UCEED 2027: The IIT Design Entrance Open to Every Stream Closes at the Normal Fee on 31 October
Published 22/10/2026
In short: Registration for UCEED 2027, the entrance exam for the four-year Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and five other institutes, closes at the normal fee on 31 October 2026. It is open to Class 12 students from any stream, so this is worth a look for Commerce and Arts families who assume IITs are only for PCM.
What happened
IIT Bombay, which runs UCEED this year, opened registration on 1 October. The official website lists 31 October as the last day at the normal fee and 6 November, 5 pm as the final cut-off with a late fee. After that the portal closes on its own.
The exam is on Sunday, 17 January 2027, from 9 am to 12 noon, in 30 cities across India. Results come on 6 March 2027.
UCEED scores are used for the B.Des. at seven institutes: IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Indore, IIT Roorkee and IIITDM Jabalpur. Many other colleges also accept the score, so check the list on the official website for the current year.
Who can apply?
The questions families ask most, answered from the official brochure:
- Which stream? Science, Commerce and Arts & Humanities are all eligible. One catch: IIT Guwahati and IIT Roorkee need Physics, Chemistry and Maths in Class 12, and IIITDM Jabalpur needs Physics and Chemistry with Maths or Biology. The other four institutes take any stream.
- Which year? You must be taking Class 12 boards for the first time in 2027, or have taken them for the first time in 2026.
- Age? Born on or after 1 October 2002 for General, EWS and OBC-NCL candidates; on or after 1 October 1997 for SC, ST and PwD candidates.
- How many tries? Two at most, in back-to-back years.
For students
The paper has two parts, and the second one is where design entrances are different from everything else you are preparing for.
- Part A (200 marks, two hours, on a computer) has numerical-answer questions, multiple-select questions and multiple-choice questions. Wrong answers in the last two lose marks, so guessing has a cost.
- Part B (100 marks, one hour, on paper) has one sketching question and one design-aptitude question. It is marked only for candidates shortlisted on Part A, and there is a minimum qualifying score for it too.
- Choose three exam cities carefully. You rank them while registering, and the city cannot be changed later.
- Start sketching now. Ten minutes of drawing everyday objects each day, from life and not from photos, builds the hand you need by January.
- Keep board exams first. UCEED falls in mid-January, in the middle of board preparation. A steady weekly plan is safer than a last-minute push.
For parents
- The fee. ₹2,000 for female candidates of all categories and for SC, ST and PwD candidates; ₹4,000 for all others. Paying after 31 October adds ₹500. Bank charges are extra, and the fee is not refunded.
- Seats are few. The brochure's current seat table (for 2026–27) shows 245 B.Des. seats across the seven institutes. Treat UCEED as one strong option alongside other design and non-design choices, not the only plan.
- Is design a real career? Graduates work in product, interaction and communication design, animation and user-experience roles. If your child already spends hours drawing, making or redesigning things, this test is worth one attempt.
- Do the form together. Check the name and date of birth against the Class 10 certificate and keep the category certificate ready before paying.
Key dates
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| 31 Oct 2026 | Last day to register at the normal fee |
| 6 Nov 2026, 5 pm | Last chance, with ₹500 late fee |
| 1 Jan 2027 | Admit card available |
| 17 Jan 2027 | Exam, 9 am to 12 noon |
| 6 Mar 2027 | Results |
Sources
- UCEED 2027 important dates, IIT Bombay, checked 22 October 2026
- UCEED 2027 information brochure (eligibility, fees, pattern, seats), checked 22 October 2026
- UCEED 2027 announcements, checked 22 October 2026
Dates can change. Confirm on the official website before you pay or apply.
If you are weighing design against other paths, there is more on easyapply.in when useful.