Fashion Designing Entrance Exams 2025: Top Tests, Syllabus, and Smart Preparation Tips for Aspiring Designers
Published by Shikha Kumari on May 28, 2025
While fashion designing in India is getting more attention in recent years due to the development of urban areas, at the same time, the competition for fashion designing is also increasing. If you are an aspirant of fashion designing, you should avail all the information you can get about fashion designing courses and their entrance exam for the future. In this blog, we are going to discuss the same about salaries and how to do smart preparation for those tests.
Fashion Design Entrance Exams
In June 2025, most of the entrance exams will have already been conducted and will be in the counselling processes; however, candidates can pursue these entrance exams in the upcoming year, starting from January itself. Some of the most popular exams conducted for Fashion Designing courses are NIFT Exam, UCEED, CEED, and NID DAT. These exams are designed in a way so that fashion design aspects such as presence of mind, creativity, and special designing can be assessed. While they may have different exam patterns, the course of each entrance exam remains the same. Also, the IIAD Entrance exam 2025 registration will open soon for candidates interested in joining the best courses after the 12th. So, if you are wondering which course is best for fashion designing after 12th, these entrance exams are your first step.
| Exam Name | Full Form | Accepted At |
| NIFT Exam | National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam | NIFT institutes across India |
| UCEED | Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design | IIT Bombay (B.Des), plus several other design institutes |
| CEED | Common Entrance Examination for Design | IIT Bombay (Postgraduate design programs) |
| NID DAT | National Institute of Design Design Aptitude Test | National Institute of Design (NID) campuses across India |
Fashion Design Courses
For pursuing fashion designing after the 10th, the Arts stream is generally recommended as it provides a strong foundation in creativity and aesthetics. If the candidate wishes to proceed with fashion designing for a bachelor’s or post degree, they should qualify eligibility requirements. To get admission, candidates must clear the Entrance Exam for Fashion Design after 12th.
| Course Level | Eligibility Requirements |
| Undergraduate / Diploma / Certificate | 12th grade in any stream (Arts, Science, Commerce) with at least 50% marks from a recognised board. |
| Postgraduate / Diploma / Certificate | Bachelor’s degree (BDes, BA, BSc, BVoc) in a related field like Fashion Design, Interior Design, Architecture, etc., with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognised university. |
| After 10th Grade Diploma / Certificate | Passing 10th grade or equivalent from a recognised institution. |
Syllabus & Exam Pattern
Fashion Designing course entrance Exam pages on the exam have a different marking scheme and weightage for different sections. While exams like UCEED focus on candidates’ ability of observation, design sensitivity, 3D modelling, and creativity, other tests such as the NIFT exam focus more on situation-based questions where practical skills of a candidate are applied. Likewise, exams for postgraduate fashion courses such as CEED are particularly difficult due to the application of analytical reasoning.
| Exam Name | Test Areas |
| UCEED | Visualisation, spatial reasoning, observation, design sensitivity, analytical reasoning, language, creativity |
| NID DAT | Visual thinking, creative ability, and general aptitude |
| NIFT Exam | Creative ability, general aptitude, and situation-based problem-solving skills |
| CEED | Design principles, drawing, and analytical reasoning |
Previous Year Question Papers
In the following table, we have included some of the popular exam question papers along with answers. These question papers cover entrance exams such as UCEED, ISDI DAT, and IIAD Entrance Exam Sample Papers. Candidates are advised to practise these question papers regularly so they can understand and respond to the next paper accordingly by making their pattern of attempting the question paper.
| IIAD Design Aptitude Test (iDAT) Question Paper 2019 | Download PDF |
| IIAD Design Aptitude Test (iDAT) Question Paper 2020 | Download PDF |
| MIT DAT Bachelor of Design UG Question Paper | Download PDF |
| MIT DAT Fashion Management & Marketing PG Question Paper | Download PDF |
| UCEED Practice Question Paper 2024 | Download PDF |
| UCEED Answers 2024 | Download PDF |
| UCEED Practice Question Paper 2023 | Download PDF |
| UCEED Answers 2023 | Download PDF |
| ISDI 2019 Challenge Undergraduate Program | Download PDF |
| ISDI 2020 Challenge Undergraduate Program | Download PDF |
Preparation Tips for Design Entrance
To grow as an artist and designer, start by practising drawing and sketching regularly. Take the time to understand the basics of design. Those elements can make a design work, and the creative process behind it all. Work on your ability to think visually, imagining shapes and forms in both 2D & 3D. Develop your situation-solving skills.
Finally, build a portfolio that showcases your best work. Think of it as a way to tell your story and share your creative journey with others, especially those who can help you take the next step in your career.
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