The Common Entrance Examination for Design is a competitive national-level examination that takes place each year. It provides the benchmark for admission to MDes programmes for design. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay supervises this competitive examination.

Download CEED Questions for Home Practice

CEED Exam Paper Pattern

Step 1:  Any exam preparation must start with knowing the exam paper pattern.

CEED 2021 exam paper pattern will have 2 parts: Part A and Part B

What will Part A have?

Part A is a computer-based screening test and contains objective type questions of the following categories

1. NAT- Where the answer is a number
2. MCQ-Multiple choice questions, where more than one answer can be correct and
3. MCQ – Multiple choice questions, where only one answer can be correct

The break-up of the marks for CEED PART A is given below-  

The MSQ and MCQ questions will have negative marking

Section	Number of Questions	Question Number	Marks if Correct	Marks if Wrong	Marks if Not Attempted	Total Marks
NAT	8	1-8	3	0	0	24
MSQ	10	9-18	3	-0.2	0	30
MCQ	23	19-41	2	-0.2	0	46
Total	41	1-41				100

 

(check out our video on CEED preparation tips for Part A question examples)

Part A syllabus has the following 6 topics

1. Visualisation and Spatial Ability
2. Environmental and Social Awareness
3. Analytical and Logical Reasoning
4. Language and Creativity
5. Design Thinking and Problem Solving
6. Observation and Design Sensitivity

• Visualization and Spatial Ability: In this topic, pictorial and diagrammatic questions are asked to test the transformation/ manipulation of 2D shapes and 3D objects followed by their spatial relationships.

Example:

Two perspective views of the same solid object are shown below. How many surfaces does the object contain? Assume hidden surfaces to be flat. (NAT)

• Environmental and Social Awareness:In this section, candidates are asked questions based on environment and social awareness. You can expect questions related to pollution, population, climate, literature, natural resources, history of art etc. are asked.

Example:

Images of traditional products of certain states of India are shown below. Identify the correct set of states to which these belong. Names of the states are in a random sequence. The products are made out of clay, willow/wicker, wood and brass. (MCQ)

1. Maharashtra, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh
2. Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh
3. Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana
4. Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana

• Analytical and Logical Reasoning:In this section, analytical and logical reasoning questions are asked. You can expect questions on patterns, brainteasers, data interpretation, assumptions and conclusions, arguments, etc.

Example:

Two water tanks A and B of equal square base of sides 3 feet are shown below. Water flows from tank A to tank B through a tube. What will be the volume (in cubic feet) of water in Tank A when the water stops flowing? (NAT)

• Language and Creativity:Students must have the ability to understand passages in a commonly used English language. Aspiring candidates must think creatively in the matter of alternatives, facility to differentiate innovative options and think out of the box.

Example:

Fill in the blanks to keep the sentence grammatically correct as well as meaningful. (MCQ)

……….. the facts, she proceeded with her decision, finally ending up with a …………. situation.

1. Nevertheless, happy
2. Apparently, initially
3. However, noteworthy
4. Notwithstanding, sad

 Design Thinking and Problem Solving:In this section, questions on various topics like metaphors, symbols, signs, visual analogies are asked.

Example:

Four square table-tops of the same dimensions are shown below. Only the designs of their supports are different from each other. If a person stands upright on the red mark on each of the tables, which of the tables will topple? (MSQ)

 

• Observation and Design Sensitivity: This section questions will be asked to test the candidate’s ability to analyze, reason, classify, infer and predict and also ability to discern subtle differences in visual properties and aesthetic outcomes.

Example:

Identify the option that will replace the question mark. (MCQ)

Solve Important Topics:

I. Numerical Ability

1. Mensuration
2. Geometry

II. English Language & Comprehension

1. Rearrangement
2. Reading Comprehension

III. Reasoning & Logical Deduction

1. Sitting Arrangement
2. Number, Ranking & Time Sequence Test
3. Direction Sense Test
4. Puzzle Test
5. Cube & Dice

IV. Non-Verbal Reasoning

1. Figure Series
2. Mirror Images
3. Paper Folding & Cutting
4. Formation of Figures
5. Counting of Figures
6. Embedded Figures
7. Figure Completion
8. Figure Matrix

Watch Video on How to Solve Previous Year CEED Questions

 What will Part B have?

