attention to detail, classification, analysis, inference and prediction.
- Environment and society: Environmental, social and cultural connections with design.
- Analytical and logical reasoning: Working with qualitative and quantitative information.
- Language: Reading and understanding standard English.
- Creativity: Verbal and non-verbal analogies, metaphors, signs and symbols.
- Art and design knowledge: Art, artefacts, products, artists, designers, design history and trends.
- Design methods and practices: Media, materials, production processes and ergonomics.
Part B
- Drawing: Products, people or scenes in proportion, with good line quality, composition, perspective and shading.
- Creativity: Unique and diverse solutions.
- Communication: Explaining ideas clearly with text and visuals.
- Problem identification: Understanding the user and context, and choosing the right materials.
How to prepare for CEED
- Step 1Solve every past paperCEED repeats its question styles every year. Work through the official papers year by year, then by topic to fix your weak areas.CEED past papers
- Step 2Draw against the clockPart B rewards clear, confident drawing under time pressure. Practise real past-paper prompts with the exam timer on.Drawing practice
- Step 3Get feedback on your drawingsUpload a photo of your drawing and a mentor marks it up with rubric scores and comments within 72 hours.Get mentor feedback
- Step 4Take a full mockSit a full-length mock in the real exam interface to practise your timing and see where you stand across India.Free All India Mock