NID DAT is one of the toughest exams for design aspirants. It has two stages, NID DAT Prelims and NID DAT Mains. NID Prelims is a shortlisting exam for the next round. Candidates must start NID Entrance Exam Preparation at least 6 months before the exam.
High Scoring Areas in NID
NID Entrance Exam is one of the most competitive exams in design. NID does not release any official syllabus, so it becomes difficult for candidates to prepare for the exam. But there are certain topics and chapters that are asked often in NID entrance test. If you focus on the topics that are repeated in the NID PYQs or sample papers, then you can easily clear the NID DAT exam. Focus on areas in which you have low confidence and take time to prepare them. One should always go for the pattern, syllabus, marking scheme, and weightage before preparing for the exam. If a particular section, say Design Awareness, has more questions or weightage, then give more time to it. The time should be managed in a way that the entire syllabus is covered and there is time left for revision. If you focus on high scoring marks in NID, then it will improve your NID Rank and score. It will also save your preparation time.
- High Scoring Areas in NID 2027
- Recommended Books to prepare for NID DAT
- Weightage for the NID DAT - B.Des
- Weightage for the NID DAT - M.Des
High Scoring Areas in NID 2027
Check out high scoring areas where you need to work.
| Areas | Topics | Study Material |
| Creative Drawing and Visualization |
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| Design Thinking and Problem Solving |
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| Design Awareness |
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| Static GK and Current Affairs |
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| Logical and Analytical Ability |
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| Observation and Visual Perception |
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| Spatial Ability and 3D Visualization |
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| Colour Theory and Composition |
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| Creative Writing |
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Commonly asked questions
The NID Entrance Exam is considered to be one of the toughest design entrance exam conducted in the country. In NID DAT, more weightage is given to subjective, drawing related questions. Thus, candidates need to be extremely creative and have a clear understanding of their concepts when appearing for the NID exam.
For preparing the final results for the B. Des program, the DAT Prelims will be allocated 40% weightage, while DAT Mains will be given 60%.
During the DAT Mains, which comprises a Studio Test, the candidate is tested hands-on and have to show their drawing abilities, creativity, innovativeness, and material-handling ability.
NID DAT, along with NIFT and UCEED are among the most competitive national-level entrance exams in the country. The fact that there are only 425 seats for the B. Des and 347 seats for the M.Des programme makes it very competitive. But that being said, if the candidate prepares well and with the correct strategy, then the NID DAT exam can be cracked. Among the first things the candidate needs to do is prepare a efficient study timetable get familiar with the syllabus and pattern, and use good books as reference material.
It is not mandatory to take coaching to get a good rank in NID DAT. It is because the entrance exam will test the creative, drawing, and innovative skills of the candidate. Now, a coaching institute cannot exactly teach you to be creative or become innovative. Instead, with a little effort these skills can learn these skills yourself. Also, a major thrust of the design aptitude test is to evaluate the drawing skills of the candidate. So, make it a point to work on your design skills, including learning how to draw lines, shadow, figure, gesture, cartoon drawing, etc. When practicing drawing, also keep a tab on the drawing speed, as it will help you complete the paper in the allotted time.
A candidate would ideally need around 6 months or so to prepare for the NID DAT exam. He can take up to 3 months if his fundamentals are strong.
Recommended Books to prepare for NID DAT
Given below are some books recommended by Toppers and experts to prepare for the NID DAT exam. Check them out!
- Arihant's Ultimate Guide for NIFT Entrance Exam: One can easily get Arihant's ultimate guide for NID preparation online from Amazon/Flipkart or a nearby bookshop. The ultimate guide for NID by Arihant covers the NID syllabus of almost all colleges and institutions that offer Bachelor's and Master's degrees in fashion design.
- NIFT/NID/IIFT Entrance Exam Guide by RPH Editorial Board: NIFT/NID Entrance Exam Guide by RPH Editorial Board contains NID Sample Papers so that you can understand exam patterns and the type of questions posed in the examination.
- Origami Design Secrets: Mathematical Methods for an Ancient Art - Robert J. Lang for NID Preparation. Origami Design Secrets has ideas of various origami and how original origami designs are made, including step-by-step guidance for 26 designs. This is also helpful for the NID studio test.
- Design Drawing – Francis D. K. Ching. This book is best for understanding fundamental cognitive mechanisms that create visual perception and language, which can improve your creative imagination with important points of drawing, including line, form, tone, and space.
Best Strategy to Crack Design Aptitude Test
Learn how to prepare for Design Aptitude Test (DAT) with weekly study plan, exam strategy, key topics and expert tips by Shiksha.com
Weightage for the NID DAT - B.Des
NID Prelims is just a shortlisting exam. It has no weightage in the final result. The weightage of the B.Des NID DAT 2026 Final Result is
| Exam Component |
NID DAT Studio Sensitivity Test | In-person Sensitivity Test |
|---|---|---|
| Weightage |
60% |
40% |
Commonly asked questions
Along with following the official NID DAT exam pattern and syllabus, do these tasks to prepare for NID DAT exam:
- Solve sample papers - You can starting solving sample papers very early on in your preparation, for instnce after completing a chapter.
- Solve previous years’ papers - This exercise will help you get an idea about the nature and structure of the exam, including difficulty level, types of questions asked, marking scheme, and much more.
- Take mock tests - Mocks are usually taken closer to the exam date. It will help you fine tune your preparation and fix the mental aspect of taking an entrance exam.
- Take notes during study - This exericise will not only help you stay focused, but also help you jot down important and difficult points. This in turn will make revision easier and quicker.
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Weightage for the NID DAT - M.Des
NID Prelims is just a shortlisting exam. It has no weightage in the final result. The weightage of the B.Des NID DAT 2026 Final Result is:
| Exam Component |
Studio Test |
Personal Interview |
|---|---|---|
| Weightage |
40% |
60% |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 weeks ago
Both institutions offer the BDes course but with completely different admission processes. IIT Indore accepts admission based on the UCEED entrance exam, while BITS Pilani considers the NID Entrance exam/ BITSAT exam result.
See the table below to compare both insttutions on different factors:
| Institution | NIRF Ranking | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|---|
| BITS Pilani | 11 | ₹ 30.8L |
| IIT Indore | 12 | ₹ 8.5L |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, the Admit card for B.Des In Person Sensitivity Test for 2026 has been released. It was released on April 23, 2026.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 months ago
Yes, the NID B.Des 2026 Studio Sensitivity Test Admit Card is out. It was out April 09, 2026. The link is active now.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Sayeba Naushad is a commerce postgraduate from Banaras Hindu University. She has over five years of experience in content writing and editing. She has a nose for current events in design field. At Shiksha.com, she s
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