Students planning to apply for the design courses can apply for their desired undergraduate and postgraduate courses from various prestigious colleges and universities.

However, for those students who are pursuing extra-curricular activities and do not have time to attend their bachelor’s and master’s classes, there are institutes offering short-term diploma and certification courses.

Against the wrong notion that diploma courses are easy to get into, the admissions in these design courses are accepted based on the entrance exams. If you qualify for the exam, only then you are accepted into the design course based on merit. This is applicable to all major design institutes in the country.

In this article, we help you with information on the top nine entrance exams for design courses in India. By the end of the article, you will be able to understand the syllabus pattern and exam schedule for different colleges offering design courses.

Top Design Entrance Exams in India 2023

1. NIFT Entrance Exam

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has been credited to be the top institution that has given the world some of the best designers including Rohit Bal, Sabyasachi and more. If you too want to follow in the footsteps of these famous designers you need to get approved for admission to NIFT. This can be done by sitting for their entrance exam. If you are able to clear the exam you can take admission to their undergraduate and postgraduate course which include the popular Bachelor of Design, Master of Design, Master of Fashion Management, and more

Exam Pattern

The NIFT entrance exam is conducted in three steps that include:

• Creative Ability Test (CAT)
• General Ability Test (GAT)
• Situation Test

The exam pattern for each test component is described below.

Test Pattern GAT for B.Des and M.Des programmes

Particulars	B.Des	M.Des
Paper	GAT	GAT
Mode	CBT	CBT
Language	English/Hindi	English/Hindi
Duration	120 mins	120 mins
Sections	– Communication Ability – English Comprehension – Quantitative Ability – Analytical Ability – General Knowledge and Current Affairs	– Communication Ability – English Comprehension – Quantitative Ability – Analytical Ability – General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Exam pattern for GAT for B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M programmes

Particulars	B.F.Tech	M.F.Tech	M.F.M
Paper	GAT	GAT	GAT
Language	English/Hindi	English/Hindi	English/Hindi
Duration	180 minutes	180 minutes	​​
Sections	– Communication Ability & English Comprehension – Case Study – Quantitative Ability – Analytical & Logical Ability – General Knowledge And Current Affairs

Test Pattern for NIFT 2023 – CAT

Paper	CAT (Creative Ability Test)
Mode	written exam
Duration	3 hours
Skills evaluated	– Powers of observation – Ability to develop innovative concepts A – Aspirants’ creative and innovative use of colour – Illustration skills

Exam Pattern for Situation Test

The next step is to clear their situation test which is an important part of the entrance exam. This step is mandatory for just the BDes programme so candidates looking to gain admission to master’s courses need not sit for it.

Syllabus

The syllabus for the General Ability Test (GAT) includes

1. Quantitative Ability
2. Communication Ability and English Comprehension
3. Analytical Ability and Logical Ability
4. General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Syllabus for Creative Ability Test (CAT)

Following are some of the most important topics for the NIFT Creative Ability Test (CAT).

Design Theory	Form & Function	Imagination & Doodling
Elements & Principles Of Design	Picture Analysis	Exercises on imagination
Principles of Composition	Use of Measurements, Scale & proportions	Innovation & Creation
Visual Logic	Usage of Colour in Compositions	Colour Psychology & Optical Illusions
Drawing Fundamentals	Expression & Emotion	Innovation in Design
Ornaments & motifs	Graphics & Pictograms	Understanding Light & Shade
Developing Themes & Colour Associations	Inspiration & Design Development	Theme Development
Presentation Techniques	Natural & Geometrical Form	Inspiration & Creativity
Story Pictures	Optical Illusion	Foreshortening & Perspective
Colour Terminology	Colour, Pattern & Texture	3D Visualisation
Mood, Theme & Colour Inter-relationship	Memory Drawing	Lateral Thinking
Creative thinking & writing	Optical Illusion	Design Awareness

Colleges That Accept This Exam

NIFT Bengaluru	NIFT Bhopal	NIFT Chennai
NIFT Gandhinagar	NIFT Hyderabad	NIFT Kannur
NIFT Kolkata	NIFT Mumbai	NIFT New Delhi
NIFT Patna	NIFT Panchkula	NIFT Raebareli
NIFT Shillong	NIFT Kangra	NIFT Jodhpur
NIFT Bhubaneswar	NIFT Srinagar	NIFT Daman

2. UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design)

The Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED) is another entrance exam for design courses in the nation. This exam is necessary for students that are looking to pursue a Bachelor of Design (BDes) course. The exam is organised by IIT- Bombay. The participating institutes include IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati, IIITDM Jabalpur, IIT Hyderabad and IIT Delhi.

