CEED 2026 Registration Open: Key Dates, Brochure Highlights & How to Apply | SILICA Institute

The CEED 2026 (Common Entrance Examination for Design) registration is now live! This national-level exam is your gateway to prestigious M.Des and Ph.D. programs at top design institutes like IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IISc Bangalore, and more.

If you’re aspiring for a career in design, now is the time to take the first step toward your dream.

Prepare for CEED 2026 with SILICA Institute’s expert coaching and get access to mock tests, previous year papers, and personalized mentorship.

Enroll Now for CEED 2026 Coaching

CEED Exam Date 2026

The official dates for CEED 2026 registration and the exam have been announced by IIT Bombay on their website ceed.iitb.ac.in. The registration for CEED 2026 began on October 1, 2025, and the exam is scheduled for January 18, 2026. Candidates can refer to the table below for the detailed schedule of important CEED 2026 events.

Important CEED 2026 Dates

Note: The exam will be conducted across multiple cities in India. Please refer to the official CEED 2026 website (www.ceed.iitb.ac.in) for updates on dates, if any. Any requests for a change in examination date and time will not be considered.

How to Apply for CEED 2026

Follow these steps to complete your registration smoothly:

1. Visit the Official Portal: Go to ceed.iitb.ac.in and click on the registration link.
2. Create an Account: Register using your email address or Google account.
3. Fill Personal Details: Provide accurate information as per your academic records.
4. Upload Documents: Scan and upload photograph, signature, and category certificates (if applicable).
5. Pay Application Fee: Check the brochure for the detailed fee structure; payment confirms registration.
6. Download Admit Card: Admit cards will be available before the exam. Keep checking the official website.

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CEED Eligibility Criteria 2026

CEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for CEED 2026, candidates must meet one of the following criteria:

• Have completed a graduate, diploma, or postgraduate degree program of at least three years duration after the 10+2 level, or
• Be appearing for the final examination of such a program by July 2026, or
• Have completed the GD Arts diploma program (10+5 level) by July 2026.

Important Notes:

• Eligibility criteria for admission to individual institutes may differ from CEED eligibility. Candidates should verify the admission requirements of their preferred institutes before applying.
• There is no age limit to appear for CEED.
• A candidate can attempt CEED any number of times.

Exam Structure

• Part A (1 hour): Computer-based test with Numerical Answer Type (NAT), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ).
• Part B (2 hours): Pen-and-paper test focusing on drawing and design aptitude.

CEED 2026 Syllabus Overview

CEED 2026 will be in two parts (A & B).

Part-A will have questions related to the following topics:

• Visualization and spatial reasoning: Ability to visualise and transform 2D shapes and 3D objects and their spatial relationships.
• Practical and scientific knowledge: Know-how of scientific principles and everyday objects.
• Observation and design sensitivity: The capacity to detect concealed properties in daily life and think critically about them. Attention to detail, classification, analysis, inference, and prediction.
• Environment and society: General awareness of environmental, social and cultural connections with design.
• Analytical and logical reasoning: Ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative information.
• Language: Proficiency in reading and comprehending Standard English.
• Creativity: Grasp of verbal and non-verbal analogies, metaphors, signs, and symbols.
• Art and Design knowledge: Awareness about art/artifact/product, artists/designers, art/design history, and trends.
• Design methods and practices: Knowledge of media, materials, production processes, and ergonomics.

Part-B of CEED 2026 will have questions related to the following topics:

• Drawing: Ability to draw products, people or scenes in proportion with good line quality, composition, proportion, perspective, and shading.
• Creativity: Ability to think out of the box and come up with unique as well as diverse solutions.
• Communication: Skills to communicate concepts and ideas clearly with the help of text and visuals.
• Problem identification: Skills to understand the user and the context, knowledge of properties of materials, and their appropriate use in design. CEED 2026 is an aptitude test; hence, no specific textbook or guide is recommended for its preparation. Candidates may, however, practise their drawing, rendering, and visualization skills. Question papers of some CEED previous years are available on SILICA Institute.

Note: The suggested topics are exhaustive and indicative of the nature of the questions. However, the CEED 2026 may not cover all the topics.

Pattern for CEED 2026

Section	No. of Questions	Question Number	Marks for each correct answer	Marks for each wrong answer	Marks for each question not attempted	Total Marks
NAT	8	1-8	4	0	0	32
MSQ	10	9-18	Partial Marking (as detailed in section 2)	-1	0	40
MCQ	26	19-44	3	-0.5	0	78
Total	44	1-44				150

CEED 2026 Part B Overview

Part B of the CEED 2026 exam carries a total of 100 marks and has a duration of 2 hours. It includes five compulsory questions designed to evaluate a candidate’s design, drawing, and writing skills.

The questions will be displayed on the computer screen, but candidates must write or draw their answers in the answer booklet provided by the invigilator. The Part B answer booklet will be collected once the exam concludes. All questions in this section are mandatory.

Section	Number of Questions	Question Number	Partial Marks	Negative Marks	Marks
Sketching	1	1	Yes	No	20
Creativity	1	2	Yes	No	20
Form Sensitivity	1	3	Yes	No	20
Visual Sensitivity	1	4	Yes	No	20
Problem Identification	1	5	Yes	No	20
Total	5	1-5			100

CEED Admit Card & Results

• Admit cards will be available before the exam.
• Results will be declared on the official CEED website.

CEED 2026 Participating Institutes

CEED 2026 scores are accepted by top institutes for M.Des and Ph.D. admissions, including:

• IIT Bombay
• IIT Delhi
• IIT Guwahati
• IIT Hyderabad
• IIT Jodhpur
• IIT Kanpur
• IIT Roorkee
• IIITDM Jabalpur
• IIITDM Kancheepuram
• IISc Bangalore

Note: Each institute may have its own admission process. CEED qualification does not guarantee admission.

CEED 2026 Preparation Tips with SILICA Institute

1. Understand the Syllabus: Align your study plan with the official syllabus.
2. Practice Previous Papers: Improve speed, accuracy, and time management.
   Download CEED Previous Year Papers
3. Develop Drawing Skills: Regular sketching and design exercises for Part B.
4. Take Mock Tests: Simulate exam conditions to boost confidence.
   Attempt CEED Mock Tests
5. Stay Updated: Check the official CEED website for the latest notifications.

What Happens After the CEED Entrance Exam?

Once the CEED exam is conducted, the results are announced on the official website — ceed.iitb.ac.in. After the results are declared, candidates must apply separately to the design institutes where they wish to seek admission, using their CEED scorecard.