The Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED) is a national-level examination of design that secures admission to the prestigious IITs of the country. The UCEED is conducted by IIT Bombay, followed by four other IITs participating in the entrance examination, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad and IITDM Jabalpur. The UCEED is also applicable for admission to other design colleges. At present, 10 other design colleges are accepting the UCEED score.
The UCEED entrance exam thoroughly determines the candidate’s ability to develop as a valuable design student to the university. It tests the candidate on both theoretical and practical knowledge at a foundation level.
The following blog will guide the candidate through the UCEED Exam Syllabus & Pattern, UCEED Exam Topics & Pattern, How to Prepare for UCEED Part A, How to Prepare for UCEED Part B, and Tips for the UCEED Exam Day. This blog will guide you through preparation for the competitive UCEED examination in just 2 months.
Students must also visit the UCEED question paper for better understanding through the link below.
| Download PDFs of UCEED Question Papers |
UCEED Exam Pattern:
- The question paper will consist of two parts: Part A (Objective Section) and Part B (Drawing Section)
- The question paper will be for 300 marks. Part A = 240 marks. Part B = 60 marks.
- The exam will be for 3 hours. Part A = 2.5 hours. Part B = 30 mins.
- The question paper will be in English.
- Questions from both parts are compulsory.
PART-A – 240 marks | 2.5 hours
The summary of the paper structure is given below:
| Section | # Questions | Question Nos | Marks / Ques | Negative Marks | Total Marks |
| NAT | 18 | 1—18 | 4 | 0 | 72 |
| MSQ | 18 | 19—36 | 4 | −0.19 | 72 |
| MCQ | 32 | 37—68 | 3 | −0.71 | 96 |
| Total Part A | 68 | 1—68 | – | – | 240 |
Note: Questions not attempted will be given zero marks.
PART-B – 60 marks | 30 mins
- Part-B of the UCEED paper consists of one question which will test drawing and sketching skills.
- It will require subjective evaluation on Correct Perspective Drawing, Sense of Proportion, Quality of Composition, Quality of Line Drawing, Attention to Detail, Observation & Visualization, Addition of elements in the composition.
- The question in Part-B will be displayed on the computer screen and the answer has to be written/drawn in Part-B answer booklets, which will be collected at the end of the examination.
- Part-B question is mandatory for evaluation of UCEED paper.
UCEED Exam Syllabus:
UCEED Part A:
- Visualization & Spatial Ability
- Observation & Design Sensitivity
- Environmental & Social Awareness
- Analytical & Logical Reasoning
- Language & Creativity
- Design Thinking & Problem-Solving
UCEED Part B:
The Part B of UCEED is a 30-minute test on Sketching, holding 60 marks of weightage out of the 300 marks in the UCEED examination. The quality of the sketch required to score good marks in this section would be a correct perspective view and eye level, attention to detail, observation and accurate visualisation.
UCEED Topics & Past Paper Analyses:
From 2015 to 2019, the UCEED exam had only Part A (Objective Section). From 2020, UCEED introduced Part B for 60 marks out of a total 300 marks paper. The comparison of the weightage of different topics in Part A of the exam is as follows:
| Subject | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| 1. Visualization and spatial ability | 30% | 34% | 36% | 48% | 24% |
| 2. Observation and design sensitivity | 14% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 12% |
| 3. Environmental and social awareness | 10% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 19% |
| 4. Analytical and logical reasoning | 36% | 40% | 42% | 32% | 40% |
| 5. Language and creativity | 4% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| 6. Design thinking and problem solving | 6% | 4% | 2% | – | – |
| Total Marks % → | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
How to Prepare for UCEED Part A:
- Understand the Syllabus:
In order to know how to prepare for the Part A (Objective section) of the UCEED exam, it is imperative that students understand the syllabus first. Students can refer to the blog on UCEED Topics, Weightage, Syllabus, and Pattern in order to understand the UCEED syllabus.
- Research on Important Topics:
Before proceeding to attempt the mock papers and quizzes, it is crucial that students understand the topics first. Students must thoroughly research the topic, and understand its meaning and importance in the field of design. This will provide them with a better understanding of the questions asked in the UCEED Part A.
