Design entrance exams in India after class 12; Dates, eligibility, registration

NEW DELHI: Design is a popular field among students. Design is offered as a course in colleges like the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), the National Institute of Design (NID), Pearl Academy, SMEAT, etc. However, to get admission to these colleges, candidates have to clear the entrance test. Most of the design entrance exams conducted in India are at the college level and candidates have to clear 2-3 rounds to be selected for admission.

Most design entrance exams conducted in India are held in January/ February. To enroll in design courses in India, you need to be aware of the placement tests and eligibility criteria for various programs.

Design entrance exam in India: Important dates

List of Top Design Entrance Exams in India after 12th

Here is the list of design entrance exams in India after class 12 and their eligibility criteria and details.

Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED)

• Admissions to Bachelor of Design (B.Des) programs at IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Guwahati, and IIITDM Jabalpur are made through the Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED).

• Students who have passed 12th (or equivalent) in 2022 or appeared in any stream (Science, Commerce, or Arts and Humanities) in 2023 are eligible to appear in UCEED 2023.

NID Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT)

• The National Institute of Design (NID) admission process has three tiers. To get admission in BDes, GDPD, and MDes courses offered at NID, candidates have to appear in the NID Entrance Test. The examination is divided into NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains.

• Candidates who have passed or are currently appearing in the class 12 examination in any discipline (Science, Arts, Commerce, Humanities, etc) are eligible to apply for NID DAT 2023.

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)

• The test is conducted by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). One of the most popular tests for planning, it is conducted once a year in 32 cities across the country.

• Aspirants who want to pursue B.Des will have to go through 2 stages; Stage-1 - Creative Aptitude Test (CAT) and General Aptitude Test (GAT), and Stage-2 i.e. Situation Test.

• Candidates must have passed at least 10+2 in any stream (Science, Commerce, and Arts) to appear in the NIFT exam 2023.

Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design (SEED)

• SEED is a national-level design aptitude test conducted by Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID) to offer admissions to students in B.Des programmes offered at its campuses.

• Candidates who have passed class 12 with a minimum of 50% marks (45% marks for SC/ ST) are eligible to apply for SEED 2023.

All India Entrance Examination for Design (AIEED)

• AIEED is a national-level design exam conducted by the ARCH Academy of Design for admission to UG courses available at their Jaipur and Delhi campuses.

• The AIEED exam is conducted on various dates for admission to fashion and design programmes and is conducted in two stages namely General Ability Test (GAT) and Creative Ability Test (CAT).

• Students must have passed 10+2 grade through CBSE/ ICSE/ IB/ any other board equivalent to the state board/ UGC guidelines.

Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD)

• The IIAD entrance exam is conducted by the Indian Institute of Art and Design in association with Kingston School of Art at Kingston University (KSAKU) to provide admission to UG and PG design programmes. Students can take the IIAD entrance test offline or computer-based test from their homes.

• Candidates who have passed the class 12 exam or appeared in the final year examination in any discipline are eligible to appear for IIAD 2023.

Types of designing courses after 12th

Here is the detailed list of top designing courses after 12th in India at undergraduate and diploma/ certificate levels.