UCEED 2015 FAQ

1. Which academic stream in my XII standard (or equivalent) should I have studied in to be eligible for the UCEED examination?
   Students from any academic stream (e.g. science, arts & humanities, commerce etc.) in their XII standard (or equivalent), are eligible to apply for UCEED.
2. Are there any books that I can study to prepare for UCEED?
   UCEED is a design aptitude test. Aptitude tests assume that individuals have inherent strengths and weaknesses, and are naturally inclined toward success or failure in certain areas based on their inherent characteristics. Except for the syllabi section ‘Environmental and social awareness’ which will test your general awareness in the topics outlined under it, the remaining five sections will test your aptitude. Consequently there are no text or reference books that we can recommend.
3. My birth date is only a few days/weeks/months/years short of the age eligibility criteria. Can you make an exemption for me?
   No.
4. I passed my XII standard in 2013 (or earlier). Can you make an exemption for me?
   No.
5. How is that students from all academic streams are eligible to apply for UCEED?
   Design is an interdisciplinary activity. Holistic design considers the sciences, arts, technology, economics, media, policy, society and culture. Successful designers have backgrounds in the arts, sciences and the humanities. We believe the B. Des. aspirants at IDC, IIT Bombay can come from any background and learn to become good designers through our well-rounded curriculum.
6. Many design aptitude exams that I know of, test drawing skills. How will drawing skills be tested in an objective type examination like UCEED?
   While drawing skills can demonstrate a person’s visualization skills, there are equally effective or better ways to test such skills through objective measures. Besides, we recognise that many students may not have had drawing skills training in their 10+2 schooling, and therefore UCEED will not put them at a disadvantage.
7. Why is UCEED not held in my city? Can you have a center in my city?
   Conducting a national level exam, and especially an exam that is held for the first time, is a massive exercise. The UCEED 2015 Committee carefully considered all logistical and operational issues before deciding on the 9 cities where UCEED 2015 will be held. For further details refer to Section 5. Cities where UCEED will be held, (pg.8) of the UCEED brochure.
8. I have registered for UCEED on the first day. Will I get the morning slot (Session 1)?
   If UCEED 2015 is conducted in two sessions, the candidates will be randomly allotted to one of the two sessions. Refer to Section 4. Schedule of UCEED 2015 (pg.7) and Annexure 4: Method of Normalization (pg.24) for detailed information and rationale behind it.
9. What will be the format of the UCEED question paper?
   Refer to Section 17. Question Paper (pg.15) of the UCEED brochure.
10. Will there be negative marking?
    Of the three sections in the question paper, two sections have negative marking. For further details refer to Section 17. Question Paper (pg.15) of the UCEED brochure.
11. I made a mistake while filling up the application form. What should I do?
    Send an email to [email protected] with details related to your application (registration number, candidate name, and mobile phone number) and describing clearly the nature of the mistake. Where possible we will rectify the mistake, or advise you on what to do next. In addition to this, any discrepancy in the UCEED application will be intimated to the candidates while the same is scrutinized by us.
12. I filled up the application form, but I was unable to complete the fee payment successfully. What should I do?
    There could be several reasons for this, including, but not limited to slow internet speed leading to time-outs, bad connection to the payment gateway, conflicting browser settings or browser compatibility. When a payment error occurs, and you are unable to go back to retry payment, make sure you are using the recommended browsers and versions, clear your browser cookies and cache or try using a different browser altogether.

If the problem persists, you can either call us at the contact numbers given in website, or send an email to [email protected] with details related to your application (registration number, candidate name and mobile phone number) and describing clearly the nature of the problem. All the problems related  to the payment for each and every candidate will be sorted out before the last date of application submission.