Exam Pattern

Particulars	Part A	Part B
Maximum Time	2 hours, 30 hours	30 minutes
Mode of Exam	Computer-Based Test (CBT)	Offline
Medium	English
Number of Questions	68	1
Types of questions asked	The paper will have three types of questions – Numerical Answer Type (NAT) – Multiple Select Question (MSQ) – Multiple Choice Question (MCQ)	– Sketching-based
Total Marks	240	60

Syllabus

Syllabus for UCEED – Part A

• Visualisation and spatial reasoning
• Practical and scientific knowledge
• Observation and design sensitivity
• Environment and society
• Analytical and logical reasoning
• Language
• Creativity

Syllabus for UCEED – Part B

• Drawing
• Design aptitude

Colleges That Accept This Exam

IIT Bombay	IIT Guwahati
IIITDM Jabalpur	IIT Hyderabad
IIT Delhi	–

3. CEED (Common Entrance Examination for Design)

While the UCEED exam is conducted for admission to undergraduate programmes, CEED is exam is only for postgraduate courses. The conducting body of this test is IIT-Bombay. Institutes that offer admission on the basis of CEED scores include the IITs of Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, and Hyderabad. In addition, IISc in Bengaluru and IITDM in Jabalpur also accept the CEED score.

The exam is two-tiered with Part A consisting of objective questions while Part B consists of  subjective questions.

Exam Pattern

Particulars	Part A	Part B
Exam mode	Computer-based test	Offline
Type of questions	MCQ MSQ NAT	Subjective questions will be asked
Skills Tested	– Visual and spatial abilities – Environmental and social awareness – Analytical and logical reasoning – Language skills – Observation abilities – Design sensitivity	– Design, drawing, and writing skills
Duration	1 hour	2 hours
Number of questions	41	5
Total marks	100	100
Language	English

Syllabus

CEED Part A Syllabus

• Visualisation and spatial reasoning
• Practical and scientific knowledge
• Observation and design sensitivity
• Environment and society
• Analytical and logical reasoning
• Ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative information.
• Language
• Creativity
• Art and Design knowledge
• Design methods and practices

CEED Part B syllabus

• Drawing
• Creativity
• Communication
• Problem identification

Colleges That Accept This Exam

IIT Bombay	IIT Delhi
IISc Bangalore	IIT Guwahati
IIT Kanpur	IIT Hyderabad
IITDM Jabalpur

4. NID DAT

The National Institute of Design – Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT) is another top design entrance exam that has taken fourth place in our comprehensive list. Through the exam, NID offers students admission to B.Des and M.Des programmes at its various campuses. In order to ace the exam candidates must clear both the prelims and the Mains.While the former consists of a combination of objective and subjective questions, DAT Mains consists of a studio test and personal interview for MDes. On the other hand, the Mains paper for Bachelor of Design does not have an interview round.

Exam Pattern

Particulars	B.Des	M.Des
Mode	Offline
Type of questions	Textual and visual questions	Objective and subjective
Language	English
No. of questions	Section A 1-22 MCQs Section B 23-26 subjective questions	Section A 59 MCQs Section B 3 subjective questions
Total marks	100	100
Duration of the exam	3 hrs	2 and half hrs

