Get complete overview of various Design Entrance Exams
Designing, which opens up the doors to the field of creativity and gives you myriad options ranging from fashion designing, interior designing, footwear designing, jewellery designing, and visual merchandising, is an excellent and lucrative career option.
The top-notch design institutes take admissions through entrance exams such as NIFT, NID, UCEED, AIEED, SEED etc.
In this article, we bring you the list of different design entrance exams that you should prepare for admissions to the dream college.
| Top Design Entrance Exam | Registration dates (Expected) | Design entrance exam date (Expected) |
| National Institute of Fashion Technology(NIFT) | December 2024 | February – March 2025 |
| NID Design Aptitude Test(NID DAT) | September 2024 | Prelims – December 2024 |
| Mains – April 2024 | ||
| Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design(UCEED) | October 2024 | January 2025 |
| Common Entrance Examination for Design(CEED) | October 2024 | January 2025 |
| MIT Institute of Design DAT (Design Aptitude Test) | October 2024 | April 2025 |
| Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design (SEED) | August 2024 | January 2025 |
Top Design Entrance Exams in India 2024
Various design entrance exams are held at both national and university levels for students aspiring to enrol in design programs.
Here are some of the most anticipated design entrance exams in India, with their important dates, Aspirants can get an idea of the most popular design entrance exams conducted in India below:
- NIFT Entrance Exam: One of the most popular design entrance exams conducted in India, the NIFT entrance exam is usually conducted in January/ February by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). Based on the NIFT exam, aspirants can secure admission in design courses such as Bachelor of Design (BDes), Bachelor of Fashion Technology (BFTech), Master of Design (MDes), Master of Fashion Management (MFM) and Master of Fashion Technology (MFTech).
NIFT 2025 Entrance Exam Dates
| Event | Tentative Dates |
| NIFT 2024 online application form opens | 1st week of December 2024 |
| Last date to submit applications with regular fees | 1st week of January 2025 |
| Submit applications with late fees | 2nd week of January 2025 |
| Window to edit the application form | 2nd week of January 2025 |
| Issue of admit cards | 1st week of February 2025 |
| NIFT 2024 exam date for written tests | 1st week of February 2025 |
| Release of Answer Keys + Question Paper | 3rd week of February 2025 |
| File objections against the GAT answer key | 3rd week of February 2025 |
| Declaration of results for written tests | March 2024 |
| Choice filling for Situation Test (B.Des) | March-April 2025 |
| Uploading documents for (PI) | March- April 2025 |
| Admit card for situation test | April 2025 |
| Situation Test for BDes | April 2025 |
| Personal Interview | April 2025 |
| Declaration of FINAL results for NIFT 2025 | May 2025 |
| Counseling and seat allotment | May – June 2024 (onward) |
- UCEED: Conducted by IIT Bombay, UCEED is the means through which aspirants can secure admission in the BDes course offered at IITs. UCEED 2024 is of three hours duration and is usually conducted in January.
The 4 IITs for which the UCEED Entrance Exam is conducted are the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jabalpur, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad.
UCEED 2025 Entrance Exam Dates
| Events | Tentative Dates |
| Oct ’24 | CEED 2025 application form START DATETENTATIVE |
| Jan ’25 | CEED 2025 admit cardTENTATIVE |
| Jan ’25 | CEED 2025 exam dateTENTATIVE |
| Mar ’25 | CEED 2025 Result DateTENTATIVE |
| Mar ’25 – Jun ’25 | CEED 2025 scorecards available for downloadTENTATIVE |
- NID Entrance Exam: The admission process of the National Institute of Design (NID) is three-tiered. In order to secure admission in BDes, GDPD, and MDes courses offered at NID, candidates need to appear for NID Entrance Exam. This design entrance exam comprises both, objective type questions as well as subjective, drawing questions.
NID 2025 Entrance Exam Dates
| Events | Tentative Dates |
| Release of NID 2025 Notification | August 2024 (Expected) |
| The NID 2025 application process starts from | September 2024 (Expected) |
| Last date for submitting NID Online Application Form | December 2024 (Expected) |
| NID DAT Prelims Exam/ NID B.Des exam date 2025 | December Last Week 2024 (Expected) |
| Declaration of NID DAT Prelims Results | March 2025 (Expected) |
| NID DAT Mains Exam/ NID 2025 Exam Date | April Last Week 2025 (Expected) |
| NID DAT 2025 Mains Result | May 2025 (Expected) |
| Window for submission of Campus Preference | May 2025 (Expected) |
| Seat Allotment, Payment of Token Fees and Uploading of documents | May Last Week 2025 (Expected) |
| Provisional offer letter | June 2025 (Expected) |
- AIEED: Conducted by Arch College of Design and Business, AIEED is conducted to offer admission to aspirants in undergraduate and postgraduate design courses. AIEED exam comprises a Creative Aptitude Test (CAT) as well as a General Aptitude Test (GAT).
AIEED 2025 Entrance Exam Dates
| Event | Tentative Dates |
| Release of AIEED Application Form | November 2023 |
| AIEED 2024 Exam Dates | 15 December – 25 December 2023 |
| New Batch Start Date | May 2024 |
- SEED: The Symbiosis Institute of Design conducted by Symbiosis International University, SEED is the means through which aspirants can secure admission in the BDes course offered at Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID). SEED exam comprises objective-type multiple-choice questions.
SEED 2025 Entrance Exam Dates
| Events | Tentative Dates |
| SEED 2025 Application Form Release Date | August, 2024 (tentative) |
| SEED Application form and Payment Last date | December, 2024 |
| SEED Admit Card | From 2nd week of January to 3rd week of January 2025 |
| SEED Entrance Exam (SEED 2025) | January, 2025 |
| SEED Result 2025 | 4th week of January, 2025 |
| Slot Booking for Personal Interaction | From Last week of January to First week of February, 2025 |
| PRPI Admit Card | March, 2025 |
| Portfolio Review and Personal Interaction (PRPI) Phase I | March, 2025 |
| Portfolio Review and Personal Interaction (PRPI) Phase II | April, 2025 |
| Declaration of First Merit List | April, 2025 |
| Fee Payment and Online Registration for First Merit List | 2nd week of April to 4th week, 2025 |
| Commencement of the Programme | July (tentative) |
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Eligibility Criteria for Designing Courses in India
Now that you have seen the list of the courses, it’s high time you should be looking at the eligibility criteria required for the top designing courses after 12th. The general eligibility criteria for the design courses across the colleges are mentioned below:
- 12th Class Certificate: You need to finish your 12th grade, no matter which board you’re from – CBSE, ISC, or a state board.
- Check Institute Requirements: Different design colleges might have specific requirements, so it’s a good idea to see what they need.
- Entrance Exam: Be prepared for an entrance exam. Don’t worry, it’s usually about testing your design skills, not your academic knowledge.
Designing Courses After 12th: FAQs
- What I can do after 12th in designing?
After 12th, you can pursue various design courses, including fashion, graphics, interior, and product design.
- Which subject is best for designing?
There isn’t a single best subject for designing, but arts and fine arts often provide a strong foundation. It completely depends on one’s passion and interest.
- Is there scope in designing?
The field of designing offers ample scope, with a growing demand for designers in industries like fashion, advertising, and interior design. Your career path can be promising and rewarding.