IIAD Entrance Exam Pattern 2026: Marking Scheme, No. of Questions, Question Type, Duration
Indian Institute of Art and Design Entrance Exam 2026 ( IIAD Entrance Exam )
Registration - 1 Sep '25 - 23 Jan '26
IIAD DAT 2026 Exam Pattern - The Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD) is responsible for framing the exam pattern for IIAD 2026. The IIAD 2026 exam will be conducted on January 31, 2026 for those who have opted for online mode and on February 01, 2026, Sunday, for offline mode. IIAD DAT will have two phases: which include the iDAT exam and Portfolio Evaluation or Interview round.
Candidate needs to closely follow the exam pattern, along with the IIAD DAT 2026 syllabus, when preparing for the design entrance exam.
IIAD 2026 Applications Open - Start your Application Now
- IIAD Exam Pattern for Design Courses
- IIAD DAT Important Topics
- IIAD DAT 2026 Syllabus
- IIAD Exam Pattern for Fashion Management Courses
- IIAD DAT FAQs
IIAD Exam Pattern for Design Courses
For admission in design courses offered at the Indian Institute of Art and Design, aspirants need to give iDAT. Candidates who clear this admission round then need to appear for the Studio Simulation round.
| UG Level Course | Admission Process |
|---|---|
| Fashion Design, Communication Design, Interior Architecture & Design, Fashion Communication | iDAT- IIAD Online Design Aptitude Test |
| Fashion Business Management | Portfolio Evaluation or Interview round |
| PG Level Course | Admission Process |
| Fashion Design | IIAD Design Aptitude Test (iDAT) |
| Fashion Business Management | Portfolio Evaluation or Interview round |
iDAT Exam Pattern
IIAD Design Aptitude Test is a written exam. It is of two hours and thirty minutes duration. iDAT comprises two sections:
| Section | Subject |
|---|---|
| A | Logical Reasoning |
| B | Creative Thinking & Visual Aptitude |
The total marks and duration of iDAT is as mentioned below:
| Section | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| A | 200 | 30 minutes |
| B | 2 hours |
It may be noted that candidates who apply for the Interior Architecture and Design course are exempted from taking the written entrance exam if they have taken the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA). IIAD admissions of such candidates will be done based on their performance in studio simulation and portfolio assessment rounds only.
Commonly asked questions
Sample papers can be solved as part of one’s exam preparation.
Also, you can solve them very early on in your exam preparation.
If you have completed a few topics, try solving questions related to those topics. As you move deeper into the syllabus, there will be more questions to solve.
Solve as many sample papers as you can.
Total marks for IIAD DAT exam will be 200. Duration of the exam is 2 hours 30 minutes. Question paper will include questions from Logical Reasoning and Creative Thinking and Visual Aptitude Sections. IIAD DAT will have two phases: which include the iDAT exam and Portfolio Evaluation or Interview round.
IIAD DAT Important Topics
Some of the topics for IIAD DAT exam are
- Percentage, speed, distance, direction, seating arrangement, Venn diagrams, triangles
- Visualization & spatial reasoning: Cube analysis, pattern, recognition, surface counting
- Geometry basics: circles, areas and volume, 2 D figures: area and parameter, 3 D figures, Construction of squares, triangles, blood relation, 3D Figure, surface areas, volume
- Pattern completion, figure matrix, cubes and dice.
- Basic topics of physics: gears, pulleys, basic physics like force, gravity, and inertia
- For Analytical & logical: Image analysis, analogy, mirror images, water images,
- Design Sensitivity & Advanced Reasoning: Fonts, Riddles, 8-piece puzzles, spot the difference
- GK and current affairs
- Vocab: at least 20 words, comprehension passage
- Visual analogies, symbols, metaphors.
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
The best books of IIAD exam will
Be written as per the official IIAD DAT exam syllabus
Be very few to no errors in these books
Be well written and easy to follow
Have infographics to explain various concepts.
Contain lots of practice material and examples.
IIAD 2026 exam has two parts - IIAD Design Aptitude Test (iDAT) and Studio Simulation. However, those seeking admission to Fashion Management courses need to appear in the IIAD Management Aptitude Test (iMAT) and Interview. The exam will be conducted in online and on-campus modes.
The candidate needs to strictly follow the exam pattern when preparing for the exam.