1. Who can apply for B. Des. admissions?
   UCEED qualified candidates who have completed their XII Board Examination (or equivalent) can apply for B. Des.
2. Is there a separate application? Or is it part of the UCEED application?
   It is a separate application. The procedure and online application form will be provided on the UCEED website after the UCEED results are announced. For more details refer to Section 23 (pg.18) of the UCEED brochure.
3. Should I have to qualify for JEE (Main) or JEE (Adv) to be eligible for admission to the B. Des. programme?
   No. UCEED is the only qualifying exam for admission to the B. Des. programme.
4. Am I qualified to apply to B. Des. if I qualify in JEE (Main) or JEE (Adv)?
   No. UCEED and JEE are two entirely different exams. To apply for admission to the B. Des. programme at IIT Bombay, a candidate is required to qualify in UCEED, as well as satisfy the Minimum Educational Qualifications (MEQ), which is a PASS in XII Board (or equivalent) examination.
5. Am I allowed to change branch after getting admitted to B. Des. at IIT Bombay?
   No.
6. How similar or different is the B. Des. programme at IIT Bombay compared to the B. Des. at IIT Guwahati?
   IIT Bombay will admit students to its B. Des. ONLY through UCEED. In terms of curriculum, there may be substantial similarities just as there are significant differences. For details related to course content refer to respective department websites.
7. What is the B. Des. course fee structure?
   The IIT Bombay Academics website will shortly have the B. Des. fee structure. It will be the same as that of a regular BTech degree. We will update the UCEED website with a link to it as soon as the information is available.
8. I am interested in knowing what I will learn in the B. Des. course. What is the B. Des. course structure?
   Please refer to the detailed course structure of the B. Des. + M. Des. Dual Degree program on IDC website.
9. Are there separate disciplines in B. Des. just as M. Des. has in Visual Communications, Product Design etc.?
   B. Des. programme does not have separate disciplines. It is a general design course which will have inputs from all the design disciplines. Refer to the IDC website for the B. Des. course structure to know more about the course.
10. Are my XII Board marks considered for the B. Des. admissions?
    Board marks are not considered for the B. Des. admissions. Only a PASS is required.
11. Will there be any portfolio presentation/review and/or personal interview following the UCEED, for admission to B.Des.?
    Your performance in UCEED will be the only selection criteria for B.Des. admissions. There will be no portfolio presentations/reviews or personal interviews.

1. Who will award the B. Des. degree — IIT Bombay or IDC?
   IDC is an academic department under IIT Bombay. IDC does not award any degrees, All IDC degrees are awarded by IIT Bombay.
2. Is the B. Des. degree recognised by the government?
   IIT Bombay is an autonomous government institution empowered to award degrees. IIT Bombay degrees are recognised not just by our government, but world-wide.
3. Can I appear for UPSC and other such competitive exams after B. Des.?
   You will be able to appear for such exams. But frankly if you want to appear for civil service, why do you want to do design? We are hoping the educate future designers of the world.
4. What kind of careers can I look forward to after B. Des.?
   Design jobs are becoming ubiquitous in nearly every area of business and governance. Organisations involved with technology, management, manufacturing, retail, IT services, government, planning & policy, entertainment, communication, user centered research and lifestyle have seen the biggest growth in terms of employing designers. For a more elaborate list, please search the Internet, there are a lot of resources on design careers.
5. What is the B. Des. course fees?
   It will be approximately Rs. 60,000 per semester, including tuition, hostel and other fees. The exact fee structure for the 2015-2016 batch of incoming students will be made available closer to the time of admissions. But the IIT Academic webpage has detailed breakdown of last semester fees, which should give a good idea. There are two semesters in a year.
6. Are there scholarships?
   Please refer to this page for more information on Institute, Private and Govt. scholarships available to UG students.
7. What about hostel facilities?
   There is detailed information on IIT Bombay hostels here.
8. What is design education like?
   Please visit the IDC website. There you will find faculty and student projects, the research work happening in IDC, facilities, events, and much more. They will give you a good idea of what generally happens in a design school and how the education is carried out.
9. I am from the non-science stream in my XII. Will I be able to cope with the course?
   If you are good enough to qualify in UCEED and make it to the B. Des. selection list, coping with B. Des. will not be a problem for you.
10. I am an NRI / PIO / OCI card holder. Is there a separate quota for people like me?
    No. You will have to qualify in in UCEED and fulfill all the eligibility criteria required by Indian citizens.