Design Common Entrance Test (DCET), introduced and owned by Girnarsoft Education Services Pvt. Ltd., is an entrance exam for admission to Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) programmes across India. The exam will be held under the guidance of the DCET Implementation Committee 2026 on January 28, 2026. DCET scores are accepted by various universities offering design courses. Students must clear the DCET and follow the selection process to apply to the participating universities. All key dates and schedules related to DCET can be found here for easy reference.
DCET 2026 will be held in two stages. The first stage is the Design Aptitude Examination, which is a two-hour offline test. Stage 1 is scheduled independently, while Stage 2 will take place on some other date. Students can check the latest DCET Exam Dates 2026 below:
| Activity | Dates (Tentative) |
|---|---|
| Start date for Online Registration | 20th September 2025 |
| Last date for Online Registration with regular fee | 30th November 2025 |
| Last date for Online Registration with a late fee | 15th December 2025 |
| Start date for Admit Card downloading | 1st January 2026 |
| DCET 2025: Date and time of exam | 28th January 2026 |
| Declaration of Results (Round 1) | 10th February 2026 |
| Release of Dates for Round 2 | 20th February 2026 |
| Round 2 Result Date | 1st March 2026 |
| Complete Merit List Release | 15th March 2026 |
Registrations for the DCET 2026 will be open only through the official website during the scheduled registration period. For applications submitted after the deadline, a small late fee will be charged along with the standard registration fee. Students are advised to check the registration timeline below for DCET 2026 important dates.
| Events | Dates |
|---|---|
| DCET 2026 Registration Start Date | 20th September 2025 |
| DCET 2026 Registration Last Date (Regular Fee) | 30th November 2025 |
| DCET 2026 Registration Last Date (With Late Fee) | 15th December 2025 |
Only those candidates who have completed the registration for DCET 2026 will be able to download their Admit Card online. On the day of the exam, students must bring a printed copy of their Admit Card along with a valid original photo ID, such as Aadhaar Card, Passport, Voter ID, PAN Card, or Driving License. For more details, please check the DCET 2026 Admit Card release date given below:
| Events | Dates |
|---|---|
| DCET Admit Card 2026 Release Date | 1st January 2026 |
Design Common Entrance Test (DCET) comprises two stages and both are held separately. Check the DCET Exam Dates 2026 below:
| Events | Dates |
|---|---|
| DCET 2026 Exam Date & Timings Stage 1 | 28th January 2026 |
| Release of DCET 2026 Stage 2 Exam Date | 20th March 2026 |
DCET 2026 Question Paper and the Draft Answer Key for Part A will be published on the official website after the exam is concluded. Candidates are allowed to submit objections to the draft answer key within the specified time. Check the DCET 2026 Answer Key Release Schedule below:
| Events | Dates |
|---|---|
| Release of Draft Answer Key of DCET Exam for Part A | To be finalised |
| Last date for uploading comments (if any) on the Draft Answer Key | To be finalised |
| Release of Final Answer Key for Part A | To be finalised |
The DCET 2026 Result will be published on the official website. Candidates can access their results by logging in with their username and password. Those who qualify will be included in the rank list, which is prepared according to the total marks secured in the exam. Refer to the release dates for the DCET Exam 2026 Result & Rank List below:
| Events | Dates |
|---|---|
| DCET Result Date Round 1 | 10th February 2026 |
| DCET Result Date Round 2 | To be finalised |
| Complete Merit List | 15th March 2026 |
Seats will be provisionally allotted to the candidates based on their All India Rank (AIR) in DCET, category, and choice of institutes. A final merit list will then be prepared based on the performance in the personal interview and portfolio presentation. Check the DCET selection process schedule below:
| Events | Dates |
|---|---|
| Release Date of Result Round 1 | 10th February 2026 |
| Round 2 Result Date | 1st March 2026 |
| Final Merit List | 15th March 2026 |