IIAD DAT 2026 Syllabus
The syllabus for IIAD DAT 2026 is not prescribed by the institutes. Students can go through the following for preparation.
| Topics | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Visualization and Spatial Ability | Spatial visualization ability or visual-spatial ability is the ability to understand 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional figures. It is to check your ability to think spatially. It is measured with simple cognitive tests and is predictive of user performance with some kinds of user interfaces. |
| Ecological and Public Awareness | General awareness of environmental factors such as climate, population, water, vegetation, pollution, weather, natural resources, etc., and their impact on design of products, images, infrastructure and environment. Awareness of social and cultural connections with the design, history of designed artifact. |
| Analytical and Logical Reasoning | Logical reasoning, also known as critical thinking or analytic reasoning, involves ability to identify the various components of any given argument. It is designed to check a candidate's ability in skills such as how to interpret patterns, number sequences, or the relationships between shapes. Data Interpretation, brainteasers, and patterns. |
| Verbal Communication and Creativity | Ability to understand and use English. Reading comprehension, knowledge of English grammar, such as sentence structure and usage, use of tenses, verb patterns, articles and active and passive constructions, etc. & vocabulary skills. |
| Observation and Design Sensitivity | Aptitude to distinguish common things, people, situations, and events, and think critically about them. Applying attention to certain details, analyzing, reasoning, classifying, inferring and predicting. |
| Design Thinking and Problem Solving | Ability to use visual analogies, descriptions, signs and symbols. Design Thinking is a problem solving. Ability to understand complexity, identify problems, generate alternatives, evaluate options and select solutions. |
Commonly asked questions
On the day of the IIAD exam
Carry IIAD admit card and an ID proof
Reach the exam centre as per the reporting time mentioned in the admit card
Follow the exam guidelines; don't carry any electronic gadgets or illegal items
Inside the exam venue, follow the instructions of the invigilator.
No, you cannot apply to IIAD DAT 2026 if you don't meet the eligibility criteria.
It is responsibility of the candidate to make sure that they meet the eligibility criteria for the IIAD entrance exam 2026.
If the candidate doesn’t meet the eligibility criteria, they mustn’t apply. Exam officials will verify the eligibility and any candidate who is found lacking will be disqualified. Also, if a candidate fakes their eligibility, they may be disqualified and might also face criminal charges.
IIAD Exam Pattern for Fashion Management Courses
The admission process for the Fashion Business Management course is divided into two phases. Candidates need to first give iMAT and aspirants who clear this admission round then need to appear for the personal interview round. The detailed process is mentioned below.
iMAT Exam Pattern 2026
Candidates applying for Fashion Business Management courses at the Indian Institute of Art and Design need to appear for the IIAD Management Aptitude Test (iMAT). Aspirants are informed that iMAT is of two hours duration. iMAT exam pattern is such that candidates are evaluated on aspects such as their language, logical reasoning, and creative thinking.
iMAT will be conducted at various centers across the country.
Personal Interview 2026
Candidates who give iMAT 2026 also need to appear for a personal interview round. The interview round for admission in fashion management courses is conducted at IIAD campus in New Delhi.
| IIAD Entrance Exam Syllabus | IIAD Entrance Exam Question Papers | IIAD Entrance Exam Dates |
Commonly asked questions
The best books of IIAD exam will
Be written as per the official IIAD DAT exam syllabus
Be very few to no errors in these books
Be well written and easy to follow
Have infographics to explain various concepts.
Contain lots of practice material and examples.
IIAD Exam will have subjects like Logical Reasoning and Creative Thinking & Visual Aptitude. Question paper will include questions from Logical Reasoning and Creative Thinking & Visual Aptitude sections. Candidate will have 30 minutes to complete Logical Reasoning section. For the Creative Thinking & Visual Aptitude section, candidate will have 2 hours.
IIAD DAT FAQs
Check out the FAQs on IIAD DAT 2026.
Commonly asked questions
The last date to fill out the IIAD 2026 has not been announced. Application form has to be filled out online by eligible candidates. IIAD Exam will be conducted on January 31, 2026 and February 01, 2026.
Sample papers can be solved as part of one’s exam preparation.
Also, you can solve them very early on in your exam preparation.
If you have completed a few topics, try solving questions related to those topics. As you move deeper into the syllabus, there will be more questions to solve.
Solve as many sample papers as you can.
Total marks for IIAD DAT exam will be 200. Duration of the exam is 2 hours 30 minutes. Question paper will include questions from Logical Reasoning and Creative Thinking and Visual Aptitude Sections. IIAD DAT will have two phases: which include the iDAT exam and Portfolio Evaluation or Interview round.
IIAD 2026 exam will be conducted for admission to BA (Hons) Fashion Design, BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design, BA (Hons) Communication Design, BA (Hons) Fashion Business Management, and BA (Hons) Fashion Communication courses.
The candidate can select their programme of study when filling out the application form. Note that IIAD application will open in online and offline mode.
IIAD Entrance Exam Exam
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IIAD Entrance Exam Notifications2 Institutes accepting IIAD Entrance Exam
Indian Institute of Art and Design
Okhla, Delhi • Private
4.3- ₹ 23.20 Lakh
- 4 years
- |
- Full Time
Indian Institute of Art and Design, Gurgaon
Gurgaon • Private
- ₹ 23.20 Lakh
- 4 years
- |
- Full Time
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