CEED 2026: Registration (Soon), Exam Date (Jan 18), Steps to Apply, Admit Card, Pattern, Result

CEED 2026 is scheduled to be held on January 18, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, for admission to the M.Des (Master of Design) programme offered by IITs and other top design institutes in India. Conducted by IIT Bombay, the Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED) is a national-level exam for students seeking admission to postgraduate design courses. The official notification for CEED 2026 will be released on October 1, 2025, and registrations are expected to begin in the first week of October on the official website, www.ceed.iitb.ac.in. Candidates interested in pursuing M.Des should regularly check the website for updates and deadlines. The application fee for CEED 2026 is expected to be INR 3,800 for General category candidates and INR 1,900 for candidates from reserved categories and all female applicants.

Check CEED 2026 Application Process Here

What is CEED Exam?

The Common Entrance Exam for Design, or CEED, is a national-level exam administered by IIT Bombay for admission to the M.Des programs at the following institutes: IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, and IIT Jodhpur.

• The exam is administered once each academic year.
• IIT Bombay's responsibility is confined to administering the CEED exam.
• It would also not provide any counselling or Joint Seat Allotment services.
• Instead, candidates who receive a merit rank in CEED must apply directly to the participating institute based on their score.

CEED 2026 Highlights

The Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED) 2026 is a national-level exam offered by IIT Bombay for admission to postgraduate design programs (M.Des and Ph.D.). It is held once a year in both online and offline formats, with Part A taking place online and Part B offline. The exam is intended to assess students' aptitude for design, visual perception, creativity, logical reasoning, problem-solving, and communication abilities.

CEED 2026 Exam Dates

CEED 2026 Exam Date is January 18, 2026. The authorities are expected to start the registrations in October 2025. Check out the table below to know about the CEED 2026 schedule:

CEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The qualifying conditions for admission to a participating institute may differ from those for taking the CEED exam. As a result, students are encouraged to review the admission criteria for their particular institutes before taking the CEED 2026 entrance exam. The table below explains the CEED 2026 Eligibility conditions that candidates must meet to take the CEED 2026 exam.

CEED 2026 Application Process

The CEED 2026 Application Process consists of several stages that enable seamless exam registration. It entails completing an online application form, providing the required documents, and paying the application fee. The process also emphasises attention to detail, as applicants must choose their exam city and confirm their eligibility conditions. The successful completion of the application is the first step towards taking the exam, with clear timetables to help candidates prepare properly.

How to Fill Out the CEED Application Form?

• Online registration - The candidate must register on the official portal by entering their email address, name, date of birth, and other information. After successfully registering, an applicant account will be generated.
• Check Eligibility - The candidate must go through an eligibility check process that requires him or her to input their qualifying exam, passing year, and mobile number.
• Fill out the form - Next, provide personal, academic, and contact information. In addition, the candidate must select THREE exam centres in order of priority.
• Upload documents - The candidate must upload a photo, signature, and qualifying exam certificates in the specified format.
• Payment of the exam fee: After ensuring that the application form is complete in all aspects, pay the exam fee online by net banking, credit or debit card.
• It is important to note that the CEED application can be filled out with both regular and late costs. The late fine is INR 500.

CEED 2026 Exam Pattern

The CEED exam consists of two parts: Part A and Part B. Both components are mandatory. The table below shows the CEED 2026 Exam Pattern broken down into sections.

CEED 2026 Syllabus

The CEED 2026 Information Brochure will include the course that the candidate must follow for the entrance exam. The brochure will include the subjects for Parts A and B. The candidate must prepare for the exam using the CEED 2026 Syllabus. It is important to note that the exam will include questions from the syllabus.

CEED 2026 Syllabus: Parts A and B

How to Prepare for CEED 2026?

The CEED 2026 question paper will examine the candidate's visual perception, creativity, sketching skills, logical reasoning, and communication abilities. It's also worth noting that the CEED exam is a design aptitude examination.

Here are some helpful recommendations for preparing for the CEED 2026 entrance exam.

• Start preparation early - One common mistake that many candidates make is starting their exam preparation with little time left before the exam. As you can see, this is hardly an ideal recipe for success. So, begin your preparations early.
• Follow the revised syllabus and pattern – The syllabus for the CEED 2026 exam has been changed. So, you must adhere to the new syllabus.
• Solve example papers with caution, as the syllabus has changed. You just need to solve issues that are still in the amended curriculum.
• Take notes while studying--these notes will not only help you stay focused and capture all key and sticking points, but they will also be ideal for quick revision during exam week.
• Take mock tests - These will allow you to correct last-minute and foolish mistakes.
• Stay cheerful and healthy by avoiding negativity (such as negative people), eating healthily, engaging in modest exercise, and staying hydrated.

CEED 2026 Admit Card

The CEED 2026 Admit Card is a mandatory document for taking the exam. It acts as proof of registration and contains important information such as the candidate's name, roll number, exam location, and reporting time. The admit card will be made available for download online from the official CEED website within the time frame mentioned. Candidates must bring a printed copy of their admit card and a valid photo ID to the exam centre for verification.

How to Download CEED 2026 Admit Card?

The CEED 2026 Admit Card is a vital document for participants taking the exam. It includes vital information such as the candidate's personal information, exam location, and exam time. Candidates must download and bring this admit card to the exam. Here's a quick guide on how to download the CEED 2026 admit card.

