UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria, Educational Qualifications, Age Limit, Number of Attempts
UCEED 2026, conducted by IIT Bombay on 18 January 2026, is for BDes admission. Candidates from all streams are eligible, subject to age, education, and attempt limits. The score remains valid for one year, and reservation rules apply. Foreign nationals must meet additional institute-specific criteria.
Shruti Kumari29 Oct, 2025
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UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria: The UCEED exam 2026 will be held on 18 January 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This national-level examination is conducted by IIT Bombay. The examination is held to admit students into Bachelor of Design programs in IITs and other participating universities.
The exam tests important design skills, such as creativity, imagination, logical thinking, and problem-solving. Before registering, all students, including foreign nationals, must carefully check the eligibility rules. Here we cover all the important details related to UCEED 2026 eligibility criteria.
UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria Overview
The Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED) is a national-level test. Here is a formal overview of the three mandatory criteria for UCEED 2026 eligibility:
| UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria Overview | |
| Feature | Details |
| Full Name | Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED) |
| Conducting Body | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay |
| Exam Level | National |
| Purpose | BDes Admission at IITs and other participating institutes |
| Exam Date & Time | Sunday, January 18, 2026 (09:00 AM to 12:00 Noon) |
| Mode of Exam | Combined Mode: Part A – Computer-Based Test, Part B – Pen & Paper/Drawing Test |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
| Eligibility (Age Limit) | Born on or after October 1, 2001 (OPEN/EWS/OBC-NCL); Born on or after October 1, 1996 (SC/ST/PwD) |
| Eligibility (Qualification) | Passed Class XII (or equivalent) in 2025 OR appearing for the first time in 2026 (from any stream) |
| Number of Attempts | Maximum of two consecutive attempts (e.g., UCEED 2025 and UCEED 2026) |
| Score Card Validity | Valid for admission only in the Academic Year 2026-2027 |
| Official Website | uceed.iitb.ac.in |
UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria
UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria asks candidates to fulfill some of the major criteria. It is essential for candidates to meet these criteria to appear in the examination without any hurdles. Here, we cover the UCEED 2026 Eligibility criteria in detail:
Nationality: The examination is open to all nationals, including Indian Nationals and Foreign Nationals.
Educational Qualification 2026
A candidate must have satisfied the following criteria:
| Educational Qualification 2026 | |
| Eligibility Aspect | Details |
| Qualifying Examination | Candidate must have passed all subjects in Class XII (or equivalent) in 2025 OR be appearing for the first time in 2026. |
| Not Eligible | Candidates who appeared for the first time in Class XII (or equivalent) in 2024 or earlier. |
| Eligible Streams | Students from all streams – Science, Commerce, and Arts & Humanities. |
Age Limit 2026
The age requirements for UCEED 2026 are categorized based on the candidate's reservation status. This criterion ensures a specific age profile for the aspirants, with relaxation provided for reserved categories as per government mandates.
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For OPEN, EWS, and OBC-NCL Categories: Candidates must have been born on or after October 1, 2001.
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For SC, ST, or PwD Categories: Candidates must have been born on or after October 1, 1996.
This differentiation in the UCEED Age Limit 2026 provides a five-year relaxation to candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Persons with Disability (PwD) categories.
Number of Attempts 2026
UCEED examination has a clear restriction on the number of times. That is, a candidate can attempt the test, coupled with a condition on the consecutive nature of these attempts:
| Number of Attempts 2026 | |
| Rule / Aspect | Details |
| Number of Attempts | Maximum of two attempts allowed. |
| Consecutive Attempts | Both attempts must be in consecutive years (e.g., 2025 and 2026). Non-consecutive attempts (e.g., 2024 and 2026) are not allowed. |
| Score Validity | UCEED score is valid for one year only, for admission in the corresponding academic year (e.g., UCEED 2026 score valid for 2026-2027 admissions). |
| Exclusion Clause | Candidates already allocated a B.Des seat in any participating institute after the joint seat allocation process are not eligible to appear, even if they have a second attempt remaining. |
UCEED 2026 Reservation Criteria
Admission to B.Des programs in participating colleges follows the Government of India’s reservation rules. These rules decide how many seats are reserved for different categories of students. UCEED 2026 reservation rules are used when seats are given based on merit ranks in each category. The reservation percentages are set according to the government guidelines:
| UCEED 2026 Reservation Criteria | |
| Category | Percentage of Seats Reserved |
| Other Backward Classes - Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) | 27% |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | 10% |
| Persons with Disability (PwD) | 5% (Horizontal Reservation) |
UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Key Things to Remember
The table below carries some of the key things related to UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria that candidates must remember. Check the provided table:
| UCEED 2026 Eligibility Criteria | |
| Eligibility Aspect | Details |
| Simultaneous Fulfillment | All three criteria — Age Limit, Number of Attempts, and Educational Qualification — must be met together. |
| Validity of Score | The UCEED 2026 score is valid for one year only, for admissions in the 2026-2027 academic year. |
| Foreign Nationals | All eligibility criteria apply. Additional conditions may exist for B.Des admission based on qualifying exam subjects and stream for certain institutes (e.g., IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee, IIITDM Jabalpur). |
| No Minimum Marks | No minimum percentage or marks required in Class XII, but candidates must pass all subjects. |