CEED entrance exam 2019 – Exam pattern & preparation tips

With only a two months remaining for the CEED exam chances are you must have already started your preparations. This article will give you an overall perspective of the exam pattern to keep you prepared for D - Day! For all design exam aspirants, please note the CEED exam will be conducted on Saturday, January 19 2019. Let’s first start with understanding the fundamental aspects of the exam!

Eligibility for CEED

· Candidates must have completed a degree / diploma / PG degree program of minimum 3 years (after 10+2 level) or

· Must have passed the GD Arts diploma program (10+5 level) by July 2018

There is no age limit to appear for CEED. Besides, a candidate can appear for CEED any number of times.

Additionally it’s absolutely crucial for you to know, that qualifying in CEED does not guarantee admission to any program. After qualifying, candidates must apply to respective institutes for admission and fulfill other requirements such as tests and / or interviews of the respective institutes to become eligible for admission.

Once you are eligible for the test, you must also have a basic understanding of the pattern of the CEED exam. The exam consists of two parts i.e. Part A & Part B. Candidates must attempt both, wherein Part A contains objective type questions (Multiple Choice questions (MCQ), Multiple Select questions (MCQ) & Numerical Answer questions (NAT). Questions here are design aptitude type questions that evaluate visual & spatial ability, environmental & social awareness, analytical & logical reasoning, language, observation & design sensitivity of the candidate.

Part B has questions aimed at testing design, drawing & writing skills. And the final CEED score is calculated by assigning 25% weightage to marks in part A & 75% to Part B.

Understanding the marking system of the paper is also very important in gaining mastery over the exam.

The CEED exam consists of a total of 100 marks & has 3 sections. Part A will be Computer Based Test of a total of 1 hour.

•   Section I

Consists of 10 Numerical Answer Type Questions (NAT). Here the answer is a number that’s entered on a virtual keyboard on the computer

screen. Each question has 3 marks i.e., total 30 marks, with no negative marking

•   Section II

This consists of 10 questions of Multiple Select types (MSQ), out of which each question has 4 options, which in turn will have 1 or more correct answers. Candidates win 2 marks for every correct answer

•   Section III

The last section comprises 25 Multiple Choices based questions (MCQ). The

Questions here have 4 answer options among which 1 is correct. Each correct

Answer wins 2 marks & each wrong answer loses -0.6 marks

Following this you MUST know the exam syllabus as a starting point. Additionally its imperative to decipher the overall CEED syllabus in order to prepare your strategy in your preparations.

Part A which has questions on -

· Visualization & spatial abilities: Pictorial & diagrammatic questions which question the understanding of transformation & manipulation of 2D shapes & 3D object & their spatial relationships

· Environmental & social awareness: General awareness of environmental factors such as climate, population, water, vegetation, pollution, weather, natural resources & the implication on design of products, images, infrastructure & environment. Awareness of design terminologies, social & cultural connection with design, history of the designed artefact & socially responsible & environmentally sustainable design responses

· History of art, sculpture & literature

· Analytical & logical reasoning: The ability to analyse given information logically & select the most apt solution. Plus weighing opinions, arguments or solutions against relevant criteria

·Language & creativity: Comprehend passages & think creatively of alternatives, ability to distinguish innovative options & think out of the box

·Design thinking & problem solving: Understand the context, users & the constraints & select the most appropriate solution for a given design problem

·Observation & design sensitivity: Ability to detect concealed properties in daily life & think critically about them

The deciding factor of the exam is Part B of the CEED exam. And therefore you MUST understand the syllabus of this section.

CEED Part B primarily focuses on -

· Drawing: The ability to draw products, people/ scenes in proportion with good line quality, composition, proportion, perspective and shading

· Creativity: The ability to think out of the box & come up with unique solutions

· Communication skills: The ability to communicate concepts & ideas clearly with text & visuals

Candidates must practice drawing, rendering & visualization skills.

• Analytical & problem solving skills: To understand the user & context, knowledge of properties of materials & processes, plus their appropriate use in design, Originality of solutions, creating characters, plots & stories etc.

This is an overall understanding of the syllabus of Part A & Part B of the CEED exam. Now you must arm yourself with a strategy to crack them! Preparation of Part B is most important part of CEED preparation, as ultimately Part B score is reported as CEED score.

Here is a comprehensive list of tips you MUST use in CEED preparation -

· Practice sketching objects: You should express your concepts in detail. If your concept requires you to sketch a chair, you should practice sketching it as realistically, not artistically as possible. Pay close attention to pencil strokes & proportions of the parts. Next comes shading. It’s important to know how to depict materials like wood, glass, steel, plastic, etc. using simple pencil shading

· Create designs in the way it’s used: All your designs are designed for making life of the user easier; you must show how the product is used. An understanding of human anatomy sketching skills is important

· Creativity : Refer books & websites & learn techniques like SCAMPER, Five W’s & Six Thinking Hats, (Edward de Bono)

· Read the instructions: Ensure you read the instructions, as additional time will not be given & missing out on any important instruction will cost you some marks

·Time management: One must understand which question is compulsory and which is optional. On an average it takes about an hour to complete Part A, therefore, you have to plan your remaining time for Part B

·For any solution sketch in perspective view: Always practice sketching in perspective

·Aim for more visuals than text

Let’s understand the above from a sample question. For eg. A question on product design, water is a scarce resource in many parts of India. It’s wasted because people forget to turn off the taps after use, yet for hygiene purposes continuous flowing taps are needed. Design a wash basin tap which caters for continuous on mode as well as timed mode of operation. Also caters for an external hot & cold knob, & show its workings.

Present your design proposal. To answer this, one must pay close attention to the ease of use, aesthetics of the solution, ease of mass production and the ergonomics of the design. 

Now that you’ve completely understood the CEED exam, you are well informed to plan a strategy for CEED preparation. And to facilitate this, we are offering you an online platform i.e. DQ Edge which will give you a personalized preparation package. Using AI, DQ Edge helps you study effectively and score well in a shorter span of time. For more information on our courses & packages please visit DQ Edge

You have been trudging on the path of preparation for the past few months & now have 60 days more to go! You have come this far & can’t give up! Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.

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