B.Des Entrance Exams You Shouldn't Miss in 2026
B.Des entrance exams you shouldn’t miss in 2026 cover top tests such as NID DAT, UCEED, NIFT and more. Explore eligibility, major-accepting institutes and application windows for a smooth B.Des admission process.
B.Des Entrance Exams you shouldn’t miss in 2026 are the real gateways to India’s top design colleges where the competition only seems to rise each year. According to several reports, nearly 40,000 to 50,000 applicants apply for leading design exams like NIFT, NID DAT and UCEED annually, chasing around 4,000 B.Des seats across reputed institutes. Some colleges accept national-level entrance exams, while others conduct in-house tests.
Picking the right exam early helps avoid overlapping dates and last-minute confusion. In this article, let’s explore the key UG entrance tests for 2026 that every design aspirant should keep on their checklist.
Also Read : How is B.Des Fashion Design Different from B.Sc Fashion Design?
Top B.Des Entrance Exams in India 2026
Design entrances in India test creativity as much as they test clarity of thought. Usually, the top ones open their application window around October and continue till early next year.
Check below the most popular entrance exams for B.Des admission 2026, along with who can apply, dates, and key institutes that accept these scores.
Exam Name | Eligibility | Application Dates | Exam Dates | Colleges/ Universities Accepting |
NID DAT (Design Aptitude Test) | 10 + 2 from any stream of a recognised board | September 11, 2025 to December 1, 2025, 11.59 pm | December 21, 2025 (Prelims). Mains date to be announced later | National Institute of Design Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati), Assam (Jorhat), Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), Haryana (Kurukshetra), Assam (Jorhat), and Gujarat (Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad) |
UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design) | 10 + 2 in Science, Commerce or Arts | October 1, 2025 to November 5, 2025 (Regular Fee) | January 18, 2026 | IIT Bombay , IIT Delhi , IIT Guwahati , IIT Hyderabad , IIITDM Jabalpur |
10 + 2 in any stream from an authorised board, upper age limit is 24 years, as of August 1, 2026 | November/ December 2025 | February 2026 (Tentative) | National Institute of Fashion Technology (17 campuses across India) | |
AIEED (All India Entrance Exam for Design) | 10 + 2 or equivalent appearing/ passed, lower age limit must be 16 years | November 1, 2025 | December 15 to December 20, 2025 | ARCH College of Design and Business (Jaipur & partner institutes) |
IIAD Design Aptitude Test (iDAT) | 10 + 2 in any stream with at least 50% marks | Phase 1 - November/ December 2025 Phase 2 - January 2026 Phase 3 - April 2026 Phase 4 - May 2026 | Phase 1 - December 13, 2025 (Online) and December 14, 2025 (Online & Offline) Phase 2 - February 2026 (Tentative) Phase 3 - April 2026 (Tentative) Phase 4 - May 2026 (Tentative) | Indian Institute of Art and Design , New Delhi |
Many students typically appear for at least 2 or more exams, just to keep multiple doors open for admission.
Also Read: B.Des Product Design or B.Sc Product Design: Which degree is better?
To summarise, shortlisting the right B.Des entrance exams early saves time and stress later. Keep checking official portals for new updates, and plan your 2026 admission journey smartly.
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