NID DAT Prelims 2026

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2026

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2026 Consists of three stages – Written Exam (Prelims and Mains), Studio Test, and Personal Interview Round. NID DAT Exam Pattern consists of 70 marks for subjective questions and 30 marks for objective questions, moreover, there will be no negative marking for the exam. The syllabus varies for the courses offered through NID DAT 2026 viz. B.Des and M.Des. NID DAT Exam Pattern had been updated for both BDes and MDes in 2021.

• B.Des candidates are now required to upload a theme poster as a PDF file on the topics.
• M.Des candidates are to submit an SoP with 500-word limit as a PDF file.
• Qualified candidates (who clear NID Cut-Off) will be called for the studio test and personal interview.
• The 2nd stage involves a 100-mark studio test which includes drawing/sketching, modeling, and group discussion.
• In the third stage, an Interview is conducted immediately after the studio test at the same center. A finalNID Merit List of selected candidates is prepared after this round.

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2026

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2026 for B.Des

• Shortlisted candidates must upload a PDF of a theme poster on the topics
• Size of the PDF can be a maximum of 10 MB.
• The theme poster can be in any media and must be made manually and a scanned copy of the same must be uploaded within the stipulated time digitally in A3 paper.

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2026 for M.Des

• BDes shortlisted candidates must submit an SoP (statement of purpose).
• The word limit of the SoP is 500 words and must be typed and uploaded as PDFs not exceeding the size of 2 MB.
• A portfolio must also be uploaded as a PDF with a size limit of 10 MB.
• Candidates will be separately intimated on the topics for the theme poster.
• The window for upload will close after a week.

NID DAT Exam Pattern 2026: Marking Scheme

NID 2024 written exam consists of an offline exam of mixed nature. By mixed nature, it is meant that the paper would comprise both objective and subjective type questions.

• 70% of the total questions are of objective nature,
• Remaining 30% questions are subjective in nature.
• The two papers (objective and subjective) are held separately on the same day.
• There is no negative marking for wrong answers.

Candidates who qualify for the first round (also called prelims) are then called for the second round (also known as mains) of the selection process which includes a Studio Test of 100 marks. The studio test checks the candidates’ ability in sketching/drawing, handicraft modeling, and group discussions. All the tests under this round would be conducted in English medium only.

NID DAT Syllabus 2026

NID Exam is held in two stages. The first stage is the preliminary exam. The exam will comprise 2 papers. Paper 1 will comprise of 70 marks questions of objective type and Paper 2 will comprise of 30 marks questions of subjective type. There will be no negative marking.

Stage 2 is the main examination which will be conducted for those students who clear the 1st stage. The stage II examination will be based on practical tests including sketching/ drawing, handicraft models, group discussions as well as presentations. This examination will carry a total of 100 marks. The test will be conducted in English medium only.

There is now a fixed syllabus outlined by the NID, the analysis of keywords under the syllabus section of the notification and previous year's question paper shows that the following topics are considered as the main ones for the stage one and stage two exams.

NID DAT 2026 Important Instructions

Candidates are advised to follow the given instructions on the day of the exam and the week prior to the same.

• Make arrangements for necessary documents like NID 2024 Admit Card and Photo ID proof that is required to be carried to the exam venue.
• Visit the exam center before the exam day to get an idea of the time taken and the shortest route to the exam venue from your location.
• In case the exam venue is far away from your current location then you should make some arrangements near the exam center beforehand to avoid last hour rush.
• A valid photo ID card is to be carried along with the admit card. A valid photo ID includes School/College ID card, Passport, Driving License, Aadhar Card, Voter ID Car, PAN card etc.
• Stationery items like Black and Blue ballpoint pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, etc. should also be arranged beforehand.

Instructions to be Followed a Week Prior to the Exam

Candidates should follow the following instructions a week before the NID exam.

• Revise the basic concepts and avoid studying any new thing or referring to some new study material.
• Practice mock tests and check your speed and accuracy of solving by taking them in an exam condition that is in time bound manner.
• Practice drawing and designing concepts by solving questions asked in previous years’ question papers.
• Practice MCQ and check for accuracy.