• IIT Bombay will release the admit cards for CEED 2026 in the first week of January 2026. The admit card must be downloaded from the candidate portal.
• To download the admission card, check in to the portal using your email address and password.
• Admit cards will not be sent offline.
• Requests for adjustments to the admission card (such as the category of application) will be accepted until January 2026. Any requests received after the specified date will not be considered.
• IIT Bombay will hold the CEED 2026 test on January 18, 2026 (9 AM- 12 PM). The application form for CEED 2026 has closed.
• On exam day, the candidate must carry a valid photo ID along with their admit card.

CEED Answer Key 2026

The CEED 2026 Answer Key is a valuable resource for candidates who want to evaluate their exam performance. It is released shortly after the exam and contains the correct answers to Part A's objective questions. If differences are discovered, candidates can raise objections within a specific time range using the provisional answer key. After assessing the difficulties, the final answer key is published to ensure transparency in the grading process.

How to Download the CEED Draft Answer Key 2026?

To check the CEED 2026 answer key, aspirants need complete the steps listed below:

• Visit the official website for the CEED 2026 exam.
• If the answer key is active, the download link will be triggered.
• Click the 'CEED answer key' download link.
• The answer key will open in the downloadable pdf format.
• Download the answer key.

Details Discussion in the CEED 2026 Answer Key for Part A

The CEED 2026 answer key for Part A will include the following details:

• Section-wise answer keys
• The CEED 2026 Part A comprises three sections: Section I (NAT), Section II (MSQ), and Section III (MCQ).
• The question number and its key range

CEED 2026 Result

The results of CEED 2026 will be announced provisionally in March 2026. The CEED 2026 results will be made available online via the CEED 2026 admission site, ceed.iitb.ac.in. It is important to note that the results will contain all candidates' Part A scores. However, only shortlisted students will be able to view their Part B marks and CEED 2026 merit ranks.

Part B is descriptive, and as such, it is evaluated holistically using the criteria specified in the question paper. The assessed Answer Booklet for Part B is not sent to the candidate. There is also no provision for reevaluating Part A or Part B.

How to Check CEED 2026 Results?

The results of the CEED 2026 entrance exam will be available online on March 5, 2026. The steps for checking the findings are listed below:

• Click on the results link.
• You'll be redirected to a login window.
• Please enter your registered email ID and password.
• After successfully logging in, the CEED 2026 results will be presented on the screen.
• Download and print the results.

Details Indicated on the CEED 2026 Result

CEED 2026's scorecard will include the following information:

• The name of the candidate

• Category

• Roll number

• Part A and Part B Marks

• The date of issue of the scorecard

• Validity of the scorecard

• Open and Category Rank

• The category-wise qualifying marks for CEED 2026

• The total number of candidates appearing in CEED 2026

• Number of candidates who have qualified in CEED 2026

CEED 2026 Cutoff

IIT Bombay will issue the UCEED 2026 Part A cutoff marks around the second week of February 2026. Part A cut-off marks will be category-specific, and candidates will be shortlisted accordingly. Part B answer booklets will only be reviewed for shortlisted candidates.

Key points about CEED 2026 Cut-off markings for Part A

• The cutoff points are provided solely for Part A; there are no cutoffs for Part B.
• A predefined formula is used to calculate the category-specific cutoff points.
• The Part B answer booklet is reviewed solely for shortlisted applicants or those who meet the cutoff in their respective categories.
• Part B is examined manually.

The admission cut-off for CEED 2026 will be established by participating universities at the time of seat allocation, and it differs from the Part A cutoff. The admission cut-off is the minimum rank a candidate must achieve in their category to be admitted. The cut-off (admission) would be determined by considerations such as seat availability, total applications submitted for admission, the candidate's category, and so on. Check CEED 2026 Cutoff Here

Cut-off markings for Part A of CEED 2024

Cut-off points for Part A of CEED 2023

CEED 2022: Category-wise Part A Cut-off Marks

For reference, the table below shows the Part A cut-off marks for UCEED 2023 organised by category.

CEED Counselling 2026

The CEED 2026 Counselling procedure occurs following the announcement of results and is critical for students seeking admission to postgraduate design schools. Candidates who meet the CEED requirements will be invited to participate in the counselling procedure, which includes institute selection, document verification, and seat allocation. Each participating institute will conduct its own counselling and admissions procedure, and candidates must meet the institute's own eligibility and selection criteria. Unlike UCEED 2026, IIT Bombay will not hold a Joint Seat Allotment for CEED 2026 eligible candidates. Instead, CEED 2026's member institutes will offer institute-level counselling. Candidates who are assigned a merit rank in CEED 2026 must apply directly to the respective institute via their admission portal. The counselling registration form will be available soon after the CEED 2026 results are released.

How to Participate in the CEED 2026 Counselling Process?

• To apply for admission, the candidate must visit the admission portal of the CEED 2026 participating institute, complete the counselling registration form, and upload their scorecards and any applicable documents.
• The participating institutes will shortlist candidates based on their CEED 2026 merit rankings and may hold additional admission procedures, including personal interviews.
• The final merit rank established by the institute will be used to allot seats.
• It is worth noting that, in addition to the participating institutes, CEED 2026 scores will be accepted by institutes such as the World University of Design (WUD) to fill undergraduate and graduate places. Applicants may apply to these institutes once the CEED 2026 results are revealed.

CEED 2026 FAQs