CEED Syllabus 2027: Part A and Part B Topics Guide

The CEED syllabus covers the design aptitude that IIT Bombay tests for M.Des and PhD design admissions. CEED 2027 will be held on 17 January 2027, and its syllabus is split into two parts: Part A, a one-hour computer-based test of visual, logical and design knowledge, and Part B, a two-hour paper of drawing and design questions answered by hand.

The official CEED 2027 brochure names the syllabus areas for each part but does not publish a topic-wise list or recommend any textbook. The topic lists below are built from the official syllabus areas and from questions asked in recent CEED papers. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list. You will also find a study plan, a weekly time split and the link to official previous papers.

Table of Contents

CEED 2027 Syllabus at a Glance

Part A is used to shortlist candidates whose Part B is evaluated, and the final score weights Part A at 25% and Part B at 75%. The marking rules are explained on the CEED exam pattern page.

Key Points to Know About the CEED Syllabus

• It tests aptitude, not your degree subjects: Engineers, architects, artists and humanities graduates sit the same paper, so no single background has the full syllabus covered.

• No textbook is prescribed: IIT Bombay states that no specific textbook is recommended. Past papers set the real level.

• Part B has five fixed question themes: Sketching, Creativity, Form Sensitivity, Visual Sensitivity and Problem Identification, 20 marks each. The context changes each year, but the skill being tested does not.

• Part B is answered on paper: Some pages describe Part B as a computer-written test. The question is displayed on screen, but you draw and write your answers in the booklet provided.

• Calculators are not allowed: Numerical questions in Part A must be solved by hand, so practise mental arithmetic and quick estimation.

CEED Part A Syllabus

Part A has nine syllabus areas. The table lists what to cover in each and where to start if you are short on time.

Visualization and spatial reasoning

This is the most reliable scorer in Part A because it appears every year in NAT, MSQ and MCQ form. The CEED 2026 paper, for example, asked candidates to section a cube with a plane and work out the volume of one piece. Practise with physical models such as paper cubes or clay if you find mental rotation hard.

Art, design and design methods

These areas reward broad reading. Recent papers have asked candidates to arrange art movements in order and to choose anthropometric percentiles for a bus seat. Build a one-page timeline of art movements, a list of well-known designers and products, and a summary of common materials and how they are processed.

Language, reasoning and observation

English questions stay at a standard level, but long passages can eat time. Reasoning and observation questions look easy and still cause careless errors, especially in MSQs where one wrong option costs a mark.

CEED Part B Syllabus

The brochure lists four Part B areas: drawing, creativity, communication and problem identification. In the paper these appear as five compulsory questions of 20 marks each.

Question 1: Sketching

• What is tested: Proportion, line quality, composition, perspective and shading.

• Typical task: Draw a scene or object from a given viewpoint. In CEED 2026, candidates drew a domestic kitchen with a child, her pet dog and her father, seen from a nearby chair.

• Prepare by: Drawing people and interiors from life daily, and practising one-point and two-point perspective.

Question 2: Creativity

• What is tested: Original ideas, storytelling and the ability to work within constraints.

• Typical task: Build a story, concept or composition from given symbols or elements. CEED 2026 asked for a four-frame story using given symbols, with a title and frame labels.

• Prepare by: Doing quick idea-generation drills where you list ten uses or ten stories for one prompt in five minutes.

Question 3: Form Sensitivity

• What is tested: Your sense of three-dimensional form, function and aesthetics in an object.

• Typical task: Design and render a usable product inspired by a shape or theme, such as the single-seat furniture inspired by a sphere asked in 2026.

• Prepare by: Sketching product concepts with rendering for material and light, and checking that each one can actually be used.

Question 4: Visual Sensitivity

• What is tested: Graphic communication through layout, symbols, icons, colour and typography.

• Typical task: Create a visual system, such as the set of four black-and-white, text-free icons for a science museum's sections in 2026.

• Prepare by: Designing icon sets, posters and signage with limited colours, and keeping a consistent visual style across a set.

Question 5: Problem Identification

• What is tested: Understanding users and context, spotting real problems, and proposing practical design solutions.

• Typical task: Identify problems faced by a user in a situation and propose solutions. In 2026, candidates listed four problems for an elderly couple travelling from Srinagar to Chennai for medical treatment, then gave two solutions for one problem.

• Prepare by: Observing everyday situations, writing short user-problem-solution notes, and sketching solutions with brief labels.

Overlap Between Part A and Part B

Studying in this overlapping way saves time. One evening of ergonomics study helps a Part A MCQ and gives you better arguments in the Part B problem identification answer.

Building Your CEED Study Toolkit

Because there is no prescribed book, most of your material comes from a few practical sources rather than one text.

• Official previous papers: Your primary reference for question style and difficulty in both parts.

• A daily sketchbook: For life drawing, perspective practice and quick Part B idea sketches.

• Design and culture reading: Short articles on products, architecture, crafts and exhibitions build Part A general knowledge and English reading speed together.

• Everyday observation: Look at how objects are made, joined and used, and note problems people face with them. This feeds both design methods questions and Part B problem identification.

• Short topic notes: One page per Part A area, revised weekly. See CEED study notes for how to organise them.

How to Cover the CEED Syllabus

With CEED 2027 on 17 January 2027, a ten-week plan from early November works for most candidates. Adjust it if you start earlier.

1. Weeks 1 to 3, foundations: Solve one recent official paper to find your weak areas. Spend the mornings on spatial reasoning and design knowledge notes, and sketch for at least an hour every day.

2. Weeks 4 to 6, topic practice: Take topic-wise Part A tests on visualization, reasoning, English and design knowledge. Do one timed Part B question a day, rotating through the five themes.

3. Weeks 7 to 8, combined practice: Attempt full Part A tests in 60 minutes and complete a full Part B set in two hours twice a week.

4. Weeks 9 to 10, mocks and revision: Take full-length mocks in the real 9:00 am slot, analyse them the same day, and revise from your error log and short notes.

This split is a suggestion, not an official rule. Shift time towards whichever part your first official paper shows is weaker.

For topic-wise and full-length practice in this format, you can attempt CEED online tests on Testkart and use the section-wise analysis to plan your revision.

Common Syllabus Mistakes to Avoid

• Studying only Part A: Aptitude questions feel more like a normal exam, but Part B decides most of the final score.

• Ignoring knowledge areas: Art history, materials and ergonomics questions are easy marks for anyone who has made notes, and hard guesses for anyone who has not.

• Practising Part B without a timer: A beautiful drawing that takes 45 minutes leaves other questions unfinished.

• Copying model answers: Part B is evaluated holistically, so original thinking and clear communication matter more than a memorised style.

• Skipping the language section: English is a listed syllabus area, and reading speed also affects how quickly you understand long Part B prompts.

Previous Papers and Practice

The official CEED website keeps question papers from 2010 onwards, with answer keys for recent years, in its Downloads section. It also links a sample exam interface so you can get used to the Part A screen before exam day. Previous papers are the best way to see how each syllabus area is actually tested.

Official CEED website: https://www.ceed.iitb.ac.in/2027/

CEED 2026 question paper (official): https://www.ceed.iitb.ac.in/2027/downloads/CEED_2026_Question_Paper.pdf

Solve at least the last five papers under timed conditions. After that, timed CEED mock tests on Testkart help you check whether your pace holds across a full Part A. For dates, eligibility and the full exam overview, go back to the CEED 2027 exam guide.