Syllabus

NID DAT 2023 Syllabus for B.Des & MDes DAT Prelims

Design Outline for Beginners	Form & Function	Usage of Colour in Compositions
Design Theory	Picture Analysis	Story Pictures
Principles of Composition	Use of Measurements, Scale & proportions	Graphics & Pictograms
Colour Psychology & Optical Illusions	Memory Drawing	Mood, Theme & Colour Inter-relationship
Creative thinking & writing	Lateral Thinking	Innovation in Design
Drawing Fundamentals	3D Visualisation	Understanding Light & Shade
Ornaments & motifs	Developing Observation	Theme Development
Exercises on imagination	Inspiration & Design Development	Good Design vs Bad Design
Imagination & Doodling	Natural & Geometrical Form	Inspiration & Creativity
Design Awareness	Optical Illusion	Expression & Emotion
Colour Terminology	Colour, Pattern & Texture	Presentation Techniques
Elements & Principles Of Design	Visual Logic	Innovation & Creation
Lettering	Foreshortening & Perspective

NID Studio Test 2023 Syllabus for BDes & MDes Admission

Model Making	Doodling
How to Evolve Ideas	Audio – Visual Exercises
Material Manipulation	Creative Thinking

Colleges That Accept This Exam

NID Ahmedabad	NID Assam
NID Bangalore	NID Bhopal
NID Gandhinagar	NID Kurukshetra

5. AIEED

If you are goal is to pursue your preferred design course in UG or PG from the Arch College of Design you need to get past their entrance exam known as the All India Entrance Examination for Design or AIEED. The exam includes three rounds including

1. Creative Aptitude Test (CAT)
2. General Aptitude Test (GAT)
3. Video, Portfolio and Personal Interaction

Exam Pattern

Particulars	Details
Mode	Online
Sections	– General Ability Test (GAT) – Creative Ability Test (CAT) – Video, Portfolio, and Personal Interaction
Total Questions	GAT 60 CAT 50
Total marks	GAT 100 CAT 100 Video, Portfolio, and Personal Interaction 200
Duration	GAT 2 hrs CAT 3 hrs Video, Portfolio, and Personal Interaction 30 mins

Syllabus

AIEED GAT Testing Parameters

• Articulation skills, both written & visual
• Design thinking
• Lateral thinking & creative problem-solving
• Awareness of design principles

AIEED CAT Testing Parameters

• Design sensibilities
• Logical reasoning
• Design related awareness
• Awareness of global issues
• Concepts comprehension

AIEED Video, Portfolio and Personal Interaction Testing Parameters

• Composure
• Focus & clarity
• General articulation skills
• Depth of thinking
• Range of work in portfolio

Colleges That Accept This Exam

• ARCH College of Design & Business
• UNIRAJ, or Rajasthan University

6. SEED

Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design (SEED) is conducted by the Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID). The test aims to select the best candidates for the institute’s various BDes courses.

Candidates that are preparing for this exam must know that it consists of two steps that include a written test along with a round that focuses on Portfolio Review and Personal Interaction (PRPI).

Exam Pattern

Particulars	Details
Mode	Online Proctored
Duration	60 mins
Total Questions	60
Type of questions	– MCQs – Match the Columns – Fill in the blanks – Image-based and comprehension-based
Marking Scheme	+1 mark for every correct attempt There is no negative marking
Total marks	60

SEED Exam Pattern for Portfolio Review

In the portfolio round candidates are required to submit their portfolios on the institute’s official site. It may include sketches, digital art, collages of images, 2D and 3D art, photographs etc. Those candidates that pass this round will have to go through personal interaction around. This round may include on-the-spot drawing tasks, and answering questions about the programmes they have chosen and their portfolio.

Syllabus

• Visualisation
• Observational, perceptual and reasoning abilities
• Creative and problem-solving abilities
• Application of basic knowledge of Science and Mathematics
• Art, craft, culture, design, and environment

Colleges That Accept This Exam

• Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID)

7. IIAD Entrance Exam

Those candidates that are seeking admission to the Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD) must first clear their entrance test. The test consists of two parts based on the courses you opt which include Design Aptitude Test (iDAT)+Studio Simulation test or Management Aptitude Test (iMAT)+Personal Interview.

