Common Mistakes to Avoid During UCEED Preparation

Published by Shikha Kumari on Sep 12, 2025

UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design) is a national-level design entrance exam conducted by IIT Bombay for admission to undergraduate Bachelor of Design (B. Des) programs at various premier institutions in India, including the participating IITs. In this blog, we’ll learn about the common mistakes that individuals make while preparing for UCEED and how they can avoid such mistakes and get a better score in the examination.

Institutions accepting UCEED score

Several prestigious institutes in India accept UCEED scores for their undergraduate design courses. The list is as follows:

• IIT Bombay
• IIT Delhi
• IIT Guwahati
• IIT Hyderabad
• IIT Indore
• IIT Roorkee
• IIITDM Jabalpur (Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing)
• Delhi Technological University (DTU), Delhi
• World University of Design (WUD), Sonepat, Haryana
• JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur
• Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara, Punjab
• Department of Design, Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT), Delhi
• UPES School of Design, Dehradun
• VIT School of Design (V-SIGN), Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore
• Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), Govt. of India (Various Campuses)
• O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonepat
• Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design & Technology, Bengaluru
• BITS Design School, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
• Chitkara University, Punjab
• Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida
• Jain University, Bengaluru
• Rishihood University, Sonepat
• MIT Institute of Design, Pune
• Nirma University, Institute of Design, Ahmedabad

Common Mistakes 

Here’s a list of common mistakes that individuals make while preparing for UCEED exam-

• Poor time management – They allot more hours to less important topics rather than focusing on the important ones.
• Not solving previous years papers – Due to lack of preparation, candidates think it’s best to leave previous years papers and complete syllabus first which is a huge mistake.
• Ignoring basic concepts – Aspirants usually leave basic topics like GK under the presumption that they know it already but it’s crucial to have a look at these basic topics as well.
• Overcommitting Without a Plan – Following too many resources or study techniques without a structured approach can lead to burnout and inefficiency.
• Neglecting Fundamental Skills – Underestimating the importance of basic drawing, sketching, and design fundamentals can be a significant hurdle.

How to Avoid these basic mistakes?

Here are ways you can avoid these basic mistakes and prepare in a better way for your exam

• Prioritize high-weightage sections first.
• Create a daily timetable and try to follow it. 
• Practice timed tests to build speed as if you are sitting in the exam hall.
• Review weekly and adjust time allocation to strengthen weak areas.
• Download past papers from the official sites and solve complete papers once or twice a week and increase the frequency as the exam gets closer.
• Analyze mistakes to identify gaps 
• Revise GK daily
• Dedicate 1 hour weekly to revise basics.
• Avoid juggling multiple sources to prevent confusion.
• Sketch daily for 1–2 hours
• Practice timed sketches
• Build a portfolio with 8–12 projects for interviews (NID/UCEED)
•  Focus on exam-specific skills 

Conclusion

Preparing for the UCEED exam requires a strategic and disciplined approach to secure admission to premier design institutes like IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi,etc. By avoiding common mistakes such as poor time management, neglecting previous years’ papers, ignoring basic concepts, overcommitting without a plan, and underestimating fundamental skills, candidates can significantly enhance their performance. Adopting effective strategies like prioritizing high-weightage sections, creating a structured timetable, practicing timed tests, revising daily, and focusing on sketching and portfolio development ensures a well-rounded preparation. With consistent effort, regular practice of past papers, and a clear focus on exam-specific skills, aspirants can build confidence, and maximize their chances of achieving a high score in UCEED.