Use of Optical Response Sheet

Candidates will be provided with an Optical Response Sheet during the preliminary exam. These sheets are provided to the candidates to mark the answers in response to the 70 MCQ questions asked in the first round of NID Exam.

• Candidates are required to darken the bubble for that option in the optical sheet which they think is the right answer for the question asked.
• Apart from this, candidates would also be required to darken the bubbles for filling in information like name, roll number, date of exam, the cycle of exam, etc.
• Blue/Black ball pen is to be used for darkening the bubbles. Blue/Black gel pen is not allowed as it is difficult for the OMR analyzing device to capture the marked response.

NID DAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

NID DAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 varies as per the course - B.Des, M.Des - applied for by the candidate, and is broadly divided into two categories - Age limit requirements and Educational Requirements. Nаtiоnаl Institute of Design (NID) would conduct NID DAT Prelims 2025 on January 05, 2025 to intake students for Bachelor of Design (B.Des), and Master of Design (M.Des) courses.

• The candidates must fulfil the eligibility before filling the NID DAT Application Form 2026. NID DAT Eligibility 2025 includes the age criteria and academic qualification of the candidates.
• Candidate must be below 20 years of age for B.Des/GDPD and below 30 years of age for M.Des. Reserved categories can avail age relaxation as per the government of India norms. Check NID Reservation
• NID admits students for 2 of its programmes which are B.Des and M.Des based on candidates performance in NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains.

NID DAT Eligibility 2026: Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

All candidates applying for this course must meet the following criteria:

NID DAT Eligibility 2026: Education Qualification

Examinations considered equal to Class 12 are as follows:

• Any final examination certificate of the 10+2 system conducted by a central or state board recognised by the Association of Indian Universities or respective State Governments
• Intermediate or two-year pre-university examinations administered by a board or university recognised by the Association of Indian Universities.
• The final year certificate of the two-year course at the National Defence Academy's Joint Services Wing (NDA).
• The National Institute of Open Schooling(NIOS) senior secondary school certificate in at least five courses.
• An examination administered by any public school, board, or university in India or abroad that is recognised by the AIU as equivalent to the 10+2 system. H.S.C. vocational examination.
• The advanced (A) level of the GCE test (London, Cambridge or Sri Lanka)
• At the International Baccalaureate Office in Geneva, Cambridge University administers the high school certificate test or the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
• Candidates who have finished their 10+2 or equivalent examination outside of India or from a board or university that is not listed above must present a certificate from the Association of Indian Universities.

NID DAT Eligibility 2026: Master of Design (M.Des)

Candidates applying for the Master's program at NID must meet the following requirements:

NID DAT Eligibility 2026 for Overseas Candidates

Candidates with citizenship from countries other than the Republic of India are able to apply under the overseas candidates category. The overseas category includes 15% of the supernumerary seats in the B.Des and M.Des programmes.

• NRIs must apply exclusively as Indian nationals.
• Candidates having a foreign passport and a valid PIO or OCI status can apply under either the 'Indian' or 'Overseas' category. Candidates applying under the overseas category must pay fees similar to those charged to foreign citizens.
• For candidates applying under the Overseas Category, only online applications will be accepted. Admissions.nid.edu is the official admissions website in this regard.
• Candidates who choose to pursue a Bachelor's or Master's degree in the international category can only take the DAT at the Ahmedabad campus, which will be followed by Stage 2 and Stage 3 tests.
• NID Hall Tickets will be accessible for download on the official website, and it is the candidate's obligation to print them
• Overseas candidates must appear in person before the authorities at the respective NID campus to accept an offer of admission.

Documents Needed For Application by the Foreign Candidates :

Candidates must provide original documents as well as authenticated copies of the documents listed below.

• Attested copy of the candidate's passport
• Attested copies of SSC and HSC mark sheets are required for B.Des candidates.
• Attested copies of SSC, HSC, and completed years of graduate marksheets, as well as degree certificate/provisional certificate/passing certificate, are required for M.Des candidates.
• If the candidate is a member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), an equivalency certificate must be submitted prior to the admissions process.

Before beginning the programme, the candidate must submit a student visa for the duration of the course at the concerned NID Institute. If the selected candidates are unable to pay the required fees or fail to show the necessary documents prior to registration, their application will be cancelled. Seats that are left unfilled will not be changed into another category and will lapse.