Part B will have questions of the following categories to test the candidate’s design, drawing, and writing skills

1. Sketching
2. Creativity
3. Form sensitivity
4. Visual sensitivity
5. Problem identification

Candidates will be given five questions based on the above categories and they have to attempt all the questions.

The break-up of the marks for CEED PART B is given below-  

Section	Number of Questions	Question Number	Total Marks
Sketching	1	1	20
Creativity	1	2	20
Form sensitivity	1	3	20
Visual sensitivity	1	4	20
Problem identification	1	5	20
Total	5	1-5	100

Step 2: Manage your time properly

It is important to keep in mind that the duration of the examination will be three hours. You need to distribute your time wisely in a way that you are able to answer all questions. You will be able to obtain your desired result only if you can implement this strategy.

Here are a few tips that will help you manage your time properly

• Solve sample question papers. this will help you identify the areas where you’re an expert. This will help you finish your paper faster and gain confidence.
• You should manage your time to finish all the questions at least 15 mins before so that you can revisit the unanswered questions and try to solve them.

Step 3: Solve previous years’ CEED Question papers

No doubt that detailed information about the syllabus and question pattern will be important for your systematic preparation.

Benefits of solving previous years’ question papers

• Candidates know what to expect and will help in managing time efficiently.
• You need to check the length of time you take to answer each question and categorize them. This will be an important step and a vital one that will decide if you can answer all the questions within the stipulated time slot.
• It will also help you overcome the anxiety regarding the outcome of the exam. The latter will assist you in calming down your nerves and take the CEED exam on the scheduled date with a free mind.

Step 4: Practice sketching and everyday design and creative exercises

Your drawing skills will play a role, especially in Part B. You will get a question of 20 marks in this part which you might not want to miss out. Choose a light pencil that doesn’t leave traces behind on a piece of paper when you erase your sketch.

Aside from improving your drawing skills, you also need to be quick with so you do not run out of time while answering a question on it. Rigorous practice will be your best bet to attain perfection.

Step 5: Understand the question before you start answering. Give a good amount of time to think before you begin. This is so that you don’t miss the context.

Step 6: Read magazines and newspapers regularly to improve your communication skills. Since your ability to communicate clearly is tested in the CEED exam, reading a lot will help.

Step 7: Refer to design books of reputed authors or get to study materials from a reputed Design coaching institute.

Books will play a prominent role in your chances for success in CEED 2021 competitive examination. However, you will need to choose the right books to meet with success in the assessment. Despite the overwhelming number of choices in the market, you will need to choose the right book for maximizing your chances for success.

For best results, you may refer to the books given below.

Name of the book	Name of the author
Art Perception	David Cycleback
Quantitative Aptitude	RS Aggarwal
Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning	RS Aggarwal
Design Drawing	Francis DK Ching

You can also refer to SILICA’s CEED coaching study material- https://silicastore.ccavenue.com/stores/prl/silicastore,49158

 CEED Exam Dates

If you have enrolled for the CEED entrance exam 2021 then you might want to save these dates-

Event	Dates
Admit card available for download	January 1, 2021 onwards
Date of examination	January 17 2021, Sunday, 9 am to 2pm
Declaration of results	March 8 , 2021

Institutes involved in CEED entrance Exam

List of CEED 2021 Participating Institutes

IISc Bangalore

Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing

IIT Bombay

IDC School of Design (Industrial Design Centre)

IIT Delhi

Department of Design

IIT Guwahati

Department of Design

IIT Hyderabad

Department of Design

IIT Kanpur

Design Programme

IIITDM Jabalpur

Design Discipline

 

 CEED 2021 Result Sharing Institutes:

World University of Design (WUD) Sonepat, Haryana

UPES School of DesignDehradun

Shiv Nadar University

Department of Design

JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur

Department of Design, School of Engineering Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam

Also Read : What Is The Criteria In Selecting An Ideal Coaching Institute For CEED?