01.
NID DAT (Design Aptitude Test) is the entrance examination for admission to the Bachelor of Design programme at National Institutes of Design. It evaluates creativity, observation, visualisation, design sensitivity, problem-solving and material exploration. The examination has two stages: DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.
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Eligibility: Class 12 passed or appearing, any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts or Humanities). Age restrictions apply according to category.
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Total seats: 428 regular Indian seats across five campuses.
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Total marks: DAT Prelims is used for shortlisting only. Final selection is based on DAT Mains, with 60% weightage for Studio Sensitivity Test and 40% for In-Person Sensitivity Test.
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Campuses: 5 – Ahmedabad, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Assam.
02.
UCEED is conducted by IIT Bombay for admission to Bachelor of Design programmes at participating IITs and IIITDM Jabalpur. It evaluates visualisation, spatial reasoning, creativity, logical reasoning, observation, design aptitude and drawing skills.
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Eligibility: Class 12 passed or appearing, any stream for appearing in the exam. However, individual institutes have different subject requirements for admission.
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Total seats: 245 seats across seven participating institutes (2026–27 seat matrix).
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Total marks: 300 marks – Part A: 200 marks; Part B: 100 marks.
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Campuses: 7 – IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Indore, IIT Roorkee and IIITDM Jabalpur.
03.
NIFT Entrance Examination (NIFTEE) is conducted for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in fashion, lifestyle and design. The B.Des admission process evaluates creative ability, general aptitude, visualisation and practical problem-solving through CAT, GAT and the Situation Test.
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Eligibility: Class 12 passed or appearing, any stream for B.Des. Generally, maximum age is below 24 years as of 1 August of the admission year, with applicable relaxation for reserved categories.
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Total seats: Approximately 3,423 B.Des seats, based on the 2026 seat matrix, including domicile and supernumerary seats.
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Total marks: No single common maximum-mark total for the complete selection process; B.Des final merit weightage is GAT: 30%, CAT: 50%, Situation Test: 20%.
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Campuses: 20 across India.
04.
NATA is conducted by the Council of Architecture for admission to Bachelor of Architecture programmes. It evaluates drawing, composition, colour understanding, spatial ability, visual perception, logical reasoning and architectural aptitude.
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Eligibility: Class 12 passed or appearing with the prescribed subjects, or a 10+3 diploma with Mathematics. Admission has additional subject and aggregate requirements.
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Total seats: No centralised NATA seat matrix. Around 369 institutions impart recognised architectural education in India.
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Total marks: 200 marks – Drawing and Composition: 80; Computer-based Test: 120.
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Institutions: Approximately 369 architecture institutions; there is no single NATA campus count.
05.
JEE Main Paper 2 is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Paper 2A is for Bachelor of Architecture. It assesses mathematical ability and aptitude, with additional drawing or planning-based assessment.
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Eligibility: Class 12 passed or appearing. B.Arch requires Mathematics and Physics along with one prescribed additional subject, with minimum aggregate requirements. B.Planning has separate Mathematics and aggregate requirements.
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Total seats: No single centralised seat count; seats depend on participating NITs, SPAs and other institutions.
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Total marks: 400 marks for each paper.
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Paper 2A (B.Arch): Mathematics 100 + Aptitude 200 + Drawing 100.
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Institutions: NITs, SPAs and other participating architecture and planning colleges; no fixed centralised campus count.
06.
CEED is conducted by IIT Bombay for admission to postgraduate design programmes at IITs and other participating institutions. It evaluates design aptitude, visualisation, creativity, logical reasoning, drawing, problem identification, design thinking and written communication.
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Eligibility: A minimum three-year degree, diploma or postgraduate programme after Class 12, completed or appearing for the final examination by July 2027. A five-year Government Diploma in Art (G.D. Art) after Class 10 is also accepted. No age limit.
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Total seats: No centralised seat matrix. Seats are allocated separately by participating institutions and programmes.
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Total marks: 250 marks – Part A: 150 marks; Part B: 100 marks. Final score is calculated using 25% weightage for Part A and 75% for Part B.
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Institutions: IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, IISc Bangalore, IIITDM Jabalpur and IIITDM Kancheepuram.