How to clear NID DAT? Tips from shortlisted candidate

NID DAT topper, Harshal Mistry shares he prep strategy that helped him crack NID entrance exam.

Already possessing a BSc in Interior Design from INIFD, Vashi, Harshal Hemant Mistry cleared NID DAT 2016 with 50.3 score. Having applied for Furniture Design at National Institute of Design, Harshal shares that his interest in design stemmed from the fact that his family is full of designers and his father is an Interior Decorator.

Harshal possesses the design gene in him and he candidly shared that, “I love to create something out of nothing, in my free time I use empty cans, waste plywood’s, wires etc. and try to make artifact’s, organisers and furniture”.

In order to crack NID DAT, Harshal took coaching from Mosaic Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Read the complete interview, Shiksha had with Harshal and find out how he got selected for Stage 2 of NID Entrance Exam, last year.

Q. Did you expect to get shortlisted in NID DAT?

A. No, but I am happy that I have cleared the 1^st round. Although, I feel I could have done much better.

Q. How did you prepare for the exam?

A. I joined coaching from Mosaic Institute of Design Ahmedabad for DAT. There, I had practiced solving previous years’ papers. I also solved some mock tests and focused a lot on my drawing skills.

Q. When should one start preparing for the exam?

A. There is no such time boundation, it depends from person to person.  If a student has strong GK and is up-to-date with current affairs then he/she can easily crack NID DAT with just a month or two of prep time.  

Q. How long did you prepare for the exam and how many hours did you study in a day?

A. I had very few weeks to prepare for NID DAT 2016 as I was working on freelance projects so I used to attend my coaching and worked on my projects alongside.

Q. Did you refer to any important books or study material?

A. I just solved previous years’ papers, read newspapers and went through the study material provided by my coaching centre.   

Q. Are there any important topics to score well?

A. As per the new syllabus of NID Entrance Exam (70/30) MCQ’s were asked relating to History (first silent movie etc.), Design (about Vitruvian Man), Current affairs (26/11 attack), Religion (who wrote Mahabharata) etc. So, all in all, you should have good GK and should be updated with current affairs. Section A is quite scoring as compared to Section B.

Q. Any preparation tips from your experience?

A. Be creative and be yourself if you want to score well in NID Entrance Exam. Since, it was my first attempt and I had very little time to prepare, so I joined the coaching centre but now I feel that NID DAT can be cleared without undergoing any coaching. All you need to do is be updated with the current affairs, have a keen eye/good observation and be quick while attempting the questions in Section A of the exam as Section B needs a lot of time.

Q. What as per you are the mistakes one should avoid while preparing for the exam?

A. Improve your drawing skills, be creative but don’t focus much on detailing as there is very limited time for Section B. Plan your strategy and manage time accordingly, Complete Section-A, A.S.A.P. because Section B is quite lengthy.

Q. How did you manage time while giving the exam?

A. I took a lot of time to solve Section A of NID Entrance Exam which was my weak point but recovered myself quickly in Section B of the exam and managed to complete the exam on time.

Q. Which as per you was the most difficult part of NID DAT exam?

A. For me, Section B was quite challenging and lengthy.

Q. Is there any section that plays the “deciding factor” for getting shortlisted in the exam?

A. Section – B, I guess, because it is all about creativity and time management.

Q. So, what is your plan of action for the next stages of NID Entrance Exam?

A. I am working on my portfolio and would try to make something creative and out of the box and would refer to some YouTube studio test videos and would keep on practicing for it for the next round.

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