IIT Bombay Admission Process 2026: Eligibility, Exam Pattern, and Selection Process

Published by Shikha Kumari on Jan 22, 2025

IDC School of Design at IIT Bombay offers a B.Des. and is considered one of the most reputable institutions for design. The institution offers B.Des. with specializations such as Animation Design, Communication Design, Industrial Design, Interaction Design, and Mobility and Vehicle Design. Candidates who wish to pursue design courses at IIT Bombay must go through the UCEED exam. In this article, candidates can learn about the eligibility criteria, exam details, upcoming important dates for the selection process, as well as the potential packages they may receive.

How to get admission in IIT Bombay after 12th

IIT Bombay registration will proceed through the UCEED exam. Whether a candidate is from humanities, science, or commerce, they are eligible for the exam. A candidate can either give the exam while in class 12 or the following year.  To apply for the exam candidate must have following documents with them while registering:

• Recent photo, face centered, taken within six months.
• Scanned signature on white paper (JPEG format).
• Qualifying exam certificate (PDF).
• Certificate from school principal.
• Gazette notification for name change (PDF).

B.Des IIT Bombay Eligibility

To be eligible for UCEED 2026, candidates can attempt the exam a maximum of two times in consecutive years. This means a candidate who appeared for UCEED 2025 is eligible to appear again in 2026, but those who have already used two attempts are not eligible. Candidates must have passed the qualifying examination (Class 12 or equivalent) in 2024 or later, or be appearing for it in 2026. In terms of age, candidates should be under 25 years as of October 1, 2026. A relaxation of 5 years is provided for SC, ST, and PwD candidates, as per the official eligibility norms.

How to prepare for Exam Pattern

The UCEED exam is divided into two parts: the first part is objective-based, and the second part assesses design skills. Both parts are to be attempted in three hours on a single day. The detailed pattern is provided below:

Part A is divided into NAT (Numerical Answer Type), MSQ (Multiple Select Questions), and MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions). Since NAT does not have negative marking, candidates should attempt all questions regardless of correctness. The section consists of 57 questions worth a total of 200 marks, and candidates must complete it in two hours. Detailed information is provided below:

Part B focuses on the candidate’s design skills and visualization, to be attempted in 1 hour. It consists of two specific questions: sketching and design aptitude (added in 2025). The total marks for this section are 100:

IIT Exam B.Des Registration

UCEED notification for 2026 exam was released on 1 October 2025, the exam is scheduled to be conducted on 18 January 2026.

To promote more equity and diversity, IIT Bombay introduces different fees for different categories.

B.Des IIT Bombay Selection Process

All shortlisted candidates will get a common merit rank (All India Rank). Candidates shortlisted are considered as qualified in UCEED. But merely obtaining a rank in UCEED does NOT guarantee admission to the BDes programme.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. How to get admission in IIT Bombay for BDes?
A. To get admission to the B.Des program at IIT Bombay, you must appear for and qualify UCEED. After the UCEED results, eligible candidates need to participate in the centralized counselling process, fill in institute preferences, and secure a seat based on rank, category, and availability.

Q2. What rank is required for IIT Bombay in UCEED?
A. For General category candidates, a top 15–20 UCEED rank is usually required to get B.Des at IIT Bombay. For OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD categories, the closing ranks are relatively lower, depending on yearly cut-offs and seat availability.

Q3. Who is eligible for IIT Bombay design course?
A. Candidates must have passed or be appearing for Class 12 (10+2) or equivalent and must qualify UCEED. They should also meet the age criteria prescribed for the exam, with category-wise relaxations.

Q4. Who is eligible for UCEED exam for IIT Bombay?
A. Students from any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts) who meet the age limit and Class 12 eligibility criteria can appear for UCEED. There is no requirement to have studied art or design previously.

Q5. How many seats are in IIT design?
A. IIT Bombay offers around 37 seats in its B.Des program, including seats across all categories. This limited intake makes admission highly competitive.