Top 10 Entrance Exams for Design Courses in India

Top Design Entrance Exams in India: A strong tradition in the arts and design has long been influenced by India's rich cultural legacy, and some of the most brilliant minds in the world are currently developed here. Reputable universities in India provide demanding education in the field of design to help professionals and students improve and build their careers. Nevertheless, a lot of prospective designers are unclear about the top design entrance exams they should complete in order to enrol in these esteemed universities for design programs.

As per the data of the Bureau of Labor Statistics surveyed designers, specifically graphic designers, have seen a stall every passing year till 2021. So, students ready to pursue design courses must check the list of top 10 design colleges in India along with the best design courses in the country. In this article, we will explore the top 10 design entrance exams in India. These tests evaluate a variety of skills, including aptitude, creativity, aesthetic sense, and design awareness, and they provide students with a route to B.Des or M.Des programs.

Also Read: Self-Study Guide for Design Entrance Exams in India

Important Dates of Top 10 Design Entrance Exams in India

Design entrance exams are conducted nationally and by individual universities to evaluate students' skills and creativity for various design programs. Here’s a list of some of the most sought-after top 10 design entrance exams in India, along with key dates to remember for 2025:

Top Design Entrance Exams: National-Level

Let us look at some of the top national-level design entrance exams which are usually held once a year. Most of the top design colleges accept these entrance exam scores for admission to design courses.

Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED)

Commonly known as UCEED, this is a computer-based examination conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. IIT Bombay offers a bachelor course in design which is BDes. It is conducted in January every year. The duration of this exam is three hours and the applicants are tested on their design thinking and problem-solving skills, environmental and social awareness knowledge, etc. The exam is conducted for 2 hours 30 minutes.

Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED)

It is for designing programmes for IITs, UPES and IIScs. The Common Entrance Examination for Design, popularly known as CEED, is held especially for M.Des program aspirants. The exam has two parts: Subjective and Objective questions. These skills are tested in the applicants in this examination: Environmental and Social Awareness, Creativity, and Communication Skills.

NIFT Entrance Exam

By taking the NIFT exam, students get to be a part of the most prestigious college in the country for fashion and design, which is the National Institute of Fashion & Design. This exam is usually held in January or February by the university itself. Students can pursue courses like Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Fashion Technology, Master of Design, Master of Fashion Management and Master of Fashion Technology by sitting for this exam. The students are analysed on their creativity, illustration skills, current affairs, quantitative ability, etc. The exam is for two hours and is conducted in offline mode.

Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design (SEED)

TheSymbiosis International University conducts the SEED exam that has objective-type questions. There are almost 150 multiple-choice questions that have to be attempted by the aspirant within a time frame of 2.5 hours. In this exam, the aspirants are tested on the basis of their creative thinking ability, their awareness of general designs, their knowledge of Indian culture and also about spheres and geometry. The syllabus focuses on Creative and Problem-Solving Abilities and the Application of Basic Knowledge of Science and Mathematics.

All India Entrance Examination for Design (AIEED) 

AIEED is conducted by the Arch College of Design and Business and has two sections namely: the General Aptitude Test and the Creative Aptitude Test. The college offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the field of design. The applicants are tested on these skills: Lateral Thinking & Creative Problem Solving and Awareness of Design Principles. It is held for two hours and has a maximum mark of 100.

NID Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT)

The NID Exam is conducted by the National Institute of Design annually. After clearing the aptitude test of NID, the aspirants are open to exploring undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the NID campus. The applicants are tested on their skills in optical illusion, innovation and creation, designing outlines for beginners, drawing fundamentals, and colour patterns. The exam is for 3 hours and has both kinds of sections: Objective and Subjective.

FDDI All India Selection Test (FDDI AIST)

FDDI AIST exam is best suited for fashion aspirants who are solely interested in footwear designing and want to pursue a profession only in that sphere. It is conducted by the Footwear Design and Development Institute, which offers programmes in both undergraduate and postgraduate design courses. This exam is conducted in the month of May every year and its syllabus focuses on General Awareness, Verbal Ability and Quantitative Aptitude.

Institute-Level Top Design Entrance Exams in India

These are some institute-specific exams, designed for design aspirants:

IIAD Design Aptitude Test (IDAT)

IIAD entrance exam or iDAT is conducted by the Indian Institute of Art and Design for undergraduate design programmes in Communication Design, Interior Architecture & Design, Fashion Communication, and Fashion Design. On the other hand, the IIAD Management Aptitude Test (IMAT) is conducted for the one postgraduate programme it offers in Fashion Business Management. The IDAT is an offline written exam that assesses candidates' creative and visual ability, cultural awareness and logical thinking.

Army Institute of Fashion and Design Written Admission Test (AIFD WAT)

AIFD WAT Exam is conducted by the Army Institute of Fashion and Design, Bangalore. Since 2021, the college has been conducting an Online Admission Test (OAT) whereas before it was conducting a written admission test. Admission is offered in programmes like BSc Fashion and Apparel Design and BSc Interior Design and Decoration via this entrance exam.

Modi University Science and Technology - College of Fashion Design and Merchandising (MUST-CFDM)

Conducted by the Mody University of Science Technology, the entrance exam is held to offer admission to the College of Fashion Design and Merchandising. the faculty offers undergraduate design programmes in Bachelors of Fashion Design (BFD), Bachelors of Fashion Design and Merchandising (BFM), and Bachelors of Fashion and Lifestyle Accessory Design (BFLAD).

Chandigarh University Common Entrance Test (CUCET)

CUCET is an online exam conducted the Chandigarh University (CU) for admission to different undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Pearl Academy of Fashion Entrance Exam (PAF Exam)

ThePearl Academy of Fashion conducts PAF and the exam is commonly known as the PAF exam. It has two types: GPT - General Proficiency Test and DAT - Design Aptitude Test and is usually conducted through several cycles every year. Aspirants are tested on these skills: language ability, mathematical skills, logical reasoning, etc. The exam pattern of PAF varies from course to course. All sections are of 1 hour in duration.

Top 10 Entrance Exams of Design: Syllabus

Check out the detailed syllabus of the top 10 design entrance exams:

Top 10 Entrance Exams of Design: Exam Pattern (Updated)

Given below is the exam pattern for entrance exams of design.

With the increase in demand for design courses, the levels and types of programmes offered in design have witnessed a rise. There are various specialisations in which candidates can enrol themselves. Getting into one of the leading design institutes in the country becomes easier if you score well in these entrance exams.

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