- Refer to Solved Papers:
The student must first understand how a particular answer is correct. This is an elaborate procedure. Since the UCEED Part A is a timed test, the student may not have time to thoroughly analyse the correct answer. With dedicated practice, the student will attain concluding correct answers quickly.
| Download PDFs of UCEED Solved Papers |
Students must view the youtube tutorials on the link below where an expert faculty explains the concluded correct answer in detail.
| Watch UCEED Youtube Tutorials by SILICA |
- Attempt Quizzes & Mock Papers:
After a thorough study of the topics, the student should now test the aptitude required to clear the UCEED Part A. Students can attempt quizzes and mock papers, that help them understand their standing in the UCEED exam preparation. On the SILICA website, students will gain access to a few mock papers for reference.
| Download PDFs of UCEED Sample Papers & Mock Tests |
- Practice Previous Years’ Papers:
The student must practice as many previous years’ papers as possible. This will develop their confidence to attempt the actual UCEED entrance exam. Students will notice getting better with each previous year’s paper solved. Students can also reattempt certain papers to develop perfection in certain topics.
| Download PDFs of UCEED Previous Years’ Papers |
How to Prepare for UCEED Part B:
Part B (Subjective section) of the UCEED exam is a 30-minute paper-based test for 60 marks. Part B tests the visualization, observation, creativity, problem-solving and sketching skills of the candidates. Part B generally consists of one detailed question that requires to be depicted in a sketch. The question appears in a paragraph format explaining a scenario through a particular eye level, requiring the student to depict the scenario accurately. Candidates must first understand the question thoroughly before proceeding towards the sketch. Since the test is strictly timed at 30 minutes, the candidates must be quick with the entire process from visualizing the scenario to bringing it on paper. The question is very detailed, candidates must make sure they capture every detail mentioned on the question paper.
Commonly, the candidates are expected to know the different types of drawing methods that will help them depict their sketches correctly. We have listed each type of drawing with a description below. Candidates must follow the method to achieve a neat sketch for the UCEED Part B.
| Download PDFs of UCEED Solved Papers |
Types of Drawing Methods:
- Rapid Sketching:
An exercise for quick and crisp hand movement on paper. Since the time limit to attempt the UCEED Part B is short, the candidate must be thorough with rapid sketching. To achieve rapid sketching, the candidate must make it their pursuit ideal capturing scenarios live, for example, travelling on the train or waiting on a bus, owing to the limited time at hand in sketching any subject. This will help in initiating the answer for the UCEED Part B, which can later be carried out through the below-mentioned methods.
- Perspective Drawing:
A drawing technique that creates spatial depth, or a perspective, to drawings. This method includes angled lines to suggest vertical and horizontal lines. The entire UCEED Part B answer is expected to be sketched in a perspective drawing, generally a one-point perspective view. Students must also sketch the answer with the correct eye level as mentioned in the question paper. Students must sketch the view in 15-20 mins in order to have extra time left for the below-mentioned final touch-up of the UCEED Part B answer.
- Shading & Detailing:
Once a correct perspective is achieved, the student can take quick 5 mins to provide detailing such as shading, as per the sun’s direction (sometimes mentioned in the UCEED Part B question), or if any time details are mentioned or can be assumed, the sketch must be shaded accordingly. Other details such as material indications can be shown subtly and quickly, in order to enhance the sketch. Students must also display line weight that provides depth to the sketch.
Tips for UCEED Exam Day:
Here are some quick tips that will be helpful for the final UCEED Exam Day. Candidates can take note of these and also attempt these in a UCEED Mock Test, in order to understand the value of these necessary tips, further implying them on the UCEED Exam Day.
- Start with a Clear Mind
It is important to start the elaborate UCEED paper with a clear mind. The question paper for both parts is very detailed and may be overwhelming for the student. Although if the student has practised the above-mentioned preparation methods for UCEED, the student will be confident enough to approach the UCEED question paper.
- Analyse the Question Paper
Before approaching the answers, the students must first analyse the question paper in order to understand the amount of time they are required to distribute. This is different for every student depending on their strengths and weaknesses for certain topics. They must also consider the weightage of the question and provide an appropriate time for each question.
- Visualize your Answer
Visualizing your answer may be necessary for the UCEED Part B section. It is also beneficial for some analytical questions in the UCEED Part A section. Practising visualisation may provide clarity of thought and help the student achieve the correct answer.
- Makes Notes, if necessary
A few questions may be tricky, in this case, the student can make a few quick notes to understand the situation better. Students must ensure this is not done on the answer sheet.
The UCEED exam is quite difficult and competitive. Students need to prepare well to crack the exam. If you would like to know more about the exam pattern, topics and syllabus, please refer to our blog on- UCEED Topics, Weightage, Syllabus, Pattern.