IIT Hyderabad DAT / Entrance Exam Overview -26 ( Self-Sponsored, MDes by Practice & CEED)
Updated: May 30
If you're preparing for admissions at Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, this blog provides a clear overview of the entrance exam structure, selection process, and rounds conducted for Self-Sponsored, MDes by Practice, and CEED candidates based on 2026-27 admission cycles.
This will help you understand what to expect, how the process works, and how to prepare accordingly.
Exam Date & Schedule (22nd April 2026)
On 22nd April, IIT Hyderabad conducted the common entrance exam for Self-Sponsored and MDes by Practice programs.
Exam Schedule:
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM → Briefing Session
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM → Common Entrance Exam (1 Hour)
9:30 AM onwards → 20 minutes for uploading answer sheets
During the briefing session, candidates were given instructions about:
Question format
Submission process
Time management
Upload guidelines
Exam Pattern (Self-Sponsored & MDes by Practice)
In the 2020, 2026, and 2027 admission cycles, IIT Hyderabad conducted a common entrance exam for:
Self-Sponsored Program
MDes by Practice Program
Key Highlights
Common question paper for both programs
1 hour duration
Open-ended questions
Focus on design thinking and creativity
Online submission after exam completion
The questions were exploratory and open-ended, aimed at understanding:
Thought process
Creativity
Problem-solving approach
Design understanding
This means candidates were evaluated more on how they think, rather than what they memorize.
Selection Process After Written Exam
For Self-Sponsored and MDes by Practice candidates, the process included additional rounds after the written exam:
Portfolio Review
Interview Round
These rounds focused on:
Portfolio projects
Design thinking
Experience and background
Motivation for joining IIT Hyderabad
CEED Candidates - Selection Process
For CEED candidates, IIT Hyderabad did not conduct a DAT or written exam.
Instead, CEED candidates were directly shortlisted for:
Portfolio Review
Interview Round
This means portfolio quality and interview performance played a major role in final selection.
Overall Admission Structure
Self-Sponsored & MDes by Practice
Written Exam
Portfolio Review
Interview Round
CEED Candidates
Direct Portfolio Review
Interview Round
No Written Test
Here's a full breakdown of the IITH MDes 2026 admissions data:
Selected (admitted) candidates: 30 total
MoE (funded): 15
Self-Sponsored (SS): 15
Practice (external, self-financed): 20
Waitlisted candidates: 240+ across MoE and SS lists
Total seats - selected candidates
MoE (funded) | Self-Sponsored | Practice | Total selected |
15 | 15 | 20 | 50 |
Regular / government funded | Regular / self-funded | External / self-financed | Across all categories |
Selected by specialization
Specialization | MoE | Self-Sponsored | Practice* | Total |
Interaction Design | 3 | 4 | — | 7 |
Product Design | 5 | 3 | — | 8 |
Visual Design | 4 | 4 | — | 8 |
Photography, Film & Animation | 3 | 4 | — | 7 |
Practice (all disciplines) | — | — | 20 | 20 |
Total | 15 | 15 | 20 | 50 |
* Practice track (external mode) has no listed specialization breakdown in the document.
Waitlist - MoE candidates (118 entries)
Specialization | Waitlist count |
Interaction Design | 48 |
Product Design | 21 |
Visual Design | 37 |
Photography, Film & Animation | 12 |
Total MoE waitlisted | 118 |
Waitlist - Self-Sponsored candidates (122 entries)
Specialization | Waitlist count |
Product Design | 26 |
Interaction Design | 51 |
Visual Design | 39 |
Photography, Film & Animation | 6 |
Total SS waitlisted | 122 |
Total MoE waitlisted | Total SS waitlisted | Grand total waitlisted |
118 | 122 | 240 |
A few notes on the numbers:
The Practice track (20 seats, external mode) has no specialization breakdown in the document - all 20 are listed together without a subject field.
The waitlist is very long relative to seats - 240 waitlisted vs 30 regular seats (MoE + SS), meaning roughly 8 candidates are waiting for every 1 regular seat. Interaction Design has the most competition in both MoE (48 waitlisted) and SS (51 waitlisted) tracks.
Need Guidance or Have Questions?
If you're preparing for IIT Hyderabad MDes admissions, or want guidance regarding:
Portfolio preparation
Interview preparation
Entrance exam strategy
IIT Hyderabad admission process
Feel free to reach out on WhatsApp for discussion or queries.
WhatsApp Contact: +91-9801047282
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