Exam Pattern

Particulars	Details
Course	– Fashion Design – Communication Design – Interior Architecture & Design – Fashion Communication
Admission Process	– Part A iDAT- IIAD Online Design Aptitude Test – Part B Studio Simulation round
Course	Fashion Business Management
Admission Process	– Part A iMAT- IIAD Online Management Aptitude Test – Part B – Online Personal Interview
Duration	iDAT – 2hr30 mins iMAT – 2 hrs

Studio Simulation

Apart from having technical knowledge about various concepts regarding design courses candidates applying to Indian Institute of Art and Design must also have great creativity. This is why the institute along with its written test also conducts a studio simulation test. This test is all about measuring a candidate’s creativity and problem-solving skills.

Syllabus

The question paper for IIAD 2023 will assess candidates based on the following criteria:

IIAD entrance exam (iDAT)

• The written entrance exam primarily assesses candidates on their visual ability, cultural awareness, and logical thinking.

IIAD entrance exam (iMAT)

• The iMAT written entrance exam evaluates candidates primarily based on their language skills, logical reasoning, and creative thinking.

Studio Simulation Round

• As mentioned earlier, the studio simulation assesses candidates on how creative they are including their skills related to problem-solving and articulation. During the test candidates are given a project where they are required to collectively create a 3D model with the available materials.

Colleges That Accept This Exam

• Indian Institute of Art and Design

8. FDDI AIST

Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) came into being in the year 1986. Since its inception, it has been one of the top design institutes in India offering courses in footwear design, leather products, retail and fashion merchandising and so on. If you are keen on entering this institute you must first pass their entrance exam which is termed as FDDI AIST. The exam is divided into 8 sections, 4 each for BDes/BBA and MDes/MBA.

Exam Pattern

Particulars	Details
Mode	Offline
Courses offered	B.Des, M.Des, BBA, MBA
No. of Questions	B.Des and BBA 150 M.Des and MBA 175
Duration	2hrs 30mins
Type of questions	MCQs
Total Maks	200
Sections	B.Des and BBA  – Quantitative Aptitude – Verbal Ability – General Awareness – Business Aptitude Test & Design Aptitude Test M.Des and MBA – Quantitative Aptitude – English Comprehension & Analytical Ability – General Knowledge & Current Affairs – Management Aptitude for MBA-RFM

Syllabus

For BDes

• Quantitative Aptitude
• Verbal Ability
• General Awareness
• General Knowledge
• Visualisation
• Colour and composition

For MDes

• Quantitative Aptitude
• English Comprehension & Analytical Ability
• General Knowledge & Current Affairs
• General Awareness
• Visualisation
• Colour and composition

Colleges That Accept This Exam

• Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI)

9. Pearl Academy Entrance Exam

The entrance exam of the Pearl Academy follows a unique approach, this is because it has created a different exam pattern for each of its courses. The entrance exam is conducted by the institute twice a year. Its entrance exam include a General Proficiency Test (GPT) and a Design Aptitude Test (DAT).

Exam Pattern

All Fashion & Design Courses

Particulars	Details
Exam	– General Proficiency Test (GPT) – Design Aptitude Test (DAT) – Personal Interview & Portfolio Showcase
Duration	– 90 mins of GPT and DAT – 30 mins of Personal Interview & Portfolio Showcase
Format	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Language	English
Mode	Online

All Business Courses

Exam	– General Proficiency Test (GPT) – Personal Interview
Duration	– 60 mins for GPT – 30 mins for Personal Interview
Format	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Mode	Online

Syllabus

For GPT

• English language (comprehension, vocabulary and expression)
• Language Ability
• Logical Reasoning
• Quantitative Ability
• Data Interpretation

For DAT

• Skills and knowledge
• Analytical and Design Sensibility
• Observation and Lateral Thinking
• General Awareness and Perception
• Aesthetics and Creativity

Personal Interview & Portfolio Showcase

The personal interview round assess candidates on their confidence, their creativity and intellect, general awareness and lateral thinking etc. In the portfolio round, they will be tested on the basis of their portfolio.

Colleges That Accept This Exam

• Pearl Academy

Tags: design entrance exams